Eve barely recalled her night. It was blurred by booze, pills and tears. The whole world could have been at her door, and Eve would never have noticed. “I – I needed time to myself,” she said, frowning. It wouldn’t do to get caught unprepared again, she thought.
“I see. That must be why you didn’t let Adam in.”
Hearing Adam’s name was pain for Eve. “Adam?”
God! He had been here. But there was no time to think about that now. “Why is Tony on a rampage now?” she said, keeping her voice expressionless.
“It’s about the statement you gave to Dee Cummings. He saw the newscast, Eve. I think you’ve finally succeeded in pushing him over the edge.”
Eve barely managed to keep from swearing aloud. How could she have forgotten about Dee’s report? It had been her plan, and she knew the trouble it would cause once it was aired. Damn it! That’s why Lainey was worried. And, Adam must have watched as well. How was she going to explain everything to him?
“Good,” she said, aloud. “He’ll make mistakes now.”
“If he doesn’t kill you first, Eve.”
“That’s not going to happen. I have a job for you. Tomorrow morning, there will be someone waiting for you at the warehouse. Eight o’clock. Go there and get instructions from them, and do exactly as you’re told. This could get very dangerous for everyone involved.”
“I understand. I’ll be there, and I’ll be ready.”
“I hope you are,” she said quietly. “I’ll be in touch.” Tomorrow was going to be a big day, she thought to herself. If everything went the way she planned, one or more people would be brought to justice.
Lainey was tired and irritable after a long day at the gallery. The night before had been spent fighting with Jack, a fight that had rolled over to this morning. She hadn’t slept well, opting to stay in the guest room again. With everything that was going on, she couldn’t find it in her to be with Jack. He didn’t understand her. He couldn’t sympathize with how miserable she was, and she couldn’t tell him how worried she was about Eve.
Lainey had sat up most of the night, willing the phone to ring, praying that Eve would get her message and call her, reassuring her that everything would be alright. At the gallery, she willed the elevator doors to open and have Eve appear. They never did. Lainey couldn’t even find it in herself to be mad at Eve anymore. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her that Eve hadn’t meant anything she had said to her. As she had told Adam, Eve had wanted to protect him, so she sent him away. Why hadn’t Lainey realized that about herself?
She unlocked the door of Eve’s office. Lainey had avoided coming in here all day, but once the gallery doors were closed for the night, she couldn’t stay away. Closing the door behind her, she stood there for a moment, just trying to breathe. Eve’s scent was all around her, and Lainey remembered every moment they had spent together.
As she pushed away from the door, the first thing that caught her eye was the dark stain on the floor in front of Eve’s desk. When Lainey realized the stain was blood, she felt faint. All sorts of horrible images went through her mind and she had to brace herself on Eve’s desk before she collapsed.
“Oh my God.” Lainey sank to her knees, praying Eve was alright. Gingerly, she touched a hand to the stain, jerking it back when she felt the sharp slice of glass. Lainey turned her palm over, mesmerized by the blood that trickled down it. So Eve had cut herself on the glass she had broken. There was the frame. But not the photo. Eve had taken the picture with her.
“You didn’t want to say those things to me,” Lainey told the empty room. “You didn’t want to hurt me, but you felt that was the only way you could keep me safe.”
“I always said you see too much.”
Eve’s voice was quiet, but Lainey jumped nonetheless. Slowly she rose to face the woman who had invaded her thoughts. “Eve.” Lainey wanted to run to her, throw her arms around her, but she found she couldn’t move. Her voice caught in her throat.
It was Eve who made the first step towards Lainey. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know that doesn’t make up for the horrible things I said, but I am so sorry. I thought that I was doing the right thing. I had no right to put you in the middle of all of this that’s going on in my life. I had no right to make you choose between me and your husband.”
“You had no right to push me away like that,” Lainey told her. “You had no right to tell me that what happened between us meant nothing.”
“No. I didn’t. And I’ll never be able to apologize enough for that.” She closed the gap between them and cupped Lainey’s face in one hand. “It meant everything,” she whispered.
Lainey turned away. “Why?” she asked. “Why did you push me away? After all that we’ve been through, didn’t you know that I’d stand with you?”
“Yes, I did know that. That’s why I did it. Damn it, Lainey, don’t you understand that you’re in danger when you’re around me? I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.”
“Do you not realize that what you said hurt me more than anyone else ever could? Adam feels the same way.”
“You saw Adam?” Eve’s voice trembled.
“Yes, and he’s just as miserable as I am.”
Eve turned away and pushed her hands through her hair. “I didn’t think I could feel any worse than I did but I was wrong. I suppose I deserve it.”
The tears startled Lainey. “You’re crying.” Her voice was incredulous.
“Yes, I seem to be doing that a lot lately.”
Lainey didn’t know whether to feel guilty for making Eve cry, or delighted that Eve finally found the tears that had avoided her all of her life.
“Oh, Eve!” Lainey took Eve’s hands in hers and saw Eve flinched. “Your hands.” More carefully, Lainey took Eve’s hands and turned them palm up. Small cuts covered them. “This must have hurt a lot.”
“Nothing that alcohol, pills and nicotine couldn’t cure,” Eve admitted with a shrug. “Besides they didn’t hurt nearly as much as I did inside.”
The admission, both of them, rocked Lainey. There were too many emotions inside her that she didn’t know which one to address first.
“I seem to do that to you a lot,” Eve said quietly. Lainey looked at her questioningly. “Confuse you,” she elaborated. “Make you feel conflicting feelings. Probably things you never wanted to feel in the first place.”
“And you say I see too much. Why, Eve? Why did you go back to that time in your life and do those things again?”
Lainey tried not to sound judgmental or disappointed, but her voice betrayed her.
“I was lost, Lainey,” Eve told her carefully. “When you walked out of this office that day, you took part of me with you. And when Adam walked out of my apartment after I told him it was over, he took a part of me with him. I had nothing left. That’s how I felt. I could have killed myself, died the way my mother had, without any regrets. That’s what I thought.”
Lainey couldn’t stop her hands from trembling. “What changed your mind?”
Eve remembered the letter. “Different things,” she said. “I remembered how Tony had beaten my mother, and I knew that I couldn’t let him win this time.” She lifted Lainey’s chin until they were looking in each other’s eyes. “And, I thought of you. You gave me your love, your friendship, and I hurt you. I needed to make that right. I needed you to know how deeply sorry I am.”
“I do know,” Lainey said softly. The selfish part of her didn’t want to ask the question that crossed her mind, but she did. “What about Adam?”
Eve saw the sadness in Lainey’s eyes, and was sorry for it. “I thought of Adam, too. I need him, Lainey. When all of this is over, I hope that he will be with me. I want him to stay the night with me.”
“I see.”
“Do you? Do you really, Lainey?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about all of this as well, Eve. I couldn’t think of anything else. I realized that I scared you when
I told you I was in love with you.”
“Lainey, wait. You’re wrong. You didn’t scare me, you gave me joy. Joy I had never experienced before. But, honey, you’re not in love with me.”
“But Eve.”
“You’re not in love with me,” Eve repeated. “You love the excitement of the new experiences you and I had. Lainey, honey, don’t look at me that way. I’m not trying to upset you. I know you love me. But, you’re in love with your husband. Once this is over, I’m going to fulfill my promise to you and help you fix things with Jack.”
“I don’t know if that’s even possible anymore.”
“Yes, it is. He loves you. How could anyone not love you?” Eve’s eyes burned into Lainey’s. “We can both have what we want.”
“And, if what I want is you?” Lainey’s pulse raced. Eve had practically admitted to loving her. But, hadn’t she done the same with Adam?
“I’ll always be here, Lainey. I’m not going anywhere. But, you know that you’re in love with Jack, that you need him. Don’t you?”
Lainey lowered her eyes and nodded.
“Oh, Lainey, that is nothing to be ashamed of. I understand. Honey, I think I could live without ever making love to you again. At least I hope so. But, I can’t live without you in my life. You’re the best - the only friend I have and I need you.”
Tears welled and spilled over as Lainey took Eve in her arms. “I need you, too,” she whispered in Eve’s ear, holding her tightly.
“How touching.”
Eve’s grip tightened around Lainey instinctively when she heard Tony’s mocking voice. “No.”
The word was barely past Eve’s lips before Tony grabbed Lainey’s hair, yanking her back to him. He held the .22 in his right hand, and pressed it to Lainey’s temple. Eve fought the wave of sickness that washed over her.
“Leave her alone.” God, she had never been so scared in her life.
“What’s the matter, Eve? Afraid I’m going to kill your lover?” He smiled and pressed the gun harder against Lainey’s head. “How do you suppose people will react when they find out that you and Mrs. Stanton are sleeping together? Especially Mr. Stanton?”
“Leave her out of this, Tony. This is between me and you.” Eve’s eyes met Lainey’s briefly, but long enough to see that Lainey was terrified. “Let her go.”
“Well, now, Eve, you’re being selfish. If this woman is good enough for you to sample...”
“No!” Her temper was rising and she fought to stay in control. She had to outthink him. Damn it, Eve, think! You can’t let him hurt Lainey! And yet she knew what he was capable of. He wanted to make her suffer. “She’s not that experienced, Daddy,” she said, shrugging. Eve began unbuttoning her shirt.
“Eve, don’t!”
Tony clamped a hand over Lainey’s mouth. “Shh, shh, shh. No interrupting. This is our family reunion after all. Go on, little Eve.”
Eve imagined taking the gun from Tony and pulling the trigger as she held it against his forehead all the while continuing to unbutton her shirt slowly. “She’s only been with two people, Daddy,” she said, smiling, trying not to see the shock and disbelief in Lainey’s eyes. “I haven’t begun to teach her everything I know.” She pulled the shirt from her waistband. “You know I’m experienced. Don’t you, Daddy? You made sure of that. Let her go.” Eve began stroking her breasts.
Lainey felt Tony’s grip loosen but she didn’t dare to try to break away. She wanted to help Eve but there was a gun at her head and she thought about her sons. She was too stunned, too scared to do anything but pray.
“Come on, Daddy. It’s me you want.” Eve spread her arms, her shirt open. “Here I am. Let Lainey go, and we’ll - play.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked her. Eve could see the desire burning in his dark eyes and it turned her stomach. She knew all too well how little it would take to make him lose control. “If I let her go, she’ll run straight to the cops.”
“She won’t go to the police,” she murmured. If she could just get him to let Lainey go and get close to him she would feel more in control. “Right, Lainey?”
Lainey’s eyes met Eve’s, and she shook her head in answer.
“She watches then,” he said, pushing Lainey towards the couch. “If she goes near the phone, I’ll kill her while you watch. When I’m done with you,” Tony smiled, “I get her, too.”
“That’s not a good deal, Daddy. I need to know that Lainey will remain safe, and unharmed. Once I know that, I’m all yours.”
“I’m the one who makes the rules here! I’m in charge!”
“I know. You’re in charge.” Eve feathered a finger over her cleavage. “So, tell me what you want.”
He pointed the gun at Lainey. “Sit down. Don’t say a word. Do you understand me? All right, little Eve, take off your clothes. Show me what you can do. If you satisfy me, I’ll let her go.”
“Oh, I’ll satisfy you, Daddy.” And, I’ll show you what I can do, you sick son of a bitch, she added silently. “You know how much practice I’ve had, don’t you? It’ll be much better if you undress me, Daddy.”
Eve positioned herself strategically between Tony and his line of view of Lainey. She didn’t want Lainey to see the things she would have to do, didn’t want to see her face as she was forced to watch.
Tentatively, Tony reached out with the gun and touched Eve’s skin with the cold metal.
She could do it now, Eve thought. She could reach out and take him by surprise, but something told her he was cautious enough still to be ready for that. She had to throw him off his game.
“Tell me something.” Eve’s voice was low and inviting, and she raised a hand to seductively brush a finger down the barrel of the gun. “All I want to know is why. Why did you turn me into a whore?”
Tony looked into her eyes now, and smiled. “Are you going to tell me you didn’t enjoy it? You liked having those men want you. I know you did.” He cupped a hand around her breast. “Besides, you owed me. Because of you, I was in prison. I needed some way to pay off my debts.”
Eve fought the wave of nausea that passed over her when she felt his hands on her. “You were in prison because you killed my mother. How did you manage to get out so soon?” She saw him smile, and answered for him. “You always did line your back pocket with officials.”
“I didn’t kill your mother little Eve. The bitch killed herself.”
Eve’s body tensed and she had to struggle not to attack him.
“She liked having the men want her, too,” he told Eve in a low voice. “She tried telling me that she didn’t, but I knew. Just like I knew you enjoyed it. I’m sure both your lover over there, and, of course, Adam are grateful for your ‘experiences’.”
He was close enough to her now so that if the gun went off, she would be in the line of fire. She knew that. But Lainey would be safe. No matter what she had to do, Tony was not going to hurt Lainey. If that meant dying and taking Tony down with her, then she was ready. With a burst of fury, for her mother, for Lainey, for Adam and for herself, Eve made her move. In one swift movement, Eve grabbed the gun, struggling to take it away from him.
“You bitch!” he hissed furiously.
“And, you are a sick bastard!” she retorted, matching him strength for strength. She felt as if the world’s existence depended on her winning. To her, it did.
Lainey sat on the couch, stiff with terror. She had watched the exchanged between Eve and Tony in a state shock, trying to comprehend what was really going on. Now, as the two struggled, she knew that she should do something but her body wouldn’t move. When the first shot rang out, she couldn’t even scream.
The struggle halted in stunned silence for a split second after the first shot. And then two more shots sounded.
“Go to hell,” she whispered as Tony slumped to the floor, a look of disbelief in his eyes, blood spurting from his mouth.
Eve watched him die there in front of her. There was no remorse, no sense of sadness an
ywhere inside her as he took that last breath. There was no sense of guilt. Only a great rush of relief she felt.
“Eve?” Once Tony had fallen, Lainey found the strength to move again. Relief flooded through her body as she ran up to Eve, seeing her still standing.
She turned to Lainey who was as white as a sheet. “I’m so sorry. Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m okay.” She laughed nervously. “I’m scared shitless, but I’m not hurt. God, I was so afraid I’d lost you.” Lainey threw her arms around Eve and squeezed her tight.
The pain was so immense, that Eve had to fight the wave of nausea that washed over her. Woozy, she pushed Lainey away, but held on at the same time. “Lainey, I...”
She covered the wound with one hand, using the other to keep her balance.
“It was self-defense, honey,” Lainey told her. “You had to do it.”
Another explosion of pain hit Eve. “I need to sit down,” she said, letting her hand slip.
Lainey saw the gaping wound, saw blood pouring from Eve. “Jesus.” Finding strength she never knew she had, Lainey took Eve’s weight on herself, and guided her to the couch. “Sit down. God, baby.” Grabbing one of the designer pillows from the couch, she pressed it against the wound. “Hold this here, honey, as firmly as you can.”
“Don’t leave me.”
“Eve, baby, stay awake for me,” Lainey cried as she dialed 9-1-1. “Don’t close your eyes, Eve. Look at me. They’ll be here soon, honey. Stay with me.”
“Lainey...”
“No, don’t talk. Rest.”
Eve’s eyes closed again. The pain was gone, replaced by a chilling numbness. She knew how scared Lainey was, she was scared herself, but her strength was rapidly deteriorating. She had to make sure Lainey knew how she felt.
“Eve, open your eyes! Please, baby, you have to stay awake!”
“Lain...” She couldn’t stay awake any longer. She was so incredibly tired, and just needed to close her eyes. Weak and exhausted, Eve slipped into unconsciousness.
Something About Eve (An Eve Sumptor Book 1) Page 44
