Page 74 of Under His Protection

I couldn’t keep up the lies anymore. Weeks ago, after that ill-fated evening at Escott’s, I blurted out to Romeo that Dante and I were pretending to be a couple. I never told Eva. Even though Dante and I weren’t faking anything anymore, I felt bad not to explain to his niece.

“When Dante and I met, we agreed to a fake date. We were pretending to be together so I wouldn’t have to go to the Devil’s Brothers.”

She scrunched her face. “Why would you?”

“My brother bet using me and lost me to Reaper.”

She rolled her eyes. “What an idiot.”

“An idiot I cut ties with when I ran into Dante that night.”

“You haven’t talked to your brother since he lost his bet to the biker leader?”

I shook my head. “No.”

She grimaced.

“I’m sorry to have kept that from you. And I know you’ll assume I am conning someone by explaining why I moved into the house at all.”

“Oh, please.” She waved me off and laughed once. “It might have started out like that, a fake relationship, but it’s pretty damn clear that my uncle wants you for real.”

I smiled. It sure looked like that. It felt like it too. A smidgen of doubt lingered, though, and I hated that I would always be this guarded in life.

My phone buzzed again, and I cringed as I looked at it, pulled from this conversation with Eva.

“Who’s been calling you all night?” she asked.

“It’s not calls. Just old voicemails that are blank and texts that won’t load. It’s an old phone.”

“My uncle will get you a new one,” she said.

I was sure he would, but I didn’t want to ask. This one worked—or it did until it seemed to want to die today.

“Well, who is it?”

“My friend. Tessa. We used to waitress at the steakhouse together.” I bit my lip and tried to call her again. It dropped.

“Is something wrong?”

“I worry that something is. She’s been pressured to marry this creep. He’s a lawyer, and her parents are pushing her to get hitched because they think that means they’d get money. I’m nervous that he’s going to force her to elope or something.”

Eva shook her head. “That’s bullshit.”

“And now that we mentioned my brother, I realize he wouldn’t be able to contact me if this phone is toast. I don’t remember his number.” My peaceful sluggishness faded. Anxiety crept back in. “He’s an asshole, and I say karma should be served for his losing me in a bet. For betting with my life in the first place!”

“I’d say,” Eva said.

“But he is my brother. The only family I have left. When my dad was dying in the hospice, he made me promise to look after Ricky.”

“Wait, is he an older or younger brother?”

“Older.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “But that doesn’t matter. He’s still family. I tried, but…”

Eva shocked me, reaching out to pat my knee. “Hey, it’ll work out however it’s supposed to.”

“Wow. Did they slip a sedative into your water? Are you actively trying to be nice to me?”

She smirked. “Yeah. I can’t help it. I’m glad that you care about others. I see it in the way you interact with my uncle. Hearing you worry about your friend, and even your brother, who doesn’t deserve kindness for losing you in a bet to the MC…” She smiled, almost sheepish to do so. “I like that you’re not self-centered.”

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