Tears threatened to spill from my eyes after my assumptions became a reality. “What was the point of marrying my mother? Why not kill her and us like you did to him?” I couldn’t contain the curiosity that began to consume me.
“Now you are asking the right questions. Maybe you have some intelligence after all.” He paused and waited for me to take the bait. “I was always fond of your mother, and she was an easy target. I was able to steer her away from asking unnecessary questions and that allowed me to groom a protégé for my business. You and Matthew were a little too old to groom so that left your sister.” I gulped at the realization that he planned to brainwash my sister all along.
“Killing you all would just come off as suspicious and wouldn’t help my long-term business goals. Your mother, however, decided to go snooping one night in my home office, saying she wanted answers about your dad’s murder. She started to fixate on it, so I had to drug her to make her feel like she was going insane.”
“When I get out of here, you will pay for what you did to my family and all the other people’s lives you ruined,” I seethed through clenched teeth.
“Tsk, tsk. Now Evelyn, no need to make false promises. We both know that there is no one coming for you. Your team is dealing with some… other matters, and your boy toy is not in a situation that can help you either.”
He must have seen the panic on my face before I masked it because he let out a sadistic laugh.
“Did you not think I would be prepared? Stupid girl. You surprised me once. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen again.” Before Ricci could continue, his phone rang.
“What?” he yelled into the receiver. A sly smirk emerged on his face. “Bring him in.” After ending the call, he looked at me. “We have a visitor.” Before I could askwho, two of Ricci’s soldiers dragged in a bloodied and battered Arrow.
“Aaron!” I cried. His form was almost unrecognizable with his injuries. His head slumped over while blood dribbled from his swollen mouth.
“Told you your boy toy wouldn’t be able to help you,” Ricci sneered.
“Let him go, you bastard!” I screamed while I tried to free myself from the restraints.
“Now, where is the fun in that?” he taunted. It hit me then that Ricci had no idea about Kade and I, whatever we’d been. I needed to make sure Ricci believed that Aaron and I were still together.
One of his men brought in a metal chair. The other men dropped Aaron on it before binding him to the chair. His head drooped, and he remained unconscious and unresponsive.
“I’ll let you lovebirds spend some time together before I kill you both. I have a meeting to attend to. Don’t get too comfortable while I’m gone,” Ricci teased before grabbing a syringe out of his pocket and injecting me.
My vision blurred before total darkness took over.
I woke up with my head still throbbing and the sound of my name being called.
“Phantom, damnit! Evelyn wake up!” Arrow frantically whispered to me.
My head slowly lifted to meet his gaze. Tears immediately began to fall when I saw the damage that Ricci and his men had done to the man that I once loved. His face wasswollen beyond recognition and almost his entire body was drenched in blood.
“Oh my god! Aaron! I’m so sorry!” I cried out.
“Evie, it’s okay, baby. I will be okay,” he soothed. “Are you okay?” His voice was etched with concern.
I gave him a halfhearted laugh. “You would ask me that while you're the one who looks like the walking dead.”
He attempted a smile before grimacing from pain.
“Does the team know you are here?” I asked, as I tried to gauge how screwed we were.
“There was an explosion at headquarters. I left a few minutes before it happened. I lost connection. I have no idea who was there or if anyone is okay.”
I gasped. This couldn’t be happening. I needed Kade to get over our fight and my betrayal and save us. It was a long shot, but I couldn’t be taken down when I was so close to getting rid of Anthony Ricci.
I glanced up at the ceiling, trying to reel in my emotions.If there is a God, please let my team be okay.
“Aaron…”
“Don’t, Evelyn. I know. It’s okay. I forgive you. No matter what, I will always have your back.” His voice was firm with conviction.
“And I will always have yours,” I responded.
Hours passed and the time we went without food or water was starting to take its toll. Arrow had passed out again, which was probably a blessing based on the level of pain he must be in.
