The Heir's Forbidden Flame

Evelyn’s Pov

"Baby, come back to bed."

Daniel’s voice came from inside the apartment. I smiled without even turning around because I knew he was watching me from the doorway. I could feel his eyes on my back, and the way he looked at me always made my stomach flip.

"Just give me five more minutes," I called back. I leaned against the railing and let the Chicago wind whip my hair around my face and sting my cheeks. I breathed in the cold air that smelled like car exhaust and someone’s takeout from three floors down.

"You said that twenty minutes ago," he said. I heard his footsteps on the concrete, and then his arms were around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His warmth seeped through the thin fabric of my silk robe.

"I like it out here," I said, tilting my head back to rest on his shoulder. I stared up at the slice of dark sky between the buildings where a few stars still punched through the city lights.

"You’re going to freeze," Daniel murmured against my neck. His lips brushed my skin and sent shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Then warm me up," I whispered, turning around in his arms and pressing my body against his. I felt his heart beating fast against my chest.

He grinned. His green eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He leaned down to kiss me, his lips were soft and warm and tasted like the red wine we drank earlier with dinner.

"You’re trouble," he said against my mouth, his hands sliding down my back to grab my hips and pull me closer.

"You love it," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. I kissed him harder and deeper and let myself get lost in the feeling of his mouth on mine and the way his fingers dug into my skin through the silk.

This was my life now. I loved every second of it. I never wanted it to end, I never wanted to think about the darkness I’d left behind three years ago when I packed one bag and disappeared in the middle of the night without saying goodbye to anyone except Braydon. Even that was just a note slipped under his door that said, "I’m sorry but I have to go."

"What are you thinking about?" Daniel asked, pulling back to look at me. His eyebrows were drawn together like he could tell my mood changed.

"Nothing," I lied, giving him my brightest smile. I ran my fingers through his messy brown hair. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

"Liar," he said but smiled again. He picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and laughed as he carried me toward the glass door that led inside. "You’re thinking about work again, aren’t you?"

"Maybe," I said and kissed his jaw, his neck, and that spot right below his ear that always made him groan.

"It’s Saturday night, Eve," he said, kicking the door open with his foot as he carried me through the living room toward the bedroom. "No thinking about work or bills or anything else except me and you and this bed."

"Bossy," I teased and bit his earlobe gently.

"You like it when I’m bossy," he said, dropping me on the bed. I bounced and giggled and reached for him, but he stepped back and shook his head. "Wine first."

"Daniel," I whined but he was already walking back toward the kitchen. I flopped back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling fan spinning lazy circles.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I reached for it without thinking and glanced at the screen, expecting a text from Piper about brunch tomorrow or my boss asking me to pick up an extra shift. But instead, I saw a name I hadn’t seen in almost three years.

Braydon Peters.

My hand froze and my whole body went cold. The phone buzzed again in my palm like it was alive and angry I wasn’t answering. My heart started hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

"Daniel," I called out, but my voice was weak and shaky.

The phone kept buzzing and buzzing. I stared at my brother’s name on the screen. My thumb hovered over the red decline button, thinking maybe if I didn’t answer, nothing bad would happen and everything would stay perfect and safe just like it was now.

But I knew better.

Braydon wouldn’t call unless something was really, really wrong.

I swiped to answer and pressed the phone to my ear. My hand shook so badly I almost dropped it.

"Braydon?" I whispered.

"Eve." His voice was rough, low, and scared. I’d never heard my brother sound scared before. "Listen to me and don’t interrupt."

"What’s wrong?" I said, sitting up straight. My heart was beating so fast I felt dizzy.

"Dad’s dead."

The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I couldn’t breathe. The room tilted sideways, I grabbed the edge of the mattress to steady myself.

"What?" I managed to choke out.

"They killed him, Eve," Braydon said. I heard static, voices in the background, and a car engine. "They infiltrated his car two days ago. It exploded on the highway. There wasn’t enough left to bury, and the Shredder is claiming responsibility."

"No," I said as tears streamed down my face and dripped onto my bare legs. "No, no, no."

"Listen to me," Braydon said. His voice got harder and colder. "They’re coming for me next. If they find out where you are, they’ll come for you too. You need to come home right now tonight."

"I can’t," I said, wiping my face with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming. "I have a life here, Braydon. I have Daniel and my job and Piper, I can’t just leave."

"Dad is dead," Braydon said, each word sharp and brutal. "The Junkies are falling apart. The Dynasty wants every last one of us gone, buried, and forgotten. I need you, Eve, because you’re the only family I have left."

"Where are you?" I asked, standing on shaky legs, walking to the window and pressing my forehead to the cold glass.

"I can’t tell you over the phone," he said. "Just get on a plane and come home, and I’ll find you."

"Braydon, please," I said, my voice breaking.

"I’m sorry, Eve," he said. He actually sounded sorry, which made it worse. "I know you wanted out. I know you built something good there but they won’t stop until we’re all dead, and I need you to fight."

The line went quiet except for static, his breathing, and mine. Somewhere in the background, a siren wailed.

"I’ll text you the details," Braydon said finally. "I love you, little sister."

The call ended. I stood there with the phone pressed to my ear, staring out at the city lights that suddenly looked cold and distant, nothing like the stars I’d imagined earlier.

"Eve?" Daniel appeared in the doorway with two glasses of wine. His smile faded when he saw my face. "Baby, what’s wrong?"

I opened my mouth to answer but no words came out. I just shook my head and looked past him toward the living room, the front door, and the life I’d built here that was already falling apart.

My phone buzzed with a text. I looked down at the screen.

I saw a black car, across the street. Get out now.

I walked to the window and looked down at the street five floors below. There it was, parked under a broken streetlight with its engine running and tinted windows that reflected nothing but darkness.

"They found us," I whispered.