Page 3 of Alex

“Who did they send?”

“Eidolon.”

Evelyn nodded slowly as her heart beat faster. Eidolon were the go-to for the government and especially the Monarchy, so it made sense. They also had the best reputation in the business of Black Ops which was what she had just become.

“Okay.” She turned to leave.

“Evelyn,” Roz called, and she turned back to face Roz. “It was Jack who warned me, but they only have forty-eight hours to deliver and then the contract will go wide. He will set a tail on you though if he hasn’t already. If you want to lose them be careful and avoid a certain sexy Cuban hunk.”

“Don’t worry. I have a feeling I’m the last person he wants to see after New Year’s Eve.”

Roz inclined her head and studied her. Evelyn felt her chest tighten. “Hmm, well let’s get you safe and worry about the rest later.”

Leaving the Zenobi offices after collecting her burner phone and a fully equipped go-bag from Pax, Evelyn hustled to her car feeling eyes on her again and knowing in her heart it wasn’t Alex or Eidolon.

It didn’t take longfor her to realise she still had her tail. Moving to the car she watched the road as she pulled out. It wouldn’t have been obvious to others. Someone with no training would have put it down to coincidence that the same vehicle was behind them still. Evelyn got a quick look at the car and its driver. He wasn’t someone she recognised. It didn’t take much skill to lose the silver VW Golf tailing her, and before long Evelyn was on a private flight. As she settled back against the warm leather of the seat her mind drifted. Eidolon was hunting her and if they had anything about them, they would send Alex. Alex, the man she’d hardly dared let herself think about. She tilted her head back and recalled their exchange and confrontation on New Year’s Eve.

“Alex!”

Fuck! She heard the desperate note in her voice, his name so bittersweet on her lips. Memories of saying his name when they were so much younger. Even after all this time she could hear the sexy sound of his voice in her head as he called her mi nena—my girl. Her hands clinging to him as he watched her with a look of love so intense in his eyes it almost hurt.

“Please, Alex,” she said and the scent of him—spice and patchouli with accents of leather and underneath something that was all Alex—wrapped around her like a drug holding her frozen.

She saw his shoulders stiffen, his back going rigid before he turned around. “What can I do for you, Siren?” he asked his voice cold, the tone of it hurting more than she thought it would even though she had been expecting it.

“I just wanted to say how well you look and it’s really good to see you.” She felt like an inarticulate idiot and immediately wanted to snatch the impersonal words back.

“Really? After fifteen years of me believing you were dead you want to make nice?” She could hear the derision in his voice and couldn’t help the wince she gave at his curt words.

“Look, I know you’re angry,” she began and then paused trying to gather her thoughts, “but I missed you.” She reached out to touch his arm as if her hand didn’t belong to her. Just one touch and she was thrown back fifteen years. Her body remembered how he felt and how he made her feel. She ached for him, yearned for him. Every shield she’d ever had tumbled down as she touched the man she had never stopped loving.

“I’m not angry and honestly I hardly thought about you,” he said hitting out at her verbally, causing her more pain in one sentence than anyone ever had with a physical blow. Evelyn pulled her hand back as if burned, her pain morphing into anger—an act of protection she had perfected long ago to keep her sanity intact.

“Fine, if that is how you want to play it, fine, but I had my reasons for doing what I did. Looks like both of us changed. You used to be the sweetest, most wonderful man I knew and now you’re an arrogant, hurtful prick like all the rest. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She could feel colour rise on her cheeks, the careful check on her temper and her pain a delicate veil right at that moment.

With that she turned and blinked away the moisture she would not allow anyone to see and with her head held high walked away from the love of her life, her soul mate, for the second time. It didn’t hurt any less than the first time.

Evelyn cameawake as the plane began to descend, the memory in her head making her ache. But right now, she had no time for memories or regrets. She was in a fight for her survival and she knew exactly where she had to go and what she had to do. Squaring her shoulders, Evelyn gathered her bag, zipped up her quilted jacket and exited the plane.