Echoes of Secrets (Obsidian MC #7)

Chapter Eleven

Evie

“So, I may or may not have blabbed out loud about Mitchell not kissing you after your dates,” Knox says as he hops the back of the couch and flops beside me.

“What?” I ask, mortified. “Why would you do that?”

“Because he needs to get his head out of his ass,” Emily says from the chair where she’s feeding Aubree. “I planned to do the same thing as soon as the meeting was over. How was it, by the way?”

“New girl needs help starting a new life,” he says. “I can’t say any more than that, though. You know, club rules. Anyway, relax, Evie. It’s not like I gave away state secrets. Mitchell’s been dancing around you like a lovesick fool for weeks. Somebody had to light a fire under him.”

My cheeks burn, and I glance down at my hands. “It’s not that simple,” I mumble.

“Oh, please,” Emily interjects, rolling her eyes as she adjusts Aubree in her arms. “Men like Mitchell think they’re doing the noble thing by holding back. Meanwhile, they’re driving us women absolutely insane.”

Knox laughs, throwing an arm over the back of the couch. “She’s not wrong. And Mitchell? He’s got more baggage than most, but that’s no excuse for him not to step up.”

“Step up?” I echo, feeling both exasperated and defensive. “You’re making it sound like this is all on him. What if he doesn’t want more than friendship?”

Everyone around me laughs, and I can feel my face about to catch fire.

Knox raises an eyebrow, his smirk fading into something softer. “Evie, I’ve known Mitchell a long time. Well, not that long, but long enough to know that he doesn’t bring people around the club unless they matter. Trust me, you’re not just some friend to him.”

Maddy nods in agreement, her expression thoughtful. “He’s protecting you the only way he knows how. But protecting someone isn’t the same as loving them. He needs to figure that out and fast.”

I sigh, leaning back against the couch cushions. “Maybe he’s better off keeping his distance. I’m not exactly bringing stability to anyone’s life right now.”

Sophie frowns. “Don’t sell yourself short, Evie. You’ve been through hell, and you’re still standing. That says a lot about the kind of woman you are.”

“I’m balancing,” I say, smirking so they know I’m teasing. “Definitely not standing.”

Everyone laughs, but I can tell it’s forced. They’ll eventually learn to tease me about my missing limb rather than pretending like it’s not missing. Well, if I’m around long enough.

Em barks out a laugh. “I get it,” she says, handing the baby to Knox. “Oh god, Evie. That was good. Ya’ll need to lighten up.”

Standing, she walks over and kicks the air where my leg should be.

“She doesn’t have a leg, guys,” she says, proving her point by moving her hands below my knee. I can only laugh and shake my head.

Knox lets out a full laugh, clearly amused.

“See,” Emily says, pointing at Knox. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. He gets it. No use tiptoeing around things that don’t need tiptoeing.”

“No tiptoeing here,” I smile, wiggling my stump for all to see.

Emily grins, throwing her hands in the air. “Exactly! If Evie can joke about it, then the rest of you can, too. Lighten up, or I’m kicking everyone in the leg.”

Maddy bites back a laugh but gives a small shake of her head. “You’re wild, Em.”

I chuckle, appreciating Emily’s energy. “Honestly, it’s refreshing. I’ve had enough of people acting like I’m fragile. It’s just a leg. Or, well, the lack of one. No point in making it awkward.”

Sophie smiles softly. “Fair enough. But you know, Evie, it’s not just about the leg. It’s about everything you’ve been through and how you’ve come out of it. That’s what’s impressive.”

I shrug, trying to brush off the weight of her words. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just stubborn.”

Emily smirks. “Stubborn? You? Never.”

I roll my eyes, but before I can fire back, Emily claps her hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright, serious moment over. Back to the Mitchell at hand. Evie, you’ve got a choice to make. Are you going to keep waiting for him to figure his stuff out, or are you going to take charge?”

I groan, leaning forward and putting my face in my hands. “Why does everyone think this is so easy? Relationships, if that’s even what this is, are complicated. This,” I say, waving at my leg, “is complicated.”

“Complicated doesn’t mean impossible,” Delphi says gently.

Her words hang in the air, soft but firm, and I glance up at her, meeting her steady gaze.

“Maybe not,” I admit reluctantly, leaning back against the couch again. “But it does mean there are a lot of... considerations.”

Emily snorts, plopping down on the other side of me. “Considerations? Evie, you’re acting like you’re filling out paperwork for a loan. It’s love. Or at least the messy, chaotic beginnings of it. Complicated is the default setting.”

“Emily’s right,” Sophie chimes in, her tone light but sincere. “You’re never going to get all the variables sorted out beforehand. That’s not how this works. You’ve just got to take the leap and figure it out as you go.”

Knox nods in agreement, shifting Aubree in his arms. “You think Mitchell doesn’t know complicated? Hell, he is complicated. But if anyone can handle him, it’s you, Evie. The question is, are you willing to try?”

I look between them, my walls cracking under their combined scrutiny. “It’s not just about me,” I say softly. “If I mess this up, it’s not just my heart on the line. And what if I’m wrong? What if he doesn’t want what I think he does?”

“And what if he does?”

No. Freaking. Way.

My heart jumps into my throat as Mitchell’s deep voice cuts through the air. Everyone’s heads snap toward the source, but I’m frozen in place as he steps around the couch and kneels in front of me.

“Hey, Princess,” he says softly, his lips curling into that crooked smile that always makes my chest ache. “I’ve messed this whole thing up, huh?”

Grabbing my hands, he holds them gently as he continues.

“Baby, I’m sorry for making you doubt where you stand with me, for holding back, for... for being a coward.”

I blink, completely thrown off. “A coward? Mitchell, what are you talking about?”

He exhales a shaky breath. “I’ve been scared. Of messing up, of not being enough for you, of... hell, of everything. But the truth is, I don’t want to keep my distance. I don’t want to just be your friend. But a life with me can be dangerous. Just ask any of the people sitting around you.”

I glance around and see most of their eyes glaze over with what must be horrible memories.

“But there’s more to my past than even they know,” he says, causing everyone, including the rest of the men, to snap to attention.

I blink again, trying to process his words, but they’re coming too fast. I’m still stuck on the part where he said he doesn’t want to just be my friend, but now he’s talking about danger and something from his past? My mind races to catch up, but I can’t quite get a grip on it.

“Mitchell, what are you saying?” My voice is small, unsure, even though my heart is pounding.

His gaze doesn’t waver as he looks at me, a flash of vulnerability in his usually guarded eyes. “I’m saying that there’s more to me than what you’ve seen. More to my life than I’ve let on. I’ve kept you at arm’s length because I don’t want to drag you into a world of danger that I can’t protect you from. But the truth is... you deserve to know what you’re getting into if you want to be with me.”

My breath hitches as I glance at the others in the room. Everyone seems to be holding their breath, waiting for something more. Their expressions are unreadable, their faces hard.

“Mitchell,” I say again, my voice steadier now, “what kind of danger are you talking about?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I can see him wrestling with his words, trying to find the right way to explain something so deep, so personal. When he speaks again, it’s low, his voice heavy with something unspoken.

“I’m part of something... something that’s not easy to walk away from,” he says slowly, looking down at our joined hands before meeting my gaze again. “I’ve got enemies, people who will hurt anyone close to me if it gets them what they want. You’ve seen how I keep my distance, how I keep everyone at arm’s length. It’s not just for my sake. It’s for theirs, too.”

“What the fuck, brother,” someone says softly.

“Well, that sure does explain some things,” another says.

“I won’t pull you into my life if you don’t want to be a part of it. But I need you to know what I’ve been holding back.” He takes a breath as if steeling himself for my reaction. “You deserve the truth, even if it’s ugly. There are some things about my past that I may never be able to tell, but if that’s something you’re okay with, then I really would like to give this, give us, a try.”

A long silence stretches between us, and I can’t help but feel the pull in my chest. I’ve known Mitchell for a few weeks now, seen his gentleness and his quiet strength, but I’ve never seen him like this. Exposed, raw, unsure.

“I think you’re worth taking the risk,” I tell him honestly. “Only if you think I’m worth the hassle.”

“Not a hassle, Princess,” he smiles, leaning forward. “So fucking beautiful.

Then he kisses me, and everyone else fades away.

The warmth of his lips against mine is like a spark, igniting everything inside me. For a moment, the chaos of the room, the weight of everything, disappears. There’s only the feel of Mitchell’s kiss. Slow, deep, and filled with something I’ve been craving but didn’t know how to name. The softness of his lips contrasts with the storm of emotions that swirl between us, but somehow, it all fits.

His hand gently cups my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek in a tender caress as if to reassure me that this is real. That we’re real.

I pull back just enough to breathe, my forehead resting against his. “I think I’ve been waiting for this... for us,” I whisper, my voice soft but steady.

He smiles, his eyes softening with something vulnerable, something raw I haven’t seen before. “Then I’m glad I finally got out of my own head,” he murmurs. “I’m done holding back. I’m done holding back everything.”

He turns to the smiling men standing around the room.

“I’ve been a terrible fucking brother,” he says. “I think it’s time I let you in on who I really am.”

“About damn time,” Knox says, causing everyone to look at him.

“You knew?” Ghost asks.

“Of course he did,” Taylor shakes his head.

“What?” Knox shrugs. “Do you not remember what I do for a living? I know how to keep my mouth shut. But, just to be clear, Mitchell’s past is one crazy story. I can’t wait to hear it from his own lips.”

“Might as well call another meeting since we’re all here,” King says.

“Our client is five minutes out,” Taylor tells the room. “After she leaves, we’ll do just that.”

“You and I will have our own private conversation about it later tonight,” he tells me. “I owe it to these men to tell them first.”

“I understand,” I smile. “Your past can’t be that scary.”

“It’s not my past I’m worried about,” he says. “It’s the people wanting to drag me back into it.”