Page 14 of A Rhapsody of Ravens and Revenge

The beach house was a security nightmare from his standpoint. The front of the house was gated by a ten-foot fence that matched the pink stucco. But the back of the house was completely open so the view of the ocean wasn’t obstructed. It was a private beach. But that wouldn’t matter if someone wanted to get to Evangeline bad enough. They might as well have been advertising for the bad guys to come get them.

“Sugar, I’ve never been more clear in my thinking. You placed the bet. I’m calling your bluff.”

He closed the blinds on all the other windows and then brushed against her as he passed by. She didn’t step out of his way, and he swore he could hear her heart pounding from where he stood.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Cal.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

He continued into the kitchen and she followed behind him. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Evie. Neither of us are young and naïve. It’s been ten years. That’s long enough. We’re too old to play games anymore and it’s time to move forward.”

“What if I don’t want to move forward, Cal? You can tell yourself whatever you want to feel better, but the fact of the matter is that you purposely set out to take everything from me. You blackmailed me. Forced me to give up the only thing I’ve ever really loved. And why? Because I was getting too good? Closing in on your heels? I guess it wouldn’t look good in the underground community for the legendary Cypher to get overtaken by a twenty-year-old girl.”

He was silent while he checked the kitchen. It was surprisingly large and comfortable—white granite countertops and tall cabinets that the housekeepers probably hated, accented by splashes of bright colors and natural light.

An entire wall was windows and another set of French doors that looked out onto the front gardens. French doors were a thief’s dream and this pink elephant of a house had six of them. What had Lockwood been thinking of buying this place?

There were no blinds to cover the windows, so he made a mental note to put a couple of extra weapons in the kitchen, just in case. The good news about the windows was that the ten-foot privacy fence and the location of the kitchen made it a more secluded area. They wouldn’t have to worry about Taber getting off a long shot from the grounds. There wasn’t a place he could hide. He’d have to move in up close and personal.

“I didn’t take anything from you,” he finally said. “I gave you a chance to grow up without disgracing yourself and your family. And the fact that you can’t see that makes you narrow minded and ungrateful in my opinion.”

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion. And I’m more than happy to admit that I wasn’t in the right. I know I wasn’t. It was stupid and done more for kicks than anything. To prove that Robert Lockwood’s daughter could do something like that and get away with it. It was an incredible high.”

“I know what you mean,” he said. She stood near the doorway, looking like she was ready to flee. “I could see it in your eyes. The thrill of the adrenaline rush—driving you to take chances—to up the stakes and make the high even better. You needed someone to make you stop. You never could’ve done it on your own. Your pride wouldn’t let you.”

He wanted to put her at ease so he went to the refrigerator and looked inside, settling on cold cuts and cheese to make sandwiches. “Want something to eat?” he asked.

“Stop changing the subject, Cal.”

“Suit yourself. I make a great sandwich.”

“Bully for you.”

He grinned and got the bread out of the bread box. “You know what else I saw that night?” He left everything on the counter and closed the distance between them, testing her to see if she’d back away from him.

She didn’t.

“What?” She looked up at him warily as he drew closer, until he stood only inches from her.

“I saw a woman that knew what it was to want.” She started to take a step back but he took her arms in his grasp and kept her still. “She was misguided and too stubborn for her own good, but at the core was a woman who knew she’d met her match. Don’t think I didn’t see it for what it was.”

Evie licked her lips nervously. “That’s some ego you have there, Cal.”

“Thank you, sugar. It’s well deserved. Just like I know you have one that matches. I’m going to get real, because it’s time the two of us stopped playing games. I’d been chasing the Black Lily for years before I found out your identity. I loved your mind before I ever saw your face. And after I got over the initial shock, I felt stupid for not putting it together beforehand. You’re a rare jewel, Evie. And I knew it before you decided on a life of crime. For ten years I’ve watched and wanted you, the brains and the beauty, all while knowing you hated me.”

“Uh-huh.” She placed her hands on top of his arms, preparing to push him back, but he tightened his grip and brought her even closer. She gasped and her eyes widened as she looked up at him.

“We’ve known each other most of my life and you’ve never given me a second’s notice. You were either in your computers or with my father. So I can say with assurance that you never gave me a second’s notice.”

He ignored her and kept talking, knowing the uphill battle that was set before him. “And when I found out it was you it was like being hit in the face with a two-by-four. I’ve been taken off guard two times in my life. The first was when I was fourteen and your father knocked on my door. The second was when you looked up at me through that elevator grate. You can’t tell me it wasn’t the same for you. When you realized I’d trapped you it sparked something inside of you.” He leaned in closer until his lips were right at her ear. “An edge of fear?” he whispered. “A sense of danger? A challenge?”

“What are you trying to prove?” she asked. “That you’re better than me? That you win? Haven’t you already humiliated me enough?”

“You’ve got it all wrong, sugar.” He felt her shiver. “I set you free. You’ve had ten years to grow up. To learn how to control that wild streak of yours. I know because you and I are the same. If your father hadn’t caught me I’d either be dead or in jail. Your fate would’ve been similar. Now you’ve got to make the choice to come back to what you love on the right terms. On your terms.”

He let the phrase soak in. What she loved. She’d loved him once upon a time. A childhood crush. But no matter how he labeled it, she’d cared for him and he for her. They shared a past. Maybe they could share a future. If she didn’t let pride get in the way.

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You mean your terms?” Her fingers tightened on his biceps as if she were going to push him away. But she didn’t. “Just like that, I’m supposed to jump back in after ten years and be grateful because you said so.” She scoffed derisively. “Yeah, sounds like it’s on my terms.”

“I’m willing to negotiate the terms,” he said, his gaze narrowing. “The power was always in your hands. All you had to do was decide to use it. But for the right reasons. For the right agenda. That’s something I learned the hard way. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. And your level of conscience and maturity needed a chance to catch up with each other.”

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