Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers Book 3)

by Ahren Sanders

  This is too much. My brain races to catch up. As if he senses I need him, my phone dings with a text.

  Evin—I will meet you in therapy. Don’t try to be a badass because I’m not there.

  “I’m leaving your mother.” My head snaps up at his announcement.

  “She stopped being my mother a long time ago.”

  “She stopped being your mother around the same time she stopped being my wife.”

  “I don’t even know how to respond to that. I’m not sure how deep you dug, but I never regretted my decisions. Until a few days ago, I was living my best life.”

  “It fucking kills me I never saw you on the stage.”

  “Well, you didn’t and now you’ll never have the chance. Your prized daughter took care of that,” I lash out, the anger coming back full force.

  “I’ll never forgive myself for the man I became. You have always been a superstar in my eyes. I thought I had time.” His fist clenches, jaw ticks, and the veins in his neck bulge. “Eight goddamned years I lost with my baby girl. That is not the man I am, not the man I want to be, and not the man my parents raised.” His voice grows louder, barbed with a fury.

  Searching my memory, I realize I’ve never seen or heard him this loaded with rage, contempt, and hatred. I also realize he’s stood here pleading his case without an apology for the last ten minutes.

  Ten minutes I should have been headed to therapy and proving myself.

  Years of self-preservation kick up a notch and I straighten. “Where’s my nurse? You may be dressed the part, but this place is pretty tight. They wouldn’t just let you in here.”

  He stares at me blankly, telling me what I need to know. He arranged this. If he looked into everyone I love with his resources, then he knew I’d be alone.

  “This was the only way I could—”

  “You need to leave,” I cut him off snappily.

  “I’m staying in town for a while and would like the chance to talk again.”

  “Evin is going to tear this place apart when he finds out you were here. You should get out before he arrives.”

  “He is exactly the man I’d want for you. And that’s why I’m staying.” He pulls out a card and walks over to me. “He doesn’t need to tear the place apart, because I’ll be waiting. This is all my personal information.”

  He lays the card on the table, then stops his hand before it touches my shoulder. More sadness fills his expression. “Saying I’m sorry seems inadequate, but I am. Truly, honestly, and to the depths of my soul, I am sorry. The rest of my life isn’t long enough to prove that to you.”

  With that, he leaves and I exhale loudly, sinking all my weight onto the crutches. There’s no time to process this because it’s time for a new kind of performance. Shove this out of my mind, wow my therapist, and don’t give any clue to Evin there’s something on my mind until we’re out of here.

  Preferably never, but that’s not possible.

  Chapter 27

  Evin

  “You don’t have to sneak out. I know where you’re going.” Poppy’s drowsy voice floats across the dark room.

  I freeze, mentally cursing myself.

  “I wish you wouldn’t go. But even more so, I wish you wouldn’t try to hide it from me.” Her nightstand light switches on.

  She balances on her hands, hoisting herself up, and adjusts her braced knee before crossing her arms. Her eyes roam over me before she blows out a frustrated breath.

  “Really, Evin? A full suit? Where’d that come from? You didn’t pack it and you haven’t left my side for the two days since we left the hospital. You may be the master of many talents, but creating a custom-made suit out of thin air isn’t possible.”

  The stormy stare, defensive position, and full-on sass send a message straight to my dick. I try to fight it, but lose, having to adjust myself. Her eyes drop and grow wide. “Are you kidding me? It’s the crack of dawn.”

  “Baby, you look fucking hot. It’s been a week, and the attitude is sharp. Of course my cock reacts.”

  “We’ve gone a week before,” she argues and I take this as a good thing, planning to use it to my advantage.

  “Not exactly.”

  “That first week.”

  “That was technically six days, and on day five, I had my hands, lips, and mouth all over your body. That first glimpse of you coming apart, the first taste of you on my tongue, first feel of you sucking my cock? Yeah, unless we’ve been in different states, we haven’t gone this long without touching.”

  Her legs rustle, and the attitude slips into a look I know well. She drops her arms, then jerks back. “No, you don’t! You aren’t shifting this conversation.”

  Damn, maybe that last part was a bit too strong. “Don’t know what you mean. You’re the one that mentioned my mastery of talents.”

  “Do not twist my words, and stop trying to distract me.”

  I move to her, perching on the edge of the bed, and lacing my fingers through her hair. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up, and you can explain my talents.”

  “Where’d you get the suit?”

  “Made a call, knew exactly what I wanted, gave my measurements, ordered it. They delivered it last night while you were in the shower.”

  “That’s convenient, but more so, it’s crazy.”

  “That motherfucker blindsided you, laid out pure shit thinking he had the upper hand, and did it when he knew you were alone.”

  “I’m not helpless and weak. He took me by surprise, but I held my own.”

  My fingers caress her scalp. “You’ve never been helpless and weak, but you shouldn’t have been in that position. He didn’t take me seriously Sunday night. That won’t happen again. He does not hold any power here.”

  “I kinda regret telling you.”

  “Baby, I walked into that therapy room and knew something was wrong.”

  “I think we should let it go. There’s no point in visiting him.”

  “For two nights, you’ve been restless, muttering in your sleep. You’re going through the motions, pretending to be fine, but are completely unfocused. It has nothing to do with your leg. I’ve watched your every move and know what he said got to you.”

  She works her bottom lip between her teeth, her gaze going over my shoulder. “I tried to fight it, but he got to me,” she admits in a whisper.

  “Do not be ashamed of that. You have a heart of gold. He used it to his advantage by catching you off guard and vulnerable. He flat out told you he looked into your life and everyone in it. The man is digging for something and I don’t trust it.”

  “Take me with you.”

  “I need to do this by myself. Marco Bindel’s used to being in charge. He’s about to understand who he’s dealing with.”

  Her eyes come back to mine, and my stomach turns at the sadness swimming in them. “He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

  “The tears aren’t for him. He’s a professional politician, Evin, be careful.”

  “I can handle him.”

  “Is he expecting you?”

  “I didn’t make an appointment, but my guess is he’s been expecting me since he strolled out of the hospital.”

  “I’m torn inside because a part of me knows you need to do this. The other part wants me to beg you to stay and not give him the satisfaction.”

  “I’d do anything in this world for you, but you’re right. I need to do this.”

  She leans in, placing her lips to mine. “I love you. Try not to get arrested or shot.”

  “No problem. Go back to sleep.”

  “That’s not happening.”

  “Okay, then think of a way I can show my talents without hurting your leg.”

  “That’ll be difficult with little range of motion.”

  “Get creative.” I stand, brushing my lips across her head before letting her go.

  She stays quiet while I put on my shoes and jacket, watching me thoughtfully.

  “Be back soon
.”

  “I’ll have bail money ready just in case,” she jokes, a little grin on her lips.

  The light is on in the kitchen, and Ryanne is standing at the coffeepot. When she spots me, she pours a travel mug and hands it over.

  “It’s five in the morning. What are you doing up?”

  “Waiting for you.”

  “How’d you know I’d be up?”

  “Based on your reaction Thursday night, I expected this. Is Poppy okay?”

  “No.”

  “You think his motives are genuine?”

  “I’ll figure out his angle.”

  “Dante’s meeting you at the hotel.”

  “Call and tell him that’s not necessary.”

  “We understand you want to do this alone, but it’s important to us. We love her, too. Dante wants to look him in the eyes and say a few things.”

  I want to argue this is my battle, except she’s got a point.

  “Fair enough, thanks for the coffee. Poppy’s awake if you want to keep her company.”

  “On it.”

  I grab my keys off the table, flick a wave, and head to my rental. The conversation with Poppy on Thursday night replays in my mind. The same anger boils low inside my chest, knowing he calculated his visit because she was most likely alone. That’s one of many things we’re straightening out today.

  Only two men are working when I swing into the valet lane. One recognizes me from my many stays and opens my door with a smile. “Late night, or early morning?”

  “Early morning.”

  “Is your wife with you?” He peers over my shoulder.

  “Not this time. Do me a favor and keep the truck out here. I won’t be long.”

  “Sure thing, not a problem at this hour.”

  I slip him a fifty and dip my chin in appreciation.

  Dante’s waiting, falling into step with me on the way to the elevators.

  “Do we know exactly which suite he’s in?”

  “Called Isaac and he told me they stayed in the Tower. That’s where I’m headed.” I punch the code Isaac gave me into the keypad.

  “How do you want to do this?”

  “We’re here for the same reason. Say whatever you came to say.”

  “You think he’s giving up a run for President?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  The elevator opens, and a large man is standing in the middle of the hall. He speaks into his wrist and moves toward a door.

  “He’s expecting you,” is all he says, opening the door.

  We pass him, stepping into the lavish suite. Marco is facing the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the strip.

  “Marco?” the security detail addresses him.

  “That’ll be all, Grady, thank you.”

  The man leaves, closing us in. I take in the room, noticing the office set up in the corner overflowing with paperwork, the empty room service tray to the side, and the empty glass on the table next to a bottle of gin.

  When he turns, I fight my reaction.

  “Holy shit,” Dante murmurs what I’m thinking.

  Marco looks like he’s aged at least ten years since Sunday evening. His hair is unruly, his face unshaven, and his clothes a wrinkled mess. The bags under his eyes sag low and are a shade paler than his skin.

  He scans over me, his mouth curving painfully. “Expected nothing less, but unnecessary. A man knows when he’s lost.”

  “This is not a fucking game.”

  “You are giving off some seriously pissed off vibes, but I won’t apologize. She’s my daughter.”

  “She was your daughter before you cast her out. Now, she’s my wife, and I don’t deal well with power plays.”

  “You think that was a power play? That was desperation. I had to sneak into a hospital under disguise to see my daughter. There’s no power anywhere in that.”

  “She’s not your daughter,” I grind out.

  He goes to the table, pouring a generous amount of gin, then turns back to the window. “Did she tell you she was a preemie? Five weeks early. Karen’s pregnancy with Caitlyn was the biggest and best surprise of my life. Natasha was an ornery baby, requiring all of Karen’s attention. When Caitlyn was born, I took over. The moment I saw her, my world changed in an unexplainable way. She was small, but a fighter. The nurse let me cut the cord and Caitlyn kicked me.” He chuckles, still staring out.

  “Marco, I’m not here—”

  “Marco,” he goes on like I didn’t speak. “I’ve never hated my name until two days ago after hearing it out of my baby’s mouth. Eight years ago, she called me Dad.”

  “You don’t get to play the victim and you don’t deserve to be called Dad!” Dante spews.

  “No, I don’t. Karen stepped up when things got easier. A mom and her daughters. That seemed normal. Those three ladies were my life, and I worked my ass off so they could all have whatever they wanted. Things were good, or so I thought. Teenage years struck my household like a category five hurricane. Karen assured me things were under control. Caitlyn had her dance and made it clear what she wanted in her future. The year Natasha graduated, it hit Karen hard.” He shakes his head, his disgust clear in the reflection. “Once again, so I thought. It’s crystal clear now. Somewhere along the way, Natasha realized her power and influence. Karen was part of it. With Caitlyn leaving for school soon, Karen wanted us to map a new future. Politics was her idea.”

  “You can shut up now. I’m not interested in hearing how a grown man hands his balls to a woman and turns his back on his daughter,” I snap.

  “Regardless of what you’ve been told, that is not what happened in my household. I hadn’t quite handed over my balls yet. Caitlyn’s senior year, Mrs. Canon came to me and explained the struggle they were having with the financial portion of the scholarships. I told her the money would not be a problem. My baby girl worked her ass off and she was going to her school of choice. Then I made a call, got her the audition at Julliard, certain she’d kill it. And she did. Like a true and upcoming politician, I played it to my advantage and worked a deal. Caitlyn was already a guaranteed acceptance; it was the financial aid in question. I pledged a grant in the amount of her education. When she turned down the opportunity to be closer to home, I kept my pledge, giving the money specifically to underprivileged dancers.”

  Dante sucks in a breath, and I again force myself to stay stone-faced. That answers what he meant about Poppy’s financial freedom.

  “Then I told my wife and daughter to get their shit together. Caitlyn gave up her chance to be close to family. It was time things smoothed out. Once again, still had my balls.” He turns back to the room, angled toward me.

  “Whatever you say. There a point to all this reminiscing?”

  “In college, when Isaac came into our lives, the way he looked at Caitlyn spoke volumes. He had his sights on a future with her.”

  “Wrong thing to say,” I grumble. “Storytime is over.”

  “I wasn’t as stupid or blind as you may think. Isaac’s infidelity and Natasha’s disloyalty burned in my blood. It went against everything in me to stay quiet,” he continues.

  “Yet, you did, giving Poppy a weak apology with no action behind it.”

  “You’re wrong. There was a lot of action behind it. Being a man, I knew why Isaac strayed. It was poor taste to jump into Natasha’s bed, but the temptation was obvious.”

  “You stood by and let it happen, knowing what Natasha was doing.” Blistering anger claws at my skin. “You could have stopped it.”

  “I could have intervened, but that would have defeated the purpose. Isaac was already living a life of temptation, and it was about to get worse. How he handled it would define his character. He fucked up, made a poor choice, but in doing so proved he was not, and never would be, good enough for Caitlyn. It took an inordinate amount of restraint to hold myself back when Caitlyn became aware of the betrayal.”

  “Unbelievable. How can you call that action?”

&n
bsp; “It gave me insight into what was happening. My wife played me in ways you can’t imagine, my oldest was still manipulating, and my youngest was pure as gold. The only innocent person in that scenario was hurting and didn’t deserve any of the bullshit.”

  He tosses back the rest of his gin without flinching. “The Senate run was underway, my life was transforming. I thought about getting out but was in too deep. Donor support had been cast, money was exchanged, and agendas were set. What began as a quest to represent the people of my state was tearing apart my family. I protected Caitlyn by letting her go, but not for the reasons she thinks. It was because she was too beautiful and deserving to be a part of the shitstorm brewing.”

  “You’re such a fucking liar. You stand there, enjoying a hundred-dollar bottle of liquor, reflecting on your daughter like you have a right.” Dante’s voice is harsh. “Who offers their daughter an ultimatum?”

  “I am an asshole, a son-of-a-bitch, and a lot of other things. But a liar isn’t one of them. One look at my daughter that day in her barren apartment and the fighter was in place. You call it an ultimatum; I saw it as giving her freedom. It wasn’t supposed to be permanent. We didn’t get far down the road before I rethought my decision. One thing stopped me from turning around. Knowing Caitlyn was chasing her dreams and starting her life free of the pressure from her mother and sister.”

  “Karen found her and offered mental help. While you were greasing palms, kissing babies, and enjoying the lavish lifestyle, Poppy was busting her ass for four-hundred dollars a week and sharing a studio apartment. There are days we ate nothing but bagged salad. Never once did she complain.”

  I look over at Dante, my chest tightening with this knowledge. Poppy never shared any struggle.

  “I owe you a great debt for taking care of her all those years. Ryanne, too. Like I mentioned, these last few days have brought a lot of information to light,” Marco tells him.

  “You had no right to look into us.”

  “Are you saying you wouldn’t have done the same thing? Looking into me?”

  Dante casts a glance my way, pressing his lips tight. We’re all guilty of looking into the people in Poppy’s life.