The words fall into silence, though I can tell they’ve made an impact. Brie’s eyebrows rise slightly. Juno looks intrigued. Hadria’s assessment sharpens, as if she’s recalculating everything she thought she knew about me.
But it’s Dominika who breaks the silence with a sharp laugh.
“Now Iknowthis is just another one of your games.” She leans forward, dark eyes blazing. “You expect us to believe Eva Novakcares for anything or anyone other than herself? The others might be persuaded, but you don’t fool me, Eva.”
The accusation hits its mark because it’s true—or was true, until Robin Rivers walked into my life and turned everything upside down. I could lie, deflect, return to the imperious act that’s served me well and continued the Consortium’s dominance. But something about this room, these women who’ve all chosen love over logic at some point, makes me want to tell the truth.
“Nik,” I begin, using her preferred name, because I need her to understand that I really have changed. “Do you remember what you said to me at the Secret Garden? You said you hoped I’d find someone I cared about more than myself one day.”
Her expression shifts, surprise replacing skepticism. She remembers that night, clearly.
“Well,” I go on, “that day has come.” I look around the table, meeting each woman’s gaze in turn. “And I will do anything to protect her. Destroy whomever I need to destroy. To that end, I’m offering you whatever you need: weapons, money, soldiers. Anything. The entirety of the Novak Consortium is yours to draw from.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I’ve just offered up my life’s work, my father’s legacy, everything I’ve built and bled for.
All for a woman.
Brie’s lips curve in an amused smile. “Well. I suppose everyone here knows what it is to be a fool for love.” She glances at each of the other women, and I catch glimpses of their own stories in their expressions—Juno’s contentment, Nik’s fierce protectiveness, Hadria’s carefully guarded softness. “Thank you for your candor, Eva.”
Juno and Hadria exchange a glance that carries an entire conversation. I’m not sure I’ve convinced them, but I’ve certainly surprised them.
“We’ll let you know our thoughts,” Brie says, rising from her chair. “Thanks for dropping by.”
It’s a dismissal, polite but final. I stand as well, smoothing my clothes. The confession is over; now comes the waiting to see if it was enough.
“Ladies,” I nod to each in turn, then make my way to the door where Leon waits with barely concealed anxiety.
“How did it go?” he asks as we walk toward the elevators.
“I told them the truth,” I say simply.
Leon’s eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “And?”
I think about Robin, probably curled up in my hotel suite reading or hugging her sisters or simply existing in that bright, uncomplicated way that makes the world seem full of possibilities I’d never considered.
“We’ll see.”
The elevator arrives with a soft chime, and as we descend toward the casino floor, I find myself hoping—truly hoping—for the first time in years. Because I’ve just bet everything on love, and for once in my life, I’m happy to take a wild chance, as long as I win.
The leather seat of the armored sedan is as comfortable as ever as I slide into it, my mind buzzing. Through the tinted windows, Vegas suddenly seems less gaudy than usual. More…fun.
The driver begins to navigate the convoy through the stop-and-go traffic of the Strip.
Yes, tonight I can appreciate what Las Vegas has to offer. It gave me Robin, after all. It will be an even better city once the Gattos have been taken care of.
The thought has barely formed when the world explodes.
Chapter 22
Eva
The impact comes without warning—a massive armored truck slamming into the rear car of our convoy with the force of a freight train. The sound is catastrophic: metal screaming against metal, glass shattering in crystalline waterfalls, the deep boom of engines colliding at high speed.
Our sedan lurches forward violently, throwing me against the seat back hard enough to drive the breath from my lungs. My driver swears, his knuckles white as he fights to maintain control.
“Rear vehicle’s down!” Leon’s voice cuts through the chaos. “Get us out of here—now!”
Through the rear window, I catch a glimpse of twisted metal and spreading flames where my security team’s car used to be. The acrid smell of burning fuel begins to seep into the air.
