Dichotomy (The Archers #2)

Chapter 1 – Evelyn

EVELYN

“We have a problem.”

I snapped the phone shut and looked around the room. Were they already here?

“Evelyn.” Alexander’s voice brought me back to earth. He stood in front of me with my other boyfriends: Marcus, Sebastian, and Adrian. All of them wore concerned expressions.

“What did Liam say?” Alexander asked, his hand cupping my cheek.

I closed my eyes and took a breath. My head pounded from the hit I had taken earlier.

“Liam heard from Keys, the Ghosts’ hacker. The FIA is in town, and they’re headed here. He was able to get hold of a department-wide memo. The FIA is here to take down the Archers and everyone connected to them. Apparently, I’m on their list of people to question as being the Archers’ leader.”

I laughed humorlessly, but my brain was spinning.

My identity as the Archers’ leader was a closely guarded secret.

How the hell did the Federal Investigative Agency, or FIA as they were called, find out about it?

Fuck, this was bad. While we did a lot of good, the work the Archers did wasn’t necessarily legal.

We had definitely crossed lines before, but it was for the greater good.

If we were convicted of the things we had done, we would all be looking at significant jail time.

Powerful people didn’t like when you fucked with them.

“We need to get you out of here.”

I was not expecting those words to come from Marcus. The by-the-book lawyer had apparently had a change of heart over the last week, and now he was scanning the room, looking for an exit.

His words spurred the rest of my men into action. Adrian swooped me up into his arms, cradling me like a baby. Alexander headed toward Detective Patel, who was talking to a few of his officers.

“Detective.” Alexander clapped him on the shoulder. “Miss Harper is really shaken up after this ordeal. Is there any way we can stop by the station tomorrow and have her give her statement then?”

I played my part, closing my eyes and resting my head on Adrian’s shoulder. Although it didn’t require much acting on my part. The room was starting to spin. I definitely had a concussion. Fuck, that was just what I needed—my brain out of commission for a few weeks.

“Of course,” Detective Patel waved us out of the room. “There are EMTs outside if you want to get her checked out by them.”

“I appreciate it, but I’ve already called our doctor to Miss Harper’s residence. He’s waiting for us there.”

“Go, go,” Detective Patel said.

I opened my eyes as we passed him and made eye contact with Maya, who was standing a few steps behind their dad. They nodded slightly as I passed. They would stay and figure out what was going on from their dad before meeting us back at the manor.

Adrian stepped out into the hallway, Alexander in the lead, with Marcus and Sebastian on either side of me.

“Izzy?” Sebastian held a phone up to his ear, pretending to speak into it to hide his comms while we passed people.

“Can you get our friends home safely? We have an old friend coming into town who urgently needs to see us.” He listened for a beat and nodded.

“You’ve already got them? Great. No, we’re walking out to the car now. ”

“Izzy got Grace and Danny out,” Adrian brushed his lips against my hair.

I nodded, then winced when the world spun.

I closed my eyes again as the fluorescent lights of the convention center’s hallways became too much.

Fresh air brushed against my face, and I cracked my eyes open to see we had exited the side entrance of the convention center.

To our right, the main entrance was filled with flashing red and blue lights dotted in with white flashes of reporters’ cameras capturing the moment when the three Citadel leaders were led out in handcuffs.

Sanders stood next to an SUV. “Thanks, man.” Marcus clapped him on the shoulder. “You all good to deal with this?” He jerked his head toward the crowd.

Sanders nodded. “Of course. I’ll report in later tonight.”

He passed Marcus the keys and walked toward the crowd.

Sebastian slid into the SUV and held out his hands for me.

Adrian’s arms tightened around me, but he gently passed me into the vehicle into Sebastian’s waiting arms. His bergamot and chocolate scent filled my nostrils as he pressed me into his chest. I hissed softly as my bruised cheek brushed his suit jacket.

He arranged me more carefully on his lap as Marcus started the SUV.

“Wait,” I said, sitting up straight.

Through the window, I watched as a black SUV pulled up to the front of the convention center with the FIA logo on the sides.

Two men exited. The first was a white man in an ill-fitting suit with thinning brown hair and a slight pudge to his belly.

The second man caught my attention. A tall Black man with an athletic build; his suit fit like it was made for him.

His short brown hair was cropped close to his head, and his strong jaw looked like it was carved from granite.

He had a presence about him that the crowd clearly noted as they parted for him.

He flashed his badge at the police officer, who let him through the crowd.

This was a man used to getting what he wanted.

Detective Patel met him at the top of the stairs.

Maya was a few steps behind them. Detective Patel frowned and shook his head as the FIA agent gestured with his arms. I was dying to know what they were talking about, but I knew Maya would fill us in later.

The pounding in my head got worse as I strained to see them.

“Let’s go,” Alexander said. “We need to get you checked out.”

I reluctantly sagged back into Sebastian’s chest. I was no good to anyone as long as my head pounded as if a herd of elephants were walking around in it.

And judging by the FIA agent’s appearance and mannerisms, I was going to need to be at the top of my game if I was going to keep the Archers off their radar while figuring out who the Kingfisher was and what he wanted from my city.