LOGINEveline The coast house was bigger than she’d expected. And it was even more secluded, because the side of the beach where the house was located was private and cut off from the rest of the public. Eveline paced for hours, going through every room and nooks, until she was exhausted and needed to sit down. The nurse, who’d been there when she showed up—and worked for Ashcroft, looked worried. “Miss Storm,” she sighed in relief when Eveline finally ended up back in the living room, offering her a bottle of water she had on hand. “You should take it easy. The doctor mentioned rest…and the baby…”“I know,” Eveline mumbled. If she could sit still, she would. But her mind was roaming endlessly. Lucien had sent her off alone, with two men that Patrick had recruited personally, from his years of dealing with unsavory clients. The drive took hours—which should’ve lulled her into sleep, but she barely took a wink. She stared out the window the entire time, her fingers gripping the edge
Lucien Dinner was quick. Lucien spent an hour painstakingly preparing everything for Eveline, going over the menu like it was his last. She hung out in the kitchen with him and he kept glancing over his shoulder……like if he took his eyes off her for too long, she’d disappear. And during dinner, he held her hand the entire time, stealing glances that lingered long. The unspoken agreement between them led to dinner being abandoned midway. He kissed her by the table, then gently carried her in his arms, leading them to the bedroom. The bedroom was bathed in the soft, low glow of the bedside lamp, casting long, golden shadows across the room. Lucien laid Eveline down on the mattress as if she were made of spun glass, his touch reverent and unhurried.For a long moment, he simply hovered over her, his hands planted on either side of her shoulders, looking down into her face. The faint lines of strain from the doctor’s office and the heavy news of their temporary separation had fina
EvelineThe hospital Lucien took her to didn’t look like a hospital.It looked like a hotel that had decided to be discreet. Glass doors, quiet carpet, and a woman at the front desk who smiled at Eveline like she’d been expected—which she had. Nobody handed her a clipboard. Nobody asked her to wait.Eveline had worked in hospitals long enough to know the difference between a waiting room and a building that had been told to clear its schedule.“Lucien,” she murmured, as a nurse led them toward the elevators. “What did you do?”“Called in a favor.” He squeezed her hand. “Let’s get you checked first. Then I’ll explain everything.”The doctor was a woman in her fifties with silver in her braid and the kind of calm Eveline envied. “Dr. Marlowe,” she said, shaking her hand. “Dr. Ashcroft speaks very highly of your fiancé. Up on the table, please. Let’s say hello to this little one.”The gel was cold. The screen flickered gray and white, and then there she was—a curled-up shape, and in the
His phone rang as he walked out of the clinic. He fished it out of his pocket after he got into his car, a smile touching his face when he saw it was Eveline. “Hi, baby.”“How did it go?”“Well,” he replied. “How’re you?”He could hear noise in the background—the chatter of hospital activities. Eveline had refused to stay at home, because she didn’t want to let her thoughts take over. She also wanted to be at the hospital, so Peter wouldn’t come looking for her at home. “I’m coming to get you now,” he told her. “There’s somewhere we need to stop by and then…” he exhaled. “I was thinking we have dinner somewhere fancy.”“Ouuu,” she laughed. The sound made his chest warm and full. “A date. We haven't had one of those in forever. I feel like I should go home and dress up or something.”“I think you look absolutely ravishing in your scrubs,” he said, pulling away from the clinic. Eveline scoffed lightly. “I know that. But I’d like to feel even prettier. Maybe we’ll do that some other t
Lucien “I didn’t think you’d entrust us with the care of your brother after what happened.” Lucien nodded, as he pulled back a chair and sat opposite Dr. Ashcroft. “True. But as it turns out, you’re the only person I can trust to keep Michael safe. And Shane won’t touch him again. I’ve made sure of that—and I plan to continue keeping an eye on him.” Ashcroft nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “Is it something you can handle? I know I’m just a doctor, but we’ve been friends long enough that I can help out in any way possible.” Was it something he could handle? He wasn’t sure yet. It had been a week since Lucien found out the depths of what his brother had done. Peter was keeping his distance from Eveline, respecting the excuses she’d been giving him. For now. He didn’t know how long it’d last. He’d tried getting in to see Gerald, but his brother had removed him from the visitors list. And Patrick hadn’t been able to find out anything about Peter Callahan—nothing more
Eveline She just asked Lucien to trust her. But could she trust herself? Eveline’s palms were clammy as she walked herself to Powell’s office, where Peter said he was waiting for her. She’d convinced Lucien not to go with her—and promised that she’d call him if she thought she couldn’t handle it. But it was one thing meeting with her biological half-brother, when her adoptive father was against their reunion. And it was another thing to pretend like she was happy to see him, when she knew that he’d tried to kill her when she was younger—given her to bad people, and then kidnapped someone off the street. And that was what she knew about Peter Callahan. She’d told him almost everything about their life in the times they’d met up. He knew her before she knew he existed. He’d been watching her. That’s how he knew about Lucien. That’s how he knew she was almost married to Shane and that her former ex-father-in-law was behind bars. What if he’d been watching her for so long, so wh
Eveline The key turned with a muffled click, a sound drowned by the one that stopped Eveline cold in the foyer. It wasn’t the television as she’d thought. It was a low, rhythmic wet sound, punctuated by a sharp guttural gasp she knew intimately. His gasp. Her overnight bag slipped from her numb
“Miss Storm.” Eveline stood rooted to the spot as he walked into the room, a polite smile on his lips. He walked over to her, stretching out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Roswood. I’ll be handling your father’s case.” She couldn’t say a word. Her lips wouldn’t move and her brain wen
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Eveline rushed out, panting softly. She’d run through the parking lot—from the free spot she found to park her car, through the hospital lobby, narrowly avoiding a man in a wheelchair and an IV hooked to his arm, barely making it into the elevator be
Eveline pinched the card between her fingers as she spun around, hiding it behind her back. Her heart thumped behind her ribcage, and from the way he was staring at her, she was almost certain he could hear it. Lucien’s lips twitched with a flat smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s not how yo







