Wretched (Never After Series)(21)

Eveline’s entire persona shifts in an instant. She tilts her head to the side and smiles. “Come again?”

“Why don’t you give us a minute?” Liam continues.

Clearly, Liam doesn’t see the change.

Eveline places her dainty hands on top of the large mahogany desk, dropping her head and shaking it back and forth as she closes her eyes, mouthing what look like numbers.

“Come on, Evie. You don’t need to listen to all this,” he tries again, winking at her this time. “I know you like to play boss when Skip’s not around, but this is guy stuff, okay?”

Her eyes crack open and sharpen like a blade as she grabs a couple of envelopes from the corner of the desk and a silver letter opener before walking toward the door. “Sure, my bad.”

My brows rise, surprised she withered so quickly, but I should have known better. She reaches Liam and shoves him forcefully into the wall, using her entire body to pin him, the letter opener pressing into his crotch, and the skinny heel of those boots she’s always wearing stabbing into his foot.

He pushes back against her, his hands at her shoulders, and I move to jump between them, but quickly realize there’s no need. She subdues him easily.

It’s actually quite a comical sight, a short girl not even clearing five-two with a tall man well over six feet at her mercy.

I sit back, half in disgust at what she’s capable of and the other half in awe of the power she’s suddenly exuding.

“You know,” she starts. “I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to cut off a man’s testicles.”

He jerks again, but she shifts her weight, her pointy heel digging into his foot until he groans from the pain. His hands tense at his sides, but even he isn’t stupid enough to try anything while she has a sharp blade against his dick.

She tilts her head. “Should I try it on you?”

“Evie, come on. Don’t lose it right now.” His voice is strained. “Your dad will kill me if I have to hurt you.”

“Lose it? I’m not losing anything,” she says, glancing over at me. “People seem to think I have problems with impulse control. Can you believe that?”

She laughs, and I’m frozen, stuck halfway in my seat and halfway to standing, the burning in my thighs nothing close to the panic swirling through my middle and surging to my throat.

Liam’s eyes flick to me, and I… I don’t know what the fuck to do. I should stop whatever this is, the right thing to do is to stop it, but the other part of me, perhaps the more vindictive part, wants to let it play out. Stepping in is a risk. One that I can’t afford to take.

“Oh no,” she coos to Liam. “Brayden can’t help you. He’s assured me that he’s incredibly adept at following directions.” Her hand presses the letter opener farther into Liam’s crotch. “Isn’t that right, pup?”

He whimpers.

“Apologize,” she demands.

“I’m sorry,” he rasps.

She tsks. “Just like a man. Giving the bare minimum and expecting us to be satisfied. Say it like you mean it, Liam, and maybe you won’t leave this room a eunuch.”

He gulps. “I’m sor-sorry, Evie. I was wrong. I won’t disrespect you again.”

She reaches up and pats his cheek twice. “Good boy.”

When she lets him go, she spins around and moves away quickly, not bothering to keep her eyes on him, like she’s completely confident he won’t seek retribution at her back.

My eyes, however, don’t leave him for a second. Just to make sure.

He doesn’t. He just clears his throat and adjusts his rumpled clothing as he straightens from the wall.

Walking back toward the desk, she flips the letter opener through her fingers, flashing me a grin. Liam and I are stone silent, and it doesn’t take long for her to notice.

She cackles and I swear no other sound has ever sent a chill through me quite like it.

“Oh, calm down. I was only kidding. It’s like you said, Liam. I’m only here to do Dad’s books. I’ll leave the ‘business’ up to you big, strong men.” Her eyes flick to my bandaged wrist. “You clearly handle it so well.”

She grins again, that same thin smile with no teeth and blazing eyes that she always gives, and I realize then that Eveline Westerly is not one of the good guys.

And she absolutely cannot be saved.





10





EVELINE





I’ve been thinking constantly about how I snapped on Liam—in front of Brayden—two nights ago. It was stupid of me, and now Brayden looks at me differently.

Where before he was quick to follow, irritating me with his smirk and his stupid questions, now he keeps his distance.

Considering I don’t like him anyway, it doesn’t bother me.

What bothers me is the fact he’s practically moved in and become another extension of the Westerly family. He’s just always around, hanging out with Zeke or whispering things into my sister’s ear, and when he isn’t with either of them, he’s doing runs for my dad, collecting dues from businesses or helping keep our low-level dealers in line.

My father seems to have zero issues trusting him, which, quite frankly, blows my fucking mind because my dad is notoriously paranoid. He always has been, and that increased tenfold when he got out of the pen and realized Nessa had changed the landscape of our name where he failed the first time around. He’s hesitant to bring on new people or partners and even more protective of who gets direct access to him. And to Dorothy.