"Just swamped with the wedding and Brady's been dragging me into his and Nina's shit," I replied, rolling my eyes as I checked the message that had just come through on my phone.
Eliza shook her head, her gaze piercing, as if trying to see through the lie. It wasn't entirely a lie. “You need a break. I can handle this wedding mess. Why don't you go home for a bit?"
I shrugged, knowing I needed a break, but also knowing I never took them—that wasn't who I was. Reading the message from Brady, my stomach clenched, and my heart hammered in my chest, a lump forming in my throat.
Need you to meet me and help bring Nina home. She's at Foley's.
"What's wrong now?" Eliza asked, noticing the horror on my face and the sudden loss of color in my skin.
I forced a smile, feigning composure as I slipped my phone into my purse. "Brady needs me, so I guess I will take that break."
She gave me a skeptical look as I rushed for the door. "Take your time, Fallon."
The entire drive to meet Brady, I couldn't shake thoughts of Foley and the evil he'd inflicted—on everyone, not just me. Last year, right before Nina was about to have the baby, she learned the child was stillborn. The revelation had crushed my brother, but they told no one and kept it a secret. Meeting my brother in front of Foley's death-tainted mansion, I could tell he was unraveling.
"What now, Brady?" I exhaled, trying to control the panic clawing at me.
"He won't let her leave, Fallon," he said, just as the door opened.
Evander himself emerged, dragging Nina along. He grinned at us, his eyes lingering on me for an unnerving beat, making my stomach churn with nausea.
"How can I help you?" he asked smugly.
"Let Nina go," Brady demanded.
Evander just laughed. "She's not going fucking anywhere."
Fury surged through me as I watched Evander’s cruel smirk. "You can't keep her here against her will," I seethed, stepping forward to confront him. But before I could do anything, Nina spoke.
"I choose to stay," she said, her voice surprisingly steady.
Brady and I exchanged a look of shock and confusion, but Evander simply nodded, his eyes never leaving mine.
"She stays because she wants to, isn't that right, Nina?" he taunted.
I gritted my teeth, taking a deep breath, knowing I needed to find a way to get Nina out of there, even if it meant defying Evander. As the tension mounted, I prepared to fight for Nina's freedom, whatever the cost. Brady charged at him, trying to pullNina away, but Evander pulled out his gun and struck him with it, sending him sprawling.
"Are you fucking stupid?" Evander roared, now pressing the gun to Nina's head, looking bored and enraged.
I froze in horror, paralyzed.
"This bitch isn't even worth the fucking hassle, really. There are plenty of other whores out there who can do a better job than her anyway," he said callously.
And then, he pulled the trigger, putting a bullet through Nina's temple. Brady and I were forced to watch as her body crumpled onto the dirty pavement. I stood in shock as Evander calmly walked away, leaving Nina’s lifeless body behind. Time seemed to halt. I couldn't comprehend what I'd just witnessed but I knew it was going to fuck me up. Brady was on the ground, struggling to grasp the enormity of it all, but I could see the fire in his eyes.
"We have to do something," he said through gritted teeth, his voice a raw mix of anger and determination.
I nodded, feeling the same intense desire for justice. We couldn't let Evander get away with this. As we rushed to Nina's side, I knew we wouldn't stop until we brought him to justice. This wasn't just about Nina. It was about ensuring that no one else would suffer at the hands of a monster like Evander Foley. And we would make him fucking pay for what he'd done.
present
Once I was sure Julian was fast asleep, I carefully slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, tapping my pinky on the cold glass seven times. The car was still there, parked in the shadows across the street. Anxiety pricked at me, but I pushed itdown and headed downstairs, trying to focus on making Julian breakfast for when he woke up.
As I cracked eggs into the pan, a sense of unease gnawed at me. The car outside felt like a harbinger of doom, and I couldn't shake the foreboding that settled over me like a heavy blanket. But for now, I needed to push those thoughts aside and focus on giving Julian a semblance of normalcy. Whatever happened, I'd protect him. Always.
Unable to stop fixating on the car, I threw on my coat and stormed outside, determined to get to the bottom of the black Lexus and why the hell it had been parked outside my house all night.
Crossing the street, I rapped on the window, holding my breath as it rolled down, revealing a striking, mysterious tattooed man with captivating dark eyes staring back at me.
