Page 52 of Sweet Revenge
“What was that for?”
He kissed her forehead. “Just because.”
They moved to sit at the bar stools lining the island counter, and she took a sip of coffee before nibbling a piece of bacon. “Brogan’s right. This is perfectly cooked. So what are you up to today?”
“Paperwork. My life is an endless parade of boring paperwork.”
“Tell Helen I said hi. I’m sure she misses me.”
“She mentions it all the time. What are you up to today?”
Evie peered out the windows at the rain clouds that gathered beyond the trees. “If the weather holds, I’m going to go for a run later. I haven’t been in weeks.”
“You like to run?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
He shrugged. “I figured you for yoga or pilates or something,” he said around a mouthful of pancake.
“Do you even know what pilates is?”
“It’s like yoga, but with more stuff.”
She laughed and sipped her coffee. “An eloquent summation. Sadly, I’m not patient enough for pilates or flexible enough for yoga—”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
“And running is something I can do anywhere,” she finished, giving him a light elbow when he leaned down to kiss her exposed shoulder.
“Fine, but be careful. Don’t give me that look,” he added when she pinned him with a bland stare, “or I’ll make Brogan go with you.”
“God forbid,” she muttered as she got up to clear the dishes and clean up.
It was raining by the time Evie strapped on her running shoes and headed out the front door. She considered it her penance for being unable to resist Declan in the shower. The man had learned some things in the last ten years.
She set off down the driveway at an easy pace and kept tight to the edge of the road. This neighborhood was usually quiet, not a lot of traffic even on its busiest days, but she kept her earbuds out and ran in the silence anyway, just in case. With everything going on right now, it was better to be safe than sorry.
She’d done some digging on Kiah’s brother and sister-in-law after prying more details out of William. She couldn’t make the timeline match up in her head until she found news articles about the deaths.
They’d been dead nearly a week before someone found them, plenty of time for Peter to kill them in Nebraska and find his way to Philly to murder her parents. But why?
It had to be Peter because nothing else made sense, but she didn’t understand why he would want to expose her, to punish her. William refused to give up details about Kiah, claiming the less Evie knew, the better. Which was probably true.
But it left her flapping in the wind trying to understand not just why Peter had done this but what he might do next. She felt better knowing that Nessa had some protection, that Cait and Maura went home to Finn and James every night, and that if push really came to shove, Declan wouldn’t leave her side.
Although that was its own complication. One night with Declan had stirred up everything she hadn’t let herself feel in a decade. The worst part was that she didn’t mind nearly as much as she should have.
They were different now. Older, wiser, more mature. They could handle this like adults, enjoying each other’s company until it was time to move on. She would go wherever was next after this, and he would go back to his life, and they’d part ways as friends. Simple as that.
When she reached the cross street, she paused, jogging in place. The rain had slowed to a gentle mist, and the sun filtered weakly through the thinning clouds. Soaked, she made the turn for home. A quick run was better than nothing.
Something seemed off as she jogged up the slight rise, and her eyes scanned the trees that lined the side of the road. There were no cars, no signs of anyone else out on the road, no birds chirping. It was quiet. Eerily so.
The road curved to the left and she followed it, moving out of the shade from the trees. A chill swept over her skin, and she stopped, turning a slow circle to scan her surroundings again. No one. There was no one there, but she couldn’t shake that sensation.
Her breath quickened as she took off at a sprint toward the driveway, as much from exertion as anxiety. Someone was watching her. They had to be. Otherwise why did she suddenly feel so exposed, so vulnerable?
When the bottom of the driveway came into view, she pushed herself hard, feet slapping the pavement, and quickly punched in the code on the gate, skirting around it when it opened enough for her to slip through.
