9. Tristan
A s far as weddings go, this one was my speed: quick, efficient, and to the point. Good food and plenty of liquor afterward. Not too many people, just a handful of close friends. Only thing missing was my family, even if this is a sham. Lucky wanted to be here, but he’s busy putting out fires back home. First Liam fell off the monkey bars at school and fractured his finger, which is crazy. Then there was a nasty fight over bets at Benny’s, one of our sports bars, a couple days back. Apparently now we’re feuding with a crew from New York. It never ends, I swear.
And I haven’t even told Maeve or my parents yet. They’d say I was being impulsive again—Lucky sure did—but in this case, I know I did the right thing. Them not knowing feels weird, but I’ll share when the time is right.
And as far as brides go, I could do a lot worse than Evie Doyle. Evie Kelly . That’s going to take some getting used to. I pull at my collar, glad for the shade and the breeze coming off the river. I’ve always enjoyed playing the field, but sometimes you have to man up. Do what you gotta do.
Beside me, Evie and Opal are listening to a story Finn’s telling about our grandparents. I wasn’t lying earlier when I told her she looked great. Her long, red hair tumbles down her back like flames, and she’s wearing a slinky little dress that hits mid-thigh, exposing more of her pale skin than I’ve seen since she grew up. Pale, but pretty … like porcelain. She shifts in her seat, crossing one leg over the other as she sips her champagne, and the hem of her dress rides up, giving me a flash of her inner thigh.
Averting my eyes before my dick gets any harder than it already is, I take a hearty gulp of my Moscow mule. Normally there’s no harm in looking, but in this case, looking is needless torture. Not only am I legally obligated to celibacy for the next year, but Evie made it clear we wouldn’t be crossing any lines, either. No funny business. Which is fine because we’ve never seen each other like that. Growing up, we were more like siblings than anything else.
Not that Evie isn’t attractive. She is, in a Celtic princess sort of way. She’s kind and quirky and ridiculously smart, and she’s obviously more than able to take care of herself. An image of her choking Cole’s friend comes to mind, followed by an image of her choking me . I shift in my chair. That’s kind of hot. Yeah, there’s something endlessly appealing about a woman who can hold her own on the mat. Maybe I can get her to train with me while I’m down here.
All that aside, though, this marriage has a purpose, and it isn’t sex. I meant it when I said I’d take care of Evie. I’d protect her with my own body if it came to that, and so would the syndicate. Once they find out, anyway. Evie won’t ever have to worry about money, either. Doyle Whiskey might be on its way out of Randall’s hands, but Evie will always get what’s rightfully hers. Maribelle has a share too, and while I could not care less about her, I have no interest in stealing her inheritance.
Evie glances back at me, flushed in amusement, her hazel eyes warm and open. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but affection spreads through my middle like sunshine, and I kind of wish I was the one making her look like that. Smiling, I rest my hand on the back of her chair and jerk my chin at Finn. “What bullshit are you feeding her?”
He waggles his eyebrows. “The time we went to Croatia?”
“Ugh, not the fishing boat story.” I groan, playing it up. “Again, Finn? Really?”
“You mooned half the town,” he says. “I will tell this story until I die. ”
Evie snorts, slapping her thigh, and shoots me another grin. “Sorry, I can totally see you doing that. You always were kind of naughty.”
She has no idea how naughty I can be. I give a lock of her hair a playful, adolescent tug. Keep it innocent, Tristan .
“I’m going to rent a house out on Tybee Island.”
I’m walking Evie to her car, the boys a couple paces behind us. I haven’t seen Cole since we fought the other night, but this is his city. He could pop up at any time, and the last thing I need is being caught unawares again.
Evie nods, pulling her keys from a purse so tiny it’s a wonder it fits anything. “Okay.”
“I think you should move into it,” I add.
“With you?” she squeaks, stopping on the sidewalk.
“Well, yeah.” Placing my hand on the small of her back, I give her a slight push so that she starts walking again. “It’ll be easier to keep an eye on you, for one thing, but for another, do you really want to stay where you are now? Knowing your dad will probably lose his shit when he finds out about this?”
“Why do you need to keep an eye on me?” she asks, chewing her bottom lip. She had pink lipstick on at one point, but she ate it off hours ago.
“Because, Evie. When he finds out you played him by marrying someone other than his old crony’s kid, he’ll be hot.” A smile rises, unbidden. I can’t help it. I love winning, and in this little game of chess, I’ve definitely checkmated Randall Doyle. “And when he finds out you married me , he’ll go nuclear.”
“You’re right.” The tremble in her voice deflates the smugness ballooning in my chest. “I’m so stupid. I didn’t think past the wedding. I thought …”
“We could keep it a secret?” I finish. “The whole point of us getting married was to make you off-limits. Legally. Your dad has to find out eventually, and it’s more convincing if we live together.”
Evie sidesteps a tiny yellow flower growing from a crack in the sidewalk. “Of course.”
“Hey.” I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “It might be rough for a while, but I got you. Don’t worry about it.”
She nods, but I can tell she’s not fully convinced. “When are you planning on moving into your new place?”
“Tomorrow, probably.”
“Really?” She blinks in surprise. “How’d you find something that fast?”
“Cash is king, for one thing.” I take the key fob from Evie’s hand and unlock her car, which is just up the block. “But I’ve known for a while that I’d need a more permanent homebase in Savannah. I need a month-to-month lease, and this place fits the bill.” For other reasons, too: it’s in a plush neighborhood with enough people around that visitors with nefarious intent would think twice. The house itself has several exits, and there’s a path behind the house, leading through the woods to the street behind. While I’ll have to keep an eye on that, it could be useful in the event we need to leave quickly.
“What about furniture?” she asks. “Or is it already furnished?”
I nod.
“So, just like that, huh?” I can’t tell if she’s impressed or if she thinks I’m crazy.
“Just like that.” Shrugging, I hand back the fob. “Why wait?”
“You might be the most spontaneous person I’ve ever met,” she muses, squinting up at me.
Yeah, she definitely thinks I’m crazy. “That’s what they say.” I open her door, and the hem of that damn dress inches up as she slides in, giving me another flash of thigh before she tugs it back down. “Let’s get you out of there before saying anything to your dad, okay? We’ll have to move quickly. Larry’s dropping off the certificate tomorrow morning, so this might not stay a secret for long.”
Larry, Timmy’s uncle and ex-mobster turned minister, calls as I’m pulling into the driveway of my new digs. He might not be about that life anymore, but Lucky called in a favor for me.
“Hey, Larry,” I answer, putting the car in park .
“Hi, Tristan,” he says. “I just dropped your license off at the courthouse, so I’ll be on my way if there’s nothing else you need.”
I wave to Marsha, the property manager, who’s getting out of her car. “Nope. That’s it. I appreciate it, man.”
“Sure.” He pauses, and I know what’s coming because he’s been at me about it since I contacted him. “When are you telling your parents?”
I pat my pockets for cigarettes that aren’t there. “Soon.”
“Good,” he says. “And keep me out of it, because if your mother finds out I married you on the sly, she’ll filet me.”
Mom will probably filet me when she finds out I eloped, so join the club, buddy.
“Thanks, Marsha,” I say for the tenth time, trying to close the front door so I can do the thousand other things I need to do today.
“Anytime, honey,” she says, batting her impressive lashes. I can’t tell if she’s flirting or if this is just how she operates. She’s gotta be thirty years my senior. “You have my card, so you go ahead and contact me if you need anything else.”
“Right, will do.” I make a show of checking my watch. “Listen, I have to run but thanks again for the quick turnaround.”
“My pleasure! If you need?—”
“I will definitely let you know. Bye, now.” Winking at her, I close the door and wait until she’s driven off before retrieving my stuff from my rental car. I don’t have much, just the shit I brought from Boston plus everything that was even remotely edible at the Airbnb.
Finn and Timmy pull up as I finish loading the fridge. “Where’s Malachi?” I ask, letting them in.
“Getting groceries,” says Finn.
Of course, he is. Malachi’s the most responsible of the bunch.
“Nice. Hey, I’ll get you keys made today,” I assure them as they follow me to the kitchen.
“And wifey’s gonna be cool with us staying down the hall?” teases Finn, plopping into a chair. They’ve been razzing me about the ol’ ball and chain for days now. “Women usually like their privacy. ”
Timmy snickers. “I don’t know. Nothing says a honeymoon like a full house.”
“ Evie doesn’t have a choice in the matter,” I shoot back. “And she’s not like that, anyway. This situation isn’t like that.”
Finn and Timmy share a look I don’t feel like deciphering. “Can I smoke out there?” asks Timmy, glancing at the sliding doors across the living room.
“Go ahead.” I hand him a bowl from the cabinet. “But don’t make a mess.”
I keep busy for the next couple of days, scoping the new neighborhood for entry and exit points, installing a security system, and getting copies of keys made. We burned through Malachi’s groceries in a day and eating out is getting old, so the boys and I go grocery shopping for real, refilling the fridge with everyone’s favorites. And, sick of renting, I buy a Suburban from a car dealer just outside town. It’s no Defender like my baby back home, but it comes in handy in helping Evie move.
She brings over a few boxes after work the first couple of nights, a random assortment of plants and books and clothes and little glass jars full of who-knows-what. “Here,” she says, handing me one. When I open it, I find a fragrant assortment of gummies.
“Please tell me this is what I think it is,” I say, sniffing appreciatively.
“It is.” She straightens up from the box she was just rooting through, brushing her hands off. “I had more, but Opal took them.”
“I approve of Opal.”
A wry smile curves her lips. “Good, ‘cause we’re a package deal.”
The next morning, I hit up Phoenix Rising for a workout. It feels good to focus on my body, to be in the moment, because there are so many other things that are out of my control. Like, I want to make my move on Doyle, but until Evie’s safely gone from his property, I have to wait. She’s been bringing stuff over when she gets off work, so we’re moving at a glacial pace.
I’m catching up with my sister Maeve and eating a sandwich at a place by the beach when another call comes through. It’s Evie. Wondering why she didn’t just text me like usual, I interrupt Maeve’s story about her ballet company’s latest drama. “Can I call you back, Mae? I gotta take this call. ”
“Sure,” she says. “But don’t forget to call back! I have something to tell you.”
“I have something to tell you, too,” I say, hoping she won’t read me the riot act when I tell her I got married.
I click over to Evie. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“Hey. Um, I came home early to finish up.” She clears her throat, and for a split second I’m worried she’s gonna say Cole’s there. He might not be showing his face in broad daylight these days, but I’d bet my last dollar he’s watching. “And my dad pulled up while I was putting stuff in the truck, and now, he thinks I’m trying to skip town or something. He’s being …” She stops suddenly, and I hear a male voice in the background. “No, I’m not!” she says to him, a thread of panic in her voice.
A jolt of adrenaline shoots through my veins. It’s go time . “Is that him? What’s he saying?”
“He’s talking about the arrangement with Cole, of course,” she says breathlessly, like she’s moving. “I’m going back inside.”
“I’m coming now.” Cursing myself for not keeping eyes on Evie, I jog over to my car. “Lock the door. Don’t let him in.”
I call the boys as I peel away from the curb, giving them Evie’s address. The drive from Tybee Island to Savannah’s historic district takes about twenty minutes, but I make it in just under fifteen. Pulling up to the Doyle house, I throw the SUV in park and leap out, letting myself in through the gate.
The grounds seem quiet as I make my way to Evie’s apartment in the back, but I keep an eye out, not wanting to be caught off guard by my sketchy father-in-law. Sure enough, I’m halfway up the carriage house stairs when a low voice drifts across the yard. “Now, who told you could come onto my property, son?”
I glance back, spying Randall as he saunters over from the main house. “I’m here to see Evie.”
“Evie don’t need you sniffing around,” he says, reaching the bottom of the stairs. “You need to leave.”
“Or what?” I ease up the last few steps, never giving him my back. He’s got one hand on his phone and the other on his waist, never a good sign, so I lift the hem of my t-shirt just enough to show him I’d gladly return the favor .
Evie, who must’ve been listening, opens her door. “Stop provoking him,” she whispers, trying to pull me inside. Her face is splotchy and red like she’s been crying. “I don’t want him to do something crazy.”
“He can get as crazy as he likes,” I mutter as her father comes up to meet us. He seemed huge when I was a kid, broad-shouldered and tall. But his once-athletic build has softened over the years, probably due to overindulging and the stresses of running a company. “I’m crazier.”
Her breath catches as I step back into the apartment, keeping her behind me. “Tristan?—"
“What are you doing here?” Randall asks, enunciating each word.
There’s no point in beating around the bush. “Helping Evie move her stuff. We’ll be out of your hair in a couple minutes.”
“My daughter isn’t going anywhere,” he says with an incredulous laugh, pushing his way through the doorway. “And certainly not with you.”
“Evie’s a grown woman who can go where she wants.”
“Daddy,” she begins, her voice quivering. I hate that she’s afraid of this man. “I?—"
“You’d do well to keep that mouth shut,” he says loudly, narrowing his eyes at Evie. “You’ve given me nothing but trouble lately.”
I snort, disgusted. “And you wonder why she’s leaving.”
“You know, people told me they’d seen you two around town,” Randall says, his eyes slitting like a snake’s. “But I thought nothing of it. Y’all have been friends a long time, simple as that. But now I’m wondering if there is something going on. Something inappropriate.” He sneers at his daughter like she’s old gum on the bottom of his shoe. “You do realize he’ll go back up north once he gets what he wants, don’t you?”
I reach behind me, tapping Evie’s hip. “You got a carrier for your cats?”
“Yes,” she breathes.
“Go get it.”
“Are you listening to me, Evelyn?” Randall snaps. “Or are you so infatuated with this idiot that you’ll play the whore until?—”
Grabbing a fistful of graying hair, I smack Randall’s face against the wall, effectively ending his tirade. Evie screams my name as she pulls at the back of my shirt, but she doesn’t need to worry. All I wanted was her father’s attention, and I have it now. Bending down, I look into his wide, watery eyes. “That was rude.”
He tries fruitlessly to loosen my grip. “Let go!” he rasps.
“You’d do well to keep that mouth shut, Randall.” I give his head a little shake as I turn his words back on him. “Because if you ever speak to my wife like that again, I’ll cut your tongue out.”
“What?” he splutters, going limp.
Snatching his gun from his waistband before he decides to use it, I let go of his hair and step back. “Now apologize to Evie.”
He straightens up slowly, staring at us in horror. “What did you just say?”
“I said, apologize .”
“Before that, dammit!” he cries.
Making sure the safety is on, I tuck his gun into my waistband, opposite of my own. “You heard what I said.”
“Oh, no, no, no.” He shakes his head, pointing at Evie. “There’s no way you married him, Evelyn! You know damn well what’s at stake, here! We had an agreement?—”
“No, you had an agreement,” Evie says, finally finding her voice. “An agreement to sell me off! How could you do that to me?” A strangled sob bursts from her throat as she comes to stand at my side. “How could you make me marry that asshole? Do you know what he’s capable of?”
“How could you marry this one?” he counters, looking at me. “And you! Using my daughter for your own gain.”
“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” I squeeze Evie’s shoulder, making her look at me. “Pack. Your. Shit.”
She must realize that my patience is running on fumes because she hurries off to do just that. Randall extends his hand in a beckoning motion. “Give that gun back to me before I report it stolen.”
“I’ll leave it at the front gate when we leave.”
He shakes his head slowly. “You have no idea what you’ve stepped in, Tristan.”
“Oh, I think I do.” My phone vibrates; the boys are out front. It feels like it took an eternity for them to get here, but I haven’t been here ten minutes. Keeping one eye on Randall, I text Finn back.
Come up, around back.
Have M and T stay in the car, watch the block.
“Once you leave, do not ever come back here, Evelyn! You hear me?” he yells, rubbing his head. He should have a nice, fat knot, a reminder of what happens when he runs his mouth. “You are dead to me, girl.”
I take a step toward him, and he flinches, tripping over himself to get away. But I just open the door and point outside until he goes. “You’re the whore, by the way. You slept around on your wife until she left you, and now you’re in bed with some of this city’s worst.”
He shoots me a dark look, nearly colliding with Finn, who’s coming up the steps. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Let me know when you’re ready to apologize to Evie,” I call back. “Have a good one.”
Poppy and Juniper won’t come out from under the bed. I don’t give a shit, but it troubles Evie. “They’re probably traumatized,” she laments, sitting on the edge of her new bed. I tried to give her the rental’s biggest bedroom, figuring she’d need space for all her stuff, but she insisted on a smaller one.
“They’ll get over it.” It’s obvious that Evie’s traumatized too—she’s as much of a mess as this bedroom—but if obsessing over her cats makes her feel better, fine.
“I hope I didn’t leave anything too important behind.” She rubs at her forehead, thinking. “He’s petty enough to burn anything I did.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. You did the best you could with the time you had.” I pull my phone from my back pocket, bringing up a list of local restaurants. “Now, please tell me they got late-night spots open around here. I’m so hungry?—”
“Wait.” Her eyes well with tears. Again. “My manga.”
Oh, shit. The collection she’s had since she was a kid. Randall wouldn’t hesitate to chuck those. Scratching my head, I look around at the stacks of boxes populating her bedroom. “Are you sure? They might be in one of these. ”
“Yeah.” She looks down, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes. “They’re still in my closet.”
“Maybe I can?—”
“No.” She shakes her head. “Forget it … it doesn’t matter.”
“We’ll go look when we know for sure that he’s at work. Tomorrow,” I assure her. “It’s worth a try.”
“I don’t know,” she says, wrapping her arms around herself. “He told me not to come back—the last thing I need is him catching me sneaking around.”
Randall can eat a dick, but somehow, I doubt that’s what she wants to hear. “We’ll do whatever you want, okay?”
“Okay,” she says faintly.
Poppy finally appears from the chaos, snuggling onto Evie’s lap like she knows her mom needs it. Evie cuddles her close, kissing her face. She’s such a sweetheart. I hate seeing her like this, all sad and defeated. “You hungry? We’ll order anything you want.”
“Actually,” she says, lying back with Poppy. “I think I’m gonna just take a shower and go to bed.”