I can’t help but think of Everleigh. The way her eyes shine in the sunlight, the way her cheeks turned red as I whispered, the way she tipped up onto her toes to thank me with a kiss, the way she believed I wasn’t as bad as I thought. No one has believed that of me since I was a child, and even then, I think that slate had been demolished by the time I was ten. Everleigh is a helpless lamb, an unknowing innocence that deserves so much more than what then what my family has planned. Rather,hadplanned.
“What about that key? Did you find it?”
“I have a couple of guys on it.” I leave out the part where the bullshit reporter got out of line, and I had to threaten his life. Fucking hell it’s hard to find good help. I never asked him to touch her. He was supposed to find the key to the safe deposit box that’s in Max’s name,not attack the girl.I should kill him for laying hands on her, but it would get back to my father quickly, and we’d have bigger trouble. For one, he’d be wondering why Everleigh is still alive to begin with.
“Just find it,” he barks before disconnecting the line.
I step out onto the veranda, taking in the ocean views, sucking in the warm salt air. She has the key; I know she has the key. She deserves to have that key. She deserves to know what happened to Max. She deserves a life outside of all this shit. Instead, I fear all she’s going to get is a heart filled with pain. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dial Ryan’s number, but he doesn’t answer. Maybe I’ll pay him a visit.
Chapter Ten
Ryan
There’s a short knock followed by two even shorter ones. I’m not expecting anyone, and Everleigh wouldn’t knock. Well, unless her hands were full, but even then, I’m not expecting her for another couple of hours. She had lunch with Lucy and then she had errands to run.
I look out the peep hole and see the giant Russian. Fuck. I knew we shouldn’t have fed into him.
“What’s up?” I say, swinging open the door, my heart in my throat. This guy is most certainly dangerous.
He straightens his back and adjusts the cuffs on his jacket, barely bothering to look up at me. “Can I come in?”
Come in? What the fuck does he need to come in for?
“I guess,” I groan, stepping to the side to let him into the apartment. “What can I help you with?”
His gaze circles the space. “You couldn’t get anything nicer?”
What a fucking cock.
“What can I help you with? Why are you here?”
“I have a proposition for you,” he says, settling into the couch. He looks wrong there, like he doesn’t belong on normal sized furniture.
“You love Everleigh, am I right?” he asks with a point-blank expression that tells me worse is coming.
I nod. Her name on his lips makes my skin crawl.
“I’ve just spoken to her, and apparently, she cares for you a great deal as well—”
I stand. “You just spoke to her. Where is she? I swear to God if you fucking hurt her, I’ll—”
“Relax,” he says, a dark grin on his face. “I’d never hurt her… ever. She’s going about her day. We ran into each other at the restaurant. I’ll kill anyone who touches her if you haven’t figured that out yet?”
My stomach drops. I don’t know what the fuck to believe anymore.
“I’m not one to share what I like,” he continues. “Blame the lack of preschool, but I prefer to keep the things I love to myself.” He lets out a deep breath. “But… she has an affection for you that I imagine isn’t going to go away.”
A boost of warmth washes over me thinking about how Everleigh must have spoken about me. It doesn’t last long. In fact, it’s followed by a darkness that I can’t describe, an anger that’s tightening my fists and boiling my blood. “I fail to see why this is a discussion.”
He laughs and looks away. It’s sadistic, putrid, and sends another shock of anger through me. “I want her.” He says it plain and flat, as though he’s just asked me for a slice of gum.
I laugh. “She’s not for sale.”
“Nor should she be. She’s far above that level of ridicule, Ryan. Come on.”
I roll my eyes. “I think you should go.” I stand and make my way to the front door, opening it.
He pauses for a long second, then stands and turns toward me, stopping as he gets to the front door. “I’ve met many women. I’ve even spent time with some.” His gaze meets mine. “None of them, not one has moved me the way Everleigh does. You know how that goes, right Ryan?” He straightens. “I’m not suggesting I take her from you. That would only hurt her, and the last thing I want is for her to be in anymore pain. She’s had enough of that already. What I’m proposing is that we share.”
