Page 28 of Tainted Wings of Failure

"If you want those tickets, you're going to tell me how of all people you got with him."

In a brief summary, I fill him in on the events of last year. How Noah was hired to kill me, how he failed not once but twice, and how our cat and mouse game led to what we have today.

"So that's why no one has reported any kills involving him in the last seven months," the boss says. "Let me be honest, Evelyn. I don't care about him." My heart throbs, frantically beating out of rhythm. "He has single-handedly caused a lot of trouble for me, for our organization. Not only did I lose a lot of money because of him, but I also lost some good people. I would be delighted if he was dead." Tears sting in the corners of my eyes. It was naive of me to think the boss would help. "But," he pauses and sighs, "you really love him, don't you?"

"Yes. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, grow old together, maybe have kids and a family of our own…if that's what it takes to live a normal life," I say through quiet sniffles.

"You can have the tickets," he says after a moment of silence.

"Really?" My heart leaps in my chest with excitement.

"Yes, but on one condition."

"Everything!"

"If he is still alive, I want to meet him. There are some things I need to discuss with him."

"Of course, I will find a way to arrange that."

"Good. I will grant you access to our pick-up spot for the twenty-four hours before the gala."

"Thank you so much," I mutter between sobs as my emotions roll over me in waves.

After bidding farewell to my former boss, I turn to Kyle with tears in my eyes, who looks at me with raised eyebrows and a mocking grin on his face.

"Kids? Really? With Noah?"

"Shut up." I throw my phone at him. "He'd make a great dad."

"I have no doubt."

Chapter 15

Evelyn

The lipstick glides smoothly over my lower lip, tugging at the pink skin as it turns it a deep shade of red. Rubbing my lips together, I smooth out the soft layer before popping my lips and stepping back from the bathroom mirror of our hotel room to make sure I look just right. I've done my hair and makeup the way Noah loves it, with soft curls and nude makeup, but with bold red lips. To top it off, I'm wearing the new dress he bought me just last month. A stunning white corset shapes my torso, squeezing my small boobs, and a long tulle skirt with a slit that allows my right leg to show.

He was so excited to see me wearing it for the first time and kept talking about wanting to chase me with it on, to be his precious dove that he would hunt just to catch and claim. I don't think he wanted the roles reversed. But now he's the prey and I'm the huntress chasing him.

I slip into my white leather heels, the movement causing my leg to poke out of the slit of my dress, revealing my lace garter holding an auto-injector with a dose of my signature poison as well as one of Noah's pocketknives. Placing my hand over the knife pressed against my thigh, I take a deep breath and straighten my posture. It takes every ounce of self-control to remain calm; my heart is pounding inside my chest with nervous anxiety. I really thought killing Mr. Williams would be the end of it, but here I am again. This time to bring my man home. I'm starting to wonder if this will ever end. No matter how hard I try to be someone else, a good person, there is no escaping my past. I can keep running and running, but this part of our life will always loom over us. I take another deep breath and look at myself in the mirror before putting on my mask that I had sworn to put to rest almost two years ago.

The moment I step out of the bathroom, Kyle's head snaps in my direction; he purses his lips and whistles as he looks me up and down. "Damn, Evelyn, you look fucking gorgeous." He gets up from the bed to walk over to me. "If you weren't my best friend’s—"

"Save your breath." I look him up and down, taking in how poorly his suit fits his broad frame, the fabric stretching around his muscular shoulders. It really does make a big difference when they are tailored to your exact measurements. "We're here to get Noah, not for you to be an asshole and flirt with your best friend's girlfriend." I grab my purse with the gun in it.

"Sorry," Kyle says and clears his throat, already heading for the door and holding it open for me. "After you." He holds out his arm, gesturing for me to go first.

The event takes place in the luxurious ballroom of the five-star hotel where we are staying. Clinging to Kyle's arm, I act as his escort through the ticket control until we finally enter the spacious, luminous event. Large groups of people mingle and chitchat, all dressed to the nines to fit in with high society. Waiters shuffle through the crowd, effortlessly maneuvering through the masses to serve appetizers and a variety of drinks. As we push on through the crowd, my eyes scan the room, searching the hundreds of familiar and unfamiliar faces for the one person I am interested in.

"He's over there," Kyle says in a hushed tone, pointing at a man across the room. My grip on his bicep tightens as I catch a glimpse of the person responsible for Noah's disappearance and for what happened to Kyle. I reach for two glasses of champagne from one of the trays a waiter is balancing, handing one to Kyle as I look up at him. "Does he know what you look like?"

Kyle shrugs and takes a sip of champagne. "Pretty sure. I never saw him directly, but it's not like I look like every other guy; my tattoos give me away."

I nod. "Then this is all on me." I empty my glass in one quick gulp. "The trackers are working; you keep an eye on me. Once I get him out of here, you follow us, get rid of his security and get to me as fast as possible."

"Yes, boss." Kyle salutes and I chuckle as I punch him in the shoulder.

"Let's get my man back," I say before leaving Kyle's side and walking down the hall towards the man. By no surprise, his bodyguards don't stop me, while they have stopped several men who have tried to approach him. He is surrounded by women, swooning over him, engaging him in conversation. Without a care in the world, I make my way through the group of women, pushing past them, and the moment I break through the ones at the front, the man's gaze immediately lands on me and a spark ignites in his brown eyes. I put on my sweetest smile. "Mr. Lancaster, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." I speak in a slightly higher voice than usual. He steps forward and reaches for my hand with a grin on his face, bringing it up to plant a kiss on the back of my knuckles.

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