Page 24 of Crimson Tears

“Thetwoof us?”

Evie rolls her eyes and turns to keep walking. I jog to catch up to her becausewhat the feck did she just say?

“E, you can’t be serious right now.”

She halts her movements and gives me that look I know all too well. Determination.

“I amdeadserious, Cillian. Nessa is one of my best friends. She might not be ready to see the world in the way that I do, but there is no reason she has to choose. If you think you can make her pick, then you’ve already lost her.”

I throw my arms out wide in frustration, so close I’m almost yelling in her face.

“She already chose him!”

Evie crosses her arms over her chest again and raises a brow. “You sure about that?”

“Positive,” I spit.

“Then why the fuck did she tell me not to go too hard on you today?”

Alright ladies and gentlemen, this is a turn of events.

“Why do you think she texted me saying she was worried about you and the heat and to make sure we had extra water at the house?”

And now I feel like I just got slapped in the face with a frozen fish.

“Why did she downplay the complete chaos you caused to our plan? The plan that took fucking hours to create yesterday, in case you forgot. Do you think she’d be that soft on anyone else that made such a shitstorm?"

When I don’t answer, too dumbfounded to come up with any kind of response, Evie gives me a look that says I am way too dense.

“You may not be able to see it, but she’s scared. She’s terrified to ask for something she doesn’t believe she deserves because the peace that she found in her life right now might crumble.”

I feel like blocks finally settle into place in my mind.

Evie is gentle now when she steps towards me, speaking softly.

“Who are you going to be to her, Cil? Are you going to be the one that forces her hand, or are you going to show her that she can have everything she ever wanted and more?”

Well, feck me.

Evie must be done talking because she turns and begins to walk back to the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts. And trust me, there’s a lot of them swirling around my mind right now.

Could I really help give her everything she wants? Would Boris even let me? Can I share her with someone else?

I look back down the trail and towards the house where my first love is, debating on the path I want to take. It takes me less than a minute to decide.

Nessa was always supposed to be mine, but maybe she was meant to be someone else’s too.

Chapter 7

Watching Nessa wring that guard for every last bit of information he had to give was by far one of the sexiest things I have ever witnessed. She and Evie were merciless and determined, never once treating him like he was anything more than a tool for our success. They were relentless in their torture methods.

I knew women could be ruthless, but I am constantly shocked at the extent Evie will go to, and Nessa follows as if she was born for it as well.

Her red hair matches the gleam of blood so perfectly I would have thought she dyed her hair that color for this exact reason.

We found out that the deceased former leader of the Shades was the one who originally started trafficking children. The Prime Minister was one of his main routes of getting shipments through.

Apparently, since his death, a woman whose involvement we already suspected is now in charge. However, she hands out each shipment to investors personally, and only she knows their names.

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