Page 31 of No Mistakes
Axel looks from the screen to Eva, catching something in her expression, and his eyes narrow. “Wait, you knew?”
Eva nods slightly, “Mandy told me earlier. She wanted Ant’s take before we brought it to everyone else.”
Axel’s jaw tics. “So everyone knew but me?”
“Well,” I say, not bothering to hide my grin, “if we want to talk about keeping secrets, maybe don’t lie to your girlfriend about faking your death next time”
He glares. “That’s not the same.”
“No. But it still sucked.”
Eva steps between us before it escalates. “Mandy found something. Something important. She told me, and we asked for Ant’s help. We were going to loop you in at one point, Axel. Just… not with you pacing like a pitbull.”
Ant pulls out the USB and holds it up between his fingers. Axel’s gaze zeroes in on it. “What’s that?”
“Photos,” I say quietly. “Photos of Eva. Ofus. Someone's been watching, and they know way more than they should.”
Axel stiffens, and he looks straight at Eva. “And you didn’t think I needed to know?”
I hear the pain in his voice at the thought of this being kept hidden from him. Flashbacks of the night of him receiving that photo of Eva beaten and him crashing to the ground flood my mind, and for the first time, I feel sorry for him.
I step in, “Idothink you need to know,” I reply. “But I also thought we’d get answers first instead of dragging you in blind.”
“I think this needs to be spoken about privately and not in the open. Will you come with me?” Axel asks, directing his question to Eva.
She looks towards me and I nod, confirming that it’s okay. She touches his arm, and for a split moment, it’s like all he can see in the world is her. “Come on, Axel, let's go.”
CHAPTER 15
AXEL
I drive backtowards the house with Mandy and Eva following us in the car behind. I glance at the rear view mirror, catching a glimpse of her face through the windshield, and all I can think about is how fucking badly I wanted to slam her against the hood of that car and kiss her until she forgot why she hated me. To rip that anger straight out of her body with my tongue and remind her who the hell I am. She looked like sin wrapped in firelight, standing in front of me earlier. Untouchable, pissed off, and so fucking beautiful it hurt to breathe. And I’d give anything to feel her nails digging into my skin again, even if it’s in rage.Especiallyif it’s in rage.
Ant sits in the passenger seat, quiet like always. But I know he’s watching me, clocking every movement, every glance. He doesn’t ask what I’m thinking; he already knows.
Eva. Always Eva.
I grip the steering wheel, the leather creaking beneath my fingers. She’s back. Not the way I fucking wanted her to be, but she’s here. Alive. Breathing. Furious and sexy as hell.
“I need to know what’s on that USB.”
Ant shifts in his seat like he’s listening. “Whatever the hell scared Mandy enough to rope you in, it’s big. And if it hasanything to do with her-” I stop myself, feeling the anger build up inside of me. If it has anything to do with Eva, I’ll burn the city down before I let anyone touch her again.
She doesn’t know the full story of our family yet. The history of how we became who we are. She doesn’t understand why I let her think I was dead. Yes, she knows it was to protect her, but she has no idea of the people I was protecting her from, and when I tell her, it won’t be in some random parking lot. It’ll be when I have her in a place where she can’t run, where she has to look me in the fucking eye and see the truth for what it is.
Right now, all I can think about is how I wanted to taste that anger on her lips. I wanted to grab her face, shove my mouth over hers, and remind her how good we were. How fucking explosive it was between us.
My phone buzzes on the centre console, no doubt Flynn confirming that the body has now been removed, but I don’t pick it up. My mind is too focused, too locked in on the woman in the car behind me. The woman who might still love me. The woman I broke.
“We’re almost there.”
Ant doesn’t respond, and normally I don’t mind, but right now, I could really do with my brother giving me the advice he used to when we were younger. He taps something on his phone, probably already pulling information up from whatever Mandy has told him. He’s always ten steps ahead of me, and a part of me is glad he’s on this. That they contacted him and no one else, because if someone was watching Eva… if someone dared follow her into a hospital room to take those photos-
My vision blurs with red again at the thought. I’ll find them. I’ll find every last one of them, and I’ll make them choke on their own teeth.
I slow the car down, turning into the driveway as the gravel crunches beneath the tyres. It may have only been a few dayssince Eva left the house, but fuck, it will feel so good to have her back here again with me. Even if it is under different circumstances.
Shifting the car into park, I sit there for a second staring through the windshield. She’s about to step back into my world, but this time, she’s about to be introduced to the real Ashford Family.
