Chapter 19



𝔸𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤

Eve's POV (ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕕𝕒𝕪)

What was it about my mother that had everyone all riled up? If not for the fact that I was fatigued, I would have screamed at the top of my lungs. First Laura, now Jay?

What the heck was going on?

I sat up straight and picked up the files that Jay had dropped on the table. At the mention of my mother, Rita went silent and Lucas became still. I opened one of the files and began flipping through, but all I saw were pictures of my mum and dad as they walked into buildings, pictures of the three of us out in the pack, pictures of her and Mr Crane-- My eyes widened and my fingers froze.

Mr Crane? Why were there pictures of my mom and Mr Crane in dark alleys, closed restaurants and - kissing?

I dropped the file as if it had scorched me. Lucas sat up immediately, a puzzled look on his face as he asked, "Are you okay?" Then bent down to pick up the files I had dropped. When I saw him going for the file, it was as if I was jerked awake. I grabbed it from his hands the moment he began skimming through it and secured it under my armpit.

"I am fine," I muttered, stood up from the seat and began pacing.

"Eve?" Doctor Jay mumbled and began making his way to me.

"No, don't touch me," I said, pushing his hands away as he tried to hold mine. "I just need a minute okay?" I said, more softly this time.

Jay raised his hands in mock surrender. "I know, but we need to talk about this. Did you know?" He asked, his voice showing signs of strain.

I sent a glare his way. "Did I know? Did I know that my mother was a cheating scum? Well, no! How could I have known, uhh?" Now I was screaming, my voice vibrating through the room, shaking the very foundation of the house no doubt. I took a deep breath and tried to exhale, knowing fully well that I needed to calm down.

But Damn! I just watched everything I knew about my mom come crashing down. It was as if I hadn't even known her. Everyone was silent as I stood there, arm clutching the file as if my life depended on it.

"I'm sorry," I faintly heard. It sounded like Lucas and somehow, my heart rate began to slow down, his voice coming through to me like a soothing balm.

"But how does this all relate to Laura? How did she know about my mom?" I lifted my eyes to Doctor Jay. "How did you know about it?"

"You won't believe it if I told you." I gave him a pensive look.

"Try me."

He sighed. "Well, I stole it from an evidence locker." When I sent him a frown, he went ahead to elaborate. "Not me par-say. My spy."

I scoffed. "You have a spy?" Then shook my head. "No, that's not the question. Where did you implant this spy?"

"At the DOC's office."

"You planted a spy at the department of criminology? Who the hell are you, Jay?"

He chuckled, "The man of your dreams." Then gave me a serious look. "My main reason for concern is why this information was not just hidden from the public but themed as classified. What was so incriminating about your mother's affair that got the DOC covering it all up?"

That was a legit question. What on earth had my mother gotten into? I tried cracking my head for something, anything, but came up with nothing. "I really can't think of anything right now."

"Think," Lucas said beside me. I didn't notice him getting up, or coming close to me. I had been too tensed up to even care. But now that I could feel his breath behind my neck, I couldn't help but shiver.

I turned to him. "I am thinking. There was nothing fishy about my mother at the time, and the man was just a next-door neighbour-"

Then it hit me. He was our next-door neighbour meaning he was Antonio's Father. Oh my God!

The fire!

I sprinted off to the kitchen with the files still under my armpit and one intent in mind.

"Eve!" I could faintly hear Jay and Lucas call as they hurried after me. I picked up a lighter from the counter and reached for the gas.

"Oh my god, Eve! What are you doing?" Jay exclaimed but I ignored him. There was no way I was letting anyone tarnish the name of my mother. She might have been a cheater, But she was no murderer.

"Eve, you are not thinking straight," Lucas said as I turned on the gas and lighted it.

"That's exactly what I am doing," I dropped the files into the burning flames. "Thinking straight."

I walked out of the kitchen. Leaving a trail of Jay, Lucas and ashes behind me.

*******************

Rita has been unnaturally quiet for a while now. Ever since the police fiasco, it was as if she was bottling up something and I didn't know how to get to her. It was late, I was drained and we were still awake, in the parlour, dissecting the situation on our hands.

When I had found Lucas standing in the middle of the hospital hall, I never thought we would end up here. I should have been done with him by now. But somehow, circumstances that I never foresaw came crashing down on us.

Now it looked like we were stuck in the middle of someone else's war.

"Don't you ever take me by surprise like that again?" "Jay was saying. "You almost cost me my job."

I sighed, too tired to give a witty resort. "I am sorry Jay, It won't happen again."

Jay's eyes widened. "Of all the things you could have said you decided to say that?" Damien chuckled. He had been in the restroom and had slept off. How does one sleep off in the bathroom again? I tried not to think about it for too long. He was Lucas responsibility anyway.

"She is saying that because she's tired, just like the rest of us. We need to rest."

"Yeah, we do." I glanced at Rita and saw her face still fixed on her laptop. "What time is Senator Mathew supposed to be here again?" I asked her, and I was met with silence.

"Rita?" I called. Still no answer. she just kept typing away. "Rita!" I yelled and she jacked up, eyes wide, nose red. " What is wrong with you? You've been off all day."

Her eyes looked red and watery like she's been crying. "I'm fine, Eve. What did you want?"

"What were you doing on your laptop?" I asked instead, and her nose flared. "That's none of your business.

Wow. For the first time in two years, Rita raised her voice at me.

"Are you sure you are fine," I asked softly, trying to smooth her anger. We've all been through a lot in one day. I could understand her agitation.

When she saw the look of concern in my eyes, she relaxed, shoulders slouching. "I'm sorry Eve. I'm just so tired."

"Then go to bed. Take the first room down the hall and Damien will take the second." Turning to Doctor Jay I said, "You can take the room opposite Rita."

"What about me?" Lucas asked and I turned towards him.

"You can take the couch." Damien busted into laughter.

"What? Why the hell would I do that? I thought there were more than enough rooms?"

"There was, but then you came into my life and everything came crashing down. Now, the remaining six rooms have been allocated to my men. So you are taking the couch or the floor. Your choice."

Lucas stared at me, his green orbs dancing dangerously. Then he smiled and my heart stop. That was the smile that had me signing papers that I had no business signing-

"Let's toss a coin." I suddenly heard him say. My body went still. What the hell was he playing at? "If you win, I'll sleep wherever you want."

"And if you win?" I asked and his lips curved into a smile.

"If I win, I sleep in your room. On your bed. With you."

I stopped breathing. Like literally stopped breathing as electricity zapped through me, leaving a low burn in my blood and a pool of moisture between my legs.

Fuck. This was a trap.

I looked around and caught everyone's eyes trained on me like they were expecting me to run away scared or worse, accept the challenge.

"So what's it gonna be? You wanna play a game of chance with me?"

I knew I shouldn't be thinking about it. I knew I should storm off to my room right now. No one would stop me. But I had a reputation to protect. "Yes." I heard myself say and grated my teeth.

Bad choice. Bad, bad choice.

Lucas brought out a coin from his pocket and placed it in his hands. "Heads or tale?"

My eyes caught Damien's and it was filled with amusement and mischief.  What was so funny about this? There was nothing funny about this at all. "Heads," I mumbled. "Which means you take the tail."

Lucas grinned and tossed the coin. I watched as it twirled itself in the air then landed on his palms. He turned it over and smirked.

No freaking way. It was tails.

"Looks like I won." A triumphant looking Lucas said and stood to his feet. "Alright guys, I'm off to bed." He said and winked at me. I felt like smacking that grin off his face.

I knew I shouldn't have played that game.

As everyone began to file out and retire to bed, I noticed something drop out of Lucas pocket. I waited for everyone to leave before picking it up. It was a coin. Flipping it over, I noticed something weird. Both sides of the coin were tails.

Damn!

The bastard had cheated.