10. Robin
Robin
T he suite feels different when Eva walks through the door—crowded with the warm chaos of my family sprawled across every available surface.
I called them all in to have a discussion, and now I’m curled in the center of the couch like a queen holding court, Maisie tucked against my side, her small fingers tracing patterns on my arm.
Alicia perches on the armrest to my left, swinging her legs and stealing glances at the door every few seconds.
Dane is sprawled on the floor, long limbs everywhere, while Adrian leans against the couch back behind me, solid and reassuring.
When the door finally opens, my pulse spikes. Eva steps inside, and I drink in the sight of her—but there’s something tight around her mouth, a hesitation in the way she pauses just inside the threshold.
This is what Eva Novak looks like when she’s nervous . It’s not a look I’m familiar with, so it took a second to place.
“Pull up a seat,” I say, warmth threading through my voice as I gesture to an armchair. “We’ve been talking about you.”
Alicia giggles, a bright sound that cuts through the tension. Maisie beams at Eva with unguarded affection. Even Dane grins from his sprawl on the carpet.
“Have you now?” Eva’s voice carries a hint of amusement, but I catch the uncertainty underneath.
“We have,” I confirm, unable to keep the smile from my face. “And we’ve come to a decision. We’d like to visit Castle Blacklake together. All of us.”
The silence stretches too long. My stomach knots as Eva just stands there, amber eyes unreadable.
“If that’s okay, of course,” I add, hating how my voice wavers.
Something flickers across Eva’s face—surprise, maybe even wonder—before she blinks and collects herself. That familiar smile curves her lips, the one that used to make my knees weak but now makes my heart sink because I know it’s fake.
“Of course,” she says, bright and perfect and utterly hollow. “I can’t wait to show you around.”
Relief floods through me even as unease prickles at my spine. I know Eva well enough now to catch the hesitation, the careful way she’s holding herself. But my siblings don’t notice. They’re too busy bouncing with excitement.
“Really?” Maisie squeaks, sitting up so fast she nearly headbutts me. “Is it a real castle?”
“With towers and everything?” Alicia adds, practically vibrating.
“Are there dungeons?” Dane asks, because of course he does.
Eva’s laugh sounds almost genuine. “Real, yes. Towers, yes. Dungeons…you’ll have to wait and see.”
I file away that previous flicker of something darker in her expression, but Alicia’s already clapping her hands. “This is going to be amazing! Wait until I tell everyone at school that I’m going to stay in a castle in Europe!”
“You’ll need to keep up with your schoolwork while we’re there,” Adrian says mildly, and Alicia glares, but I shoot him a grateful look. He’s been my partner in keeping the kids grounded since Mom died, and I love him for it.
“Well,” I say brightly, “I think I need a little more rest time before we make any big travel plans. But tonight, how about we go back to that steakhouse we visited with Eva and Leon? The one with the enormous portions?”
The kids practically explode with enthusiasm. Dane pumps his fist, Alicia does a little shimmy dance, and Maisie claps her hands like she’s watching fireworks. Even Adrian cracks a smile.
“Can I get the same steak again?” Maisie asks.
“The one that was bigger than your head?” I tease. “If you think you can handle it.”
“I can! Eva saw me eat it all last time, didn’t you?”
I glance at Eva, and something soft crosses her face as she nods. “Every bite. Very impressive.”
“Alright, you monsters,” Adrian says, standing and herding them toward the door. “Let Robin rest. We’ll figure out what everyone’s wearing to dinner.”
“But I want to hear more about the castle,” Alicia protests.
“Later,” Adrian says firmly, meeting my eyes over her head. He knows I need time alone with Eva, and I’m grateful all over again for how grown up he’s become, and yet heartbroken that he’s had to do it so fast.
I’m not the only one who has sacrificed for our younger siblings.
In fact, Adrian is the one who has had to bear the brunt of caring for them over the past few months.
And yet, in our conversation before I pulled in the kids, he insisted that I start putting my own needs higher up my list of priorities.
It takes a few more minutes of cajoling and promises before they finally file out, but Adrian manages it with patient authority. When the door clicks shut behind them, the suite feels enormous again.
Eva hasn’t moved from her spot near the door.
“Are you sure it’s alright?” I ask at once, going to her. “I know it’s a lot, all of us descending on your home like some kind of invasion.”
“Of course,” she says again, but softer this time. She moves past me carefully to the chair across from the sofa, settling with the grace that always makes me think of a cat. “I just…I never thought you’d want them to come and see it.”
I sit on the sofa and reach over to take her hand. “Eva, of course I want them to. I want them to see the village where you grew up, the places that made you who you are. And I want to see them all again, too.”
“Even the dark places?”
My heart clenches, because I know what she’s really asking. “Even those,” I confirm. I lean forward, needing her to understand. “I had a lot of time to think while I was sitting in that godawful room alone. And I’ve talked seriously with Adrian about everything, now. About us. About what I want.”
“What did he say?”
“That I…need to stop sacrificing myself for the family all the time.” The words feel strange on my tongue, liberating and terrifying all at once. “We’re multi-millionaires now, he pointed out. He said I can stop worrying about everyone else and think about what I want for once.”
Eva’s eyes widen. “I didn’t think Adrian liked me much.”
I laugh, remembering some of his more pointed comments. “He likes that I like you. And he’s right—I spent a whole lot of my life trying to take care of everyone else. But…they’re safe now. They’re taken care of. Which means...”
“Which means?”
“Which means I can choose what I want instead of what I think I need to do.” I take a breath, steadying myself. “And I want to be with you, Eva. I want to see if we work no matter where we are—but my family is a non-negotiable. They need to be comfortable with you, too.”
Something raw and vulnerable flashes across her face before she schools her expression. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
I hear what she’s not saying— are you sure about me ? “It’s just a vacation,” I say gently. “A chance for them to see your world, and for me to introduce you properly to what it’s like having them all around you, 24/7. No pressure, no ultimatums. Just…us, figuring out what things might look like.”
I want to tell her that I love her. It’s true, and I’ve even said it before. But I hesitate. The last time we said we loved each other, we were agreeing never to see each other again.
I need to know we’ll never part like that again before I put my whole heart on the line.
And I need to figure out what a life with Eva Novak would even look like before I can commit to it.
“Can we even get passports that quickly?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood. “I know you have your mysterious ways, but I’d like to make sure we do all this as legally as possible.”
Eva throws back her head and laughs, real and bright and utterly delighted. “Oh, little bird. You’re such a goody two-shoes.”
I pull a face. “I just like working within the rules!”
“I know. It’s adorable.” She leans forward, eyes dancing with mischief. “And to answer your question—whatever you want, I’ll make happen. Even if that includes proper travel documentation for the entire Rivers clan.”
“Will it be possible without waiting for ages? I’d like to get out of here as soon as we can.”
Her face softens with understanding, and she nods.
“Money opens doors. Lots of money opens them faster. We could get them tomorrow, if you want. Tonight, even.” Her expression grows more serious.
“There’s nothing keeping us here, after all.
The Gattos are completely eliminated, Robin. The threat is gone.”
Relief hits me so hard I have to sit back against the couch cushions. “Really? They’re—all gone?”
“Really.” Something dark flickers through her eyes. “They were behind the hit on my father, and the recent attempts on my life, too. Everything traces back to them.”
I reach out instinctively. “I’m glad you’ve been able to resolve that—I know your father’s death weighed on you. Maybe now you can start to move forward?”
Eva catches my hand, threading our fingers together. “Actually, I think I already have. I made an announcement downstairs, to all our allies. The Consortium is changing direction.”
“What kind of change?”
“No more indiscriminate weapons sales. We’ll only work with the organizations in that room tonight—the ones who helped me get you back—and their vetted friends and allies. And we’re expanding into philanthropy.” Her grin turns wicked. “Shaking things up.”
“You can just decide that? Unilaterally?”
“Of course I can. I run the Consortium.” She scoffs, but there’s something flickering in her amber eyes—a shadow that suggests it might not be quite that simple.
Still, pride swells in my chest. “You know, you’ve…changed since we first met.”
Eva leans forward and kisses me, soft and sweet and perfect. “So have you, little bird.”
I melt into her touch, savoring the familiar warmth that spreads through my veins. “Not so much,” I murmur against her lips. “I still love it when you kiss me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you mean it.”
Her answer is to kiss me deeper, hands cupping my face with a reverence that makes my breath catch. When we break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“I always mean it,” she whispers.
“Good,” I breathe, then pull her onto the couch with me.
She comes willingly, stretching out beside me on the oversized cushions. For a moment we just look at each other, and I’m struck all over again by how beautiful she is—sharp cheekbones and full lips, those incredible amber eyes that see straight through me.
“I missed this,” I admit. “Just being close to you.”
“You were only gone a few hours.”
“It felt longer.” I trace the line of her jaw with my fingertip, marveling at the way she leans into my touch. “I kept thinking about what you said. About changing the Consortium, helping more people with what you have.”
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“It’s still brave.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Not surprised. Proud.” I kiss the corner of her mouth, soft and teasing. “Very, very proud.”
Eva’s response is a low sound in her throat that goes straight to my core. She rolls onto her side, pressing closer, and I can feel the heat of her body through our clothes.
“Robin,” she murmurs.
“Mm?”
“Are you sure about this? About us?”
I answer her with a kiss, pouring all my certainty into the press of my lips against hers. When I pull back, her eyes are dark with want and something deeper.
“I’m sure,” I tell her. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“Even after everything that’s happened? After…what I put you through?”
I smooth the worry lines from her forehead with my thumb. “We’ve been through the worst of it, Eva. The secrets, the fear, the separation. And we’re still here.”
“We are,” she agrees, wonder threading through her voice.
“So stop trying to talk me out of it and kiss me properly.”
Her laugh is low and rich and absolutely wicked. “Yes, ma’am.”
This time when she kisses me, there’s nothing gentle about it. It’s hungry and demanding and everything I’ve been craving. I arch into her touch as her hands slide under my shirt, clever fingers finding skin.
“God, I missed you,” she breathes against my throat.
“Show me,” I gasp as she finds that spot just below my ear that makes me shiver. “Show me, Eva.”
“Take off your clothes, darling, and I’ll show you for hours.”