Yep, it was official. Regardless of the hand I was drawn tonight, I was royally fucking flushed.
The shrill tone of Seb’s phone cut through the air just as I’d thrown my fifth hand of the night.
Fifth.
I was off my game, and I’d lost a fair amount of money as well as pride. And to the Coach of all people. There was nothing worse than a gloating Jay who was currently galloping around the distillery as if he’d won the fucking Melbourne Cup.
“Wait, slow down, Evangeline. What happened?” Seb’s voice held an edge of panic, and all eyes turned to him, as everyone knew if something happened to Eva, their women could be involved too.
Her voice was muffled through the phone. Murmuringsbroken only by the loud thump of music in the background, but I knew her well enough to know the raw cadence of her voice was because she wascrying.
“He grabbed you?” He spat, his gaze unintentionally flicking to mine and I was up and out of my chair, not needing to hear more. I hadn’t felt it in years, but the moment Seb’s words registered, that innate drive to protect her came roaring back. Adrenaline lit up my nerves, sharp and sudden as I sprinted to my office and wrenched my keys from the desk.
“What the fuck is happening?” Andy challenged impatiently.
“We’re coming now, Eva, just breathe!” Seb chastised, ending the call before looking directly at me. “We need to go.”
“What the fuck is going on, Micallef!” Jack said, the panic clear in his voice too.
“I don’t fucking know. Some guys were harassing them or something. Marls and Flick are wasted, Eva isn’t sure where Winter is and Arna may or may not have punched someone after they wouldn’t let go of my sister!”
“Where are they?” Even to my own ears, my voice held a chill. A detached calm which was as familiar as it was unnatural.
“Sherry’s.”
“That place is notorious for people having their drinks spiked,” my eyes darted to Jay’s at his proclamation, any remaining rationality dissolving into chaos.
“Sergio is waiting outside,” Andy snapped, but I couldn’t acknowledge him or the offer to get in his car with his driver.
Someone touched Eva.
Someone put their fucking hands on her and she was crying.
At a fucking dingy nightclub. Crying.
“I’m taking the bike!” I spat, the world narrowing to my primal need to get to her.
“Keep your fucking head, Coop!” Seb yelled, only I’d already mounted the bike and was disappearing into the distance before I registered his words.
Keep your fucking head, Coop. Keep your fucking head.
Un-fucking-likely.
I flew through the streets, a haze of red blanketing my vision as the uncontrollable fire I kept buried swarmed through my chest.
As a kid, the Micallefs were the family I needed.
The noise and warmth in an otherwise lonely, sterile existence.
My own parents were happy to allow people they paid to raise their only child but none of that came with warmth or care. None of that came with homemade birthday cakes, unconditional love and the reliability of true family. From the very first time Sebastian invited me to his house, his mum and sister treated me as one of them.
And no matter how much time passed, that remained.
I was theirs and they were mine.
I could deny my protective instincts all I wanted, but Evangeline was one of the few people in this world that I fucking loved.
And now, she was hurt, in God knows what state, with no one there to protect her.
