Page 4 of Evolve

A sense of calmness washes over me as I make peace with it all. She's going to leave and I'm going to be destroyed.

I should let her leave, no,makeher leave. I would leave this life if I could and I shouldn't be dragging her down with me. I shouldn't, but I will if she lets me.

I don't want to lose her and though I've made peace with whatever she decides, if by some miracle, she chooses me,us, I will not fucking let her go.

“They’re in a gang, babe. Theyarethe fucking gang. The Luna Brothers and their two best friends. Gage is second in command to the head of the whole fucking operation, the Kingpin himself, andtheirdad, Augustus Luna. These two and their friends that live here are all involved in it. They fucking own the city, Ella. They areLos Diablos, The motherfucking Devils.”

Ella

YoucouldhearAPIN DROP.

The silence in the boy’s living room is only disrupted by the wooshing of my heartbeat in my ears.They are Los Diablos, The motherfucking Devils.Did I just hear him right? No. There is no way Hunter just said what I think he did. Los Diablos, as in the gang that runs San Francisco?

Holy fucking shit.

Way Down We Go-KALEO

My gaze is set on Hunter, who’s attempting to communicate something to me with his eyes alone. I have no idea what it is that he’s trying to say. My brain is currently going a million miles a minute and there’s too much happening internally for me to be able to decipher his covert messages. I want more than anything to look at the boys, to see what they’re thinking. I know a part of me is waiting for them to shout their adamant objections and accuse Hunter of lying. However, the deafening silence is all the confirmation I need to tell me that won’t be happening. But I still want to hear it from their mouths.

I slowly tear my eyes from Hunters pleading face, and immediately lock eyes with Gage, knowing that he will be straight with me. He seems to be the leader of this little pack of man-beasts. Or, the leader of a whole ass gang, I guess. Same difference, really. My palms are now sweaty, my pulse thundering, my body shaky, as I wait for him to give me something, anything.

His emerald eyes are already on me, his arms locked tightly across his chest. Gage is in his power stance, face completely devoid of anything. However, the slight flex of his fists gives him away. He’s feeling something alright, I just don’t know him well enough yet to be able to analyze his silence.Yet.I thought the word without even meaning to. Does that mean I’m still in this even if Hunter’s accusation is true? I have no idea.

Gage and I continue to stare at one another, neither wanting to be the first to speak, to break. Maybe he has no idea how I will react to the information and wants to prolong the inevitable. Or maybe Hunter has revealed something that’s a secret and Gage is contemplating how to kill us both in order to keep their identity hidden. Maybe Hunter has it all wrong and Gage is waiting for my impending freak-out so that he can talk me off the ledge.

Holy fuck, someone just needs to say something goddammit. If I allow my brain to continue to spiral with all of the what-ifs, I'm likely to pass the fuck out.

“So? Is it true?” I snap finally, having had enough of the silent battle.

Gage grits his teeth, causing his jaw to pop. His eyes narrow and from the tensing of his forearms, I can tell that his fists are clenching and unclenching.

“What part?” he growls quietly.

“Don’t fuck with me, Gage! All of it!” I shout back, causing my voice to bounce off the high vaulted ceiling.

I don’t know where all of this backbone is suddenly coming from, especially in the light of the situation. If they really are who Hunter is alleging, it’s probably for the best that I don’t poke the mafia bears butclearly,my self-preservation skills are lacking. Oh fucking well, I never claimed to be smart.

Gage cocks a brow at me and smirks, clearly impressed with my nerve. It makes me stand taller and drop my arms to my sides. I force myself out of the protective stance that I always took with Drew. I will not be fucking cowering today. Not from these assholes. Truly, if they want to, the only thing left of me that they can take would be my life, and I may not know them well but I don’t think they’d kill me. Hunter on the other hand? He’s possibly fair game. But it will be a cold day in hell before someone tries to touch him in front of me.

“Elle, don’t,” Hunter murmurs.

I shoot a questioning look in his direction and he subtly shakes his head. He’s slowly inching closer to me, as though he is afraid any subtle movements might cause one of the Luna men to shoot him.

“Don’t push it, babe let’s just go,” he says quietly once he gets to my side. Hunter reaches out as if to grab me, but I take a step back. I don’t want to leave. I want fucking answers.

“Don’t push it? Fuck that! After the last few weeks I’ve had, I think I’m entitled topush it, Hunt. In fact, I think I deserve a whole ass tantrum at this point,” I say back with a sardonic laugh. I swear to everything that is holy, if any more shit is piled on me, I am going to wind up back in the loony bin again.

“Don’t silence her, let her say what she needs,” Gage grunts. While I appreciate him standing up for me, I don’t need it.

“What Ineedis some fucking answers. Which one of the Luna boys are going to give them to me, huh? Or maybe I should call for Nyx. He may hate me but at least he gives me the truth,” I respond with way more attitude than I normally let out.

I cock a hip and plant my hand on it while I stare expectantly between the two. Maddox is a few feet behind Gage, and I have to hand it to him, he at least has the decency to look apologetic, but it only further solidifies what I already know. These men are gangsters, or mafia men or whatever and they fuck they are. Regardless, they’re dangerous, and I should be scared. The operative word there beingshould. Am I? I don’t know what the hell I’m feeling.

“Yes, to all of it,” Maddox finally says with a sigh.

Gage growls, literally. No words, just a feral as fuck growl at his brother. Maddox continues as though Gage hadn’t just let out the sound of a bear. I’d be lying if I said the sound didn’t cause my panties to get a little bit damp.Damper.We may be in the middle of a standoff with heavy information on the line, but my pussy is still wet and throbbing from the boys earlier. No matter how dangerous they may or may not be, they are still gorgeous, I am still wildly attracted to them and they have both done things to break through my massive walls. Without even realizing it, the boys have begun to work their way into my system and I’ve let them.

“We are who he claims, for the most part. We ownRush. We are Augustus Luna’s sons. Gage is the heir to the Los Diablos Syndicate. Nyxon and Stone are in it also. We aren’t the fucking Mafia or Cartel, technically, but we are dangerous men and we make no fucking apologies for it, baby girl.”

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