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“No, I don’t,” he says, calmly. “Too many things are not adding up. The blonde woman, the motivation.”
“He had motivation—”
“Thomas Richards had no motivation to go after Eve. He knew he was being watched. I sent him a reminder every month of that fact. He wouldn’t have gone after Eve unless he had stood to lose everything and more. He had been manipulated into this. Somebody wanted to see him go after Eve and hurt her.”
“You’re saying there’s still someone out there?” I whisper hoarsely.
Elijah stands up and faces me. “You’ve become too soft. In your affection for Eve, you’ve become too lax. You should have been able to see this. I’ve always told you to never let your emotions cloud your judgment. You should have taken care of Thomas the minute you heard about him. You should have looked into Eve’s past if it meant protecting her.”
“I wanted her to trust me!” I bark, his harsh words hitting me below the belt.
“And look where that got you.” Elijah narrows his eyes. “Eve knows the kind of man you are. You know the kind of man you are. If you can’t even protect your own family, what use are you?”
I flinch, and my father continues, ruthlessly. “I have provided you resources, training. I can do everything but do what you’re supposed to do. I kept your woman and your child safe for you, all these years. A few months in your presence and so much damage has been done to them.”
“Stop it,” a hoarse voice hisses making us both whip our heads to see Eve glaring at Elijah. “That’s enough, Elijah.”
“Eve,” I quickly move to her. “How’re you feeling?”
She is still glaring at my father. “Like someone beat me up.” She turns her head to me. “Can I have some water?”
Her voice is raspy, and I take out a cool water bottle from the mini fridge and, inserting a straw into it, I set it in front of her lips. She parts them and takes small sips.
Once she is done, she makes a small sound that sounds like a ‘thanks.’
“Everything hurts,” she moans when she tries to move, and I immediately stop her. “Don’t move.”
“You have three broken ribs and some internal bleeding,” Elijah informs her.
“Oh, is that all?” Eve says, sarcastically, weakness in her eyes.
He gives her a look that has her glancing away. “You would do well with some rest. Might I suggest a vacation? I have a villa up in—”
“I don’t want a damned vacation,” Eve hisses. “I want this whole thing to end. And stop ragging on Zayn to be more like you. The world can hardly handle one of you! And he’s fine the way he is!”
Her voice ends on a croak, and I put a hand on her shoulder. “Easy now. I can fight my own battles, darling.”
“No, you can’t,” she bites at me. “You were going to let him talk to you like that!”
If she had the strength to hit me, I could see it in her eyes that she would have.
She suddenly grips a fistful of my shirt and drags me to her with strength that she should not have had. Our faces just mere centimeters apart, she hisses, “I like you the way you are. Don’t listen to him.”
I put a hand gently on her fist. “Okay. Okay. I hear you. Will you let me call the nurse now?”
She releases me, and I see the strain the action has taken from her.
A nurse comes in a few moments later and Eve refuses to let me move from her side even as her vitals are taken. If I didn’t know any better, I would think she is trying to protect me from Elijah.
The idea is both amusing and sobering.
“Well, Miss Taylor.” The nurse looks cheerful. “A few more days under our care and you’ll be able to go back home.”
Eve’s eyes follow her, and I see the pain on her face. Then she looks at me. “Mila?”
“She’s safe,” I tell her. “She’s with Charlotte, Sarah, and Ian. They won’t let anyone near her.”
Her eyes flutter shut, and I see the relief in them before they do.
