Page 228 of Hot Tycoons Boxset

“Where to?” the man asks, looking at me from the rear view mirror, eyeing the small suitcase and then me, his yellow teeth, probably stained from nicotine, grimacing in a smile.

It is evening.

She must be home now.

I rattle off Eve’s address and then lean back and stare outside, my face cold and set, my expression unreadable.

Eve is home, and she looks worn out.

She lets me in without a second thought and without thinking, without even considering her reaction, I drag her to me and hold her close, taking in her natural scent.

She struggles for a few seconds before giving in.

Pulling back, my hands on her shoulders, I study her face. “Have you been harassed?”

She shakes her head, but I note that she doesn't pull away from my touch.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this on the phone?” I demand. “I would have come back straight away.”

She then rubs her hands over her face, and it doesn’t escape me that she looks utterly drained. There is no fight left in her at the moment.

She takes a step back, and I release her, frowning, thinking that she doesn’t want me to touch her. She starts moving towards the kitchen. “Do you want something to eat?”

I shrug off my leather jacket on the arm of the couch and follow her into the kitchen.

My voice is a quiet command. “Eve. Why didn’t you tell me?”

She reluctantly turns around, and I see the unsettled look on her face. “I didn’t want you to come back for something like this. I’ve been handling it.”

Her hands shake slightly as she puts the kettle on the stove and I grip her wrist, my brow knitting. “Something’s wrong.”

She is burning up.

“A slight fever,” she shakes off my hand. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” I hiss. “You’re sick.”

I glance around as if suddenly realizing that the apartment is far too quiet. “Where’s Mila?”

Eve rubs her bare arms, not a nervous gesture but pure agitation. “With Ron and Mark. Ron’s staying with Mark for a few days and I sent Mila with him. I didn’t want anybody finding out where we live and start… I don’t know.”

Her voice is jittery, her skin too flushed.

I don’t like that she sent Mila with Ron, but I am hardly in a position to be saying anything.

“You’re home alone?”

She shrugs putting two mugs on the counter. “For now. I’m not mad that they took a picture of me, but Mila is in it as well.” She glares at me. “Her picture is out there on every tabloid.”

I blink slowly. “Every tabloid?”

A hysterical laugh bubbles in Eve’s throat, and she gestures towards a pile of newspapers and magazines.

“Not just one picture. They had seven.”

My hands shift through the articles and I tighten the leash around my icily controlled veneer.

“What utter bullshit,” I say, my tone soft, a trace of menace lurking just below the surface.

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