Eve comes to a stop, her back to me, and I watch her stiffen in her tight dress. “Excuse me?” She turns to face me.
I take the few steps, closing the short distance, and cup her face. “You lied to them.” My girl is so easy to read when you know what to look for. “You’ve seen him recently. So one last time: Why did you lie?”
Her eyes search mine before she takes a step back, and my hand falls to my side. “I didn’t.”
“Eve,” I growl.
She turns to walk away from me, but I grab her upper arm and spin her around once again. This time I hold her in place with both hands wrapped around her upper arms. “You know how he trains them because you were one of them, right?”
She swallows, and I feel her body start to shake against mine.
“You were on theIsabellathat night I saw you. That man was going to rape you. You were trained to be a whore.” I’m not going to tell her that Adam has filled me in on her past. As much as he knew anyway. I want her to tell me. To open up to me on a personal level. My girl needs to trust me with her life.
Her eyes harden, and she rips her arms from my hold. “Leave, Kashton.”
“Eve—”
“Fucking leave,” she screams.
“Did Evan rape you or did he wait for you to beg him to fuck you?”
She slaps me across the face and then slams her fists into my chest, pushing me a step back. “Get the fuck out.” Eve shoves me again.
I raise my hands and take a step back. Her reaction tells me all I need to know. Why she acted the way she did after we had sex. Why Adam told her he was proud of her when he found out she’d had sex with me. Evan trained her and made her feel good, and she hates herself because he’s her half brother.
“Eve, I can protect you.” Who knows what he’s done to her or how often he does it.
“I don’t need you, Kashton.” She gives a rough laugh.
“Then tell me what you need, and I’ll give it to you.” Knowing about her past doesn’t change a damn thing. If anything, it shows me how much she needs me.
She turns, grabs a half-empty bottle of whiskey, and throws it at my head.
I duck and it hits the wall, shattering, “Get the fuck out of my house!” she screams, charging toward me.
I allow her to push me out because I have somewhere else to be right now. Something important that I need to take care of.
She slams the door in my face as I stand on the brightly lit porch, and I hear the front door lock. Turning, I scan the neighborhood, wondering if he’s watching her. Does he know I’m fucking her? Does he punish her for sleeping with me? Is that part of his plan? Why won’t she talk to me? She told a room full of Lords about Evan and what he does. Why? She had to have known I’d catch on. That I knew enough to connect the dots.
I get in my car, turn it on, and rev my engine before I take off.
I pull up to Sin’s parents’ house and see Bill’s Rolls-Royce Wraith in the driveway. They took a two-week honeymoon and traveled the world before their reception tonight. I don’t know if he’s trying to wine and dine her or what, but the woman came from money. And since we took in her husband at Carnage, she was left everything.
I enter the house without knocking on the door and slam it shut. The reception is over, and cleaners are working on removing everything from the party.
A short woman in a traditional black-and-white maid uniform runs toward me. “Sir? Sir, may I help you?”
“Kashton.” Sin’s mother smiles at me, also entering the grand foyer.
“I’m looking for Bill,” I say, not bothering with chitchat.
“He’s in the study with Easton,” Janice says.
“Thanks.” I nod and walk down the hallway. Opening up the double doors, I enter without asking permission.
Sin jumps up from his chair and spins around. His hand instantly going to the gun tucked into the inside of his suit jacket, but he frowns when he sees me. It makes me wonder why he came back here after our meeting at Blackout. “Everything okay?”
“Kashton—”
