Unfaithful (41 page)

“Tonight too?” I didn’t even bother to hide the dismay in my voice.

“You’ll find me at your side when you wake up,” he promised. “You won’t even notice I’m gone.” Holding back my disappointment, I tightened my lips. It was hard to believe his absence could go unnoticed. Whenever Evan left me alone the nightmares returned to haunt me. Everything I was living, everything I forced myself to repress during the day, came crashing down on me with full force. Still, I couldn’t blame that on him.

“I don’t want you to be alone, though. Things have changed and we can’t afford to run any risks. You’ll sleep at my place. Ginevra will stay with you and Drake will fill in for you.” I nodded, relieved. “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he whispered, stroking my hair. “You’re under our protection.”

“How are we going to get home?” I asked, concerned by the steady ticking of the rain against the walls of the hideaway.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already contacted Simon telepathically. He’s on his way. I tried to contact Drake too, but couldn’t find him. He must be . . . out somewhere. Let’s hope he gets back soon.”

Trying not to think of the words Evan had decided not to say, I started to get up but he pushed me down onto my back and held me tight. “Where do you think you’re going?” he whispered, a sly look on his face as he barred my way.

“I should get dressed, shouldn’t I?” I asked.

“Uh-uh,” he said. “Why should you? You look so good like this.” He kissed my neck and then my shoulder as his muscled arms flexed at my sides, holding me captive.

“Your scent drives me wild,” I said with a moan.

Evan smiled against my lips. “I never wear cologne.”

I shook my head, brushing my nose against his to challenge his statement. “It was the first thing I sensed when you used to sneak up on me.” His chain dangled between our bodies. I grasped it in my fingers and slowly drew his face closer to mine until my mouth was brushing his earlobe. “Do you want Simon to see me naked?” I whispered provocatively in his ear. Simon would be there any minute and all I had on were my panties.

Evan shook his head slightly and tightened his lips. “You know how to persuade me. I would hate to have to kill one of my brothers,” he said, breathing the words onto my skin. He kissed me again and fell silent, his eyes suddenly serious. “But there’s no limit to what I would do for you.”

I rested my forehead on his and we both smiled, our lips a breath away from each other. “I don’t think Ginevra would ever forgive you,” I warned.

Evan looked away, pretending to consider it. “You’re right, she wouldn’t. I have no choice but to give in.” Reluctantly, he lifted his hand from the floor and propped himself up on one arm, leaving me free. “You win.”

A smile still on my lips, I finished dressing just as the now-familiar hum of the BMW broke the steady sound of the pounding rain. Evan held me tight by the front door as if he wanted to keep me there with him. I kissed him and all of a sudden a terrible feeling gripped my stomach: once outside, I would have to face reality. I didn’t know what might happen after crossing that threshold, and as if that weren’t enough, Evan wouldn’t be with me tonight. I would have to face my demons on my own. Death was right around the corner, waiting for me. How much longer could I avoid a collision with destiny? No one could say—not even Evan.

The wooden door opened, admitting a gust of cool air that struck my still-warm face. I took a deep breath and crossed the threshold, taking shelter under the jacket Evan held over our heads. I could barely see where I was putting my feet until the sound of the rain was muffled by the stillness of the BMW’s interior.

“Gemma.” As Simon greeted me he glanced at my bloodstained clothes.

“Simon,” I replied, looking down, a bit embarrassed. For some strange reason I blushed, as if he could see in my face what had happened between me and Evan, though I knew it was impossible. Simon was always the last to know things. It was Ginevra I was worried about. While I was relieved Evan hadn’t asked her to pick us up, I couldn’t avoid her forever and wasn’t sure I could block my thoughts from her. No, I could never manage to do that. She would know everything the minute she saw us.

Simon and Evan fist-bumped and Simon shot him a sidelong glance. “Something go wrong? Where’s your car?” he asked his brother, his face serious.

From the back seat I saw Evan’s jaw tighten. “We have a bigger problem than the car,” he said somberly.

Simon laughed. “What could be more important to you than your car?”

Evan turned to look at him and Simon’s expression altered drastically. His eyes went wide. “They found her?” he whispered, looking horrified, still staring at Evan. He turned his eyes back to the road, his expression blank as Evan clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

Silence fell. The whole way home, the only sound was the tapping of the rain on the windshield. When Simon switched off the engine in the garage, nobody moved for a moment, all of us sunk into our seats in utter silence.

Simon was the first to speak. “Do you already have a plan?”

“Not yet,” Evan muttered.

“We need to tell the others.”

Evan nodded. “Gemma can’t be left alone.” His eyes sought Simon’s. The tone of his voice left no room for doubt: it was an order. Their eyes remained locked for another moment, making me guess that their conversation was continuing.

Simon quickly confirmed my suspicion, replying to a question I hadn’t heard, his tone firm. “It’s not going to happen.”

It wasn’t hard to imagine what he was referring to. After he’d left the garage, I couldn’t resist the urge to ask Evan. Climbing out of the car, I leaned against the door, knitting my brow. “What did you say to him?” I asked timidly, instantly feeling embarrassed for prying. My eyes wandered nervously around the garage, but my discomfort disappeared as soon as Evan cupped my face in his hands and leaned against me, pressing me against the car door.

“Just that they have to protect you.
At all costs
.”

Something in his eyes told me it wasn’t the whole truth, just like I knew he’d excluded me from their secret conversation to avoid upsetting me. I accepted his explanation, even though no matter how hard he’d tried to hide it from me I already knew the real answer. The words echoed inside me as if I’d heard them for myself:
I don’t want to lose her.

As Evan and I walked to the door hand in hand a single thought filled my mind: Ginevra. I could practically sense her champing at the bit in the room next to the garage, as if she were waiting for me just behind the door, anxious to hear the details. I knew her by now. Or maybe it was just my fear putting me on edge.

Evan seemed to notice and squeezed my hand as a little smile spread across his face, suggesting he realized the reason for my nervousness. “Don’t worry. It won’t be so bad,” he said, unsuccessfully trying to reassure me. The closer we got to the door, the faster my heart pulsed in my temples. He took the handle and opened the door. “After you,” he whispered.

Warily, I peered around the living room, but it was empty. Just as I began to breathe normally, a cascade of golden hair flowed down the stairs. Ginevra. She stopped on the last step, her hand still on the railing. My heart sank when her eyes rested on me and I had the feeling I was under scrutiny, like when the teacher asks you a question the one time you didn’t study. Why the hell did I always have to be so emotional? Ginevra’s mouth fell open slightly and the indecipherable expression on her face made me wish the earth would open beneath my feet and swallow me up. Her eyes shifted to Evan and back to me as I tried hard to act casual and block my thoughts, but it was no use.

About three seconds had gone by.

“Oh.” She closed her mouth, looking pleased. “So there’s been a change of plans.” Her eyes were glued to mine. I felt completely naked.

Evan let out a low laugh and his face hardened. “Gin, there’s no need for me to explain anything to you. Unfortunately I’ve been summoned.” He turned toward me as if to apologize. “I’m leaving her in your hands,” he said sternly, his eyes burning into his sister’s.

Ginevra nodded but Evan didn’t seem convinced that she understood how important this was.
“She can’t be left alone.”

“Don’t worry,” Ginevra said in a carefree tone, her eyes darting to mine. “We’ll have loads of fun.”

Evan’s expression relaxed. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me lightly on the lips. “I’ll be back soon,” he murmured. I nodded and he turned to take one last look at Ginevra. “Don’t torture her, okay?” he said with a wink.

A broad smile spread across his sister’s face. “Can’t promise you that,” she said to the now-empty wall. Evan had already vanished.

I nervously ran my fingers through my hair and looked down, another rush of embarrassment rising in me. Ginevra pounced on me and grabbed my hands. In the blink of an eye she’d pulled me up the stairs and into her room, looking like she was about to explode with enthusiasm. “For Lilith’s sake! What are you waiting for?! Tell me everything!” she exclaimed impatiently. For a second, the innocent, enthusiastic look on her face made me think of Peter. Her bedroom door closed behind us.

“Shh!” I warned, scanning the room.

“Sorry! How did it happen? I want to know
every last detail!”

I wasn’t used to talking about myself. I’d never liked doing it. Her eager face was waiting for me to answer. But why? Wasn’t probing my thoughts enough for her? “Why should I tell you what you already know?” I said awkwardly.

“Come on,” she pleaded. “Nothing like this has ever happened! Imagine being the only girl in an all-boys club for such a long time!”

I opened my mouth to speak but quickly closed it, unable to reply. Her eyes lit up expectantly as she sat down beside me on the bed. What could I tell her? I looked down, wondering exactly how red my cheeks were right then.

“You’re right, I always know everything,” she admitted, coaxing me with an angelic expression. “More than people want me to know. But sometimes it’s nice to hear someone simply
tell
me things. It’s nice to have someone decide of their own free will to share what’s on their mind with me.”

I shot her a reproachful glance. “In this case it’s not like I’m exactly
deciding
to tell you. You’re not giving me much choice,” I pointed out.

“A negligible detail! C’mon, please?” she said, taking my hands and growing serious. “What did you feel?” She waited, staring at me intently. She wasn’t being nosy, only conspiratorial. How could I explain to her what I’d felt? I couldn’t even conceive it myself. How could words express something so intense, so deep?

That afternoon with Evan had been all our own, and part of me didn’t want to give up even a little piece of it or share it with anyone else, but right now I felt a strange pressure in my chest. My bond with Ginevra was pushing me to indulge her. At long last, I had a girlfriend—no, Ginevra was more than that to me. I had a sister.

“It’s hard to explain what I felt,” I confessed. “It was like exploding and melting at the same time. And he—” My cheeks burned and I felt flushed again. “Evan was incredibly tender.”

Ginevra shot me a smile brimming with pride. “I’m so happy you’re part of our family. Evan is so different from how he used to be and it’s all thanks to you,” she said, piquing my curiosity.

“Really?”

“You can’t even imagine. Think of a soldier, a proud warrior, a merciless executioner, and you’ll have the exact picture of what Evan was like before he met you. You put a new light in his eyes. You brought him back to life. I’ve never seen him like this before.” Her voice was pensive, as though something she’d said had summoned a memory. “When I found Evan and looked him in the eye for the first time, his face held an emptiness I’ll never forget. It was like he’d lost everything, even himself. Over time that look was replaced by a tough, impenetrable mask, but occasionally that original part of him would resurface from behind his armor. You wiped that empty expression off his face forever. It’s like he’s finally found the place he belongs. When he met you I could see how desperate he was because he couldn’t understand what was going on. Deep down, right from the start I knew what would happen, because I recognized the storm of emotions in him that had hit me when I met Simon.” She snorted, amused by her own thoughts. “Honestly, I never imagined there could be one speck of romanticism in him. My God!” she exclaimed with a grin.

“Are we talking about the same Evan? He’s the sweetest person I could ever hope to meet.”

“Only with you,” she was quick to say. “He was always a tough guy, a fighter. Nothing could ever stop him, but with you it’s different. The way he looks at you, it’s . . .”

“Special?” I guessed.

“Unique,” Ginevra said.

“That’s what I feel for him too,” I admitted. Strangely, I wasn’t embarrassed any more; having this conversation with Ginevra seemed perfectly normal—comforting even. When she leaned forward to hug me, it was natural and instinctive for me to return the gesture. At the contact I felt the oddest sensation, like the tingle under your skin when you get an electric shock.