Chapter 12 Everett
TWELVE
EVERETT
Do you ever feel like you’re supposed to be someone else? I was meant to be a boy. Even the doctors said I’d be a boy. So my father named me Everett.
It’s predominantly a male name. When I was born with a pussy, he decided to keep it.
I’ve gone by Eve for as long as I can remember.
It was a hard pill to swallow to find out that I’d never live up to my name’s expectations.
Who I was supposed to be. Someone who’d make my father proud.
The sad thing is that I wanted to for the longest time.
To be what he wanted. To be accepted. I’ve never belonged to someone.
I was born for a purpose but ended up being useless.
Then I was tossed to the side and raised for evil reasons.
My life would have been different had I been born with a dick. Easier.
At least I like to think so. A woman can dream, can’t she?
There’s a lot of my childhood that I’ve blocked out. Chosen not to remember. But after I tried to end my life the first time, I became useless to our world. So my father gave me away. No, threw me away is more like it.
I spent a year in hell before a man came along and saved me. I’ve called him Dad ever since. He saved my life more than once. I’m lucky he came along when he did. Who knows where I’d be if not for him?
Dead. No questions asked. Because I would have done it differently the next time, and I would have made sure it worked. A person can only take so much before they break. And I’ve been so close to broken that death was the only alternative.
Acceptance is such a weird word. Like why do you need to be accepted?
Why do you want to be loved? It’s overrated.
Love comes and goes and so do my mood swings.
One moment I want to cry my eyes out to an Adele song, thinking I’ll be single the rest of my life, and the next I’m thanking my lucky stars I don’t have to answer to anyone.
Life is all about balance.
Good and evil. Heaven and hell. Crazy and sane.
Why not be both?
Statistics show that more than thirty-six murderers walk past you during your lifetime. Do you ever wonder why they don’t choose you? I do. All the time. Do they choose victims by their looks? How they act? Is it someone they know, or do they pick at random?
I’m a loner. I stick to myself. I’d be an easy choice, honestly. No one would go looking for me. Well, that’s not true. My dad would notice. But other than that, no one would care.
That’s why I agreed to join him for dinner tonight. Something we never do. I stay away from him because he had another family that I had to hide from. Story of my life. It never bothered me before. But now he’s married another woman and wants us all to be one big, happy family.
I pull my car up to the mansion and get out, straightening my dress. It makes me uncomfortable being here. I’m not used to this part of their world.
The money.
The class.
I’m used to the basements, chains, and blood.
I grew up differently from most of the women in the society. I’ve watched behind the scenes for years as women became chosens and Ladies. The sad part is, I was jealous.
I wanted to be a chosen—belong to one man. But I was born for a purpose that I can’t even fulfill. Not anymore. It was a decision I had to make, and I’ve come to terms with it.
The front double doors open, and I sigh when I see the pretty blonde stepping outside onto the porch. “Everett, I thought that was you. Please come in.”
Giving her a fake smile, I walk up the stone steps in a pair of black spiked Louboutins. They were a gift from my dad. Said he saw them and instantly thought of me using them to kick a man in the balls. Have to love a father who encourages your rage.
“Hello, Janice. It smells lovely,” I tell her, entering the house, though I know she didn’t make it. Her staff did. I can’t be mean to her, though. She’s been so nice and welcoming to me and the man I choose to call Dad.
“Thank you. Please make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a drink?”
“Yes, please.” I’d take a whole bottle of whatever she has, but that would make me look like a lush. One drink can’t hurt. She did offer.
Janice walks off toward the kitchen, her heels clapping on the marble floor, and I nervously slide my hand down my dress.
A bad habit that I wish I could break. I hate looking weak or nervous, but I’m not a family type of girl.
Yet here I am, willingly accepting an offer to have dinner with my family.
At least, that’s what my dad called it when he phoned me yesterday.
I couldn’t resist. He wants everything to be perfect for his new wife.
So I obliged and promised to indulge him by showing up to this dinner. I wish I had someone who cared about me as much.
The doors open behind me, and I hear laughter as I turn around to see two familiar faces. They don’t know who I am, but I know them.
“Oh, hello.” The bleached blonde smiles at me.
The man holding her hand looks me up and down with apprehension. He knows I don’t belong. That I’m no one. “Who the hell are you?” he asks. His hard tone mirrors what I’m thinking.
The woman softly slaps his chest in a warning to be nice, but I don’t act bothered. It’s only fair that he asks that question. Since this is his mother’s house.
“Everett, but, please, call me Eve.” I hold out my right hand to her because that’s what you do when you want to get to know someone.
The woman smiles, taking her hand from his in order to shake mine. “Ellington,” she introduces herself. “But you can call me Elli.” Then she places her hand on the man’s chest, smiling proudly. “This is my husband, Easton.”
His eyes narrow on mine, as if he’s heard of me. Then he looks me up and down again, but this time he’s sizing me up. Seeing how hard it’ll be for him to snap my neck. After how easily Kashton took me to my knees, I know it wouldn’t take this man much.
Elli drops her hand to her growing belly, and I look over her halo wedding ring.
This is one of the families that Kashton warned me about.
Easton is one of the men who will throw me into the fire to save his loved ones.
I can’t blame them for that. I wish I had someone who loved me enough to sacrifice someone else.
But as I learned at a young age, not everyone deserves to know what it feels like to be loved.
KASHTON
I sit in the office with Haidyn and Saint. We’re still not on the best terms. We all seem to be ignoring the elephant in the room, and I’m allowing it. If they don’t want to talk to me, I’m not going to force them.
The door to the office opens and Jessie enters, clearing his throat. “You guys have a visitor,” he announces and then steps to the side.
We all sit up straighter when Sin walks in behind him. Last time he was in this room, he was here on official Lords business—to kill Adam.
“What’s up, man?” Haidyn asks, giving him a handshake hug. I stay where I’m at because he’s still not speaking to me. “How’s Elli doing?”
“Good,” he answers with a faint smile.
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Saint asks, falling into his seat.
I point to the chair across my desk, and Sin takes it, running a hand through his hair. “As I’m guessing, you all know Kash came to see me about Adam. You’re all aware that I didn’t kill him.”
I frown, wondering why he’s here wanting to discuss it now. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, and he’s done nothing but blown me off.
“Have you heard from him?” Saint asks, sounding hopeful. Placing his elbow on his desk, he leans forward.
“No,” Sin answers. “I haven’t had any communication with Adam. I don’t even know…” He trails off and then sighs. “I didn’t know any of you even existed until Ryat overheard that Elli’s dad was at Carnage.” He rubs the back of his neck. “But I know Bill.”
Haidyn nods, and I wonder why he’s telling us this. We were just talking about Bill in Tyson’s office. Maybe he didn’t want to give too much information away with so many people in the room.
“I trusted him. Bill helped me with Elli. I was going to marry her but knew our families wouldn’t allow it.
I went to Bill; he came to our house and snuck a marriage license into the stack of paperwork she was signing to add her to the house.
Deal done. We were married. Husband and wife. The Lords found out…”
“You think Bill told them?” I wonder, cutting him off. He said he trusted him. Something tells me he doesn’t anymore.
He sighs. “I don’t know.” He stands and starts to pace the large office. “A Lady getting an assignment to prove her loyalty isn’t anything to think twice about. But no one knew other than Bill and me. Not even Elli knew at that point.”
“What about Chance?” Haidyn asks.