after. Was the phone broken then or did you deliberately not answer my call?”
Breath sucked deep into her lungs and she pivoted. “You called me back?”
“Yes, I fucking called you back. I was halfway across the world, cursing myself for leaving. Then there was an issue with the engine when all I wanted to do was get back to you before it was too late and tell you what a jerk I’d been.”
He called!
This was exactly why she should’ve locked herself in the bathroom ten minutes ago. Information like this was detrimental to her cause. “Were you alone?” she rasped, unable to meet his gaze.
“Of course I was alone. I was at my father’s. I was miserable here without you and figured, what the fuck, might as well drown in all the screwed-up parts of my life.”
She blinked as her throat tightened. “So no one went with you to Europe?”
“Evelyn, why—
motherfucker
—did he say I wasn’t alone? That son of a bitch!” He pivoted and she tensed, fearing he’d punch one of her walls and break her tiny apartment. He turned on her. “The phone technician said your cell got wet.”
“Yes, but I never—” She gasped.
Parker! He must have heard it ringing when Lucian called.
“That fucker!”
He came toward her and grasped her shoulders, his expression rigid. “Evelyn, I want you to stay away from him. He’s underhanded and he doesn’t play by the rules that he wants everyone to believe he does.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me.”
“I do.” He shook her. “There are things you don’t know. There was a woman—”
She jerked out of his grip, her hands going to her ears. “I don’t want to hear this!”
“I’m being honest with you. You need to listen. You need to know what kind of person he is. He hired a prostitute who looked just like you and sent her to the penthouse.”
“Oh my God.” She was going to be sick.
“I didn’t touch her. I knew he was behind it. I sent her away, but I think she stole the lease to the apartment I rented for you and I think that’s how he found you. The only other person who could’ve told him was Slade, but Slade didn’t know.”
“Slade? What does he have to do with any of this?”
Lucian sighed. “Part of the deal was I give Parker a job. He was your friend and I had no problem helping him. It wasn’t until he made his other conditions known that I realized my first instinct about him was right. He’s a prick. I gave him a job as a bellhop—”
“At Patras? I knew I saw him there!”
“You saw him?”
“Once. At night. I went to visit the girls at the salon.”
“Well, he only worked there for a short time. He somehow crossed paths with Slade and Slade found out about our deal. He offered him a job making several times his salary at Patras on the spot.”
“What’s
wrong
with that guy?”
“Who knows? I stopped trying to figure him out, and I’m in the process of buying out his shares and dissolving our partnership. My point is, Parker Hughes isn’t a man you can trust or afford to underestimate. If he comes here, I want you to call the cops or me.”
“He doesn’t know where I live.”
“Nothing remains a secret forever. Just promise me you won’t talk to him.”
“The bastard broke my phone and lied to me. I want nothing to do with him and told him so yesterday.”
It was stupid to be so angry about a phone in light of everything else, but she couldn’t forgive him for that additional transgression of honor. When she realized her phone was broken, she was completely cut off from Lucian, and her mind couldn’t deal with that. She’d fallen apart all over again and it was Parker’s fault. All for what?
“Promise me, Evelyn.”
Not a difficult thing to do. “I promise.”
He nodded and stepped back. Glancing around, he asked, “Is there anything you need?”
“No.”
Lucian swallowed. “Believe it or not, I’m proud of you. Your home’s small, but nice. You did this, Evelyn. You.”
His praise
Breath sucked deep into her lungs and she pivoted. “You called me back?”
“Yes, I fucking called you back. I was halfway across the world, cursing myself for leaving. Then there was an issue with the engine when all I wanted to do was get back to you before it was too late and tell you what a jerk I’d been.”
He called!
This was exactly why she should’ve locked herself in the bathroom ten minutes ago. Information like this was detrimental to her cause. “Were you alone?” she rasped, unable to meet his gaze.
“Of course I was alone. I was at my father’s. I was miserable here without you and figured, what the fuck, might as well drown in all the screwed-up parts of my life.”
She blinked as her throat tightened. “So no one went with you to Europe?”
“Evelyn, why—
motherfucker
—did he say I wasn’t alone? That son of a bitch!” He pivoted and she tensed, fearing he’d punch one of her walls and break her tiny apartment. He turned on her. “The phone technician said your cell got wet.”
“Yes, but I never—” She gasped.
Parker! He must have heard it ringing when Lucian called.
“That fucker!”
He came toward her and grasped her shoulders, his expression rigid. “Evelyn, I want you to stay away from him. He’s underhanded and he doesn’t play by the rules that he wants everyone to believe he does.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me.”
“I do.” He shook her. “There are things you don’t know. There was a woman—”
She jerked out of his grip, her hands going to her ears. “I don’t want to hear this!”
“I’m being honest with you. You need to listen. You need to know what kind of person he is. He hired a prostitute who looked just like you and sent her to the penthouse.”
“Oh my God.” She was going to be sick.
“I didn’t touch her. I knew he was behind it. I sent her away, but I think she stole the lease to the apartment I rented for you and I think that’s how he found you. The only other person who could’ve told him was Slade, but Slade didn’t know.”
“Slade? What does he have to do with any of this?”
Lucian sighed. “Part of the deal was I give Parker a job. He was your friend and I had no problem helping him. It wasn’t until he made his other conditions known that I realized my first instinct about him was right. He’s a prick. I gave him a job as a bellhop—”
“At Patras? I knew I saw him there!”
“You saw him?”
“Once. At night. I went to visit the girls at the salon.”
“Well, he only worked there for a short time. He somehow crossed paths with Slade and Slade found out about our deal. He offered him a job making several times his salary at Patras on the spot.”
“What’s
wrong
with that guy?”
“Who knows? I stopped trying to figure him out, and I’m in the process of buying out his shares and dissolving our partnership. My point is, Parker Hughes isn’t a man you can trust or afford to underestimate. If he comes here, I want you to call the cops or me.”
“He doesn’t know where I live.”
“Nothing remains a secret forever. Just promise me you won’t talk to him.”
“The bastard broke my phone and lied to me. I want nothing to do with him and told him so yesterday.”
It was stupid to be so angry about a phone in light of everything else, but she couldn’t forgive him for that additional transgression of honor. When she realized her phone was broken, she was completely cut off from Lucian, and her mind couldn’t deal with that. She’d fallen apart all over again and it was Parker’s fault. All for what?
“Promise me, Evelyn.”
Not a difficult thing to do. “I promise.”
He nodded and stepped back. Glancing around, he asked, “Is there anything you need?”
“No.”
Lucian swallowed. “Believe it or not, I’m proud of you. Your home’s small, but nice. You did this, Evelyn. You.”
His praise
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