Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers Book 3)

by Ahren Sanders

  My baby is gone.

  The door slowly opens, Evin slipping in quietly on the assumption I’m asleep. God, what I’d do to be asleep right now and wake up from this nightmare that has become my life. Instead, I’m fully awake, and the horror is real. How do I break the news? What do you tell your husband when you’ve lost your career and your child in the same swoop?

  He turns, his eyes locking with mine, and I realize I don’t have to tell him anything. His expression goes to stone, his jaw clenching tight.

  “Who told you?”

  The numbness flips to fury I can barely contain. “Who told me doesn’t fucking matter, considering my goddamn husband kept it from me.”

  His head jerks and his eyes grow soft and apologetic. “Baby, I didn’t keep it from you. I was waiting until—”

  “Until what? Until you decided the time was right? Until you felt I could handle it?”

  “Yes. You needed to concentrate on getting through the surgery.”

  “Newsflash, Evin, I came through surgery with flying fucking colors yesterday morning. It’s been a complete day you could have shared.”

  He steps forward, and I throw my hand out. “Stop right there. Don’t come near me.”

  There’s a flash of pain in his gaze, but I can’t find it in me to care.

  “I was watching out for you. Up through this morning, you were still dazed.”

  “Dazed maybe, but not incoherent. You could have talked to me.”

  “Fuck, Poppy, there hasn’t exactly been a good time to bring up that you may have been pregnant based on a random blood test.” His tone is barbed and sharp.

  “I was pregnant, Evin. There is no ‘may’ about it. My body rejected our baby when I fell!”

  “You can’t know. Even the doctors aren’t one-hundred percent sure. It’s all hypothetical based on blood drawn for a different reason.”

  My back straightens, my body stringing tight. “Yes, BABY,” I sneer sarcastically. “I can know because the other morning everything was different. I begged for more because I physically needed it more than my next breath. You sucked my tit in your mouth, biting my nipple, and pain shot directly to my toes. It was exquisite and torture at the same time. I felt every inch of your dick swell until it stretched me more than ever. Then you demanded I come and it wouldn’t stop, the pleasure so powerful I blacked out. There was no explanation for what was happening. Now it makes sense.” I’m panting when my rant is over.

  A flash of shock crosses his face before the primal beast clicks into place. In less than a second, he’s in my space, lifting me across his lap, and elevating my braced leg. Anger roars in my ears, but the unmistakable intent on his face sets my pulse racing for a different reason.

  His hand goes to the back of my head, fingers fisting in my hair, and he slams his lips to mine. The taste of spearmint coats my mouth as his tongue sweeps through. The racing of my heart joins in rhythm to the roaring in my ears. I thread my fingers into the back of his hair, tugging hard and shifting so there’s no space between us.

  I fight for control, meeting him stroke for stroke. My tongue tangles with his roughly, anger and resentment fueling me. As if he senses what’s happening, his fingers caress my scalp tenderly and he slows, giving in. The kiss turns greedy as I soak in the warmth of him pressed close, the scent of his cologne filling the air, the safety of being in his arms. I need this, need him.

  All the anger turns to a slashing pain and something inside me snaps. My body convulses as the heartache erupts, and I cry into his mouth. He breaks away, tucking my face into his neck and holding me tighter.

  “Let it out, baby. I’m here.” He kisses across my temple.

  “She did this.”

  “She won’t get away with it.”

  His words don’t register as I cry for much more than the loss of my career. “Our baby, Evin. We made a baby and it’s gone because of her!”

  “I know.” This time, his voice is scratchy and hoarse. A drop of wetness hits my cheek, and when I peer up, a sob wracks my body.

  My beautiful Evin is staring at me with glassy eyes filled with misery and devastation. His unshakable strength has fractured.

  “I hate her with everything I have!”

  “I do too.” He lays his cheek to my forehead, cocooning me deeper into his protective hold.”

  I clutch to him, crying until my throat is raw and body exhausted. He only moves enough to slide some tissue into my lap. Faintly, I hear a nurse come in and ask if I’m okay. Evin simply nods, giving me the quiet to recover. After however long, I finally find my voice. “It was the nurse who told me. She thought I knew about the blood results. She offered me a menstrual suppressant to help delay my period, considering the situation I’m in.”

  “It should have come from me and I’m sorry it didn’t. But fuck, Poppy, the thought of you hurting worse killed me. It was a judgment call. I was protecting you from something we’d never know was true.”

  “My instincts are telling me it was real.”

  He stays quiet, but after a minute, his chest vibrates. I raise my head to find him full-out, grinning wide.

  “What can you possibly find funny?”

  “Baby, there’s nothing funny about this shitty situation. Once again, you shocked the hell out of me. Thought I knew most of your moods, but good to know when you get riled up, you unleash the mouth of a sailor.”

  “I may have been a little haughty, but I was pissed.”

  “Got that. If I wasn’t so stunned at your outburst and scared you’d launch yourself off the bed, there’d be a different reaction. Thinking about it now has my cock hard as a rock.”

  “Oh my God.” Mortification sets in thinking about how loud and crass I was.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s hot as hell knowing you needed my dick more than your next breath.”

  “Jeez, can we forget about that?”

  “And the thing about biting your tit, the pleasure and pain… coming until you blacked out—can’t wait to reenact that, baby.”

  “Evin,” I groan, burying my face back in his neck, “stop.”

  “Not a chance. Me drilling you against the headboard is coming back to me hard and fast.”

  “I can’t believe I told you all that.”

  His finger goes to my chin and urges my face back up. He’s sobered, but his eyes are still dancing. “Baby, you spewed all that to let me know your body couldn’t get enough because you think you were pregnant. When you recover from this surgery, I’ll make it my number one goal to get you back to that place. You need my cock all day, every day? It’ll be my pleasure to bring you to the brink of blacking out.” The way he emphasizes the last part sends a ripple down my spine.

  I can’t help the smile that slips through. “I’m not sure how in the world you have made one of the darkest times in my life seem okay.”

  “Because it is okay.”

  My smile slips. “I hate her, Evin, with every fiber of my being. Because of her, I lost my career and my baby. I can’t help but wonder if she’s coming after you next.”

  All his amusement dies and his eyes turn deadly. “You will never lose me. That bitch isn’t coming anywhere near us again. The call I took in the hall was from my lawyer. I’ve slapped the Bindel family with a temporary order of protection. If you want, we can start the process of pressing charges. They probably won’t stick, but it would be worth it to see them squirm.”

  I narrow my eyes, assessing his instant shift in mood. This is more than my off-handed comment. “Did something happen?”

  He nods, then dives into the story of his ambush last night. With each word, my heart races faster. Marco Bindel is a powerful and influential man. The idea of Evin storming up to him and laying him out without a care in the world is a little scary. Knowing he reached out to Isaac and they were all in the same room with no bloodshed is also fascinating.

  “In the span of however long since you walked in the room, I’ve gone from wanting to strang
le you, to having a complete breakdown, to wanting to strip you naked and jump you. Which is inappropriate. I’m a volatile mess.”

  “It’s never inappropriate for you to want to jump me. My guess is you’ll want to strangle me a lot. As for the breakdown, that is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Too much at once is overwhelming.”

  “I appreciate your trying to shield me, but please don’t do it again.” A memory from Saturday night hits me and I gasp, jerking back. “That’s what was bothering you on Saturday night. Not taking me to Charleston, but the possibility of a lost pregnancy.”

  He closes his eyes, nodding somberly. “It was both.”

  “So, you only halfway lied to me?”

  “Halfway,” he admits softly.

  “Is there any more that I should know?”

  He hesitates, and I tense, placing my palm over his heart. “Tell me.”

  “Marco is being vetted for a Presidential run.”

  I freeze, this being the last thing I expected.

  “We suspect he’s known where you are all along. The same with Karen. Our guess is Tasha was seeking you on her own.”

  Another blow.

  “He also asked to see you.”

  All I can do is blink.

  I stare at him, not seeing anything. Fear and disgust weave through my system. He explains the call with Scottie and Pierce, ending with Scottie’s offer.

  “Poppy, you’re pale as a ghost. This was too much.”

  “No,” I swallow, clearing my throat, “I’m not ashamed of who I became after cutting them out of my life. If we choose to release the dogs, I can handle it.”

  “We’re not doing anything right now. You’re barely a day out of surgery. There’s no rush.”

  I cuddle into him, my mind racing with all the possibilities of what the Bindels can do. Then my brain goes into survival mode, formulating a plan. Evin takes my hand from his chest and slips my rings on my fingers.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, I’m by your side.”

  I fluff my hair, scan my face, and wink in the mirror. “You’re ready, Poppy,” I whisper to myself, boosting my confidence.

  Today is my day. One more evaluation, another round of therapy, and if all is well, I’m out of this place.

  After my breakdown on Monday, my sense of survival kicked in. No more pity parties, no more dwelling over my losses, and no more tears. We gave it two days for me to adjust. Dr. Rexwell didn’t hand my care off to one of his colleagues, instead keeping me as a patient. He won’t approve intense rehab for a few weeks but gave me a green light to increase my mobility without the wheelchair. He also introduced a therapist who did an assessment.

  I knew immediately there was going to be a problem. Everyone treated me like crystal. Evin, Edward, Ryanne, Dante, all of them wanted to ease me into light activity. Annie was the only one who took my side. She agreed I knew how to read my body and my limits.

  Evin lost his mind, and we had yet another confrontation about his overprotective nature. My therapist took one look at me, seeing my unwavering determination, and laid out a progressive plan that started in baby steps. This appeased Evin, but not me, so I pushed myself hard. The first time I put pressure on my heel, the pain was like a thousand sharp shards of glass piercing into my bone. I thought I was going down. The last thing I needed was a smug audience. My only choice was to hiss through it and bear the ache. Luckily, the therapist didn’t make a big deal. We spent the rest of my time going over basic activities of daily living techniques so I can function at home with little help.

  Last night, Evin and I practiced everything until I fell into bed exhausted. My body is used to constant movement and action. In just a few days of lying around, and with the trauma, it’s obvious I need to retrain my system.

  Luckily, I convinced Evin I was competent enough to get around safely for a little while for him to take Edward and Annie to the airport.

  The nurse came in and monitored me, but I took my first shower alone, maneuvering around with no assistance, and it felt fantastic. The only time I needed help was sliding on my shorts and readjusting my brace. Otherwise, she left me to do my hair and makeup alone.

  It’s a minor accomplishment, but I’ll take it. Now, I only need to prove it’s safe to discharge me.

  The door closes, signaling my escort is here for my session.

  “Coming right out!” I lock the wheelchair and grab my crutches, finding my balance easily. “Why don’t we ditch the wheelchair ride today and let me go the distance?”

  The man in scrubs has his back to me, and there isn’t the usual standard wheelchair waiting. He turns and my grip on the crutches tightens to keep me from crumbling.

  I stare into the all too familiar eyes of the man who walked away from me without a care. Only now, his arrogance and ego are nowhere. His hazel eyes are telling a different story.

  “What are you doing here?” My voice comes off strong, but my body is shaking. I edge over to the side table, grabbing my phone.

  “I had to see you.”

  “Evin has a protection order on the Bindel family, including you, Marco.”

  He flinches at the use of his formal name. “Caitlyn, I don’t know where to start.”

  “Start with calling me by my name. It’s Poppy.”

  “Poppy,” he stalls, looking down at my leg. “How are you feeling? How was the surgery?”

  “I’m great, the surgery went well.”

  “And now?”

  “And now what?”

  “The next steps. How long before you dance again?”

  At this, my spine snaps straight, and I glare at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? You dare ask me that? You sneak in here and ask me when I’ll dance? How about fucking never! Your spiteful, malicious, and power hungry daughter took that away from me! My career on stage is over and I’ll be lucky if I can find work again.”

  The last part is a bit of added drama.

  He sags. “I did not know what she had planned. Please, give me a chance to explain. None of this was supposed to happen.”

  I draw in a deep breath, hoping it cools my simmering anger. The last thing I need is another outburst fueled by emotions.

  “It’s amazing you are standing there saying that with a straight face. Is there a secret course offered to politicians when they transition into office? Lying, Scheming, Conniving 101? What did you intend to happen when you walked away from your newly graduated daughter to follow your political aspirations? You threw me into the world with no support system and never looked back.”

  “You were always a fighter. You proved that early in life.”

  “I was a fighter because my sister turned into a manipulative raging bitch set to destroy anything that made me happy.”

  “One of my biggest regrets is overlooking her stages.”

  Is he serious?

  “You refer to them as stages; I like to think of them as personal experiments to see how far she could push. Stripping me of financial security for college because she said my major was frivolous?”

  “Your financial security was never in question. I regretted keeping that from you every day, seeing how hard you worked and the toll it was taking.”

  “And yet you stood by and watched, saying nothing.”

  “There’s a lot I need to explain. But right now, you have to know how proud I am. What you’ve done for yourself is incredible.”

  “Proud? What I did is incredible? My sister fucked my boyfriend, my parents took her side seeing the potential of having the number one draft pick in their circle, and you showed up at my apartment with an ultimatum. A stranger told you I impeded your future. You and Karen set my ass swinging after I didn’t agree. Clue in, Marco. I had no choice but to survive. How’s that for building goddammed character?”

  “I see your husband’s colorful language has worn off on you.”

  “You know nothing about my husband.”

  “Sunday night, I didn’t. Now, I’m pretty up to date
on Evin Graham.”

  This time, I suck in a deep breath for a different reason. The insinuation hangs in the air. “Don’t you dare do anything to jeopardize Evin’s life.”

  He rocks back, pain and anguish crossing his features. “I have no intent to jeopardize anything. You have to realize the shock of meeting him. The man married my daughter, I have a right to know who he is.”

  “Any rights you had to me and my life died on the doorstep the day you walked away.”

  “I hope you will understand once I explain.”

  Dammit, the torment in his voice strikes straight to my heart, and a sliver of compassion breaks into my cloud of anger. “What could you possibly need to explain that would make a difference?”

  “Everything I’ve done was to protect you. Unfortunately, it took a confrontation with a stranger that is your husband to bring my mistakes into the light.”

  “Mistakes? You think what happened is as simple as a mistake? Hell, this gets richer and richer. Can’t wait to hear what comes next, Governor. Why don’t you spice it up and paint yourself as a victim. Isn’t that what true politicians do, especially with a possible Presidential run?”

  I know I’ve struck a nerve when the color drains from his face. “There is no more Presidential consideration. Truth is, there never was if it involved disrupting your life.”

  It’s my turn to be shocked.

  “The night Evin stormed our table, I faced a man that was ready to go to war over his love for you. Isaac stood next to him resembling the same young man that came to my house all those years ago, completely enamored with you. It was easy to see. Two men stood in front of me; one of them raging so hard the air was electric, the other man clearly holding a flame for the woman he unapologetically tossed away. Seeing him like that gave me a sense of satisfaction.”

  “Why would that satisfy you?”

  “Contrary to what you believe, I think the man is a bastard.”

  I grow lightheaded at his confession and fight to keep standing. “But you took his side. Him and Tasha.”

  “No, I didn’t. I waited it out, and when the opportunity arose, I took advantage of his guilt.”

  “What does that even mean?”