Page 22 of Unmasked

“It’s time for you to accept responsibility for your actions. Do you want to be the one responsible for ruining his future? End this now and move on. But mark my words, Everleigh…”

He gave a little shake of his head as he stared at her. “Defy me, and he'll go to jail. Vivi will go into foster care. Do you have any idea what that will be like for her?”

Everleigh swallowed hard, fighting against the tears that threatened. She couldn’t bring herself to respond, but her father didn’t seem to notice or care.

“And the Castillo boy—even if he doesn’t go to jail, he’ll never get into the Marines, never get a job in this town. Do you understand me?”

Everleigh hated her father in that moment, but there was nothing she could do. She nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.”

Her father stared at her for several seconds, and his image blurred as hot tears burned the backs of her eyes. She refused to let him see her cry, though. She bit her tongue, focusing on the sharp pain to push away the tears.

After what seemed like forever, he finally nodded. “You should get some rest.”

Everleigh felt numb, like the blood had suspended in her veins, halting the beat of her heart. So much had happened in such a short period of time that she had trouble reconciling everything. Slowly, like it belonged to someone else, she lifted her hand and placed it on her flat stomach. Her baby was gone. Their baby was gone. The thought of Knox brought tears to her eyes.

It was an impossible situation. Lie to him and lose him, or tell him the truth and risk her father’s wrath. There wasn’t an option. Her father held all the power; he knew she wouldn’t put Knox or Vivi in jeopardy like that. There was only one choice to make.

It felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest as the tears came hard and fast. She curled onto her side, palm pressed to the space where her baby had been just a few hours earlier. In one fell swoop, she had lost everything that ever mattered. And nothing would ever be the same.

CHAPTER

TWELVE

PRESENT

Butterflies battered the inside of her stomach as Everleigh turned into the driveway and parked in front of a pretty ranch. She knew she was in the right place because trucks were parked in the grass, crowding the front yard.

Her gaze roved over them eagerly, wondering if Knox was there already. Just the thought had her heart beating faster. She was torn between desperately wanting to talk to him and being terrified at the same time of potentially seeing him with someone else.

She wiped a sweaty palm on the leg of her shorts as she stepped from the car. The cupcakes she had made with Lettie the night before rested on the floor in the backseat, and she grabbed the container before making her way to the front door. Her stomach clenched as she lifted her hand to knock.

God. What was she doing? What if Knox was there with another woman? It would rip her apart. She knew she had no room to be upset, but she couldn’t help it. So much of her wanted to go to him, to tell him the truth—all of it. She had lost his trust that day, and he had avoided her ever since. Even when she had to stop in to Vantage, he had sequestered himself in his office or been conspicuously absent. Mason never said anything, but she had a feeling he knew she had been watching for Knox.

Laughter and the sound of voices lilted on the air, and she dropped her hand to her side. Deciding to follow them instead, she made her way around the house to the backyard. Immediately several sets of eyes fell on her, and the men pinned her with wary gazes, assessing her for threats.

Offering a shaky smile, she allowed her gaze to rove the sea of faces, searching for anyone familiar. But the one person she really wanted to see wasn’t there. A twinge of despair rocketed through her, and she forced it down as she continued her sweep of the yard.

Up on the porch, Mason lifted a hand her way from the grill he was manning. He shut the lid and hopped down the steps to make his way over to her. “Hey, glad you came.”

“I brought cupcakes,” she offered.

“Cool, thanks. Can’t have too many desserts.”

She returned his smile as he took them from her hands and led her toward the group. Her stomach churned with nervousness and anxiety as they all studied her curiously.

“I want you guys to meet Everleigh.” Mason gestured to her. “She's new to town and I'm working detail for her right now. Thought she could use some good vibes.”

A pretty, petite brunette peeled herself away from a towering man and smiled as she held out a hand. “Hi, Everleigh, I’m Hannah.”

Her quiet voice and sweet demeanor began to put Everleigh at ease. “Thanks for inviting me.”

The man, who she assumed was her boyfriend, turned to her next. “Luke.”

She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

The next couple of minutes were a whirlwind of faces and names she tried to commit to memory: Jaxon, Adalyn, and their little girl, Jaclyn; Audrey and Carter; Maya and Aiden; two other operatives, Noah Sheffield and Zane Callahan.