Chapter 37
Eve
Atlas, Kortez, and Roman are silent when I come downstairs, their eyes immediately turning to me when I walk into the room.
Wylder walks around me, taking a seat on the couch beside Roman and making Ro’s eyes light up at the movement.
Atlas leaves his place on the other end of the couch and walks over to me, his eyes filled with worry, and he reaches down to grab my hand. “Eve, what’s wrong? You weren’t in bed when I woke up and Wylder said you wanted to be alone.”
He shouldn’t be worried about me. He should be worried about himself. I brought the devil to his door.
I squeeze his hand and quickly release it, knowing he may never want to touch me again but unable to put myself through the pain of touching him when I know I don’t deserve to.
“I need to talk to you.” I look around him to briefly meet the eyes of Kor and Roman. “All of you.”
Roman shoots a look over at Wylder, but Wyld averts his gaze. All Kortez does is nod.
“Okay.” Atlas gives me a smile and leads me over to the empty chair on the other side of the couch, the one beside Kortez. Once I sit down, he steps back and takes his spot on the couch. “What is it, Eve?”
I nibble on my bottom lip, not knowing how to start. Wylder comes to stand behind me, his presence a comfort he knew I needed.
I guess…I should start at the beginning.
“I didn’t want to be a lawyer.” I turn to look at Kor.
“You know that.” He nods. “I wanted to be an artist. Before Kor disappeared…I was going to art school.” I let out a hollow laugh and shake my head.
“But then he was gone and so were all the plans we made for the future. I…I couldn’t let it go.
” My eyes drift over to Atlas. “I told you how I found that guy at your warehouse – how I killed him and promised revenge. Well…I didn’t stop at killing him or burning the warehouse down. ”
The guys are silent, and Wylder gives my shoulder a squeeze, giving me the confidence boost I need to keep going.
“I left Florida and made my way north. I realized on the drive that the only way to get close to someone like you, Atlas, was to get in on the inside. Except…I didn’t have any connections.
I had to make them. So, I decided to go to law school so that I could get clients who may have those connections.
I got people on the payroll, made extra money at races to pay for information; but no one could ever get close to you.
No one ever knew what the Valente’s were up to.
It was…infuriating. I ended up moving with Viv back to Denver when she wanted to come back to her home city and she said she could get us jobs at Sawyer’s firm.
I had almost given up at this point…but then I met him. ”
I look up and make sure to meet each one of their eyes, none of them showing me any emotion and instead keeping their inner thoughts locked down tight.
“Viv and I went out drinking after winning a huge case and I had a few too many, talking to her about how I never thought I would be able to get revenge on the infamous Atlas Valente. She left and I stayed drinking, needing to drown out the pain.” I chuckle and shake my head, memories of that night flying through my mind, the feeling that I had finally caught a lucky break.
“The guy next to me had apparently heard everything and instead of calling the police for overhearing me talking about murder, he said he knew you.”
“He said he lost someone because of your family, too. We cooked up a plan. He had all the connections I needed. At first…I hired him to kill you. At that point, I just wanted to be done with it all. Years passed, though, and he could never catch you. We came to the conclusion that I would have to be a little more active in your downfall. I needed to lure you here. It was a risk, but I planned everything so it could be done while Abel was gone over the summer. That was my one dealbreaker, my son couldn’t get hurt.
Wyld taught me how to shoot and some self-defense while Viv weaseled her way into the police department.
Everything was perfect.” I clench my hand into a fist, my nails digging into my palm to ground me before I continue.
“He didn’t follow the plan, though. Instead of just taking some drugs, he took women, too.
Then, he killed six people.” My voice breaks but I shake off the emotion, knowing if I don’t continue then I’ll never get through this.
“Roman, our meeting was never a coincidence. I knew exactly who you were. The trial was only supposed to keep you in town until Atlas came to help, and then we could take him out. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you. ”
It’s not until after the words come out of my mouth that I realize I had never said them to him before, but I immediately recognize them as the truth. I do love him.
“Then Atlas shows up with Kortez at his side, alive and well telling me that I had been seeking vengeance on the wrong man for the last ten years.” I shrug.
“I didn’t believe it at first, but I know Kortez better than anyone and…
I knew he wasn’t lying. So, I tried to call Wade off, except he didn’t answer my calls.
I was just able to get ahold of him two days ago and…
he’s not backing down. He’s coming after me now, too.
” I look around the room, meeting each one of their empty gazes. “He’s coming for all of us, now.”
Kortez is the first to speak, his voice deep and filled with violence. “He won’t get to you, Evie. He’ll have to get through me first.”
Atlas nods and I feel Wylder squeeze my shoulder again.
“Well, meeting you was the best damn trick I’ve ever had played on me before. You can seduce me anytime, Little Moth.” Roman’s smirk is the biggest one I’ve ever seen, love shining through his eyes as he looks at me.
“You’re not upset?” I prepared for all kinds of reactions. Where they yelled and screamed or tried to kill me, sparking a fight between them and Wylder.
I didn’t prepare for their approval or their amusement.
Kortez is instantly in protector mode, a dagger spinning through his fingers as he watches me with hardened eyes. Roman is smiling like an idiot, overjoyed with my admission of love slipping between my confession of revenge.
Atlas…Atlas is just staring, watching me with one arm slung on the side of the couch and the other tapping on his thigh. The room falls silent, waiting for him to say something.
When he does, it’s not what I expect.
“I always knew you were worthy of the title.”
“The title?” Confusion and a little fear radiate from my words.
“Queen, Eve. Only a queen could build an empire from the ground and seek justice for someone she loves, even if it meant getting her hands a little bloody.” He leaves me gaping open mouthed at his words as he turns to Roman, looking at him for a moment before turning to Kortez.
“I know you two knew. At first, I wanted to be pissed at you for not coming to me, but then I realized – you were protecting your queen, the way you should. I realized I couldn’t be upset over that. ”
They knew? For how long?
Kortez and Roman immediately begin to talk, their words mixing together until Atlas stands, stopping them mid-sentence.
Atlas looks around the room, “Understand this. I’m Atlas fucking Valente, the next Don of the Valente empire. I think you’ve fucking forgot that I’m the king here.”
I feel the smile building on my face as I realize he’s right. He’s always been my dark king, the one I looked to for answers. He’s always been more powerful than life and even though he was heartbroken, even though he’s soft and sweet for me, he’s first and foremost a made man.
How could I ever doubt his love for me when he’s never disregarded my darkness. He cherishes it.
He craves it.
Atlas scoffs and shakes his head. “I’ve known for weeks.
Kortez, as soon as you started putting the pieces together, I had the puzzle done and hung up on the fucking wall.
Your resources are my resources. Roman, you should know by now there are no secrets from me.
You’re family – my flesh and blood – and to know you tried to keep a secret from me is… . that’s the worst betrayal.”
Atlas turns and gives me a soft smile reserved only for me.
“I don’t blame you for wanting revenge, Eve, I would have done the same thing if someone tried to kill someone I love.
You’re done with Wade. You don’t need his help to kill my father because I’ll be right next to you to clean up the body after you’re done draining him of his blood. ”
Of course, he knows I want to kill his father.
He sighs, running his fingers through his hair as he looks around at everyone in the room. “There’s only one thing I haven’t been able to figure out.”
Wylder speaks up from behind me, not moving an inch through my entire confession and Atlas’s rebuttal. “What is it?”
“Eve met Wade two years ago – correct?” He looks over at me for confirmation, although I doubt he needs it.
When I give him a nod, he continues. “Wade’s been after us for four.
He must have found you and planned to use you as a tool to get to me but how did he find you when we never could?
You said you just got ahold of him two days ago, but he’s been dodging us for weeks as if he knew our moves before we ever made them. How?”
“Wade has someone on the inside.” Kortez stands and rushes over to me, crouching down like Wylder was on the porch this morning. “Evangeline, who all knew about the plan to kill Atlas? Who all knew your connection to the Valente’s?”
“It’s not like I went around broadcasting it! I swear the only people I told before you were Wylder and Viv!”
As soon as I say her name, pieces begin to fall into place. She was a random transfer to my college in the middle of the year, she’s the one who moved us out to Colorado to…be closer to her brother. A detail she mentioned in passing, but I never really held onto. I should have.
Her fucking brother.
Wade.
Her name tastes like ash on my tongue as I look into Roman’s bright eyes. “Vivianne. Wade is Vivianne’s brother.”