Page 66 of Sweet Revenge
“That’s smart. Better to have nothing happen at all than something happen and no one is there to protect her.”
“Yeah,” Evie agreed, nodding to Maura. “I just…feel so helpless. I don’t know what I’m missing. Peter’s hidden his identity as well as I’ve hidden mine. How do you find a ghost?”
“Have y—”
When a child started wailing, they all turned their heads in unison to see Evan flat on his back next to the balance beam that was a few inches off the ground. When Cait rose, Maura put a hand on her arm.
“I’ll get him.”
Cait kept her eyes on Evan as Maura scooped him up. “She’s right, you know. Love can be enough for now. Don’t think about the past, don’t worry about the future, just enjoy whatever the moment has to offer. Besides,” she added, smiling when Maura tickled a laugh out of Evan, “with everything going on with Peter, now is a terrible time to make life choices.”
“You’re probably right.”
Evie tilted her head, studying a car on its fifth loop around the parking lot despite there being plenty of open spaces. It was a dark-colored, late model sedan with tinted windows too dark to make out the driver. They could be circling, waiting for someone, but it struck her as odd.
She waited for it to slow again as it completed the loop. Reaching for her phone to take down the plate number, she was distracted by the black SUV that screeched into the parking lot. When she looked back again, the sedan was gone.
She tensed when she recognized Declan’s Range Rover seconds before he got out, Finn following from the passenger side. Something was wrong.
“Cait, get Evan and Maura.”
“We’re here,” Maura said, breathless as she bounced a giggling Evan on her hip.
“You’re okay,” Finn said, reaching for his son and pulling Cait close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank Christ.”
The look on Declan’s face made Evie nervous. “What’s going on?”
Declan cupped her face in his hands, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “We need to get out of the open.”
“Why?” Maura wondered, voice shaky.
“Because someone put a hit out on Evie.”
Evie jerked in Declan’s arms. “They what?”
“Come on,” Declan said, looping his arm around Evie’s waist as Cait and Maura stuffed everything back into the bag. “I’ll tell you what I know back at the house. Is your car here?”
Evie shook her head, fighting to keep her voice even. “No. No, I rode with Cait.”
“Mine is,” Maura replied. “I can follow you back to the house.”
“I’d prefer if you rode with us,” Evie said, looking up at Declan, who nodded.
“I’ll send someone to get your car,” Declan promised, ushering them all toward the parking lot, eyes scanning their surroundings.
The drive back to the house was fast, and they rode it in silence. Finn left a hungry Evan in the kitchen with Marta before joining the rest of them in Declan’s office.
“This is Peter,” Evie said once the door was closed. “It has to be.”
“Why?” Brogan wondered. “I thought his goal was to burn all your aliases.”
“His goal,” Evie replied, pacing in front of the window, “is to kill me. I very much doubt he cares about the means. God, what if it was him in that car?”
Declan came around his desk to stand in front of Evie, gripping her shoulders to keep her still. “What car?”
“There was this car, navy blue or black maybe. It looped the parking lot five or six times. There were plenty of spaces, so it seemed weird. I was going to take down the plate just before you showed up. When I tried to find it again, it was gone.”
Declan looked at Brogan.
