“Is Eve here?” I interrupt him in a panic.
“Yes. I parked her car in the garage.”
“Where the fuck is she?” I snap. If my brothers kidnapped her, why would they bring her car?
He frowns. “Miss Sinclair is in your room…”
I run to the elevator and enter my room in a hurry to see the bed unmade, the TV on, and her bag on the round table by the French doors that lead out to the balcony. The bathroom door is slightly open, and I can see the light on. I enter to find her in my bathtub, her head back on the porcelain, eyes closed, hair up in a messy bun and the tub filled with bubbles while “Sorry” by Halsey plays softly from her cell. I pick up her phone, turn it off, and place it on the counter before turning back to her in the tub.
“Eve?” I ask and her eyes pop open. “Everything okay?” This is either a good sign or something bad has happened to her. My mind instantly goes to Evan, and I scan her face, neck, and shoulders to look for bruises but don’t see any. I’ve got cameras on her house so I can see when she’s coming and going, and I haven’t seen him there.
She slowly sits up, the water sloshing around, and her eyes meet mine. “I hope it’s okay that I came over.”
“Of course.” I let out a deep breath to see that she’s not injured. She’s always welcome here. Anywhere I am, for that matter.
She runs her hand through the bubbles, dropping her gaze. “Thank you.”
“May I join you?” I ask.
She nods, and I quickly get undressed and sink into the hot water, hissing in a breath as I sit facing her. I look over her makeup-free face. Her eyes are sad, her face worried.
I wanted to go for a ride. To try and free my mind, but it was on her the entire time. What she’s seen. What she’s been through. I wish I could help her, but she’s not going to let me in easily.
“Talk to me,” I urge. She needs to know I’m here for her. That she can tell me anything. My hands run up and down her legs under the water as I let her gather her thoughts and decide what she wants me to know.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night after the meeting at Blackout… Evan didn’t fuck me.”
“That you know of or that you remember?”
She frowns, tilting her head to the side at my question. After how I’ve seen her react to things and what I’ve been told, I feel like there are times of her life that are missing. That she either chose to block out or just can’t remember. I’ve seen her dissociate and I’ve witnessed how she feels afterward.
“I…” She licks her lips. “I know for a fact that we’ve never had sex.”
“How?” I push.
She pulls away and rests her back against the tub, looking up at the ceiling. My eyes drop to her delicate neck, and she swallows before she says, “He just wouldn’t.”
I run a wet hand through my hair. I’ve seen it before. Even those outside of the Lords’ world will rape members of their families. Sex is sex to them. Blood relation doesn’t matter. In most cases, it’s about power. To keep the bloodline going. “You can’t be sure, Eve…”
She sits up and takes my hands in hers. Big green eyes search mine, and I’ve never seen her look more unsure when she says, “It didn’t happen.”
The way her voice softens tells me she’s convincing herself more than me. Maybe the thought of a half brother raping her is too much for her to accept. Maybe I’m the one who has put that thought in her head and now she can’t get past it.
“I believe you,” I tell her, hoping she doesn’t hear the lie. She has no clue what happened to her. And honestly, I hope it stays that way.
She leans forward, and her soft lips gently touch mine. It’s a test to see how I feel about her. If I’m still in love with her.
I slide my hand around the back of her neck, holding her in place, and her lips part for me to deepen the kiss. I take advantage of it, wanting to taste her. It’s only been two days, but I’ve missed her like crazy.
Pulling away, I run my knuckles over her racing pulse, and her lashes slowly open. “Marry me.”
She bursts into laughter, and the sound makes me smile. There’s the woman I’ve fallen in love with. I will hand her a gun and a stapler. She can patch me up after she shoots me.
“I’m serious.” I take her bubble-covered hands in mine.
“Kash—”
“We can elope and be married by tomorrow morning.” One call, and the private jet will be fueled and ready to go within the hour.
