by Linda Verji
EVE’S WRATH
Linda Verji
Copyright © 2019 by Linda Verji
www.lindaverji.com
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent from the author, except for brief quotes in reviews.
This is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, businesses or locales is entirely coincidental.
Edited by Cathy Editing
Cover Design by Duong Covers
{An Interracial BWWM Romantic Thriller}
Rated 18+ for Explicit Sex & Strong Language
Contents
About This Book
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
What’s Next?
About This Book
Five years ago, Eve Linyard was forced to marry Carter Welling.
It destroyed her and ruined their friendship. It filled her with so much hatred that revenge was all she could taste. It was all she could feel. It was all she could breathe. And now, she’s finally ready to put her plan into motion.
But her plan has one fatal flaw.
She’s fallen in love with her husband.
Eve’s Wrath
‘Sooner or later, everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.’
~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~
PROLOGUE
“Carter, I’m going to kill you,” Eve Linyard threatened between fast breaths. Her arms were killing her, her fingers were screaming for help, and her legs were threatening to give up on her. She puffed out noisily. “As soon as we’re done here, you’re dead. I hope you brought your coffin.”
Carter Welling, who was hanging from a ledge a few feet above her, chuckled. “I didn’t force you to come here.”
Still panting like a woman in labor, she complained, “No, but you lied to me that we were going to the gym.”
“It’s not a lie.” Carter’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “We are at the gym.”
Though Eve wasn’t attracted to him in that way, she had to admit that Carter was a fine specimen. His sensual voice and blue eyes were the very essence of romance. Add in the long lean athletic body, the hefty trust fund and a wickedly sexy grin, and it was no wonder that women fell over themselves to get to him. However, right now, all Eve wanted to do was punch that charming grin off his face.
“A gym is where you run on the treadmill or do aerobics. Not this-” She stopped speaking when the pain in her arms intensified. She looked up to see how much higher up they still had to go and almost cried. “Oh my god, Carter. I don’t think I can go up any further.”
“You can.” Carter’s tone changed from amused to encouraging. “Just grab the next rock. It’s right next to you.”
“Nooo, I don’t wanna,” Eve whined, but she reached for the next rock.
“You’re doing great,” he coaxed. “Grab the next one.”
“I’m tired, Carter,” she complained but reached for the rock above with her other hand.
Up the wall they went with Eve complaining the whole way and Carter encouraging her or teasing her. Eve wasn’t into vigorous exercise; she was more of a yoga girl. But she didn’t mind sweating once in a while especially if it was with a good friend like Carter. However, good friend or not, if she’d known that he was planning to torture her like this, she would never have shown up.
“Great job.” Carter gave her a high five when they floated back to the ground. “Now you’re ready for real rock-climbing in the outdoors. How’s your Saturday?”
“Booked!” she said emphatically as she struggled to unbuckle her harness with the help of a trainer.
“What about next Saturday?” Carter asked.
“It’s booked too, and before you ask…” She smirked. “…all my Saturdays from now on are booked. This is the last time I’m hanging out with your lying ass.”
“What if it’s not rock-climbing?” Carter got rid of his harness too. “I got tickets to Infinite’s concert.”
“You got tickets?” Eve’s eyes widened. “How? They were all taken when I tried to get them from the band’s website.”
“I have my ways.” He smiled. “So what do you say? Saturday with me?”
“I want to go. I do.” She winced. “But I have a date with Daniel on Saturday and you know how he gets when I cancel on him.”
“I knew you’d say that. So I got four tickets.” Carter showed her with four fingers. “I’ll bring someone and you bring Daniel.”
“Aaah!” Eve squealed then moved towards him to give him a quick hug. “This is why I love you. You’re always thinking ahead. Thank you.”
He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
Eve smiled back. She was glad to see Carter smiling again and socializing. This year had been hard on him especially after the death of his older brother, Arthur. He and Arthur were so close that he’d been broken after the unexpected loss. Eve couldn’t even count the number of nights she’d spent on the phone listening to Carter talking about Arthur. Even her fiancé, Daniel, had started to think that there was something more going on between them. Thankfully, he’d gotten over that crazy idea quickly. Carter was Eve’s best-friend. Nothing more.
“Your phone is ringing,” Carter cut into her thoughts.
“It is?” Eve asked as she waited for him to hand it over. Since her leggings didn’t have pockets, she’d handed it to him for safe keeping.
Carter checked the screen before he gave it to her. “Your dad.”
“Thanks.” Eve swiped the answer icon then pressed the phone to her ear. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, Torchie,” Mark Linyard greeted her with his pet-name for her. Apparently, when she was young her eyes were so large compared to the rest of her facial features that they’d looked like flashlights. “Your mother wants to know if you’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“Yeah, I’ll be home for dinner.” Meeting Carter’s eyes, she said into the phone. “Is it okay if Carter comes over too?”
Carter immediately shook his head and mimed, ‘I’m busy’.
Meanwhile, her dad said, “Of course Carter can come too. He’s always welcome, and I think his mom is on her way too.”
Carter was still vigorously shaking his head so Eve said, “Okay, I’ll talk to him then let you guys know if he’s coming over.”
“Great.” Mark ended the call.
Eve turned back to Carter. “Why can’t you come to dinner?”
“Date.”
“With who?” Eve didn’t give him a chance to answer. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Not with that crazy blonde who tried to get you to pee on her, right?”
Carter laughed. “What I can say? I like them crazy.”
She shook her head and clucked disapprovingly. “You’re going to date a serial-killer one of these days.”
“Are you sure I haven’t dated one yet?” Carter arche
d his eyebrows suggestively even as he linked his arm with Eve’s. They started towards the changing rooms.
“Ooh.” Eve gave a fake tremble. “Now that’s a thought.”
The two friends parted at the gym’s parking lot with each driving off in their respective cars. Eve planned to head straight home but she received a message from her mother with a list of things she needed from the grocery. The grocery run took thirty minutes then Eve was on her way home.
Home was a one-storey, contemporary, craftsman-style mansion that lay on its own small property tucked inside a gated community. A charcoal gray, sloping, slate roof met gorgeous brown-brick walls that were punctuated with spectacular art-glass windows. Though it was just early evening, the lights were already on, giving the whole house a romantic feel.
As Eve brought her SUV to a stop in the driveway, she noted that apart from her parents’ cars, there was an extra car parked there. Immediately, she recognized the car. It was Carter’s mother, Sharon’s car. Eve smiled. If she had to rank the people in her life, Sharon would’ve ranked as one of her favorite people just below her parents and Carter.
Still smiling, Eve headed into the house. As soon as she entered the living room, she spotted her father and Sharon. The two couldn’t be more different. Mark was a dark-skinned, heavyset man with a bald head, light beard and stern features that only eased when he smiled. Sharon was a white, slender woman with her platinum, blonde hair cut into a short pixie-cut. Her eyes were blue just like Carter’s and seemed to smile even when she was serious. The woman exuded a friendly warmth that drew in everyone who met her.
Sharon was the first to notice Eve. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite girl in the world.”
“Hi, Aunt Sharon.” Grinning, Eve crossed the room. Sharon stood up to meet her for a warm embrace.
“Look at you.” Sharon pulled back to give Eve an up and down. “You look good.”
“I look good? Psh!” Eve scoffed. “Not like you. I wish I look that good at fifty-nine.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Chuckling, Sharon pulled Eve to the couch. “So tell me how have you been? How’s the business doing? Tell me everything.”
Before Eve could answer, her father cut in. “What? Am I invisible?” Mark teasingly complained. “Little girl, don’t you see me here?”
“Hi, Daddy,” Eve greeted briefly before turning right back to Sharon. “You came alone? Where’s Jackson?”
Jackson was Arthur’s adopted son. Now that Arthur and his wife were dead, Sharon had taken in Jackson and was raising him with Carter’s help.
“He had a sleepover with one of his friends,” Sharon said before going back to her original topic. “How is the business doing?”
“The business is doing great.” Eagerly, Eve added, “I just launched the new eye-shadow palette that I was telling you about and it’s flying off the shelves like you wouldn’t believe.”
Three years ago, Eve had been working as a pharmacist for a big drug company. Imagine everyone’s surprise when she’d declared that she was going into the makeup business. Everyone thought she was having an early mid-life crisis. Her parents had tried to stop her and Carter, who was the most spontaneous person she knew, had pronounced her as crazy. Sharon was the only one who’d supported her from the jump.
Sharon, who owned one of the biggest cosmetics companies in the country, had encouraged Eve to give it a try and given her invaluable business tips. Thus Little Eve was born.
Now in its third year of existence, Little Eve had established itself as one of the fastest growing beauty brands serving women of color. Sure, Eve had done most of the work to make the company what it was. However, if it wasn’t for Sharon, she wouldn’t have believed that success was possible.
“Eve,” Toni Linyard, Eve’s mother, interrupted the conversation as she entered the room. “Did you forget to say hello to your mother?”
Toni was the perfect foil to Mark’s stern demeanor. Everything about was boisterous; from her large curly hair and lively eyes to her voluptuous, motherly figure. Like Sharon, she exuded friendliness. According to Toni, it was this personality trait that had made the two of them click so fast when they’d met in college. Toni and Sharon had decided to be friends right on the spot. Almost forty years later, they were still tight.
With a laugh, Eve stood and crossed the room to hug her. “Hi, Mom.”
As soon as she pulled back, Toni looked around as if searching for something then she asked, “Where’s my stuff? Don’t tell me you forgot to buy it?”
“No, no.” Eve rushed to add, “I bought it but I forgot it in the car.”
“Go get it.” Toni tapped Eve’s butt. “I need some of that stuff for dinner.”
The next hour and a half was spent preparing dinner. Later, when the four settled down at the table, the ambience was cheery and welcoming.
“Mark, are you planning to go for a second term?” Sharon asked in between bites of her meal.
“I’m not sure yet.” Mark’s eyebrows came together in a frown. “Leo Turner’s coming in really strong and the voters like him.”
“They may like Turner, but he hasn’t done what you’ve done for them,” Eve said. “Everyone says that you’re the best mayor we’ve had.”
“You should run again,” Sharon chimed in. “You know you have my support if you do.”
Mark was the sitting mayor of their city. Though Stamford was somewhat liberal, as a black candidate, Mark had had an uphill task in getting elected. Sharon’s support had been invaluable because she was one of the most respected businesswomen in the city and had connections to everyone. In fact, if it wasn’t for Sharon, he probably wouldn’t be mayor.
“Let me think about it a little more,” Mark said.
“Okay, enough with the politics at the table,” Toni cut in. “Let’s talk about something more fun.”
Eve’s mouth kicked up into a half-smile. “Fun like what?”
“Fun like Carter,” Sharon chimed in. Her eyes on Eve, she asked, “What do you think of him?”
“Of who? Carter?” Eve shrugged. “He’s great.”
Sharon lifted one eyebrow. “Great enough to marry?”
Eve frowned. “I don’t understand the question.”
Her tone serious, Sharon asked, “What do you think about getting married to him?”
“Huh!” Eve blinked several times. “What?”
Her parents seemed just as shocked in the abrupt turn of the conversation and they were both staring at Sharon as if she’d lost her marbles.
Unconcerned, Sharon said, “I think you and Carter should get married.”
For a second, Eve just stared at Sharon. Then she burst into laughter. In between chuckles, she said, “You almost got me there, Aunt Sharon. I thought you were serious.”
Her gaze grave, Sharon said, “I am serious.”
Eve’s jaw dropped and her mind went blank. What?
“Uh… Sharon,” Toni cut in before Eve could respond to that ridiculous proposal. “Eve’s already engaged to someone else…”
“…And even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t marry Carter,” Eve added.
“Why not?” Sharon asked.
“Because he’s my best-friend.”
“His being your best-friend is even more reason for you two to get married,” Sharon said. “It means that you already understand each other and will get along well. Besides, our families get along so well; you two getting married would just be icing on the cake.”
“That’s nice and all,” Mark said, “but I don’t think Eve is romantically attracted to Carter.” He turned to Eve. “You’re not, are you?”
“God, no!” Eve shook her head vigorously. “Carter’s great, but we’re better as friends.”
“Oh… okay…” Sharon smiled. However, though her mouth lifted, that smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I was just putting it out there. I like you so much that I wouldn’t mind having you as a daughter-in-law.”
“I wouldn�
��t mind having you as a mother-in-law either.” Eve smiled. “But Carter’s not the one for me.”
“I hear you.” With a small, secret smile, Sharon went back to her meal.
That should’ve been the end of that conversation.
But it wasn’t.
Six months later, Eve found herself walking down the aisle on her father’s arm. The chapel throbbed with excitement and Eve could see the smiles of the wedding guests through her thin veil. Whoever had decorated the chapel had put their heart in it because the space looked like a dream; flowers, scented candles, white and magenta fabric to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, and matching balloons.
The guests had dressed accordingly; beautiful clothes to complement their wide smiles as they watched Eve walk down the aisle. Sweet piano music thrummed around her, its romantic rhythm merging seamlessly with the excitement throbbing in the chapel.
It was a beautiful wedding, and Eve should’ve been smiling behind her veil but no matter how she tried she couldn’t. Heck, it was taking all her effort just not to cry.
Up ahead, Carter was waiting for her. He looked handsome, even more handsome than usual because he’d cleaned up for the wedding and was wearing a tuxedo. His smile as he watched Eve come to him was the kind that could make a woman’s heart stutter in its path. But that smile only made Eve hate him more. How could he be so happy when she was so miserable?
Eve’s gaze wandered away from Carter to the first pew right in front of the altar. The moment she spotted the author of this fiasco, bitter bile rose up her throat. The witch was smiling at Eve in that fake, friendly way of hers that had fooled so many people. Anyone would think that she was an angel who was excited to see her new daughter-in-law.
Eve’s hand curled into a fist and she had to take deep breaths to ease the red hot anger that overwhelmed her as she glared at Sharon. If it wasn’t for Sharon, this debacle wouldn’t be taking place. If it wasn’t for Sharon, Eve would be marrying another man today. If it wasn’t for Sharon, Eve would still own Little Eve. If it wasn’t for Sharon, Eve wouldn’t know the secret that had broken her heart and ultimately forced her to accept this marriage.
