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 position in the public eye. She’s a fool for throwing the first stone.”
Evelyn shook her head. “Calling her stupid doesn’t take away what she did. This won’t just get swept under the rug, Lucian. We have enough challenges on our own. All our crap is about to be thrown out on the lawn for everyone to see.”
He considered her words. She was right. This wouldn’t just get swept away. People would want to know. But he had nothing to hide. He merely wanted to shelter Evelyn. “What is it you are afraid of them finding out? Is it Pearl?”
She gaped at him. “It’s all of it, Lucian. I’m an embarrassment to you! I was homeless for Christ’s sake. I ate out of dumpsters and slept in the dirt. My mother fucked strangers for drugs. I was born addicted to heroin. I was illiterate until I was in my twenties and I can barely read now. You’re Lucian fucking Patras. Do you have any idea what this will do to your reputation?”
Rage seethed inside of him. His jaw clicked. Her voice had grown shriller with each proclamation. He gently shook her. “Listen to me. You are not worthless. All of those things, they may be true, but look at you now. Who fucking cares about the past? You’ve overcome more obstacles than almost anyone I know. I refuse—refuse—to sit here and listen to you degrade yourself. Do you understand me, Evelyn? You do that, and all those assholes who told you you’d never be anything more, they win. Do you want them to win?”
“No.” She was breaking, but he needed her to see herself the way she really was.
“You have pride in spades, Evelyn. Don’t let them shake it. You’re smart, determined, beautiful, and caring. Anyone who doesn’t see that is a fucking asshole. And as far as all those other accusations, I’ll come out with a statement and own up to every single one, just give me the word. I don’t give a shit about what conclusions they draw. I love you. You, Evelyn, all of you.”
His words seemed to sink in. She nodded. “Okay.”
“Good.” He hugged her. He didn’t let her go until they reached his sister’s. Climbing out of the limo, he reached for her hand.
“Will Isadora be upset we popped in?” Evelyn asked, adjusting her clothing.
“She’s used to it.” He led her to the door and Sophia, Isadora’s maid, greeted them.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Sophia.” He nodded. “This is Ms. Keats.”
“A pleasure,” the maid replied. “Isadora’s in the kitchen cursing you at this very moment.”
“Wonderful,” he commented, leading Evelyn to the kitchen. Escorting Evelyn through the grand entrance, he found his sister chopping peppers at her granite island, a scowl marring her otherwise pretty face. “Isa.”
“Do I look like one of your employees, Lucian?”
He walked over and kissed her cheek. “Stop. We had a situation and needed to get out of the city. Evelyn was starving and we couldn’t go to the restaurant where we had reservations.”
Evelyn smacked his arm. “You’re blaming me?”
His sister paused from chopping. “What situation?”
“Let’s eat first and I’ll explain over dinner.” He plucked a slice of bell pepper from the butcher block and popped it in his mouth.
She scooped the peppers and dropped them over a salad, which she proceeded to toss. “Evelyn, will you tell me what’s going on?”
She sighed. “Lucian got involved with a she-devil—”
“I told you to stay away from Nicole. That girl doesn’t do casual dating. She can misinterpret a wave as a marriage proposal.” She turned to Evelyn. “He never should have accepted her invitation to the Slavonia affair last week.”
“Not helping, Isadora,” he grumbled in a warning voice.
His sister arched a brow. “What? You’re completely in love with Evelyn. You should have worked your crap out before involving that spoiled little Pomeranian.” Turning to Evelyn once more, she added, “I never liked her.”
Evelyn’s dimple appeared as she allowed herself a conspirator’s smile. Wonderful. “Well, I don’t like her either. She ‘looked into’ me—whatever that means—and she got the paparazzi involved. We were nearly trampled leaving Patras.”
Isa poured a glass of wine and offered them each one. They sat at the table and she sighed. “Dinner’s in the oven. You’re lucky I have casseroles on hand. So, what kind of dirt did she find? You’re very lucky you come from an ordinary background. The press can be relentless once they sink their teeth in.”
Evelyn nearly choked taking a sip of wine. She wiped her mouth and blushed, then looked at him with panic in her eyes. Here goes. Lucian took a deep breath. “Evelyn’s past isn’t exactly ordinary.”
Isa stilled. “What do you mean?”
“She actually has quite an extraordinary story, but it’s hers to share.”
His sister looked at Evelyn. “Will you share it?”
“Don’t pressure her, Isa.”
“It’s okay,” Evelyn said quietly. “I’d rather her hear the truth from me than some distorted version of it from the tabloids.” She cleared her throat. “I was born in the wintertime, I think twenty-three years ago.”
His sister frowned. “You think?”
“I don’t know. Until a month ago, I didn’t exist.”
“What do you mean?”
Evelyn sighed. “My father died before I was born, shot during a drug deal. My mother has been an addict all my life. She gave birth to me in an alley and I never had a home until now.”
Isa’s face slowly fell. She glanced at Lucian. “Is this a joke?”
“It’s not a joke,” Lucian said softly.
His sister looked at them both, gauging their sincerity. “How on earth did you two hook up?”
“Evelyn was a maid at Patras. I caught her rummaging through my stuff.”
His arm was smacked again. “Lucian! Don’t tell her that. I was not rummaging.”
He laughed and kissed her temple. She pushed him away and rolled her eyes. “Your brother made a rather inappropriate proposition and rather than sue his ass off, I took him up on his offer. I figured it would help my mother in the long run. Which it did, but in no way close to what I imagined.”
“You were . . . homeless?” His sister said it like it was a word foreign to her vocabulary.
Evelyn nodded. “Lucian helped me.”
He needed to cut in. “She didn’t need my help. Don’t let her fool you. Evelyn has more determination than anyone I know, including myself. She would’ve gotten there with or without me, but I’m glad I was the one to help her.”
Isadora sat back, her arms crossing, one hand catching her glass of wine. “Wow. Does anyone else know this?”
“Dugan. Shamus. Slade.”
“Everyone will know now,” Evelyn commented hopelessly.
“Does Toni know?” Isa asked.
“Not unless Jamie told her, but I don’t think he would.”
Isa nodded. “Me neither. They aren’t there yet.”
Evelyn sat up straighter. “Jamie’s with your sister? Since when?”
He grumbled. “Apparently for some time now. I was the last to know.”
“Oh, stop bellyaching,” Isa snapped. “It’s only been for a couple weeks, and who knows where it’s going. Those two fight about the dumbest stuff. They don’t get along long enough for anything to be consummated.”
“Nobody’s consummating anything,” he snapped.
“Oh, I bet they’re consummating like bunnies right this moment,” his sister teased. She knew he couldn’t accept that his best friend was sleeping with his little sister. She turned back to Evelyn. “So, how did that little twit find all this out?”
Evelyn shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m more worried about what this could do to Lucian and your family.”
Isadora laughed. “Honey, the worst it could do is humble him. The paparazzi can’t hurt him with this petty crap. It’ll just add to the legend. Besides, that’s your past. You’ve come a long way. I never would’ve guessed you were homeless when I first met you. You own that!”
He smiled, loving his sister for affirming everything he tried to say on the ride over.
“But it will embarrass him. And he’ll lose business.” Evelyn was still protesting.
He tried not to, but knew he scowled at her. “I told you to stop that. You are not an embarrassment. I’m proud to have you beside me. I don’t give a furry rat’s ass what your past is.”
“And really, Evelyn,” Isa cut in. “If people aren’t doing business with the Patras name, who will they do business with? We’re everywhere.”
Lucian was surprised to hear his older sister make such a pretentious statement. It was true, but of all the Patras relatives, she was the most unimpressed with their wealth. Almost to the point of holding it in disdain because of what it did to their family.
Isadora turned back to him. “So what happens now?”
“Damage control. DeLaCruz will issue a statement when Evelyn’s ready. I find some homemade porno or some dirt on Nottingham and nail her to the wall. Our biggest concern is making sure this doesn’t affect Pearl.”
“Pearl?”
“Evelyn’s mother.”
“Oh. Where’s your mother, sweetie?”
“She’s in a rehab. Did that woman really make a sex tape?”
Isa snorted. “Probably. She’s a whore. And if she didn’t, we can at least start a rumor that she did. That’s always fun.”
“Isa!” Evelyn gasped and laughed. “We all know it was an affair with her cousin. It’s not nice to joke about.”
His sister and Evelyn cracked up, carrying on with Nicole Nottingham’s scandal, each time adding more fuel to the fire. He sat back and relaxed, glad to see the stress of the evening washing away. His sister was good for Evelyn in that manner. Good for him too.
The scandal would still be there when they returned to the hotel and likely in the papers tomorrow morning, but his greatest worry was protecting Evelyn. He’d grown up in the spotlight, but Evelyn’s privacy was something she cherished. He needed to make sure all this mudslinging didn’t hurt her.