by Cara North
“You make that face you may get the best of me. I’m no good when I laugh.” Evelyn shook her head. Ethan realized Gray couldn’t see it, so he flipped her the bird as he walked inside. Yep, he liked her. He would call Chase and get everyone ready to welcome her with open arms.
“E, E, E.” Gray demanded her attention. Looking down he was indeed ready to stand on his hands again.
“Gray, leave Aunt Evelyn alone, show Mamma your moves.” Grace always had faith in Evelyn. And since the noise creeping out of Joshua’s bedroom last night was the sound of passion, she knew she was here to stay. Whether or not Evelyn knew it was still to be seen.
Evelyn couldn’t help but tear up. Grace referred to her as the child’s aunt, and they were of no relation. She tried to hide it as she sat on the step next to her, but Grace noticed.
“Don’t get all girly on me now.” Grace rocked into Evelyn’s shoulder. “You might as well by my sister. Megan’s my cousin and I refer to her as my sister. You know what; we could say you are my sister. We’re both redheads, about the same height, yeah. You could be my long lost sister.”
“Thanks, Gracie. I see why you like him. He has a sense of humor.” Evelyn brushed the tears away and took a deep breath. She wanted to tell her about the calls, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t sure if she was going to tell Joshua. He would want to be there, and that wouldn’t be safe. She wouldn’t risk him.
“Yeah, but I love him because he sets my world on fire, E. I was dead. You know that. When my mother died, I died, too. You were there. I didn’t cry, for years. Then Ethan came along. He saved me, E. Saved my life.” Grace took Evelyn by the hand. “He didn’t fight any bad guys or pull me out of a burning building. He forced me to face myself and realize that I had to move on. Truth is a hell of a thing to face when you don’t want to hear it.”
“So what’s my truth, Gracie?” Evelyn searched her hazel eyes.
“You tell me. Or at least tell Joshua.” Grace let go of her hand. “Now help me up.”
* * * *
At Beaufort Elementary School...
Joshua sat at his desk during lunch instead of eating with the kids, or in the teacher’s lounge. He arranged the postcards by dates. Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky. She lives in Kentucky. He pulled the Kentucky cards separate and looked to see where they were mailed from. All of them came from LaGrange, Kentucky.
He pulled out his cell phone and placed a call with one question on his mind. What’s in LaGrange, Kentucky?
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Chapter 10
In West Virginia...
“You get on the phone and find out who said she was headed to West Virginia.” Blade smacked the woman across the face. “Don’t make me kill you.”
“You’re going to anyways, aren’t you?” the woman yelled. Tears streaked her dirty face.
“No, of course not. I’m going to kill Evelyn, not you. Not unless you don’t cooperate. Then I might kill one of your kids or that husband of yours.” Blade blew cigarette smoke in her face. “But before I kill ‘em I’ll be sure and let ‘em know that their mamma had a chance to save their lives but wouldn’t make a phone call to do it.”
“You Bastard!” The woman’s yell was faint, her sobs low and sorrowful. “I hate you.”
“Make the call.” Blade threw the cell phone in her lap.
The pink business suit was all but black now. She had been in this basement for over a week. He gave her enough food and water to keep her alive. He kept her locked in the closet the rest of the time. Noel would be here soon. She knew that. He found her. Evelyn would follow. It was just a matter of time.
“Yes, this is Agent McKinna.” The woman spoke professionally into the phone. He hovered over her. If she made one false move, he would kill her. She knew that. “I’m still on the Blade file. Yes. Where did you get that information?”
She disconnected the call. Another cell phone, he used a different phone each time to keep the trace nearly impossible to locate. They would track the number to the owner, question them, rule them out, and then try to pinpoint the call’s location. It would be too late. They wouldn’t be there; instead they would be back at the house. She would be back in the closet. She hoped Evelyn did come now and hoped she killed him.
“Ayden Wolf.” The woman dropped her head. If she could have thought of a lie, she would have, but the Wolf was on the case now. He could save Evelyn or the mention of his name might just get them all killed. Wolf had been watching Evelyn’s back most of his career. “And Noel?”
“You get a closet buddy tomorrow.” Blade flicked the cigarette at her and motioned for Stix and Stones to get her. “Wolf, huh? Big ole family reunion I’m planning here.”
The bounty hunters were just as much prisoner as she was, but he thought otherwise. They were all cops together, and he thought of them as loyal to him. They were at one point when he was on the right side of the law, but then he became deranged and twisted. Blade thought he was the law.
He laid low for years, and then by chance in a run down bar, he ran into a lowlife that said he was on the run from Blade. When he told him he was running from Blade, Martin Blade flipped out. He was the law, not Evelyn. She was using his name. He knew where she was. She followed in her father’s footsteps, went in the Marine Corps instead of the Navy. She learned all the arts. Blade beat him almost to death and pinned it on another guy. That was all he needed, an excuse to find them, to finish what he started, to kill those ugly brats.
* * * *
Evelyn waited in the rocking chair on the front porch. When she saw Joshua pull up, she stood with a huge smile. Only problem was, he wasn’t smiling. He headed up the stairs and looked down at her. His face flat, unreadable. Something was definitely wrong.
“What? Are you okay? What happened?” Evelyn looked him over. He looked fine.
“LaGrange, Kentucky. Do you live there or just frequent the prison a lot?” Joshua wasn’t mad. He just wanted to know. The conversation with Stevens reminded him that she was in trouble, and he still didn’t know enough to fix it.
“Prison. I have a contact there. I busted him; he reformed, became a born again Christian. He contacted his old parole officer and said he wanted to help me since I was the one to set him on the straight and narrow.” Evelyn flipped her hand in the air as she said it. “Whatever, but he does give good information. And if he thinks that will help him into heaven and it’s bringing more criminals off the street, well, who am I to judge?’
“So you don’t live in Kentucky?” Joshua wanted to rip the postcards in half.
“I don’t live in LaGrange.” Evelyn smiled. Joshua was smarter than the average bear to track her like that. Of course she thought she was sending the cards to Grace but still. He was doing good detective work.
“Fuck it. I can’t deal with this right now.” Joshua walked past her and into the house.
Evelyn got her bearings for a moment and then marched in behind him. Ethan and Grace were in the backyard with Gray. Dinner was almost done, and here she was, waiting for him. And when he got home, he was pissed.
“Joshua!” Evelyn shouted. “Don’t you walk away from me. You’re pissed. You say it. You want to know something, ask!”
“Where do you live, Evelyn?” Joshua shouted it.
“Kentucky,” she answered
“Where in Kentucky?” He crumbled the cards as he tightened his fists. The woman was making everything harder than it had to be.
“Nowhere, everywhere. I don’t have a place of residence. I have a self-storage I rent for eighty bucks a month. I sleep in my car or in hotels. Why would I pay rent and give up my location? Or better yet pay for a place I’d hardly ever see.” Evelyn’s brows were drawn tightly, and she was getting madder by the second. She didn’t have to tell him anything.
“Christ, woman.” Joshua was shaking his head in disbelief. She was raw. His sweet little Evelyn, living out of
a storage shed? It made him ache. “Do you know what’s going on now? Have you called your answering service?”
“This morning, yes.” Evelyn stepped closer. “What?”
“The bounty is a million dollars. Stevens said the Wolf is asking for you. Do you have any idea who that is?” Joshua wanted to tear something up. She seemed so unfazed by it all.
“Ayden? That’s ridiculous.” Evelyn laughed a nervous laugh. Ayden Wolf claimed to be just another bounty hunter, but Evelyn didn’t buy it. Something about him was just unsettling. He was too familiar with her, like he knew her in another life or something. He gave her the creeps, and the one time she was in a real mess, it was the Wolf who helped her out. “You’re serious?”
“You know him?” Joshua felt a pang of jealousy. He really wanted to rip the counter off now. Ayden Wolf, yeah, she probably tied his ass up. Joshua knew Ayden. He had helped him get the information on Ethan’s stalker. He was the best. His exact job, he wasn’t sure, but he had a badge.
“Yes. He was a Navy Seal, says he’s a bounty hunter, but I suspect he works for some government agency. He’s too efficient. Knows too much, has access only top people have.” Evelyn shrugged. She didn’t want to sound fearful, but if Ayden was after her, he would find her. “He’ll find me, or I’ll find him first. If he’s looking for me, then I have to leave. You’re in danger, and I won’t have it.”
“I’m in danger? I’m in danger?” No matter how many times he said it, she didn’t flinch. She was stone cold, all business. He moved toward her, looked down at her with his flushed angry face and clenched fists. A finger lifted to point at her. “You-are-not-going-anywhere. You’re the one in danger, Evelyn. The Wolf may find you, but you won’t be alone!”
Evelyn looked up at him, felt the heat from his body belting her in waves. That big finger was pointing in her face. He labored to bark each word at her in turn. His face was flushed, like it was last night, but for a different reason now. No man in his right mind would dare come this close to her angry, but he wasn’t going to hurt her. No, he wanted to protect her, but she had to protect him.
“You-are-not-my-boss.” Evelyn pointed her finger at him now. She poked him in the chest with each word. He stepped back with each poke. “Do you understand me? I won’t let you risk yourself for me. I’m not worth it.”
Joshua stopped stepping back. She wasn’t going to bully him into letting her go. He wasn’t her boss, but she wasn’t his boss either. Her last attempt to poke him he pulled her finger in the uncomfortable thumb lock she so generously taught him. How could she possibly think she wasn’t worth it? She meant everything to him.
“Do not poke me again.” He released her, and her big doe eyes blinked up at him. He felt like an ass, that easy.
“Shit!” he barked. “Did that hurt? I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to stop poking me.”
He didn’t hurt her. It just caught her off guard that he was fast enough to catch her finger. His eyes softened going from anger to concern. He wouldn’t let her go. He would probably follow her if she left, putting his job and life at risk. She’d have to let him think he was helping her. Maybe he could a little bit. He seemed to get information a lot faster than she did.
“Dinner’s ready,” Evelyn said as the timer on the stove went off.
“Evelyn.” He reached for her, pulled her hand to his lips, and kissed the assaulted finger. He felt desperate. That kind of money could dredge up the worst kind of people. Who wanted her that badly besides him? “Please don’t shut me out.”
“Couldn’t if I wanted to.” Evelyn tiptoed up to kiss him lightly on the lips. “Let me get that roast out before it burns. Go change clothes. Let Ethan and Grace know dinner’s ready.” She winked.
Joshua wanted to burst. Evelyn kept him scattered to the four winds. One minute he’s angry, the next he’s happy. One minute she’s leaving, the next she’s getting dinner set up. He felt torn, shredded. He had to get all this mess straightened out and tell her how he felt. He had to figure out how he felt. Maybe he was in over his head. Evelyn had become a Siren, luring him out to sea. He’d follow her and pray he didn’t drown.
* * * *
“We’re heading back tomorrow morning. Have to get things ready for the birthday bash.” Grace pointed at Gray. “He’s not two for months, but there are six birthday babies, and since they are all three and under, we make it easy on all of us and do it once.”
“Six?” Joshua knew about Chase and Gray but six babies?
“Yeah, all of Ethan and Chase’s cousins have babies, too, on his mother’s side anyway. Evelyn, did you know that Ethan and Chase have fourteen female cousins? We named Gray after Ethan’s grandfather. Gray Alexander Young. Hopefully he will pass the Alexander part on to his own kids. There are no Alexander men left, and all the women have married and keep having more girls.” Grace waved her fork as she talked. Her curls bounced and her eyes sparkled. She was glowing, that glow pregnant women have. It makes them more beautiful. “Ethan, Chase, and Joshua are the only Young men left to carry it on, well now Gray and Chase Jr.”
“Do you want another boy to carry on the name?” Evelyn asked.
“I’ll have to have more boys unless Joshua makes a contribution. Megan said she is d-o-n-e. Chase is hyper; his son is a hellion.” Grace smiled. “She’s different now, can’t wait to see you again.”
The women were dominating the conversation with baby talk. Grace laid out all the details about the birthday party, and Evelyn listened with interest. Joshua was skeptical if she was actually going to be there for the party though she had confirmed to Grace she would. When Ethan and Grace showed up, he wanted them to leave, so he could have Evelyn to himself.
Now they were leaving he wanted them to stay. She could easily leave when he went to work tomorrow. After her comments today, he thought she just might.
The phone rang.
“Young here,” Joshua answered.
“Big Dog, the Wolf wants to know where I got my information from, why I was looking her up to begin with. What do you want me to say?” Stevens was nervous.
“Hand him the phone.” Joshua could tell the Wolf was there. Stevens wouldn’t have called otherwise. Hopefully he hadn’t hurt the man.
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in,” the Wolf answered.
“Not by the hair on my chinny, chin, chin.” Joshua’s words dripped with menace.
“Joshua?” Evelyn called. He raised a finger and headed upstairs.
“Big Dog, how did you get acquainted with the likes of Evelyn Blade?” the Wolf asked directly. In Stevens’ living room he made himself at home, taking a seat on the arm of the couch. Stevens sat in the chair in front of him. He hadn’t hurt the man, but he did scare him quite a bit. He had to; lives depended on him now, and not just Evelyn’s.
“She did a job here, ran into her at a bar,” Joshua lied. He wasn’t about to give her up, especially not to the Wolf.
“I have to tell you, Big Dog. I think you’re lying to me, but I know you. So I’ll take your word for now. She’s in danger, so is a friend of mine. I’ve been after her pops for over ten years now. That little girl is the key to my retirement.” The Wolf lit a cigarette, blew the smoke in the air. Stevens coughed.
“The million dollars?” Joshua couldn’t believe how money could twist a man so easily.
“No. That’s her money. Her father’s money, her real dad anyways.” The Wolf blew the next puff off to the side. Stevens still coughed and fanned the air.
Joshua growled. An audible growl. This was going to be harder than he thought. And since he half thought he may not live to see the end of it, this just turned into a life defining moment.
“Ayden, I’ll be in New York this weekend, meet with me then.” Joshua’s tone was flat, business.
“Starbucks, you know which one, actually no ... You’re good, Young, but I’m better. I’ll catch up with you.” The Wolf hung up the phone.
Joshua clenched his teeth
together so tightly he thought his jaw might break. What did that mean? He thought about all possible scenarios. Maybe he would come to North Carolina. Maybe he would watch for them in New York. Saturday morning he ... He had an appointment. Well, Ethan had an appointment with the FBI director.
“You’re going to meet with him?” Evelyn stood in the doorway. She had been there most of the conversation, but Joshua was so tense and drawn by the conversation he didn’t hear her. Plus, she was barefoot. It was easier to sneak around on a hardwood floor with no shoes on. Joshua rarely wore shoes in the house. She learned his tricks fast.
“I have to.” Joshua heaved a long hard breath. “We have to make plans, Evelyn, real plans, not social ones.”
“They leave tomorrow. We’ll sort it out tomorrow night.” Evelyn’s tone was soft, sincere. “No need to get Grace and Ethan upset. You know she doesn’t need stress right now.”
Joshua nodded. He didn’t turn around to look at her. Her mouth went flat, and her brows drew together. “Joshua?”
“Hmm?” He growled as another heaving breath left him. Steam almost poured off him. He didn’t like waiting another minute. He was mad at Stevens for giving him up. Why would he do that? He was mad at Ayden for giving in to the money, and he wondered if Evelyn knew Blade wasn’t her real father. He took another breath, felt her hand on his back, and let it out slowly. All the anger flowed from him out into the air. He did love when she touched him.
“Don’t shut me out.” Evelyn used his own tactic against him.
“Couldn’t if I wanted to. But I don’t want to.” Joshua turned toward her as she hugged him tightly. “Will you stay here, let me help you? Make plans with me? I have to trust that you will be here when I get home.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Evelyn realized that all of his stress and anger were in defense of her. Whatever the Wolf was up to, Joshua was going to be there and so was she. “Grace baked an apple pie. I can’t resist a homemade apple pie.”