Chaotic (L.O.R.D.S. #7) — Chapter no 73

SEV ENTY-THREE

EV ERETT

sit in Kashton’s car while “Power Over Me” by Dermot KennedyI plays softly through the speakers and I hold my cell in my hand.

I’m try ing to get the courage to make the phone call I don’t want to make. I knew it would be this way. That I’d choose him. It wasn’t even a question.

He has more to live for than me. I won’t be the reason he wastes his life. I have no fu ture. He has everything. Even if he doesn’t see it that way.

I look down at my wedding ring and a sense of pride washes over me. To be called his. Even if it was for such a short time.

The vows we took don’t mean any less just because we didn’t spend years together.

Glancing at the clock on the dash, I see I’ve got twenty minutes.

It’s now or never.

Licking my lips, I go to his contact and press Call. The song stops and the sound of his cell ringing fills the speakers.

“Hey, an gel. Where you at?” His voice hits my ears, and tears in‐ stantly sting my eyes. “You were supposed to be back an hour ago.

Everything go okay?”

I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to buy myself some more time. “I—” I can’t get the words out. I close my eyes, slam ming the back of my head against the head rest, mad at myself for being so weak.

“Eve?” His voice has changed from welcoming to worried. “Everett, where are you?” Kashton demands this time.

Sniffling, I’m able to whisper, “I’m sorry.”

“Eve,” he growls. “Where the fuck are you? I’m not going to ask you again.”

I manage a smile through the tears that silently fall. Always so bossy. “Please know this is my choice.”

He tries to video call me when I see my face on the screen. I hit De cline. Hearing me fall apart is one thing. Watching it is another. I don’t want him seeing me like this to be the last memory he has of me.

“Angel,” he sighs. “Please. Tell me where you are. I’m coming. Just tell me where I’m going.” I hear him snapping his fin gers and whis‐ pering, “Eve.”

I can only imag ine he’s pointing at his cell telling Haidyn and Saint that I’m on the phone. And then Kashton speaks to them. “Bar ring‐ ton.”

Looking up out of the window, I see the univer sity. I’m sitting in the north parking lot. I knew he’d be able to track me. If I didn’t want him to find me, then I wouldn’t have called him. It’s either on my cell or in his car. Either way, I’m here for a reason.

“We’re coming,” he tells me.

It’ll be too late. “I love you.”

“Don’t,” he growls. “Don’t pull this shit now, Eve. We’ll be there —”

“It’s okay,” I interrupt him. I’ve accepted my fate. It was al ways go‐ ing to be this way.

“I can save you,” he rushes out, and my chest tightens at the thought of leaving him alone. “What ever it is. Whatever has hap‐ pened…I can save you.”

I smile through the tears. “You al ready have. Don’t you see that, Kash? You have shown me what it feels like to be loved.” He has saved me from myself. For so long I felt I didn’t deserve this life.

That I would die alone. At least now I get to die for a good cause.

“No—”

“This is all I can give you.” The truth hurts as much as a lie would.

Be cause I wish I could give him more. The family and life he de‐ serves. “This is my purpose.” To save him. “You’re my purpose,” I re‐ mind him.

“Listen to me, Eve.” His voice is cold. He’s mad at me. I get it. But it won’t change my mind. “We are on our way. Just stay right where you’re at, and we’ll discuss this. Whatever it is, the guys and I will take care of it. Okay? You’ll be okay. I’ll keep you safe.”

I smile at the thought of how much he wants to pro tect me. He’ll make a great father some day. I re gret it won’t be me who gives him kids. “Sometimes you have to hurt the one you love,” I say, quoting what his mother once said to him. “I love you.”

“EVE—”

I hang up and toss my phone out the window before I drive off. I al ready spent too much time telling him goodbye. They’ll be here

soon looking for me.

KASHTON “Goddammit,” I shout, throw ing my cell into the dashboard of the

Escalade.

“Yeah, she’s at Bar rington…”

I tune Saint out in the back seat on speaker phone with Tyson. I’m try ing to rack my brain and figure out what the fuck is going on.

What the fuck has happened since she left Carnage earlier? What have I missed? Who is after her? I thought I had taken care of this when Hai dyn killed the girl. Who has she spoken to that has put Eve’s life in danger?

I got comfortable playing house with her. Thinking that some vows would change our life and make it a better world for us to be in to‐ gether.

Adam assured me that the cops had backed off. For now. They needed more evidence. It can’t be them.

The Lords al ways want what you have. Nothing is sa cred. Not to

them, and there fore not to us.

“Kash?”

I bend down and grab my phone where it lies between my boots on the floorboard, and I call her again.

It rings five times be fore going to voice mail. “Hey—”

I hang up and call her again. “Pick up, angel. Pick up.” I will her to answer her damn phone, but again, nothing.

“Kash?”

I drop the phone to my lap and run my hands through my hair. I’m shaking. I’m not sure if it’s from anger or fear, but I can’t stop it.

“Kashton!” A hand hits my shoulder, and I look over to see Haidyn speak ing to me. His lips are moving, but I can’t hear anything.

I’ve gone numb. All I can think about is getting to her so I can wring her neck for telling me goodbye. Why would she do it over the phone like that? Eve isn’t a coward. No. My wife is strong and says what’s on her mind. No matter if you want to hear it or not.

“Kashton, man, are you listening to me?”

I blink and notice we’ve come to a stop. “Where is she?” I demand, looking out the window to see we’re in a parking lot at Bar rington.

It’s a Saturday night. There’s not a soul here other than us. All the college kids are out and about getting fucked up.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. She’s not here.”

No. No. No. This can’t be happening. It’s like a bad dream. I look at my cell. It shows she’s here. “The tracker is on her phone.” I never put one on her. Rookie mistake. I should have held her down and put one in her neck. “Her cell is here.”

I shove the passenger door open and get out of the SUV. I call up her number and listen as it starts to ring to my right. I run toward a small patch of grass. Dropping to my knees, I pick up her cell to see KASH TON lighting up the screen.

“Fuck,” I say through gritted teeth. Closing my eyes, I tighten my hold on her cell.

“Where the fuck is she?” Haidyn demands and then snaps at Saint, “Call Tyson. Tell them not to come here. We need to spread out.

Cover more ground.”

She played me. She came here, called me to say goodbye, allowed me to track her, and then ditched her cell. She knew I’d come run‐ ning right to her.

“Where the fuck do I tell him to go?” Saint asks, holding his arms out wide and looking over the dimly lit parking lot.

That’s the million-dollar ques tion.Where the fuck are you, an gel?

I call up Adam. He’s the only one I can think of right now that

might know something.

“Hey—”

“Has the detective picked up Eve?” I interrupt him. Maybe things have changed and she’s run ning from them.

“What? No. Not that I know of. Why?”

“She just called me and told me goodbye. She was upset and

sounded…”

“Sounded what?”

“Suicidal,” I answer, hanging my head.Sometimes you have to hurt the one you love was what my mother told me before she killed her‐ self. Haidyn was right. I should have done more to help Eve. I thought I could fix whatever was wrong through, what? Sex. Talking about our feelings? Bullshit. It didn’t help one fuck ing bit. I ignored the signs, and now she’s going to be gone. “We tracked her phone to Bar rington but she’s not here.”

I can tell he’s driving because I can hear the background noise from his Bluetooth. “I’ll make a call and let you know what I find out.”

Hanging up, I look around Bar rington. I pray that my wife is plan‐ ning on getting arrested. That’s something I can fix.