“Ma’am?” What common interest? The only one I can think of, she has no clue about.
“My granddaughter.” She says it directly, and I huff as I lean back in my chair. Fuck, she figured it out. “I didn’t take you for a man to run scared from another man. Especially one as weak-kneed and cowardly as Justin.” She chuckles, and my spine straightens. Damn, this lady has some brass balls.
“I’m not running scared. I won’t lie to you and say I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I believe she’s made her choice. Nonetheless, what is your favor?”
“I want you to help my granddaughter get away from Justin. I know he’s beating her. It’s gotten worse over the last few months. She won’t come home for visits, and she tries talking her parents into taking me to Greece for the holidays. We’ve never gone a holiday without our Evelise. Not since the day my son and daughter-in-law brought her home. Christmas is an especially important family time for us.”
“How do you want me to get her away from him? He claims they’re going to be married, and she’s not denying it either.”
“I’m sure you can make people disappear.”
Shaking my head, I can’t believe this woman wants me to kill this man. I can honestly say, I’ve thought about it numerous times, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Besides, Ruby hasn’t mentioned Justin getting worse. I haven’t noticed any bruises on Evie in the footage I’ve seen. If I had, I’d kill him without being asked.
“How do you know he’s beating her?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I might be from a different era, but I’m not stupid. I’m old, not blind, boy. My granddaughter went from barely any injuries after a match to now limping or bruising after every one. I can also tell the difference between a bruise from rugby and someone’s fist or fingers from squeezing. Evelise has played rugby for many years.”
I want to give her my standard response when someone calls me boy: I’m not a boy, I have a yard of dick, a bucket of balls, and enough hair on my ass to weave a blanket. Who you calling boy? But I don’t. This lady would probably put a hit out on me, given the number of favors she has on hold from her husband’s career. He defended some of Rhode Island’s most notorious citizens.
Instead, I sit forward in my chair and tap a key on my keyboard, opening my computer. I then log in and pull up the links to the cameras Mal set up on Evie. Checking her schedule, I know she’s in her art class, so I open the classroom camera and see her at her easel, working on a drawing of a gown. It’s beautiful, and another reason she isn’t meant for me. She deserves to be in New York, not some dinky town in Northern Rhode Island tied to a man who never wants to leave.
And I will tie her to me in every way possible if I get my hands on her.
“Ma’am, I’m going to have to say I’ll help with protecting her, but until she decides she wants out, I can’t do anything. I have a friend, Hammer, who runs a security company focused on getting people out of situations just like this. I’m sure he’d help too.”
“So, you’re willing to walk away from her? I didn’t think you were afraid of anything.” Her tone is sharp. “The man I saw back in September couldn’t take his eyes off her. He was making vows in that gaze that his mouth isn’t backing up. Maybe you aren’t the right person. I’ll call someone else.” She pauses for a moment.
She’s right, I’m not willing to walk away, but is she ready for what my help would mean? I decide to be honest with her. “I’m the president of a motorcycle club. Is that what you want for your silver spoon granddaughter? I live in a small town. I’m a hard man who will take over her life and tell her what to do.”
“A small town that you run. I’ve investigated you, Judge. I know you now own everything that your father and grandfather did before. I also know that you started a brand-new company. You aren’t some barely-scrapping-by young man. At your age, I’m assuming you’re ready to settle down. I want my granddaughter with a man who is willing to go against everyone for her. I want her with a man who will treat her like the queen she is, and I want her to know what unconditional spine-tingling love is, like I had with her grandfather. Justin doesn’t do that for her. She told me. Plus, the cretin insinuates every chance he can that my Evelise isn’t beautiful. Besides, I know she wants a family of her own. A big one. She used to tell me all the time.”
“Fuck. Uhm, sorry, ma’am. Damn, that’s not cool at all that he says that about her. Are you okay with your great-grandkids being from a working man?”
“Is that all it is? Not cool. And I don’t care how you speak, speak your mind. I might live on an estate now, but I was raised in South Providence. I didn’t come from money. I married a struggling attorney who built an empire. I want my Evelise to know love, and I think you’re the man to show her that.”
That gives me pause. She knows what it means to struggle. Even though Evie would never have to do that with me. “Ma’am, if I do this, you need to understand I’m never letting her go. She will be mine. I won’t let anyone touch her like that ever again. And I don’t want any of your money. Invest it into a trust for our children, but I’ll take care of Evie and our family on my own. Also, you and her parents need to leave the country. But not anywhere that Justin will know you’d go. I have a feeling the bastard is threatening your lives. That’s why she’s staying with him.”
“I figured he was threatening me; I’m the one with the money. My son is well off, but not like I am. He wants my money, so why my son and daughter-in-law?”
“Because he knows how much all of you mean to Evie. He can have more control over her if you aren’t around. He’d probably end up killing her eventually, too. Plus, your death can be blamed on your age, but her parents would be straight-up murder, so he’d hire someone who couldn’t be traced back to him. He wants to make sure he gets the most money from you. If I were him, I’d have already hired someone to go after the parents first. Maybe make it look like an accident. He wants the biggest payout. Has his background been searched? What about gambling or loan shark debts?” Thinking about it now, I’m sure of his plans and what my immediate actions should be. It will take some time, but I’ll have everything set up and ready to go before the proposal.
I’ll kidnap her.
“He’s been around for years, so we never thought about running background checks on him. What else would you suggest?” Fear enters her voice now.
“I’m serious, Mrs. Rezos. I know this isn’t the way it goes, but the moment I saw Evie, I wanted her. She’s a light I want to cultivate and encourage to grow, but I won’t let anyone else possess her. She will be mine.”
“For a hardened man, you are very poetic in your speech.” She laughs at me.
“Blame my mother.” I chuckle too. Evie does this to me. She brings out emotions I’ve hidden or buried for years. “I’ll have my tech guy run a background check on Justin. I also have people I can call in to help. There is a security company associated with my friends in Eastport. I’ll hire them to watch over you and the rest of the family. Leave Evie to me.”
We talk for a bit longer to get everything arranged. I’ll start off slowly, approaching Evie again to see if she’ll agree to wanting out. Georgiana informs me that Justin has a meeting with Evie’s father after the Thanksgiving holiday, before Evie comes home for the winter break. This gives me a timeline I can work with. I have a couple of weeks to line everything up.
She also informs me that Evie and Ruby’s team didn’t make it to the finals, so their season is over. I already knew this from talking to my sister. Their family has a get-together at the end of the season next weekend. It’ll be a perfect excuse for me to show up without causing any suspicions with Justin.
By the time I hang up, the plan has formed in my mind. I start sending emails, lining things up, and checking my messages. I see that Hammer has asked if I want to come to the crypt to help take care of the thieving idiot. I respond that I’ll be there shortly. I want to question the guy myself. Something feels off with him.
Evelise
