Shadows: A Love Ever After Series

by Amber Lacie

  I roll over onto my stomach, and place my palms flat on his stomach, under my chin. His beautiful eyes are full of concern. “You won’t. I’m with you. Whatever path you go down, wherever this leads, I will follow you. I shouldn’t have stayed away. I was stubborn, selfish, and blind. You needed me, as much as I needed you.”

  “I did and I do. Are you sure about this?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay. I’m going to tell you what I know. My Gram was an amazing woman. She was beautiful, loving, caring, cunning, and vengeful. Thomas hurt her a long time ago. She tried for so long to gain his love. All he did was destroy everything she had. He ran my grandfather’s name into the dirt after he passed. Gram never forgave him. Do you remember how I said I sold my shares of Rowe Incorporated?”

  “Yes.” I wonder where this is going.

  Wanting to give him my full attention, I move my body so that I am straddling his waist with my palms resting flat on his chest. He traces the back of my hands with his fingers, slowly moving them up and down my arms. I watch his chest rise as he takes a deep breath.

  “I sold them to my Gram. Not directly, of course. Thomas would have noticed immediately. Instead, I sold them to a company that was being run by Evan at the time. Gram purchased the company under her maiden name, and that was the beginning of G.I.L.F.” At the mention of his Gram’s business, a slight smile plays in the corner of his mouth. Even in death, Isa can make him smile.

  “Evan was running a company? I thought he was Isa’s driver?”

  “Technically, he was. Evan is quiet, but he’s a brilliant man. She saw something in him that most people ignored. She knew he could do more for himself than he was. Evan started his business with a little financial help from her. He was a cunning businessman and had already acquired two other businesses under his belt, when I sold him my shares. Of course, Gram was aware of my moves before I made them. Evan confided everything in her. He loved her so much, and he didn’t want secrets.”

  Theron says something else, but I don’t hear it. I’m lost in thought. “Evan loved her? Like, they were an item?”

  Theron stares blankly at me, almost shocked. “It was apparent to anyone who knew them, but they kept it a secret from most.”

  “How old is Evan?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never asked. He’s worked for Gram for about twelve years now. My guess, late forties or early fifties. What does this have to do with anything I’m telling you?”

  “It doesn’t. I’m sorry. I just can’t believe they had a thing is all. There’s a big age gap there.”

  “Hmm. I’ve never looked at it like that. He loved her and took care of her. I never questioned an age difference. I don’t think love cared about it either.” I can hear the irritation in his voice.

  “I’m sorry. I side-tracked us.”

  “It’s fine…back to what I was saying. Gram knew what I was doing. Thomas had hurt her and she wanted to prevent him from hurting anyone else, so she bought Evan’s company. G.I.L.F is mainly operated by Evan. When I moved back here to make sure she was okay, she told me what she was planning on doing. I’m not sure how far she got, or what the outline was. I’ll need to talk to Evan about that.”

  “Don’t jog around the plans, Theron. I want to know what we are getting into.”

  He sighs, running both hands through his hair. “Fine. Gram was smart, probably a little too smart, but she was also very sly. She approached members of the board at Rowe Inc. One by one, she informed them of her intentions and when they were on board with the idea, she bought them out. She had a contract drawn up for each member. It would allow them to hold their positions, salary, benefits, and shares until she acquired all twelve signatures from the current board, besides Thomas. Once she had the contracts from each member, her hold on the company would be at fifty-one percent. Then if you add in the shares she bought from me, her hold would equal out to a little over fifty-seven percent. She would hold majority, and all rights to the company. She would eliminate the need for Thomas and his position, completely taking over.”

  “How could she have that much hold in the company without him noticing? Wouldn’t he have an eye on what percentage he owns?”

  “He does know how much he has. The board collectively, without his share, holds in at thirty-seven percent. Isa never sold her shares. My grandfather was smart enough to leave her a percentage in his will. Thomas hasn’t accounted for it. I’m sure he thinks of it as his, since she’s his mother it would be left to him in her will. However, just before I found you again, Isa had her lawyers change her will. He gets nothing. I let it slip the day you broke your hand, but when I told Gram, she said he hadn’t mentioned it yet. He’s not worried about my hold, because according to him, I was stupid and sold it to an infantile company.”

  “But what about the board? Surely, he would know if and when they sold.”

  “No, he has no clue. The contracts go into effect at the timing of the last signature. They have all signed non-disclosure agreements. They are legally bound not to speak of the contract until it has been in effect for more than sixth months. It would provide enough time for Gram to decide what to do with the company.”

  “This seems so unreal.”

  “It took me a little while to wrap my head around it as well. The clincher is that technically the contracts and agreements were made with G.I.L.F.. Gram never stepped foot in any meetings. She would provide the terms and contracts, but Evan dealt with them all personally. They see him as the front man of the company. Gram was just lurking in the shadows.”

  “She’s brilliant.”

  “Yeah. She was.” His voice drops, along with his eyes. I want to be able to fix this for him, to take away his pain, but I can’t. A drop of water hits the back of my hand. I lift his chin with my fingers. Another tear slides down his cheek. I try to make eye contact with him, but he keeps looking away.

  “Look at me.”

  Giving me a soft shake of his head, he whispers, “No.”

  “Babe, look at me. Let me help you. I know you are hurting.”

  Beautifully colored eyes stare into mine, and one lone tear streams down his face. I wipe it away with my thumb. He shivers under my touch.

  “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what?”

  “I know that look. I don’t need your pity or sadness. This isn’t the first time that I’ve lost someone.”

  “I’m not trying to give you any look. I hurt for you.”

  “Well, don’t. I don’t need you to.” His eyes glaze over, and any light that was left fades into the darkness.

  “I just…”

  “You just, what?” His voice booms, sending shards of ice cutting through me and I jump. I don’t know how to respond or what to say.

  Theron’s mood has done a complete one-eighty. He brushes my arm with his fingers, and I tense under his touch. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been good with handling this. Let me handle this my way. Okay?”

  Words fail me, so I simply nod my head. I feel like I’m holding my breath, so afraid that he’s going to snap. I climb off his lap, moving to sit beside him. His hand runs up my back, sending heat scorching across my flesh.

  “Beautiful, don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.”

  “You did once, already.”

  “That’s a low blow, Eve, and you know it.”

  “I’m sorry, but you did. You left me in the middle of the night, and all I got was a note. Who does that?”

  “I was trying to give you what I thought you wanted. I never meant to hurt you the way I did.”

  I take a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling, trying to keep my tears from falling. “It’s fine. I’m here now. What do you want to do, babe? It is late. We should get some rest if you still want to go back to your place tomorrow.”

  “We probably should. I know you want to stay with me, and I am all for it. God knows, I can’t handle the thought of being without you, but I don’t want to look like I’m
hiding. I don’t want to give Thomas the pleasure of thinking he has beat me down. I want to stand my ground and fight him.”

  “Okay. Tomorrow we will leave for your place. I’m sure Evan could use some company and help with everything.”

  “Let’s not talk about anything else. I’m done for tonight.”

  I don’t say anything else.

  Theron slips off his jeans, and carefully pulls his shirt over his head. He hisses a bit through his teeth. I’m sure his shoulder stings. I slip off my clothes, pull a t-shirt on, and then replace the old tape on my splint with new tape. I can feel Theron watching me.

  “Did you ever see a doctor?”

  “Yes. It’s fine. I have an appointment on Thursday for my last check up, and then I won’t need the tape or splint anymore. My hand will be as good as new.” I lay down beside him. He pulls me towards him, curling himself around me with his front to my back. I can feel his breath on my neck.

  “Good. So, two more days?”

  “Yep.” My voice is tight, as I do my best to ignore his touch.

  Eve

  My eyelids are so heavy, but I know I need to open them. Slowly, light enters my eyes. It must be early morning because the sun is just starting to make its appearance. I roll over and grab my phone off the floor, trying my best not to disturb Theron. Glancing at the screen, I check for the time. It’s ten after six.

  My body is stiff, as I stand and stretch my muscles. I quietly ruffle through my belongings and grab some clothes for the shower. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure that Theron is still asleep, I head into the bathroom.

  The design of this house is so strange. I’m not sure who the floor planner was, but I know putting a bathroom in the living room is beyond odd.

  Setting my clothes on the sink, I glance up at the mirror to see my reflection. I don’t just feel tired…I look it. Bags hang under my eyes, my hair is in a tangled mess, and my complexion is pale. I turn on the shower, letting it warm up. The mirror is completely fogged with steam by the time I have the energy to step into the hot shower.

  The water beats into my back, as I roll my shoulders under the hot stream. I’ve just finished rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, when a thought occurs to me. What if Theron doesn’t know where I am?

  I turn off the water and step out of the shower, grabbing a towel to wrap around me. The bathroom is full of steam, so I crack the door just a little bit. I’m ringing the water out of my hair when I hear someone yelling for me.

  Securing my towel around my body, I open the door to listen for who is calling for me and follow the voice. At first, I think Robert is screaming, but as I get closer, I realize that it’s both of them.

  I hear a loud thud echo down the hallway, and I take off running. Swinging the bedroom door open, I charge into my room to find them both fighting on the floor.

  “What the hell is going on?” Neither of them respond. Robert is trying to pin Theron to the floor. His feet are straddled over Theron’s waist and he is using his elbow and forearm to hold down Theron’s chest.

  “Fuck you. Get the hell out of my house!”

  “I swear that if you try to take her from me, I’ll fucking kill you.” Theron’s chest is heaving. They are both out of breath.

  “I said, what the hell is going on?” My voice booms into the room, causing them to cease their movements.

  Robert sits up, taking his arm off Theron’s chest. “Eve, I’m sorry. I just…”

  Before Robert can finish his thought, Theron grabs his arms and flips Robert underneath him. He hovers over Robert’s face. “You should be fucking sorry. Do. Not. Ever. Try. To. Take. Her. From. Me. Again.” Each word Theron says is followed by a jab of his finger into Robert’s chest.

  Gently placing my right hand on Theron’s shoulder, I lean down to grab his arm. “No one is taking me anywhere. I was in the shower.” The look in his dark eyes is absolutely frightening. “I was in the shower.” My voice is quiet and soft.

  The fog over Theron’s gaze clears, as he jumps up from the floor, backing away from us. He looks down at Robert, who is now sitting up, rubbing his chest.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know.” He glances down at his shaky hands, looking lost and confused.

  “Theron, I was in the shower. I’m okay. I didn’t want to wake you.” My feet pad softly across the floor, closing the gap between our bodies. His hands grasp my hips and pull me towards him.

  “I didn’t…I’m sorry.”

  “Shh. It’s okay.” I wrap my arms around his waist, placing my head on his chest.

  Robert stands and walks around us, avoiding bumping into either of us. “You two are both incredibly fucked up. Seriously fucked in the head. I’m going upstairs. Sort your shit out.” He stops just before the door, turning around to face both of us. “I’m assuming you’ve lost your mind because your grandma passed. I’m sorry for that, but don’t ever accuse me of keeping anything from you. The next time you flip your shit, you had better rein it in. Get your head straight. I am serious, man. If you pull that shit near or around my sister again, I’ll fucking kill you.”

  “Robert!” Why can’t he just walk away? It’s obvious this isn’t a normal situation.

  “You.” He raises his index finger, pointing it directly at me. “Don’t you, ‘Robert’ me. You didn’t see what I saw. That man is hurt and crazed. He doesn’t own you. You’re not a piece of property. I do recall having to pick up the pieces after he left in the middle of the night, only leaving a note behind. Where was he then, huh? If he loved you so much, how could he walk away from you like that?”

  He moves his finger to the side, pointing directly at Theron. “You better not hurt her again. I’ll hunt you down. You think you’re in pain now? You have no fucking idea what I will do to you. This is your last warning.”

  I can feel Theron’s muscles tense in my hold. I need to calm him down. “Robert, I’m okay. Theron’s okay. Please just go.”

  I nuzzle my face into Theron’s chest, breathing in deep. He always smells so incredible. Standing like this, with his arms around me, feels like home, despite the craziness still looming in the air.

  I feel Theron relax in my hold and I know that Robert has left. I start to move my hands up and down his back, but he pushes my arms away.

  “Why would you do that?” I’m left standing cold and vulnerable in just a towel, as Theron turns away from me.

  Hissing through his teeth, he tries to roll his left shoulder. Why is he so hot headed? “Theron, your shoulder! Did you hurt it? Let me see it, so I can check your stiches.”

  “It’s fine. I’m fine. I don’t need to be inspected.”

  “Do you love me?”

  “Are we doing this right now?”

  “Yes, we are doing this right now. Do you love me?”

  He spins to face me, taking my hand in his. “Of course I love you. I don’t have a choice. I was born to love you. I was made just for you. I have loved you since I was fourteen, and I’m never going to stop loving you. You’re the reason I breathe. The reason I live.” His thumb brushes over my skin, sending bolts of electricity coursing under it. “Do you love me?”

  “Of course I love you. I don’t have a choice. You’re my person, Theron. I was born to love you.”

  “I’m your person?”

  “Yes. Now, can I please look at your shoulder?” He doesn’t reply, but simply takes a seat on the edge of the bed. I crawl into his lap, straddling his waist. Pulling the collar of his shirt to the side, I inspect his sutures. They look red and angry, but they aren’t bleeding. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he didn’t tear any.

  Carefully fixing his shirt, I place a kiss softly on his shoulder. “You’re okay, for the most part. It’s really red, but you aren’t bleeding.” He won’t look directly at me. I gently slip from Theron’s lap and take a step back.

  He takes a deep breath, hanging his head. “I hurt you.”

  “You did, but it doesn’t
matter now. Let me get dressed and throw some clothes in a bag. Then, we can leave. Okay?”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t foresee this getting any better. There’s a lot that needs to be dealt with. Are you sure you want to come with me?”

  “We are both broken. You more so than me, but we are both broken. I’m not leaving you.”

  “Thank fuck for that. I might be able to say, I can let you go, but I can’t do it. I just can’t. I need you.”

  Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on his cheek. “I know you do, and I need you too.”

  I throw on a summer dress and slip my arms into a light button up sweater. I toss what clothes I can fit, plus some of my shower stuff into a bag. I’m so stretched between houses. I need to gather my things, and just decide on a place. At this rate, I am going to end up losing everything.

  After a quick search of the house, I find my ballet flats in the kitchen by the front door. I slip them on and reach my hand out for Theron. He holds my hand and carries my bag to the car.

  “Can I drive?”

  His question catches me off guard, and I stop to face him. “Yeah, sure. No problem.” It seems like an odd request, but I already feel like I’m walking on eggshells with him, so I toss him the keys.

  “I just need to stop somewhere first. Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine. You just threw me off for a second. Let’s go wherever you need to. I’m yours all day, and most likely for the next couple of days. I should at least give Olivia a call over at the bookstore to let her know what’s going on.”

  He nods his head and we both slide into the car. We drive for a few minutes, neither one of us talking. The air is thick with questions we both want to ask, but neither of us want to make the first move.

  Taking a turn down a gravel road, marked private, I watch the trees pass by as we drive slowly down the rocky path.

  “Do you like it?”

  “What?”

  “The bookstore? Do you like working there?”