After the Storm (KGI #8)(96)

His sisters-in-laws’ words floated back to her. The same words she’d heard from others since coming to this place. Donovan had a soft spot for women and children. But especially children. The statement had always been qualified by that addition.

Especially children.

He hadn’t been in love with her. He hadn’t cared about her. He loved Cammie and Travis. He cared about them. He wanted to protect them. Eve was just the extra baggage.

He wanted a family. Children. But he didn’t want her. And that hurt more than she should have allowed it to.

Tears burned where before she’d been too numb to feel, to absorb the swift shock of pain and devastation that had swept over her as Donovan had calmly plotted her downfall. How easily she’d fallen into his hands. Easy. Too easy. She’d given him everything. Herself. Her trust. Her virginity.

Her love.

And all he wanted from her was the children.

She closed her eyes as she reached Sophie’s door, too undone to simply walk in and pretend that nothing had happened. That her world hadn’t just tilted on its axis and left destruction in its wake.

She thought back over every encounter with Donovan. It was always about the children. His concern had been for them first and foremost. Eve was just collateral damage. Someone he had to deal with in order to secure Cammie and Travis’s future.

What was she supposed to do?

Her first thought was to run. To take Cammie and Travis and run as far and as fast as she could and never stop again. Never trust another soul. But . . .

She bowed her head, trying to get control of her raging emotions. They couldn’t see her like this. They’d know. Cammie and Travis would know. And she couldn’t let them find out what she’d heard.

The but was that Cammie and Travis were better off here with him. No matter what kind of bastard it made him to turn on her, to sacrifice her for her siblings. Hadn’t it been what she was willing to do? Whatever she had to do to secure their future, she’d been willing to do. Even if it meant sacrificing her own.

But she could not—would not—go meekly back to Walt. She would not let herself be handed over like some sacrificial lamb. Donovan would protect Cammie and Travis. He may have betrayed her trust, but she knew he wouldn’t betray theirs. There was conviction in his voice when he spoke to his brothers. No reason for him to lie when she wasn’t there to hear. The truth rang in his words. He did love Cammie and Travis. And he wouldn’t allow Walt to take them away. Maybe it made her stupid to believe anything good of him, but she believed wholeheartedly that of the two choices, Walt or Donovan, Donovan was the better choice for her brother and sister.

But she wasn’t Donovan’s choice.

Grief welled in her heart, nearly choking her as a knot grew in her throat.

She couldn’t stay here. She had to go. But how would she accomplish it? How soon did Donovan plan to calmly hand her over to her stepfather? How much time did she have to come up with a plan of action?

And God, how could she possibly say good-bye to her only family? To the two people she loved most in the world and the only two people who loved her? How could she leave them with a man who’d so callously lie to and manipulate a woman who was at her most vulnerable?

The lesser of the two evils. It was how she had to look at the matter. She knew Walt would abuse them. No matter what Donovan had done to her, no matter how badly he played her, she knew deep down that he wasn’t capable of hurting Cammie or Travis.

Just her.

And that hurt. God, it hurt more than she wanted to admit to herself. She loved him. And he’d totally shit on that love. All that flowery bullshit about treasuring her gift of virginity. How he must have laughed himself silly over her naïveté. But no, even in her anger and devastation, she didn’t truly believe he got any real enjoyment out of betraying her. He was ruthless, yes. Perfectly capable of doing whatever was necessary to achieve his goal. She was a mission and he’d made it clear that when he took on a mission, he won.

He’d won, all right. He’d won what he wanted. Children. His own family. He just hadn’t wanted her to be a part of that family.

And now she had to walk inside this house and pretend to his family, a family she’d foolishly believed she’d be a part of, that her heart wasn’t breaking into a million jagged pieces.

CHAPTER 29

“EVE! Why are you back so quickly?” Sophie asked in a startled voice when Eve entered the living room.

It had taken every bit of strength Eve possessed to compose herself enough to calmly walk into Sophie’s living room and act as though nothing was wrong.

Eve sank onto the couch before her legs gave out or gave her away by shaking uncontrollably. She mustered what she hoped was an abashed, slightly rueful smile.

“I couldn’t do it,” she lied. “I promised to trust him. He told me he’d tell me his plan once we were alone. Later. I want to give that chance to him.”

And then she wondered if he did plan to tell her anything. Or would he lie? Perhaps it had been a misunderstanding and he’d explain everything later.

Don’t be stupid.

She was already trying to justify his words. She had to snap out of it and think on her feet. Fast.

“Where did you go, Evie?” Travis asked with a frown. “I looked up and you were gone.”

“I just needed some fresh air,” she said, her second lie. “My head was hurting. Maybe I overdid it or perhaps I’m not as over the bump to my noggin as I thought I was.”