King Cobra (Diamondbacks Motorcycle Club Book 3) (7 page)

He trusted Alec enough to let him handle the matter of Douglas Taylor for one day. Today, Lind decided, his priority would be Eve. Like it should have been all along.

CHAPTER NINE

Eve’s head was spinning in a way that couldn’t even be compared with how it had spun before—and God knew there had been many occasions for head-reeling over the past few weeks, and especially over the past few days.

“I love her, you know. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Eve.”

She had not meant to eavesdrop, it just happened. After she had called Lind earlier that morning to suggest they have breakfast together and he had brushed her off
yet again
, Eve decided that she’d had enough. Despite all of her fears, doubts, and insecurities, she had tried to give their relationship one more chance and had been looking to reconnect with him. Lind, however, would resist all of her attempts. It was like hitting a wall over and over again and
still
trying to push through.

She didn’t know what it was about his latest refusal, but something finally snapped within Eve and she came to a decision. She wasn’t going to stand for this anymore. She was living like a prisoner in her own house, in her own life, and she was sick and tired of feeling that way.

Her heart broke even as she drove to the Diamondbacks’ headquarters, with Lucas in the passenger seat. The man knew something was up, but to his credit he didn’t ask any questions and left her alone throughout the whole ride.

She had felt like a prisoner before, back when she was stuck in a life that simply did not represent her anymore. Back when she was stuck with Alan in the worst of ways. She never thought she could feel this way with Lind, too. She had expected so much more from him, from
them
. She had been naïve; she knew that now.

And so it was with a heavy heart that she parked outside of the old warehouse and made her way to the main room where she had been told she would find Lind, pouring over maps and clues, obsessing over finding his archenemy like he had been doing for the past few weeks.

She had stopped just outside the ajar door to get herself together, gather her thoughts, and summon all of her strength. She had hesitated when she had heard Alec’s voice, hesitant to interrupt the conversation between the two men. And she had stopped cold when the voices drifted back to her clearly enough that she could hear the words.

“I love her, you know. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Eve.”

Eve’s heart began to pound fiercely in her chest.

“I know you do. Does she?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, have you told her?”

“No.”

“Then maybe you should.”

Eve could not listen anymore. She turned around and marched as quietly and as quickly as possible to the outside of the building. She sat on the bench at one of the tables that had been set outside and breathed in big gulps of fresh air.

Could she have been imagining it? Could Lind really love her? Could she have been spectacularly wrong about him?

Lind’s voice as he spoke to Alec had been calmer and gentler than it had been in weeks. He sounded like the Lind that Eve knew and had fallen for.

Could this be right? Could Lind be coming back to her after all?

“Eve.”

Eve looked up sharply. Lind was standing just a few feet away from her. He looked disheveled, dark hair unkempt and blue eyes rimmed with red circles, but he had never looked more handsome in Eve’s eyes. She forced herself to rein in her mounting enthusiasm; after all, she could be wrong about this. After all, Lind could still backtrack.

“Lucas told me you were here,” he said, walking over to the table. He hesitated. “May I?”

Just the fact that he had to ask whether he could sit next to her made Eve’s heart break a little all over again.

She nodded. “Please,” she said, trying not to sound too eager.

Lind sat down next to her on the bench. Their eyes locked, and Eve knew she could do nothing to hide the hope in hers. She couldn’t help it; she had been waiting for a sign for
so
long…

“How are you?” Lind asked. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he wasn’t just asking. He wasn’t just making conversation. He really wanted to know, and for once he wasn’t too busy to listen to the answer.

“I’m okay,” Eve said. It wasn’t a lie, per se; in fact, she wasn’t quite sure what she was.

“Alec is taking over for the day,” Lind said after a moment. “Would you like to go for that breakfast?”

Eve looked at him in disbelief. There was nothing in the world she wanted more, but she knew she couldn’t go anywhere with him until she knew that she had not dreamt what she had heard.

“Did you mean it?” she asked.

Lind frowned in confusion. “Did I mean what?”

“What you said back in there, to Alec,” Eve said. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” she added quickly. “I just…happened to be there.” It sounded weak to her own ears, but it was the truth. She just hoped Lind wouldn’t think she had been spying on him.

He didn’t seem to think so, but he did narrow his eyes a fraction in suspicion. “How much did you hear?”

“Not much,” she admitted.
Just the important part.
She licked her lips nervously. “You said…” She took a deep breath. Oh God. What if it wasn’t true? “You said you love me,” she finally said. “Did you mean it?”

Lind stared at her. His eyes looked more impossibly blue than usual. “Of course I meant it,” he said.

The wave of relief that rushed over Eve then was so intense that for a moment she feared she might pass out from it. “Really?” she asked again.

“Yes.” Lind reached out and took her hands in his. “I mean it, Eve. I love you. I’m hopelessly in love with you. I know I haven’t exactly proved it lately, but it’s the truth. The fact that you don’t know that only goes to show how much of an ass I’ve been.” He tightened his hold around her fingers. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I’ve been handling this all wrong. I’m so sorry.”

By now, Eve’s already galloping heart had kicked up a stampede in her chest.

“I love you, too,” she said. Because really, what else was there to say?

“Really?” Lind looked genuinely incredulous.

“Yes,” Eve said vehemently. “I love you.”

“Even after everything?”

“Even after everything,” Eve said. She wasn’t about to argue with the fact that “everything” had been quite hard to swallow, but she was too happy to get into that right now. “I love you,” she repeated, willing the words to sink in for him.

Apparently, they did. Lind tugged on her wrists and pulled her close. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, clutching her to him like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. It was a legitimate fear; after all, that was just what had almost happened. He cupped her cheek with one hand, his thumb stroking her cheekbone almost reverently. Then, he buried his fingers in the golden locks at the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

Eve all but melted in his arms. She clutched the front of his t-shirt with one hand and encircled his waist with the other, pulling him desperately closer.

I need you,
she thought as she pushed her tongue past the sweet barrier of Lind’s lips.
I need you so much closer.

They kissed for what felt like forever and yet too short a time at once. They only pulled back when they were both seriously out of breath, but even then, neither of them broke the contact. Lind’s arms remained around Eve. Eve’s hands remained on Lind.

“I’ve missed you,” she said.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he replied, leaning his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I’m sorry about everything.”

Eve nodded. “It’s okay,” she said, and for the first time in what felt like a long time, she really meant it. “We’ll be okay.”

Lind nodded back and kissed her, a light touch of lips on lips that still was able to send a jolt of electricity shooting down Eve’s spine.

Eventually, Lind pulled back enough so that they could stare at each other and have a conversation.

“What are you doing here anyway?” he asked. “I thought you hated the headquarters.”

“I do,” Eve admitted. There was no point in denying it; to her, the headquarters represented all that she was not allowed to share with Lind and all that threatened to take him away from her. But maybe things could be different now that they had turned this corner. “I came to talk to you.”

“Oh,” Lind said. He looked at her curiously. “Tell me.”

Eve shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now.”

He frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

He stared at her for quite a few long moments, searching her. Then, suddenly, a look of realization came upon his handsome features. “I almost lost you, didn’t I?”

Eve cringed at the pain in his voice and eyes. She couldn’t lie to him. “Yes,” she admitted. “You almost did.”

In response, Lind tightened his hold around her. It was clearly an automatic reflex, and Eve wondered at this man who could pull away from her one day and respond so readily and intimately to her presence the next.

“I’m sorry,” Lind said again. “I’ve made things worse for you and I really didn’t want to. I guess…” He hesitated. “I guess I went kind of crazy.”

Eve gave him a small smile. “Yeah, you did,” she said. “Care to tell me why?”

Lind sighed. “You know it’s a personal revenge this man is after.”

Eve nodded.

“Personal revenges are brutal,” Lind said. “I just can’t stand the idea of anything happening to you, especially because of me. The thought alone makes me mental. I guess I let it get the best of me.”

Eve nodded again. She still didn’t justify any of Lind’s obsessive actions, but she figured she could see his point. The more she looked into Lind’s once-more gentle eyes, the more she realized that this man did indeed love her. She felt stupid for doubting him, but all in all she figured she couldn’t be blamed either.

“Promise me that’s in the past now?” she said. “Because I really can’t take any more of it.” She
needed
to know that Lind’s craziness was really gone. As much as she loved him—and as much as he seemed to love her—she couldn’t be around him if it weren’t.

“It is,” Lind said readily. “I promise you, Eve. It’s done.”

Eve studied him carefully. Finally, she was satisfied enough to believe him. She nodded. “Good,” she said. “I’m not one for ultimatums, but you should know that if it happens again, you
will
lose me. I just cannot live like this.”

She didn’t mean to ruin the moment, but it needed to be said.
Everything
needed to be said, otherwise she knew their relationship would never survive.

Lind blew out a shaky breath and nodded. “I understand,” he said. “I hear you.”

“Good,” Eve said again. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. “Now, about that breakfast…”

Lind laughed. “Let’s do it.”

They left Eve’s car and opted to ride on Lind’s Harley instead. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, glad to have an excuse to cling to him some more. She knew that the dark times were far from over, but at the very least she also knew that darkness would not be brought on by Lind. She also knew that she had the chance to have the darkness lift earlier. She would tell Lind what little she knew, she decided. He probably wouldn’t take it well and chances were that he would be furious with Lucas, but he needed to know.