Mary Ann was replaced by another large, hulking guard. He would literally follow me everywhere, and I had no moment’s solitude. And, unlike in my first few months of pregnancy, I was rather large. I wouldn’t be able to run from this man to make a break for it, even if I wanted to.

  What was more, Nico hadn’t come for me yet.

  There were stirrings here and there that something was going on with the Esposito family. There were businesses being moved and sold and assets being consolidated. I knew that Nico had been moving for a cleaner-running family business—for the sake of our child. Is that what he was still busy on? Or had he simply moved on after I defied him?

  I missed him terribly, but didn’t have the ability to contact him. I was, for the first time in months, utterly and wholly alone, and it was far worse than the last time that I found myself imprisoned by my own father.

  “YOU’VE READ ALL YOUR cue cards, I assume?”

  “I have them memorized, father.”

  “And you know not to deviate? That off-the-cuff stuff only works in certain cases, and I had these crafted perfectly for this event.”

  “I know how to read and memorize cue cards, father. You taught me that well, remember, while you were teaching me how to be your mouth piece?”

  “Ever the pleasant bit of company, darling.”

  I rolled my eyes as one of my father’s assistants worked on my make-up. We were preparing for his recent charity event. It was supposed to offset the fact that my father was still under investigation—from what I found out, for fraud, extortion, and a decent bit of other illegal dealings and handlings. My father was doing a good job at trying to sweep things under the rug, having pulled a lot of strings to make the proceedings happen behind very, very closed doors and make it out like it was still through no fault of his own that this was happening to him. That it was, in fact, he that was being extorted. He was the victim.

  I could laugh.

  I didn’t, however, as the last bit of makeup was applied to my face. I was conservative enough to be demure, but done up enough to make people want to get to know me—according to my father.

  “Well, come on. Let’s go, Evelyn. The press isn’t going to make itself.”

  I don’t remember much of the speech. I had memorized the cue cards and recited them verbatim, making sure that I was putting enough emphasis and inflection on the right words that my father wouldn’t be able to complain about them. The crowd ate up my speech—something that was highly self-congratulatory as far as my father was concerned and full of lies about the kind of man he was and how much he was focused on helping people.

  Afterward, my father answered questions and gave his own speech. I stood by and listened to him dutifully, as if I was agreeing with everything he was saying and not utterly disgusted by the person he had become.

  Or, in reality, always had been.

  I was very annoyed that I couldn’t’ get a drink. It would have at least taken the edge off of everything while I milled around, answered questions, and pretended not to be annoyed with all of the blatant stares that I was getting from people—and the stares that they were aiming at my belly. It was insensitive and insufferable in a number of ways.

  A waiter walked by me with a try of hors d'oeuvres. I took one, nibbled, and then snagged another from another waiter. My pregnancy hunger wasn’t helped by my irritation and my anger with my father, after all.

  “Evie!”

  A voice called to me and I turned. There was a man standing behind me. He was very tall and very handsome. He came up to me, along with my father. I raised my brow suspiciously at the man as my father smiled at me. It wasn’t one of the warm smiles one would expect from their father. It was one of those warning smiles, like don’t mess this up—don’t do anything you’re not supposed to be doing.

  “Hello, father,” I said, still to the point—curt.. I inclined my head at the unnamed man. “And you are?”

  “Ha, she’s so forward, isn’t she? I would have introduced you, had you given me the chance to do so, Evie.” My eyes flickered over to my father and I scoffed, but turned my attention back to the man with a smile. I held out my hand. “I’m sorry. My manners must be effected by my pregnancy.”

  “It’s no worries,” the man said, taking my hand. “Eric Williams. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  “So, what brings you and my father over to my neck of the woods? I have to say, nothing too interesting is happening over here at the moment. I’m merely munching on treats—eating for two is so, so very satisfying,” I said, leaning over to the man, knowing that it would annoy my father for me to do so.

  My father’s mouth twitched, and I smiled. I knew it.

  Eric, however, laughed.

  “I love to see a girl with humor. Tell me.” He took a sip from his glass and eyed my belly. That’s when I my eyes narrowed suspiciously. I eyed my father, who was enigmatically silent, and he previous, pompous look returned. “Do you know the sex of it? The baby, that is?”

  The question threw me off and I stared at Eric for a moment before answering.

  “Oh? Uhm. No. I had wanted it to be a surprise,” I answered. “Why?”

  “A surprise?” Eric seemed confused on that note. “You don’t think that’s good information to know? All things considered? What are you going to tell people?”

  Now I was getting really confused.

  “Well, I had assumed that I was going to tell people when the baby was born what the baby’s gender—”

  “And if it’s not what someone wants?”

  My brows furrowed. I had somehow completely lost the conversation. I took another bit of food from a passing waiter, wishing more and more that the actual meal would come sooner.

  “I’m afraid we’re going to have to back pedal. I don’t believe I understand the intention of your question?”

  My father and Eric exchanged a look, and Eric ran his hand through his hair. He looked at me apologetically.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Your father said that you still might be a little confused and disoriented. I had thought that, with how eloquently you gave the speech, perhaps tonight was a good night—”

  “A good night for what, exactly?” My eyes flashed to my father, who was decidedly silent. “What are you talking about? Why did you want to come over here and talk to me?”

  “Well, about the baby of course.” Eric nodded down. “My wife and I have been trying for years, with no luck. Your father explained the gravity of the situation to me—”

  “The gravity of what situation, I wonder?” This time, my eyes stayed on my father as I spoke, demanding along with my words an answer to what was going on here. This time he was the one who spoke, picking up where Eric left off.

  “It’s all right, dear. Eric is very sympathetic and understanding. I explained to him the situation and how confusing everything has been for you. All the brainwashing that you endured with those thugs and how they made you think that this—” he gestured to my belly “—was actually something that you wanted. It’s all right if it’s not a good night, dear. But I wanted to introduce the two of you because he’s interested in adopting the baby. Once it’s born.”

  “I’m not giving up my baby,” I said. My teeth grit. How dare he? “Everyone knows exactly what happened to me. I said it in my press conference—”

  “Ah, the one that Nico put her up to, yes.” My father nodded, sagely. “Brute of a man. She still has a hard time deciphering what are her thoughts and what are the thoughts that Nico put into her head.” He gave me a look, one of warning. I simply glared back at him.

  “It’s all right,” Eric chimed in. “We can speak another time. I completely understand, and I don’t want to push Evie anywhere that she’s probably not ready for right at this moment. If you want my number—”

  “No!” My yell carried, but I didn’t give a damn. “There’s not going to be an adoption. I don’t know what else my father told you, but his promises and stories are lies! I wasn’t forced into this. If anything, he forced this situation when he decided to forcibly send me away to have my baby in secret, locking me away like some sort of criminal—”

  “Evelyn—”

  “And then on top of that, threatening to have a doctor kill my baby if I didn’t come along and comply with him! If you want to know who the real monster is, he’s standing right in front of you. My father. Rick Brown. Twisted and corrupt. Well, you can’t twist me anymore. You’re not making me give this baby away, even if I have to run away and find Nico myself. We love each other—”

  “I’m sure that’s why he’s come to your rescue. Oh, wait—”

  “Actually.”

  My father and the crowd silenced its gossip as another voice joined in the argument. It was a voice that I knew well—one that I had been craving to hear again ever since my father forced me back under his wing.

  I turned and saw Nico standing behind me. My eyes widened and I was shocked.

  “Nico?”

  “I thought since there was such an extensive conversation going on about me, I would go ahead and join on in.”

  Chapter 6

  Nico

  “What—what the hell are you doing here?” Evie’s father stepped forward, a glare on his face. I smiled at it.

  “I’m on the guest list.”

  “Like hell you are—”

  “You going to want to stop right there unless you want trouble, Governor.”

  I had boys all through the crowd. Brown stopped and looked around. I knew when he looked past me that he saw Allan and a couple others. But there were more, and he was taking notice.

  “What do you want?” he hissed at me. “Why are you here?”

  “I thought it was obvious.” I looked to Evie. “I’m here for my girl.”

  Evie looked at me with wide eyes. I knew I had taken a long time, but it was because I’d been preparing this whole affair. I hoped that she would understand when I got the chance to explain everything to her.

  Brown laughed.

  “You’re here for your girl. Your girl. Where? No girl here belongs to you.”

  “I could say the same thing, though you certainly like acting like your daughter belongs to you.” I looked out to the crowd. “Didn’t you hear her? Didn’t you listen to Evie? Do you honestly believe this story that her father spun for all of you, or can you see what a fucking psycho he is—”

  “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave—”

  I nudged the security guard who had come over to me away.

  “No. Not until I’m finished. This man coerced and kidnapped his own daughter because she was pregnant. He forced her into seclusion, then threatened her and her unborn child so that she would do what he wanted. This man is a menace and a fraud, and all of you,” I said, pointing around, “allow it to happen, because all you can think about is how much of this asshole’s money can line your pockets and what you can gain from it.”

  I turned to Evie.

  “I’m sorry I took so long this time,” I told her. “But we promised we were in this together, and your shit-head father isn’t going to change that, if you still want to try.”

  A wide grin broke out over Evie’s face. Suddenly, she rushed into my arms. A hug was a little hard—she was huge, after all, and round as all hell—and I had to lean over that belly to give her a kiss, but it was worth the shocked gasps and oohs and ahhs in the crowd. Let Rick Brown try and worm his way out of that one with another press conference.

  “You ready to get out of here?” I asked her.

  She nodded up at me, tears shining in her eyes.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

  I took her by the hand and the crowd parted. There were pictures flashing and people calling over to us, trying to get answers. I didn’t have answers for them. I only had answers for Evie. Her father tried to follow.

  “Evelyn! Evelyn! You get back here—”

  I didn’t have to look around, but I had a couple of boys in the crowd. Contacts of my father—FBI. On a whim, I looked back and saw them holding up folders in front of Brown’s face—a face that had gone so pale he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Perhaps he had. The ghosts of people’s pasts were enough to spook anyone, and a whole lot of Rick Brown’s ghosts were about to come back up and haunt him.

  I led Evie outside. The night air was cold, but it felt refreshing enough against my skin that I couldn’t really complain about it. I had my arm over Evie’s shoulder, and I was feeling better tonight than I had in a really, really long time.

  “I missed you so much, Nico,” she said as she pressed herself into my side. I hugged her tighter to me.

  “I missed you too.”

  “What—what happened? It’s been weeks. I thought—”

  “I was putting this whole thing together,” I said. “I knew that the only way to get you would be having Rick exposed somehow. I knew that there had to be evidence. My father knows a few guys in the FBI. I contacted them and this MC buddy that I have who originally helped me find you. We got all the information that we needed that proved he tried to hide you away—amongst other things.”

  “Other things?”

  “His case. All the extortion shit? I pulled a few strings. Your father is going to be going away for a long, long time. The worst of it, though, my father is keeping to himself.”

  “The worst of it? There’s ...more? How much more?”

  Ah. There was the caveat.

  “More as in ...murders. A few. Most notably the accidental death of the man he was running against before he became governor.”

  “Benedict Rhode? He died in a train crash just before the elections.”

  “Your father had that rigged.”

  Evie didn’t say anything. I looked down to her, and she wasn’t even really shocked. She was frowning.

  “I guess I’m not really surprised. My father was going to get rid of our baby ...before it was born,” she said, placing her hands on her swollen belly. “That doesn’t surprise me, but—why are you keeping that from the police? He deserves to be punished!”

  “He does. But it’s leverage so that when, or even if, he gets out of jail and he sends anyone our way—mine, yours, the baby, anyone—we have enough evidence to send him right back. And more. The death penalty is alive and well in this state for someone involved in multiple murders.”

  Evie didn’t ask for any more details, and I didn’t blame her. I was glad that she didn’t. There was one murder that Rick Brown had covered up that I didn’t think Evie would recover from ...

  “What have you guys got for me? It’s been weeks. I thought you all were quick.”

  Rodney and Avery Jiles, my father’s two FBI contacts, sat across from me in my father’s office. I’d gotten them to look into Evie’s father for anything and literally everything they could find that would give us leverage against him. In particular, any proof that he had tried to lock away Evie and had threatened her to keep her from trying to come to me.

  “We are quick, but it takes a little time when the person you’re digging up on has so much dirt on them you might as well be in a landfill,” Rodney said. He and Avery slapped three thick folders onto the table before me and my father. We exchanged looks.

  “This is enough to put him away on the investigations that are already ongoing for him.” Avery said. “Honest, bone fide proof of extortion, money laundering, bribery—you name it, he’s done it.”

  “That’s excellent!”

  “Yeah. You’ll also be interested to know that there’s quite a bit in here suggesting that he was involved in several murders—and evidence confirming at least two.”

  My eyes lit up. This was amazing. I was so fucking excited. I was going to get my girl back from her bastard of a father and put him away for life.

  “So, what was it? Did he have a hit on someone? He whack a colleague?”

  Rodney and Avery exchanged a look.

  “In a manner of speaking. Yes. You’re aware of the tragic death of Benedict Rhode, yes?”

  “The one who was killed in a train crash, yeah.”

  “Well, Rick Brown organized that whole thing. The faulty track. The breaks failing. All of it.”

  “You gotta be shitting me.”

  “Nope. No shit.”

  “That killed Benedict Rhode, his staff, and several other people not even involved in the crash.”

  Rodney nodded.

  “Yep.”

  I shook my head in disbelief; Rick Brown had ruined and taken so many lives—and I couldn’t say that I was an innocent man, but that was downright cruel. You settled your beef with the person involved; you didn’t fuck with innocent people that had jack shit to do with it.

  “Okay... So Benedict Rhode. Who was the other one?”

  “His late wife, Karen Brown.”

  I nearly choked.

  “What? What? No, that’s impossible. Evie said that she died in childbirth—”

  “And she did. But not because of birth complications. She’d been severely beaten before giving birth. Evie was born a month early. Did you know that?”

  “No ...I didn’t...” I shook my head. “How the hell—”

  “Rick and Karen Brown had a midwife. Karen was all about natural birth, so they never had plans to have Evie in a hospital. It turns out, however, that Rick had suspected that his wife had been cheating on him for some time—perhaps long before Evie was conceived. He hired a private detective to follow his wife and found evidence that his wife was, in fact, unfaithful. He beat her within an inch of her life one night when she was coming home from a date with her lover, sending her into an early labor. The birth complications that killed Karen Brown weren’t birth complications at all; her husband had beaten her to death and hired a doctor close to the family to deliver the child secretly. He then paid quite a handsome amount of money to police to overlook the fact that his wife was covered in inexplicable bruises, and then more money still to doll her up after death so that she would look presentable for her funeral. No one ever knew that Rick Brown had killed his wife—except those who helped cover it up.”