It gave me a few more minutes of avoiding Evie.
I didn’t know what to do about her. It wasn’t a simple choice to be with her or not—it was everything. It was making a decision that could destroy my life but give me everything I ever wanted.
And it was a decision I was pretty sure I had already made.
Cheers echoed off the concrete walls as new fists cracked against skin in the center of the ring. Sweat, blood, and adrenaline thickened the air. But my focus wasn’t on the fight anymore.
It was back on her.
Evie stood across the room, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the fight, but I didn’t think it was about the match. It was the look she wore when she was trying to hide something. Her jaw was tight, lips pressed into a stubborn line.
Her eyes scanned the crowd, glazing over me. She was looking for Anderson, and I knew she would be trying to get to him before any of us.
She still didn’t want to tell Rook what she was doing. She knew damn well he would do everything he could to stop her. We knew the danger that came with digging into the lives of rich men.
But I also knew I couldn’t stop her.
So the only thing I could do was to be on her trail every single step; except now she was upset, and when Evie got upset she got cocky.
She would have enough confidence to stomp through this entire arena checking IDs to find Anderson—enough to get herself backed into a dangerous corner.
I pushed my way back toward them, running into Hero halfway over.
“What’s wrong with Evie?” I asked, not bothering to give any explanation as to why I cared.
He looked back, shrugging. “She was a little pissy about finding out more on why we would come without her. I doubt it’s a big deal.”
For one second, I got lost in the crowd, pushing through the bodies before breaking free right in front of the pack.
My eyes scanned for Evie, only to find her gone, out of her seat and nowhere in sight.
“What the fuck?” I mumbled, craning my neck to look around the ring more.
“Where is Evie?”
Zack shrugged, and Hero looked at Harper.
“She went back to the bathroom,” Harper said.
“Alone?”
“Yeah? No one said she couldn’t.” Hero’s eyes still strayed back to Harper.
“Isaid she couldn’t.”
“No.” Hero’s mouth curved. “You saidyouwere going to be at her side.”
A punch to the face would have felt better.
I didn’t wait to respond and turned to head down the nearest hallway to the women’s bathroom.
Anger bubbled up, the only feeling I could grab to hide the debilitating panic threatening to take over. I couldn’t see her. The crowd stayed thick until the opening of the hall came into view.
People lined the walls and lingered around the bathroom doors, but there was no Evie. I pushed open the door, yelling her name without a response.
She wasn’t here.
My palms were slicked with sweat as I turned back. Of course Evie wouldn’t have gone to this bathroom. She would have found Asher’s private bathroom and office.
