“Your company isn’t worth thirty bucks.”
“Rude.But accurate.”She loops her arm through mine as we step outside into the cold.“Oh, by the way, Mom went to see Elisha in the hospital yesterday.”
I stop walking, my breath forming small clouds in the frigid air.“What?”The mention of my youngest brother’s wife has me annoyed almost instantly.
“Yeah.She finally got to meet Damon.”Megan’s voice is carefully neutral.“Said he’s adorable.Looks just like Nick.”
My jaw tightens.“And we’re still banned from meeting our own nephew?”
Megan nods grimly.“Elisha threw a fit when Mom mentioned bringing the rest of us by.Said she wasn’t ready for ‘crowds.’”
“Crowds.”I make a sound of disbelief.“We’re his family, not a fucking parade.”
“Mom didn’t push it.You know how she is about keeping the peace.”
“And I bet Nick said nothing,” I mutter in disgust.
“You know his hands are tied.”Megan squeezes my arm.
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated, knowing she’s right.At least it means Dad hasn’t caved to Elisha’s demands.If he’d signed over those properties to her, she’d be feeling generous enough to parade the baby around like a trophy.
“Nick needs to make a choice,” I say as we start walking toward where I parked two blocks down.“His wife or his family.He can’t have both anymore.”
Megan stops, staring at me.“Jesus, Caleb.That’s cold, even for you.”
“It’s realistic.”I pull my jacket tighter against the wind.“That marriage is already over, Meg.Elisha’s shown her true colors.Now Nick has to decide if he’s going to keep pretending or face reality.”
“He doesn’t love her anymore,” Megan muses.
“No, but he’s still clinging to something.Just because he doesn’t like failing at something doesn’t mean he should continue with this marriage.That woman is toxic.”I shake my head.“Either way, he’s being stupid about it.”
Megan falls into step beside me, our footsteps echoing on the cold pavement.“Mom thinks that maybe Nick was under the impression that once the baby arrived, Elisha would change.”
“Then Mom’s even more delusional than Nick.”I stuff my hands deeper into my pockets.“I’m just?—”
“—I said, get away from me!”
Everything within me goes still when I hear that familiar voice.
My head jerks around, and I follow the source of the voice.Across the road, a woman is walking, her arms crossed over her chest.It seems to be more of a bid to keep herself warm.It’s the car that’s slowly driving alongside her that has my blood stirring.
Before I can react, the car comes to a stop, and a man opens the driver side door.He’s tall and good looking with olive skin and hair styled to the extreme.He runs around the car and approaches Eve, who has come to a standstill herself.
The way he grabs her arm and she tries to pull away, failing, gets me moving.
“Caleb?”Megan’s alarmed voice fades to the background.
Crossing the street, I hear Eve snarl, “I will break that nose of yours if you don’t let me go, Luis Sanchez.And then I will kick you so hard in the nuts, they will shrivel away inside your body!”
The man doesn’t let her go, pulling her violently towards him.“It’s this attitude of yours. I have done everything to accommodate you, but you’re still such a bitch?—”
I have nearly reached them when I see Eve move swiftly.I hear the man let out a high-pitched whine, releasing her and clutching at his family jewels. My eyes widen in shock as I realize she actually delivered through with her promise.
“You better watch that mouth, Luis.I said I’m done with you, and I mean it.Call me a bitch again, and I’ll shove my foot so far up your ass, you’ll be tasting it for breakfast!”
Luis can barely speak, wheezing as he crouches to the ground.“Just you wait.When Isabella hears of this?—”
“Eve!”
