She struggled to hold on to any thought that entered her mind. She kept picturing the judge all alone, dying in the courthouse. Santo said he had been with her up until the end, and that gave Evie some comfort. She hated that her mentor had left the world in such a horrific way.
The drive passed in a blur. Her eyes stayed fixated on the skyline the entire time, and she only looked around when he parked the truck at the ranch. She moved quickly to get out of the truck on her own before he could offer any assistance, though he made sure to keep her ahead of him as they walked into the house. The silence felt unnatural, since just a few days prior she had been in the home and it had overflowed with laughter and banter.
She glanced at her watch and cringed when she saw the time. Of course, everyone would be asleep at such an hour in the night.
“There’s a spare bedroom next to mine. It should have everything you need for tonight.” Santo spoke in hushed tones.
Evie looked up at him and drew a deep breath. “I know you have your own motivations for wanting me to stay here. I don’t know when or if I’ll tell you anything. But I’m grateful you’ve brought me to be with my two best friends.”
His gaze searched her face for several seconds. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Evie. I could have handled things much better, and I failed. I want to believe you, and I want to hear what you have to say.”
Evie nodded, unable to make eye contact with him. He guided her down a hallway and paused a few doors down and opened one that led into a spacious bedroom. He stepped back, giving her plenty of room to go in and not brush up against him.
He reached in a flipped on a light switch and she blinked several times as her eyes adjusted. The room looked to be about half the size of her entire apartment. A large king bed had been placed in the far corner of the room. A desk and chair and a long dresser were the only other pieces of furniture in the space. Two other doors led to what she assumed were a closet and his personal bathroom.
A soft sound came from the doorway and she whirled, startled, but Santo had already stepped out to take her overnight bag that Buzz had brought in with him when he arrived in her car. She hadn’t even heard Santo move away from her. Buzz nodded to her, then turned, obviously to head to his room.
Santo came back into the room and handed her the bag. She had only thrown in a change of clothing for a couple of days and the toiletry bag she hadn’t finished unpacking at her hotel. She knew staying with Santo would only be a short-term thing and she would go to her apartment in a couple of days and have the rest of the clothes she needed.
“Thank you. I’ll just freshen up. I don’t know how I’ll be able to sleep.”
“My room is right across the hallway if you need me for anything. You aren’t in this alone, Evie. You understand that, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what to believe to be honest with you.” She shook her head, pressing her fingers to her temples. “I feel like I’m stuck in a horrible nightmare and I can’t wake up.”
“I know what you are going through right now is intense.” His voice sounded raw.
She cut a sideways glance at him. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten this is hard on you as well.” She turned to face him. “At some point I’ll forgive you for thinking I killed her. But it’s going to take some time. I can’t just forget all the things you said to me.”
“I know. We have a lot we need to discuss. But with both need to rest first. Good night, Evie.”
His sudden kindness struck her more than the angry allegations he’d been throwing at her earlier. She fought the sobs that brewed just below the surface. “Good night, Santo.”
She waited until he closed the door, then collapsed on the bed, burying her face in the pillow and letting her tears consume her until she finally fell asleep.
Chapter 13
Santo had always been an early riser, and even though he’d gone to bed in the early hours of the morning, he still woke before sunrise. His chest felt heavy with the knowledge a friend he cherished had been so brutally taken from him, and anxiety coursed through him at the thought Evie could be the next target.
He had to know what she knew. Did she know the secrets Francis had been keeping from him?
The hot water of the shower eased his aching muscles and rested his forehead against the cool tile, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders and the pounding in his temples. He’d come at Evie far too hard the night before, and he realized it had been driven by his emotions, something he rarely let happen. He had to get her to trust him again so she would tell him everything she knew.
As he got dressed, the fragrant scents of breakfast wafted down the hall and into his room and he pulled on his boots quickly, leaving his shirt unbuttoned as he headed out for the kitchen. He gazed across the hall and saw the door to Evie’s room open and moved silently across the hall. Her bed had been made neatly and he saw no evidence of her overnight bag.
Anxiety clutched at his heart. Could she have decided to go home? Would she be foolish enough to take the risk? Then again, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to leave after the way he’d treated her.
He strode into the kitchen to find Stryker, Buzz, and Brusco sipping coffee at the dining room table as Snap whipped up eggs and pancakes on the griddle. All men looked at him with silent questions he didn’t care to answer. He didn’t need to tell them he hadn’t quite come to terms with Francis’s death.
“She’s out on the porch with Anya and Elena.” Stryker nodded to him, obviously reading the question pounding in Santo’s mind. Santo nodded to him, relief making him feel weak for a moment. The thought of something happening to Evie wreaked havoc on his emotions, and all he could think of was the need to protect her.
He snagged his favorite coffee mug and filled it to the brim with the steaming, aromatic fuel his body needed. He snagged a pancake off the stack Snap had been building, earning several colorful curse words from Snap and narrowly dodging the spatula smacking down o his hand. Stryker and Buzz chuckled, shaking their heads. The levity quickly changed, though, when Stryker sat up straighter in his chair, a tell-tell sign they’d all learned meant he had something important to say.
“Santo, I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I know Francis was like family to you. We’re here for you for anything you need. Did you get any information from Evie last night?”
Santo took a long sip of the scalding coffee before running a hand wearily down his face. “She knows something. But she is extremely paranoid right now. She doesn’t know who she can trust.”
“I thought you were in a good place with her.” Buzz watched him closely. “What I saw between the two of you last night did not look very cordial.”
Santo looked down at his boots for several seconds before making eye contact with first Buzz, then Stryker. “I screwed up last night. I treated her as if she could be a suspect, and that didn’t go over very well.”
Stryker nodded slowly. “It’s a logical line of thought to follow. You were under the impression Evie would always be with Francis at the courthouse, offering her an extra level of protection. Her story about going to Corpus is very convenient for her.”
Santo felt reassured that he hadn’t been the only one to think she could be the one who killed Francis. “She became very angry with my questions.”
“Could be a sign of guilt.” Buzz shrugged. “Look, I think she’s a great woman, and I don’t want to believe she’s had anything to do with this. But we have to follow the evidence. Can she prove she was in Corpus yesterday evening?”
“We didn’t get very far in that line of questioning. Can you check cameras at the district courthouse and any other data you can tap into for us to confirm her story?”
Buzz stood and stretched, making him look even larger than his giant frame already did. “I’m on it. Give me about an hour.”
Santo swatted Buzz on the back as he walked past, grateful he had a friend to help him through the incredibly challenging situation he faced. He wanted to b
elieve Evie. No, he needed to believe her. She had come to mean more to him than a casual date or a brief acquaintance to keep him warm at night. She meant far more to him, and he didn’t know when she’d slipped in to grab such a firm hold on his feelings.
“How did you convince her to come home with you? Sounds like things are on rocky ground at best between the two of you.”
“I came at her hard last night. I wanted answers, and I pushed. There are plenty of other approaches I could take, but I chose to treat her as a hostile witness or suspect.”
“Why did you choose that approach? Do you really believe she’s capable?”
“No. Not anymore. I knew from her reaction when I told her Francis was dead she hid something from me. She became guarded and cautious.”
“All signs of guilt.” Stryker sipped his coffee, watching Santo closely. “Yet you’ve changed your mind?”
“After she answered a few more questions I began to doubt she could have done it. That, and her reaction to the description of Francis’s death.”
“How did she react? I never thought you’d be the type swayed by tears.”
“She passed out cold. It scared me. Shit.” He took a few large gulps of coffee before slamming the mug on the table. “Me. Scared! All because—”
“Go on.” Stryker attempted to hide his smile behind his coffee mug, but Santo saw it all the same.
“All because I can tell she didn’t kill Francis, and now she may be the next target.”
Stryker’s smile faded quickly and he lowered his mug. “What are you talking about? Did she tell you something last night? Or did Francis say something before she died?”
Santo’s gut clenched. “Both. Before Francis passed she begged me to find Evie and save her. I thought she was trying to tell me Evie had been taken by the killer, but now I see I was wrong.” He rubbed his temples. “Evie was rambling last night, too. I don’t know how much to take for real or how much of it had to do with her exhaustion and shock.”
“What did she say, Santo? Every detail is critical right now.”
Santo nodded. “I know. Which is why I need her to quit playing games and tell me what she knows!”
Stryker leaned back in his chair. “Haslett has asked you to take point on this. So if you’re asking me what to do, I’ll help you as your friend and mentor. But this is your mission, and ultimately the choices made are yours.”
Santo let his head fall back and stared at the high ceiling over them. He had to get Evie to trust him enough to tell him whatever she hid. He had to get her to tell him everything. He lifted his head. “I’m going to see if the women want some breakfast.”
“Tread lightly, Santo. Don’t forget you aren’t the only one grieving.”
Santo headed to the back patio, his boots treading softly on the terra cotta flooring. He hesitated when he heard women’s voices. He didn’t want to eavesdrop, but a soft, suppressed sob made him freeze.
“Evie, you need to let it out. You need to let go and cry. Fighting it only makes the process last longer and feel that much harder.” Elena’s voice floated through the sliding glass door.
“You don’t understand. You don’t understand!” Evie’s anguished voice tore a hole through his heart.
“Then tell us. Tell us so you don’t have to carry this alone.” Anya’s voice stayed calm and soothing.
“No. No! That’s the last thing I can do. For all I know, I’ve put you all in jeopardy just by being here. I never should have come. I’m going to grab my stuff and go.”
“The hell you are!” Anya’s barked command didn’t startle Santo. He’d heard her put Stryker in his place a time or two and knew she had the authoritative tone and assertiveness to take down a gorilla. “Look, you’re tired, you’ve been through hell, you look like hell, and you have been talking like a madwoman ever since you woke up this morning.”
“She’s right, Evie,” Elena chimed in. “All we want is for you to be safe, and I don’t think you’re in any condition, especially after spouting off all those conspiracy theories. You haven’t had a drink in you and you sound worse than old barstool Hank.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Conspiracy theories? What the hell is Evie talking about?
“I just need y’all to believe in me. I need your support now more than ever.”
“You’ll always have our support.” From Anya’s muffled voice, Santo imagined her hugging Evie tightly. “We’re just worried about you. We just need to make sure you are okay.”
“I’m fine.” The loud sniffle made them all chuckle softly. “No, I’m really fine. The stress from yesterday has me on a ledge.”
Santo took the slight pause in conversation as his opportunity to poke his head out the door. “Breakfast is ready, ladies, if you’d like to come eat.” His eyes darted to Evie but she quickly looked away from him. The dark circles under her eyes told him she’d gotten little sleep, and the shimmer of moisture on her face made his heartache for her pain.
“Thank the powers that be!” Elena exclaimed, standing quickly. “I’ve been starving so bad my stomach is eating a hole through to my spine. C’mon, ladies. I need to do some serious damage to a stack of pancakes.”
* * *
Evie tried to eat. She really tried. But it seemed impossible to swallow anything past the lump in her throat. All she could think about was the danger she might have put them all in. She shouldn’t have been so completely naïve!
From the cryptic messages on the print-outs she’d read, she had no idea who had even targeted the judge. But her name had been mentioned, and she couldn’t take that lightly. She didn’t want to be mad with Judge O’Connor at the moment, but the idea she had led lines of conversation down a dangerous path infuriated her.
Anya squeezed her hand under the table from time-to-time, but Elena felt numb to everything. She didn’t want to go through the next several days hiding in seclusion. Nor did she want to be a leech on her friends’ generosity.
She felt Santo’s eyes on her, and after they began to clear plates, she looked up, hoping her eyes threw the daggers her mind wanted to. He didn’t seem disturbed by her glare, but also didn’t make a move to touch her. Finally, she stood, unable to take the stare-down any longer.
“I greatly appreciate everyone’s hospitality, but I won’t continue being a burden to all of you. I’m returning to my apartment today.”
“What?” Elena’s eyes widened.
Anya nearly choked on her juice before regaining her composure. “Why? You need to stay with us. We’ll be here to comfort you.”
“Evie, you’re always welcome to stay with us and you’re hardly a burden.” Stryker stood and rubbed Anya’s shoulders as she watched Evie with concern. “We want you to feel comfortable. If you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to.”
Evie hooked her hair behind her ear and gnawed on her lower lip. “I just…”
Elena stepped forward and wrapped Evie in a hug. “Stay. Please. I know Anya and I will feel better if you do. We want to be with you when you get the autopsy results.”
Evie fought the tears that stung her eyes at the thought of the call that would be coming in sometime soon. She’d already been crying so much she didn’t think she had anything left in her to give. “I’ll stay. But I don’t want to bring everyone else down with my mess. Anya, may I borrow one of your journals? I’m going to just put some thoughts down and try to get some rest.”
“Of course. And try your best to sleep. You’ve barely had more than a couple of hours at best.” Anya smiled at her, though her own eyes looked damp with unshed tears.
She didn’t want to look at Santo. She wanted to ignore him completely, but he pulled at her like a magnet. Her gaze darted over him quickly and his look of concern made her heart pound faster with both excitement and irritation. He didn’t have the right to be concerned about her. He’d hurt her deeply, something she’d promised herself she would never let happen again.
Elena and Phant
om sent everyone from the kitchen so they could clean and Anya took off down one of the many hallways to get a notebook. Evie wandered the living room slowly, smiling at the few pictures scattered throughout of the men on horseback and a few adorable ones of Phantom with Elena or Stryker with Anya. A bond ran deep between all of them.
“I’m glad you stayed.”
Santo’s voice startled her and she whirled quickly to find him behind her, his hands shoved in his pockets. He seemed to have haphazardly put his shirt on as he had missed some of the buttons at the bottom and a few more at the top, revealing the muscular chest she remembered all too well. She didn’t want to think about the passionate night they’d shared. It could make her forget why she didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
She darted her eyes away from him, trying to think of something to say, but she couldn’t find the words. She could usually find a sharp retort for anyone who had earned her wrath. At the moment, though, she felt more exhausted than wrathful.
“Look, Evie, I know I shouldn’t have—”
“Here are a couple of different journals to choose from.” Anya walked into the living room, looking at the colorful books in her hands, obviously unaware she had interrupted Santo’s attempt to… to what? Apologized? Too little, too late.
“Thank you, Anya.”
“You are going to try to sleep, aren’t you? You look absolutely exhausted.”
“Thanks. You sure do know how to lift my spirits.”
Anya swatted her on the arm. “You know that’s not what I mean.”
Evie managed a smile for her friend. “Someone’s got to still give you a hard time. Stryker fawning over you all the time is going to turn you into a spoiled brat. Well… More of a spoiled brat than you already are.”
Anya laughed and shook her head. Her eyes widened slightly and she took a step toward Santo. “I didn’t even realize you were in here. My mind has just been… Well, it’s been—”
Protected in His Arms: Elite Texas SEALs Page 13
