“Then Atlas shows up with Kortez at his side, alive and well telling me that I had been seeking vengeance on thewrongman for the last ten years.” I shrug. “I didn’t believe it at first, but I know Kortez better than anyone and…I knew he wasn’t lying. So, I tried to call Wade off, except he didn’t answer my calls. I was just able to get ahold of him two days ago and…he’s not backing down. He’s coming after me now, too.” I look around the room, meeting each one of their empty gazes. “He’s coming for all of us, now.”
Kortez is the first to speak, his voice deep and filled with violence. “He won’t get to you, Evie. He’ll have to get through me first.”
Atlas nods and I feel Wylder squeeze my shoulder again.
“Well, meeting you was the best damn trick I’ve ever had played on me before. You can seduce me anytime, Little Moth.” Roman’s smirk is the biggest one I’ve ever seen, love shining through his eyes as he looks at me.
“You’re not upset?” I prepared for all kinds of reactions. Where they yelled and screamed or tried to kill me, sparking a fight between them and Wylder.
I didn’t prepare for their approval or their amusement.
Kortez is instantly in protector mode, a dagger spinning through his fingers as he watches me withhardened eyes. Roman is smiling like an idiot, overjoyed with my admission of love slipping between my confession of revenge.
Atlas…Atlas is just staring, watching me with one arm slung on the side of the couch and the other tapping on his thigh. The room falls silent, waiting for him to say something.
When he does, it’s not what I expect.
“I always knew you were worthy of the title.”
“The title?” Confusion and a little fear radiate from my words.
“Queen, Eve. Only a queen could build an empire from the ground and seek justice for someone she loves, even if it meant getting her hands a little bloody.” He leaves me gaping open mouthed at his words as he turns to Roman, looking at him for a moment before turning to Kortez. “I know you two knew. At first, I wanted to be pissed at you for not coming to me, but then I realized – you were protecting your queen, the way you should. I realized I couldn’t be upset over that.”
They knew? For how long?
Kortez and Roman immediately begin to talk, their words mixing together until Atlas stands, stopping them mid-sentence.
Atlas looks around the room, “Understand this. I’m Atlas fucking Valente, the next Don of the Valente empire. I think you’ve fucking forgot that I’m the king here.”
I feel the smile building on my face as I realize he’s right. He’s always been my dark king, the one I looked to for answers. He’s always been more powerful than life and even though he was heartbroken, even though he’s soft and sweet for me, he’s first and foremost a made man.
How could I ever doubt his love for me when he’s never disregarded my darkness. He cherishes it.
He craves it.
Atlas scoffs and shakes his head. “I’ve known for weeks. Kortez, as soon as you started putting the pieces together, I had the puzzle done and hung up on the fucking wall. Your resources aremy resources.Roman, you should know by now there are no secrets from me. You’re family – my flesh and blood – and to know you tried to keep a secret from me is…. that’s the worst betrayal.”
Atlas turns and gives me a soft smile reservedonlyfor me. “I don’t blame you for wanting revenge, Eve, I would have done the same thing if someone tried to kill someone I love. You’re done with Wade. You don’t need his help to kill my father because I’ll be right next to you to clean up the body after you’re done draining him of his blood.”
Of course, he knows I want to kill his father.
He sighs, running his fingers through his hair as he looks around at everyone in the room. “There’s only one thing I haven’t been able to figure out.”
Wylder speaks up from behind me, not moving an inch through my entire confession and Atlas’s rebuttal. “What is it?”
“Eve met Wade two years ago – correct?” He looks over at me for confirmation, although I doubt he needs it. When I give him a nod, he continues. “Wade’s been after us for four. He must have found you and planned to use you as a tool to get to me but how did he find you when we never could? You said you just got ahold of him two days ago, but he’s been dodging us for weeks as if he knew our moves before we ever made them. How?”
“Wade has someone on the inside.” Kortez standsand rushes over to me, crouching down like Wylder was on the porch this morning. “Evangeline, who all knew about the plan to kill Atlas? Who all knew your connection to the Valente’s?”
“It’s not like I went around broadcasting it! I swear the only people I told before you were Wylder and Viv!”
As soon as I say her name, pieces begin to fall into place. She was a random transfer to my college in the middle of the year, she’s the one who moved us out to Colorado to…be closer to her brother. A detail she mentioned in passing, but I never really held onto. I should have.
Her fucking brother.
Wade.
Her name tastes like ash on my tongue as I look into Roman’s bright eyes. “Vivianne. Wade is Vivianne’s brother.”
