Page 7 of Maximus

“You’re the one that was watching me.”

“I watched you for four days, Eva. I don’t know what the fuck you’ve gotten yourself into down here. I know that Tex bailed you out of some serious shit. I know that Bubba and Zoey both felt sorry for you and didn’t press charges. I know you have a criminal record and you tried to kill a man I respect. So, while I might not have seen you do anything illegal in the past four days, doesn’t mean you’ve passed jack shit.”

Eva’s wounded eyes slowly closed and I felt like a complete fucking prick.

Fucking hell.

“Eva—”

“I did do all that.” Her eyes snapped open and her lips flattened and twisted. “I did it. And I didn’t ask Mark and Zoey to pardon me. I didn’t ask them to forgive me because what I did was unforgiveable. I didn’t ask Tex for help, but I will be grateful until my last breath on this earth. You can stand there and judge me, think I’m a low-life, look down on me, hate me, but you know what? I don’t fucking care. I understand what I did is…indefensible.

“I know, because every day I have to live with it. I know what I did. From the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, I remember. I’ll never forget the horror on their faces when I left them. The confusion in Zoey’s eyes. The anger on Mark’s face.

“But you know what else I can’t forget? My son begging me to help him. My six-year-old telling me that the man who was supposed to love him, the only man he’d ever known as his daddy, had burned him. I listened helplessly as my baby cried in pain. So I will not apologize for what I did. You can take your trust, your judgement, your assessment of me, and shove them all straight up your ass. The only thing you need to know about me is, I would do it again if it meant saving my children. I would sink a knife in your back if it meant my boys would be safe.”

Rage and fury built into a wild inferno.

“That motherfucker did what?” Eva jumped at my outburst, some of the bravado waning, as her gaze roamed my face. Confusion marred her features. “Repeat that, Eva. What did Jay Dawkins do to Liam?”

“He put his cigarette out on his arm while I was on the phone with him. He hurt Liam so I would hear and it would tear me apart. He used my son to get me to agree to do the job. I wasn’t gonna do it. I had a plan, I was speaking to the police, but then he started burning my son, and I had no choice. No time. I needed that money so I could pay Jay and he’d give me back my kids.”

I had no idea what Tex had done to the bastard, but I hoped he hadn’t had him killed.

I wanted that honor.

“Fuck,” I snarled, and ran my hands through my hair.

Tex had left that out of the report and I knew exactly why.

Too close to home.

“Let’s start over,” I suggested.

“Why? It’s not like it’s gonna make a damn bit of difference. Tex is going to call back, tell us that he overreacted, and you’ll be on your way.”

Tex didn’t overreact—not ever.

Shit.

“Before he calls back, let’s sit and talk.”

“About what?”

“About what’s been goin’ on since you moved here.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong. I work and come home. I talk to nobody. I pick up and drop off my kids at daycare and that’s it.”

“Eva, please.” I tried to gentle my tone as much as I could, but with all the hate that had taken root I didn’t think I accomplished it.

Eva sighed and made her way to an armchair facing the couch with a coffee table between them. She wanted distance between us and I didn’t blame her. I’d been a dick, but then that was me. It was no secret within my team that I was the asshole.

I waited until she was seated before I sat on the couch and continued. “That’s not exactly true. I saw you talking to the woman who dropped her wallet. And yesterday, you went to an elderly lady’s house to deliver groceries.”

“Mrs. Wyman? She just had knee surgery and can’t get to the store. Her son comes over to take care of her but he works. She’s a kind woman. Since I work at the grocery store, I offered to make deliveries.”

Why did I have the feeling that Eva would’ve offered even if she hadn’t worked at the store?

“So, you do talk to people—”