Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EVE
I blink and force myself to keep it together. She thrives on making me feel weak and dependent on her. I won’t give her the satisfaction of letting her know how bad her words shocked me. I break her gaze and get up to pace in this small room.
Ryder meets my eyes, and I can see the worry in them as I walk across the bare, ugly carpet. Even across the room, though, I can feel his love, and I know no matter what she says, she won’t take that from us.
“Tell me.” I sink into the other chair in the room and face her.
A satisfied look flashes across her features, but what she doesn’t know is that although I’m willing to listen to what she has to say, she’s already lost me as a daughter. “I was around sixteen when I met your father, Ian. The same age you met Ryder.” Her eyes flick to Ryder before meeting mine. “He was eighteen and eager to learn from my father. Back then, I had no clue what kind of business my father was in, but I wasn’t naive enough to know it was bad. I would see the men in suits come in and catch glimpses of the guns under their suit jackets. He always had a team of men follow him wherever he went.
“I knew your mom died when you were little, but you would never talk about your dad when I would ask about him.”
“My father is a cold, ruthless bastard,” she laughs coldly. “I think that’s why I fell so in love with your father. I was craving love and he showed it to me. We started seeing each other behind my father’s back any chance we could. He would tell me how much he loved me and how we would get married one day, and all of this would be ours. I believed every word he said and gave him everything.” She glances down at her hand and twirls the gold band on her right ring finger.
“When I turned eighteen, I found out I was pregnant. I could feel Ian pulling away, so I went to my father and told him to test him. I had to know if he really loved me like he said he did or if he just wanted my father’s power and money one day. He was livid about the pregnancy but agreed to do what I asked on one condition. If Ian chose money over me, my father got to pick who I had to marry.” Sadness briefly flashes across her eyes before the emotion is locked away, and the coldness returns.
“He gave Ian a choice…choose me and be cut off from the family, or take a large sum of money and disappear for good. I was actually happy about the offer I came up with,” she laughs. “The thought of running away together seemed like a fairytale ending. I didn’t care about my father’s money…I just wanted him.”
“He chose the money,” I softly say. I can’t imagine how that hurt.
“He chose the money. It proved to me that, in the end, the only person you can count on is yourself. What Ian didn’t know was how cruel of a man my father could be. He failed the test, and in the end, it cost him his life.”
“He killed him?” I ask, shocked.
“Well, not personally. He has men for that. Ian knew too much of the business by that point. He couldn’t be trusted,” she shrugs her shoulders. “I was forced to marry Richard, and no one even questioned me when I had a baby nine months later.”
“Did he know he wasn’t the father?”
“He figured it out eventually. He worked closely with Ian back then and put two and two together the older you got. You look exactly like him. The auburn hair was a dead giveaway. Every time I look at you, it’s a reminder of my biggest mistake. I was young and stupid to put my trust in someone else.” She looks at me with a look of disgust across her features.
“You were headed down the same path I was. I saw the look in your eyes when you didn’t think I was watching. You were falling in love with him,” she jerks her head toward Ryder, “and you were going to lose yourself in the process. I asked my father to have Richard transferred to Seattle because I needed you away from this small town. When I found out you were pregnant, I wasn’t about to let you waste your life away for a guy.” Ryder’s jaw is tense as he stares at her. I can tell how hard this conversation is for him to be quiet, but he’s letting me take control and say what I need to say.
“I underestimated you, though. Going behind my back to the FBI…I didn’t think you had it in you. I guess I should be thanking you, though. With Richard out of my life, Father wants me to be more involved with the business. I’ve proved myself by keeping an eye on Richard all these years. I’ve played the dutiful wife, and it’s my time to show them what I can do.” She smiles at me, and I get a sick feeling in my stomach.
“We lost a lot of money because of you. It’s time you started to earn some of it back. Come with me.” Her eyes go wild with excitement. “I’m going to need someone by my side who I can trust. I’m offering you more money than you can possibly dream of. When I’m gone, it will all be yours—your empire…your legacy to your child.”
Ryder stands up to say something, and I immediately go to him and place my hand on his heart. It’s beating fast under my palm as he looks at me. He takes a deep breath, and I close my eyes, feeling his love and strength swirl around me.
“You still don’t get it, Mother.” I turn and look at her. For the first time, I see her for what she is. A sad, lonely girl who’s scared. She’s shut herself completely off to love out of fear, even to her own daughter. “I don’t want your money. I never have. Love isn’t a weakness.” I glance up at Ryder and he gives me a small smile. “It’s our biggest strength.” I look back down at her and take Ryder’s hand.
“I’m not going with you. I choose Ryder. I will always choose Ryder.”
“You can bring him with you,” she waves her hand at Ryder. “I’m sure I can find something for him to do.”
“My family isn’t going anywhere near you. We’re staying here.” Ryder’s firm voice fills the air before he grabs my hand. “We’re leaving.” We turn to go and her voice stops us.
“Hmmm. I wonder.” She furrows her brows and looks between us before settling on Ryder. “Two million.”
“Two million what?” Ryder’s been patient up until now, but I can tell he’s had about all he can take from her.
“Eve or the money. It’s a better deal than my father gave Ian. The only way she will leave with me is if you walk away. Think of what this money can do for your daughter, for your brothers…for your family.”
“You can’t be serious.” I look at my mother like she’s lost her mind, which is most likely the case.
“That’s not even a choice for me. Eve.”
“Fine. Five million.”
My eyes widen as I stare at my mother.
Ryder tightens his grip on my hand as he reigns in his anger. “We’re done playing your little games here. I can’t be bought. No amount of money would make me leave Eve.” He pulls me to the door.
“You walk out of that door, Eve, and we are through. I won’t make you this offer again, so don’t come crawling back to me when you are bored of playing house.”
Ryder stops and turns to stare at her. “I know in your own twisted way, there is a part of you that loves your daughter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come back for her. So, I’m going to tell you this one time. Stay away from Eve and stay away from our family. If I hear you are back in town, I won’t be so nice next time.” He turns to go, and I stop in my tracks.
“I need to hear you say it, Mother. I refuse to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I want your word.”
She lifts her perfect eyebrow at me, and a hint of amusement crosses her face. “You could have had such potential.” My eyes narrow at her and she sighs. “Fine. You’ve made your choice, no matter how stupid I think it is. You have my word. I’m leaving tomorrow, and trust me when I say I’m never stepping foot in this godforsaken town again.”
I search her eyes and feel she’s telling the truth. Ryder opens the door, and I glance back at her one last time. “Goodbye, Mother,” I say before walking out the door and finally feeling free of the chains she’s had on me.
When we get to the car, Ryder stops and pulls me in for a hug. I collapse into him and let him be my strength when I have none left in me. Tears soak his shirt as I let all my emotions run free.
“I’m so proud of you, Eve. You are the strongest person I know. It’s over, baby. You don’t ever have to worry about her again.” He runs his hand over my back in a soothing motion. His words flow through me, and eventually, I feel calm again.
“I want to go home and see our daughter.” I hiccup in his shirt when the tears finally stop.
“I want that too,” he kisses the top of my head before helping me in the car and driving us home.
When we enter the kitchen, Travis, Miles, and Jake look up from the kitchen island. Miles is sitting on the bar stool with Ryland in his lap. She’s fisting a crayon and attempting to draw on a piece of paper in front of her.
I immediately go to her and breathe in her scent as I hold her against my chest. I look up and the guys all have concerned looks on their faces.
“You guys didn’t need to drive all the way here,” I look at Travis before meeting Miles’s eyes. “Don’t you have a show tonight?”
“I found a stand-in for me. The band will be fine without me for the night. How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
I see Travis arch his eyebrow at Ryder, and I roll my eyes.
“Really, Travis, I’m fine. You didn’t need to come all this way. We’re fine,” I repeat again. Ryland squirms to be let down, and I watch her go over to her toy basket in the living room.
“That’s the third fine you’ve mentioned in the last minute. It’s okay not to be okay right now. What she did…” He runs a hand roughly through his hair before gripping the counter with both hands. “When I think of what you guys must have felt when you couldn’t find Ryland…” His voice trails off as he watches her play in the next room. “All I could think about was how I would feel if that were Max. So, of course, we are going to be here for you. I’m also going to call bullshit on you being fine.”
“Travis…” Ryder warns, stepping in.
“No, it’s okay. He’s right,” I sigh. “I’m not fine. I’m fucking pissed about the whole situation.” I feel my anger lying right beneath the surface, and I can’t stop the eruption that explodes. “My whole life has been one fat lie. My real father chose money over me. My grandfather is a very bad guy. My mother has turned off any shred of humanity, not even being able to love her own daughter, who she can’t stand to look at because, surprise, I look just like her biggest mistake.”
I pace the room and ignore the leary faces watching me. “Then my mother is forced to marry Richard because she’s pregnant with me. He, of course, finds out I’m not his and makes my life a living hell because of it.” I put my hand up and shake my head when Ryder makes a move to come over. I need to get this all out, and I know I will crumble if he touches me. He stops and folds his arms across his chest.
“Then, when I finally find someone who makes me happy, my mother can’t stand the idea of me finding love. She looks at it as a weakness, so she rips us apart to control me, thinking our love isn’t real or strong enough to survive. But it is. It not only survived but got stronger. What I didn’t know, though, was my father, Richard was disposable to them. He was just a pawn in their game. It was my mother who held all the real power,” I laugh. God, maybe this is where I finally lose it. I feel my self-control slipping through my fingers.
“She’s pissed I cost them millions when I turned him in, so she came back to teach me a lesson. I took from her, so she took what was most valuable to me.” I look over at Ryland and close my eyes tightly.
“She always did love to be dramatic. She wanted me to feel scared and vulnerable. It’s a power trip for her because she can’t face her own demons. Her plan didn’t work, though.” I smile at Ryder, and I can’t tell if he’s worried about my little outburst or afraid.
“What was her plan?” Miles breaks me out of my thoughts, and I turn to look at him.
“She came to offer me a spot with her and the family business…all the money and power I could ever want. All I had to do was leave with her, and it would all be mine. If I walked out the door, she would cut all ties with me. I would be dead to her.”
“Jesus,” Travis mutters. “She never gives up.”
“I told her no, and then she offered Ryder five million to leave me.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Miles laughs.
“Easiest decision I ever made,” Ryder shrugs his shoulders and winks at me.
We all fall silent, lost in our thoughts.
“Remind me never to call bullshit on you again. That was a lot you just threw at us.” Travis breaks the silence, and I can’t stop the laugh that escapes when I see him holding back a grin.
“It did feel good to get it all out,” I giggle harder. I wipe the tears from my eyes and look over at Ryland. “I’m going to lie down with her for a nap. It’s been a long morning, and I’m exhausted.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Ryder opens his arms, and I step into them.
“No, stay and visit with your brothers. You can fill them in on all the details.”
“I’ll be in soon to check on you.” He kisses me briefly and watches me as I take Ryland outside with me.
The sun is high in the sky now as I lift my face to soak up the warmth.
“We’re going to be okay, Ryland,” I tell her softly. “Everything is going to be okay now,” I smile into her curls.
I feel Ryder slip in behind me a few minutes later. I sigh in my sleep as he pulls me close to his chest and buries his face in my hair. Our daughter is sleeping peacefully next to me as we lay there watching her small chest rise and fall. I eventually get pulled back under as sleep takes hold of me once again.