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As Evan listened, his grip on my hand tightened, the heat radiating from him intensifying. A sudden chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong. It was as if I could feel the dragon within him stirring, ready to protect us at all costs.
“Are you sure?” Evan grimaced. “Keep me updated. We'll take care of it.”
Evan hung up and let out a frustrated growl.
“What is it?” I said, gripping his thigh. “Has something happened?”
The muscle in his jaw ticked when he stared at me, and actual fear shone in his eyes. “Rosalind requested transport off the island. Sebastian thinks she's heading our way.”
“What? Are you sure?” A heavy knot formed in my stomach when he nodded. Rosalind's sudden appearance was the last thing we needed, especially on the eve of the custody hearing, and my mind raced with questions. “Do you think she’s breaking the deal? Will she try to take Sofia, after all?”
Evan's eyes briefly burned gold at the suggestion. “She can try, but I won't let that happen. She’ll never take our child.”
His conviction reverberated through me and calmed some of my fears. Evan would do anything to protect our family, and so would I. We might not know what Rosalind was planning, but she wouldn’t catch us unprepared.
As the city flashed by outside the window, I gripped Evan's hand. We were stronger than any threat that dared to come between us and our family. It was time to put an end to this once and for all.
Chapter 23
Evan
I paced the length of the penthouse, clenching and unclenching my fists as I waited for any news on Rosalind's whereabouts. Anger simmered inside me like a fire about to consume everything in its path, my dragon’s fury burning through me. Every minute that passed without an update only fueled my rage. How could we let Rosalind fool us? Sebastian had lost track of her once she left the island. How could she just disappear like smoke in the wind?
Feeling like I might come right out of my skin, I pulled out my phone and called Sebastian’s head of security, who mainly reported to me while we were in town for the hearing.
“Any updates?” I said the minute he picked up.
“Nothing yet, sir,” came the reply. “We're still looking.”
“Keep searching,” I answered with a growl before hanging up.
My bad mood followed me out the door and into the car as Mariah and I headed to court. She looked worried, offering words of comfort and optimism, but my temper was getting the better of me.
“Everything will work out, Evan,” she said softly, placing a hand on my arm.
“Stop saying that,” I said with a snap. “Rosalind could be anywhere, and we have no clue if she'll even show up at court today. We’ve lost all the leverage we worked so hard to get.”
Everything—all the digging Sebastian had done, the meetings with Tomas’s cronies, our work to get Rosalind and Porter to safety—all of it meant nothing if Rosalind showed up in court and proceeded with the suit. Not knowing what to expect was putting me so on edge I could hardly restrain my temper.
Mariah glared, her light brown eyes flashing. “I understand you're under a lot of pressure, Evan, but don't forget that I'm on your side here. You need to check your attitude at the door because if you go into court with this mindset and Rosalind does show up, you might as well hand Sofia right over to her. The judge won’t take kindly to a raging beast of a man.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She was right. I needed to get my emotions in check, but it was so fucking hard when the fate of my daughter hung in the balance.
I took a deep breath and calmed myself. “I’m sorry, Mariah. You’re right. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
She grimaced. “Just keep it in check, Evan. Let's focus on what's important here. We're doing this for Sofia.”
I nodded, taking her hand in mine as I exhaled. Sofia was the one that mattered here. I wouldn't let her down. For her sake, I needed to keep a level head and fight for her future with everything I had.
“I’m sorry.” I wondered how she was still putting up with my temper these days.
“Apology accepted,” Mariah said, but her tone was still cool. I deserved that. I couldn’t blame her for being upset. I had let my anger get the better of me. Again.
We arrived at the courthouse, and my heart pounded. Outside the SUV, people milled about. I scanned the crowd, but there was no sign of Rosalind. Our security detail piled out of the vehicle, surrounding us as we made our way into the courthouse.
Once inside, the sterile smell of the building only added to my anxiety.
“Are you okay?” Mariah said, her eyes searching mine. “Are you going to be able to handle this?”
