She chuckled. “You, settle down. I’ve already had two showers and a bath. I’m hungry and you need
to feed me if you expect me to be up for anything else.”
He grinned into her soft hair. “I’m just touching.”
She swatted his hands away and turned. “Touching leads to fucking.”
“Can you blame me? You look incredible.”
She blushed. “Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself. Where are we going?”
“I made reservations at DeLuna.”
She grabbed her purse and followed him to the door. He shut out the lights and they settled on the
elevator. She turned and caught him looking at her. “Stop looking at me like that. I need food.”
He grunted. “Feisty when you’re hungry.”
They rode in silence to the first floor and Lucian spent the entire time eyeing her legs. As they
stepped off, he asked, “How’s your knee?”
“Ugly, but I’ll live.”
“You need to be more careful with how much you drink.”
“You need to not make me want to drink.”
His arm wrapped around her and guided her through the lobby. He understood he was partly
responsible for her actions last night, but that didn’t excuse her carelessness. She’d been plastered and with a guy he knew nothing about. Sometimes her invincible attitude made him crazy.
He let his concerns go for the sake of their evening. He didn’t want any unnecessary stress. They’d
have dinner, talk, laugh and enjoy themselves. The doorman held the door and she froze as a hundred
flashes went off in their faces.
“Mr. Patras, can you tell us what happened with Nicole Nottingham?”
“Lucian, is it true you rescued Ms. Keats from a shelter?”
“Ms. Keats, did you threaten Nicole last night?”
“Where is your mother?”
“Ms. Keats, how old are you? Were you an adult when Mr. Patras seduced you?”
Jesus fucking Christ! He grabbed Evelyn’s wrist and dragged her through the crowd of vultures.
Dugan held the door to the limo wide as they fled inside.
The door slammed and the flashes of cameras beat against the glass. He was seeing spots. The car
lurched, its wheels squealing as it pulled into traffic. He rubbed his eye sockets and faced Evelyn.
Fuck. She was white as a sheet.
Chapter 10
Cheapo
Swindling a win or drawing from another’s position lost
Lucian pulled out his phone. “Dugan, drive to Isadora’s. Call her and tell her to have food ready.”
His fingers flipped through his contacts and dialed when he found the number he was searching for.
He reached his arm out to Evelyn. “Come here.”
She looked lost and small. Her eyes weren’t blinking and her mouth was flat, her lips vacant of
color. She slid into the crook of his arm and he squeezed. “It’ll be okay.” The other line picked up.
“DeLaCruz, please. Lucian Patras.”
As he waited for his attorney to pick up, he kissed her temple. He needed to reassure her, but first he needed to start the long line of damage control.
“Lucian, what can I do for you?” The lawyer’s voice, smooth and cultured, gave him some sense of
ease. This would be taken care of, and soon.
“We have a situation. Nottingham found out some private information in Evelyn’s background and
exploited it to the press. I want her dealt with. I also want to make sure no harm comes to Evelyn’s
mother. She’s vulnerable and doesn’t need the goddamn media climbing her walls while she
recovers.”
“You sure it was Nottingham?”
“I’m almost certain. Question Hughes as well. Anyone who caused this is going to pay.”
Sliding his thumb over the screen of his phone, he tossed it aside, turning Evelyn to face him. Her
expression was so vacant it worried him. He kissed her and drew her close, hugging her. “Hey, this
sort of thing happens. It’s all right. I have people straightening it out now.”
When she still didn’t say anything, he tipped up her face. “Evelyn, you know none of this is your
fault. I’m not angry. Not with you anyway.”
Her lashes lowered. He was going to strangle Nicole next time he saw her. “Evelyn, talk to me.
What’s going through your head?”
Her face tightened and she drew in a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hey! I told you. There’s nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault. I don’t give a shit about what people think. I care about the stress the attention puts you under.”
“This is all that bitch’s fault!” she snapped with more venom than he was used to from her. “I
should have knocked her on her ass when I had the chance.” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“Hey, hey, she’s not even worth your aggravation. That’s exactly what she wants.”
“That’s not all she wants. She wants to expose me and humiliate you so you leave me and go to
her.”
“And do you know why that is? Because she’s intimidated by you. You scare her. She can say
you’re just a girl from the tracks and expose your family’s flaws, but that doesn’t change the fact
you’re still a better person. Sinking this low and playing dirty isn’t wise when she, too, holds a