“You’re not going without backup. Take Jake and Adam and that’s an order.”
But Ian had forgotten one tiny truth. “You’re not my boss. You’re not my CO, and if you want me to walk, this is the way to get it done.”
He started for the door. There wasn’t anything left to say.
“Alex, please take Jake and Adam.”
Fuck. Ian almost never asked politely. “I can’t. If she spooks easily, I’ll lose the chance.”
“All right. Don’t you dare go in unarmed.”
Like he would do that. “I’m good.”
“Alex?”
When the fuck had Ian gotten so chatty? “Yeah?”
“She needs you. She needs you to be her Dom more than she needs someone to avenge her. She needs you to take the reins because she can’t let go of this on her own. She needs her husband.”
But he wasn’t her husband anymore. He was her part-time lover and full-time therapy session. He wondered if she even saw him now or if all she saw was how he’d failed her time and time again. Alex let the door close behind him.
Revenge was all he had left.
* * * *
Eve stopped at the front desk. Grace wasn’t around, but there was a massive bouquet of flowers taking up most of the space. Gorgeous calla lilies.
Eve whistled a little. Those must have cost a fortune. What the hell had Sean done?
And then she saw there was a card attached.
Ian Taggart
She rolled her eyes. Some sub was trying to get in good with the Master. Whoever it was, they were barking up the wrong tree. Flowers wouldn’t impress Ian. No. If you wanted to impress Ian Taggart, you better have a six-pack in your hand or a shiny new gun.
Those poor subs at Sanctum didn’t really have a chance with Ian. He needed a woman who could physically put him on his ass. She was pretty sure that was the only way to bring down the man. A woman who could outthink him, out manipulate him, outplay him. That was the only way to nab Big Tag.
“Eve, I thought you were going to breakfast with Liam.” Alex stood in the doorway of the conference room. His eyes widened on her, and he shifted the stack of folders from one hand to another.
And immediately Eve was suspicious. “I had some reports to file and some personality profiles to complete. Ian’s looking to hire some office personnel. Li is coming to pick me up in about twenty minutes.”
Alex nodded. “That’s good. Traffic is rough right now.”
Traffic was always miserable, but even if it had been light, she knew Alex would rather someone drove her. Not because she wasn’t a good driver, but Alex preferred that someone watch over her.
It just couldn’t be him.
Because she was stubborn and couldn’t find a way out of the corner she’d put them both in.
He stood there staring at her. When he looked at her like that, like she was the only woman in the whole world, she wanted to walk into his arms and pretend like the last six years hadn’t happened.
“Was there a meeting I didn’t know about?” She tried to catch a glimpse of the name on his folders, but they were blank.
He moved them, sliding them under his arm. “I wanted to go over a few things with Ian. Just bouncing around some ideas I have on an open job.”
Work. They could talk about work. Sometimes she suspected they both came up with the thinnest of reasons to ask each other for advice. At least she knew she did. It was an excuse to be in the same room with him.
Do you need an excuse? You said you needed time. He gave you time. How long can this go on?
“Do you want to run it by me?”
He shook his head. “No. I think I can handle this one. What the hell did Sean do?”
He stepped up and looked at the flowers.
“They’re not for Grace,” she said.
“Phoebe? Phoebe is dating someone? Phoebe barely talks. I can’t imagine her dating someone.”
Phoebe Graham was the accounting girl. She typically hid in her office. She was terrified every time she found herself in a room with Ian or Alex. Sometimes Eve thought the only reason Phoebe had taken the job was because Ian had told her she was hired and she was afraid of not showing up for work. “Nope.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Someone’s sending you flowers?”
Well, she was the only other woman in the office. It was a decent bet. “No. They’re for Ian.”
Alex laughed a little, his shoulders relaxing. “Should have sent him a six-pack.” He walked over and his free hand briefly touched the blooms. “They remind me of our wedding. We had white flowers, too.”
They had been all over the church. She’d stood at the end of the aisle and looked up. Alex and Ian and Sean had been giant predators dropped into a dainty white garden. She’d been so proud, so fascinated with her groom.
God, she still was.
Alex McKay was still the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. And lately, it was so much easier to forget all the reasons she had for keeping her emotional distance from him.
Unfortunately, she remembered another incident where she’d received white flowers. “I don’t like them now. They remind me of my hospital room.”
He’d filled her hospital room with white flowers, giving her gifts, but turning away from her.
“Eve,” Alex began. He cleared his throat. “I’ll make sure Ian gets them, though he’ll probably just throw them out.”
He picked up the vase and card, juggling them with his file folders.
“Do you want me to take the folders?”
He backed up. “No. I’m fine. You have a good time with Liam. Speak of the devil. Hey, man, how’s it going?”
She turned and sure enough, Liam O’Donnell was walking up behind her. He nodded Alex’s way. “Morning. Evie, are you ready to go?”
She nodded as she watched Alex struggle with everything he was carrying, but she didn’t offer to help again. He would just say no. He would rather drop everything than admit he needed help. She sighed and turned to Liam.
Twenty minutes later, Eve looked at Avery and wondered if she’d ever been that young and in love. Though Avery was only ten years younger, that was just a number. Avery’s innocence couldn’t be measured by years. It went deep into her soul. Avery had lost everything at a young age and still her eyes were bright as she turned to her husband.
She often wondered how Avery would have handled being in Eve’s position. Avery wouldn’t have broken the way Eve had. Avery likely would have walked away with a bruised body, but with her heart still capable of love. Avery, it seemed to Eve, was indestructible.