Breaking the news of why Brenden died was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had to have with my family. Saoirse and Ma were understandably heartbroken, but Cian’s reaction cut the deepest. He was quiet, asking me why over and over as I hugged him until his bones creaked. Senseless killing hurts a thousand times worse than when there’s a reason to cling to. The cops finally released his body, and we chose to cremate him since Ma still desired to have him rest in Ireland.
At least with a reason, there’s something to focus on and hate. Other than Noah himself, who died far too quickly for my liking, there’s nothing to shift that blame onto and so the grief sits like a rock inside me with nowhere to go.
Unless I’m with Evie. Other than the meeting with my family, I refuse to leave her side. The image of her pale and lifeless in my arms after dragging her from that flooded tank will haunt me until the end of my days, and it lingers in my thoughts even now as she flashes me a bright smile and answers her phone, resting her head down in my lap.
“Hello? Oh, Detective Cogs!” Her eyes widen and she gazes up at me while I twirl some of her hair around my fingers.
Since returning to my penthouse, Evelyn has been recovering well these past few weeks and her warmth is the only thing helping me find light at the end of a dark tunnel. A call from the cops, however, is never a good sign.
She subtly puts the call on speaker and Sarah’s voice crackles though. “I was concerned when you vanished from the hospital. Is everything alright in that regard?”
“Yes,” Evie replies. “I was desperate to get home and back to something normal. I’m sick of hospitals now.”
“Understandable,” Sarah replies. “I’m incredibly relieved that you were found safe and alive. It was a scary few days.”
Evie looks up at me. “Yes,” she says. “It really was.”
“I trust my assistance was well received?”
Evie frowns. “Your assistance?”
“When we last spoke, you made a good point about the level of effectiveness I held in the situation between Families. Oddly, there was a file on a suspect that went missing and I can only assume it ended up in the right hands.”
As Evie and I stare at each other, it suddenly clicks in my mind and I mute the microphone on the call. “It was her. She left the file on the driver, which eventually led me to you. It was a small crumb, but still a crumb.”
Evie nods and unmutes. “It was received well,” she replies. “Thank you. That can’t have been an easy decision for you to make.”
“It wasn’t, but I believe there’s a time and a place for the law, and sometimes, there’s a need for other things. We also pulled the body of a man from the river this morning. He was bloated, but fingerprints helped us identify him. It turns out he was a match for the man we were looking for regarding the body you found.”
My heart squeezes faintly in my chest, and Evie lifts her hand to cup my cheek. “Oh?”
“I’ll be clear with you, Evelyn. Does that body mean I don’t have to worry about my city turning into a warzone?”
“Yes,” Evie replies. “You’re safe in that regard. There won’t be any further issues.”
Sarah sighs deeply, like the years are being stripped away from her. “Alright. Well, I say this with as much respect as I can muster, but I hope I never see you again—either of you.”
The call ends and Evie laughs loudly. “Did she know she was on speaker?”
“Probably.” I lean down and kiss her sweetly. “She’s pretty sharp for a detective.”
“Aren’t they all sharp? Isn’t that why they’re detectives?”
“You and I have different definitions of sharp.” I kiss her nose. “But now I’m in debt to a detective and I don’t like it, so I’d better find a way I can help her with something, and quickly.”
“Her help puts you in debt?”
“I don’t like owing anyone anything.”
“Even me?” Evie flutters her lashes, and I claim her lips in a deep kiss.
“I owe you everything.”
Our mouths weave poetry together until Evie suddenly jerks away and sits up. “Oh, no. I’m late to see my mother!”
Evie’s visit with her mother went smoother than expected. She walked inside with confidence and was honest with her, to a point. She confessed about her credit card debt but puts focus on how she got her act together and found a way to pay it off. She tells her straight how happy she is forging her own path in life and that she wants her mother to be by her side but refuses to tolerate the bullying and disrespect anymore. She spoke with such confidence that I fell in love with her all over again. She’s so different from the scared, quiet girl I snatched up all those weeks ago.
Trauma shapes people, but it makes me giddy to see Evie grow into this strong woman who wears survival like a badge.
Evie then introduces me formally as her boyfriend, and I remain as pleasant as I can be as her mother breaks down in tears. There’s a moment where the tears feel manipulative as her mother expresses how deeply lonely she is and all she wants is a daughter who will care for her. The tears turn genuine when Evie assures her that she will always be there for her and always a phone call away. Evie promises that even though they will never see eye to eye, she loves her and all her mother needs to do is call.
I’ve never been prouder. That pride remains blooming in my chest when we make our next stop of the day. Holly.
She greets us warmly but breaks down as Evelyn gently tells her the truth surrounding Brenden’s death.
“Is it my fault?” She sobs, struggling to light her cigarette. “Is it my fault he’s dead?”
Evie sits by her side on the couch and takes the cigarette from her trembling fingers. Then she lights it herself and hands it back. “Of course it’s not your fault. Noah was insane. While his jealousy was a contributing factor, he was disillusioned about an old deal long before you were in the picture.”
“My God,” Holly whimpers, drawing desperately on her cigarette.
“You should know, Holly,” I say quietly. “Brenden kept you a secret. I knew my brother inside and out, and the only reason he would do that was because you were incredibly dear to him. He really loved you.”
Holly weeps harder, and I immediately understand that she feels the same way. Their love was real, and she carries as much pain as the rest of us.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Evie takes her hand and squeezes, while Holly shakes her head.
“You can’t bring him back, can you?”
“No,” I say, and warmth burns behind my eyes. “But from this day forward, you are under our protection. Brenden cared for you deeply, and we will continue to do so in his absence. Anything you need, no matter how small or dire, and we will be there. Saoirse, my sister, will visit soon to sort out a few things with you.”
“Why?” Holly looks up at me through her sparkling lashes. “Why do you even care?”
“Because Brenden was my brother and I know he would protect Evie if our roles were switched.”
Evie looks at me with wide eyes. Then she flashes me a soft smile.
“Okay.” Holly nods. “Thank you.”
We stay with her for a few hours, and she shares stories of the times she spent with Brenden. By the time we leave, I feel a little lighter knowing Brenden had someone truly good in his life. It seems she’s from the same vein as Evie—a ball of warmth and light to reach dangerous men and soften their edges.
“Did you mean what you said?” Evie asks me later as we drive toward the day’s last destination.
“Which part?”
“That Brenden truly loved her? Or did you just say that because you knew it would make her feel better?”
“I meant it.” I reach across for her hand. “The life I lead, or led until you, is the same as my brother’s. We shared the same loneliness and for me, I didn’t even realize it was there until you came into my life and showed me that there was a gigantic cold hole in my soul. Brenden was like me. He kept Holly a secret for the same reason I couldn’t let you go even after you walked away. I was in love with you before I even knew it. And I wanted to keep it secret and protect it so I wouldn’t lose it.”
“Wow,” Evie murmurs, and she brings my knuckles to her lips. “You’re so romantic when you want to be.”
“Oh, I can be romantic,” I say, smirking at her. “I just hope that I can be to you what you are to me. Even just a fraction.”
“You’re everything,” she replies immediately. “You opened my eyes to this whole new world and have given me more excitement than I’ve had in my entire life. In a few short weeks, you showed me more affection than I’ve ever felt. In fact, you made me feel like I had worth. That I was worth protecting and saving and caring for.”
“Evie, darling. Of course you have worth.”
“I know. And I knew it. But now I feel it, and that’s so much different.”
I pull the car to a stop and smile. “I’ll make sure you never stop feeling that way.”
Evie looks out the window and grimaces. “Why are we here?”
I’ve stopped us outside the Sunrise Motel. Reaching into the glove compartment, I pull out some paperwork and hand it to her.
“What are these?”
“Construction plans. We’ve bought the place. It’s going to be bulldozed and a new motel will be built in its place. A motel, under our leadership and yours, that will serve as a safe haven for people like Holly or yourself. Anyone in trouble who needs a place to stay.”
“Oh, wow!” Her eyes widen as she flicks through the plans. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“I wanted to do something for you. How you are with Holly, the way you were kind with her and got her to open up… I realized you have a knack for helping people, and I want to give you space to do that. And I want the place where Brenden died to mean something more than this fucking place.”
“What about the employees?”
It’s impossible to miss the excitement in her eyes. “You can go and fire that shit stain of a boss.”
She looks at me, grinning. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Oh, this is going to be so fucking good.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She contemplates for a second, then shakes her head. “Nah, I don’t want him to be intimidated by you. I want to do that all by myself.”
“Okay. I’ll be here.”
She kisses my cheek and darts from the car, jogging lightly to the motel entrance. I keep one eye on her as a call comes through from Saoirse.
“All set?” I ask.
“All set,” she replies. “Is it weird that I’m kinda nervous?”
“Not at all. We haven’t seen him in a few years.”
“He won’t even recognize us.”
“I know. But Brenden deserves to see him one last time.”
“True.” She sighs deeply. “I hate flying.”
“It’ll be over before you know it.”
“True. Okay, see you in a few hours.”
I remain in the car, mulling over my plans and waiting on Evie. Before long, she comes dancing out of the building with the biggest smile on her face that I’ve ever seen. When she reaches the car, she flops inside and wiggles in her seat.
“That is the most satisfying thing I have ever done,” she declares.
“Did he take it well?”
“Oh, not at all. I thought he was going to burst something in his fat face.” She laughs. “It was amazing. I hope he rots.”
“I can organize that—”
“No!” She lightly smacks my arm. “Don’t you dare.”
“Okay, well, we have one more stop. We can’t get there until later tonight.”
“Another?” Evie whines slightly. “I’m tired. Where are we going?”
“Ireland.”
