There was something wonderfully familiar about sitting in a diner with Lind, drinking coffee. It brought to mind the beginnings of their relationship, when they were both tentative and they would have coffee dates and slip into easy conversations.
Eve knew the conversation they needed to have now would be anything but easy, but she also knew that it couldn’t be avoided. However, she allowed them both some time to get settled in and get reacquainted with each other’s presence before delving into the topic. She was in no hurry. Perhaps she should have been, but she couldn’t bring herself to break the spell just yet. She had waited too long for this. So what if she relished these moments for a few minutes longer? Had she not earned that?
She watched as Lind dug hungrily into his plate of French toast—his favorite breakfast dish—and idly wondered when he had last eaten some real food. She had a feeling that he had not been taking great care of himself, and she vowed to make sure that he would from now on.
Lind looked up from his plate and caught her staring. “Sorry,” he mumbled around a mouthful, swallowing laboriously. “Am I eating too fast?”
It was endearing the way he still worried about making a good impression on her. Doing his best to mind his manners was Lind’s way of acknowledging Eve’s background.
She smiled and shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’m just happy to see you eat.”
Lind frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Well, I’ve got the feeling solid food hasn’t been exactly your priority lately,” Eve said, digging into her scrambled eggs.
Lind smirked. “You worry about me?” he teased.
Eve mock-glared at him. “Jerk,” she said, with no real heat behind the word.
Lind’s grin softened into a smile, and he leaned over to kiss her briefly. He tasted like maple syrup, and Eve hated having to spoil the sweetness of it.
She didn’t venture on to the subject until they had both finished their food and only the caffeine remained. Eve had skipped her customary latte for black coffee, feeling like she needed something stronger. She did her best not to grimace every time she took a sip of the bitter liquid; she really didn’t like it, but it kept her mind sharp. The last thing she needed right now was a sugar rush.
“There’s something you should know,” she finally said.
Lind looked at her curiously. “What’s that?”
Eve took another sip of black liquid courage. “It’s about the man you’re after.” Or who was after Lind. Eve still wasn’t sure who the hunter was and who was the hunted in all this. All she knew was that they were both incredibly dangerous.
Predictably, Lind tensed up right away. “What about him?” he asked carefully.
Eve took a deep breath. “I know who he is.”
Lind stared at her. “How would you know who he is?”
“I’ve seen him.”
The mug almost fell from Lind’s hands. “Where?” he hissed. “Has he approached you?”
“No,” Eve said quickly. She reached out and grabbed his hand on the table, squeezing his fingers reassuringly. She could have kicked herself; way to send the man into a panic. “No,” she said again. “He didn’t approach me. I saw him before I even knew who he was.”
Lind continued to stare. The searching look in his blue eyes was unsettling. “I’m not following, Eve,” he said. He looked at her like she was a bomb about to go off.
“He came to the nightclub a few times,” Eve said. “I figure there wouldn’t be many other men with burns on their back who were also involved with Gary.”
Lind’s suspicion grew visibly. “How do you know he has burns on his back?”
Here we go. Eve took a deep breath. “Lucas told me.”
“What?” Lind all but growled. “What did he tell you?”
“Everything.”
“Son of a bitch!” Lind slammed his fist down on the table, so hard and sudden that it made Eve wince in surprise. “He’s dead. I’m going to fucking kill him—”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Eve interrupted him sternly. “It wasn’t his fault. I insisted.”
“Oh, sure.” Lind snorted. “What did you do, hold him at gunpoint? He should’ve fucking kept his mouth shut.”
“No, he shouldn’t have,” Eve argued. “It was about damn time someone told me just what the hell is going on.” She glared defiantly at him. “You’ve said it yourself, the way you were handling it was all wrong. Part of that wrong was keeping me in the dark, and you know it.”
Lind seemed to deflate then. He blew out a long breath and disentangled his fingers from Eve’s to run his hand over his face. “Fine,” he finally said. “Ok. So you know everything now.”
Eve nodded.
Lind stared at her, and she could now spot a hint of fear in his fierce eyes. “And you’re still here,” he said. He sounded genuinely surprised.
“Where else would I be?”
“You know what I did,” Lind said.
Eve nodded. “It’s not for me to judge,” she said after a moment. “I’m sure you were at your last resort. I’m sure you did everything you could to keep her safe.”
Lind looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing—which was probably just the case. “I should never have put her in that position,” he said quietly, looking down at the table.
“What’s done is done,” Eve said. She surprised even herself with how practical she was being about the whole thing. And yet, it was the most logical approach she could think of. Lind couldn’t keep dwelling on his past mistakes, and if she really wanted things to work out between them—and she really did—then neither could she. “What matters now is how we stop him.”
Lind shook his head. “I’ve looked everywhere,” he said. He, too, was clearly trying his best to focus on the here and now. “It feels like I’ve hit a dead end. I’m stumped.”
“Maybe I know someone who could help us out,” Eve said.
Lind looked at her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Aileen and Kelly, the twins who used to dance with me at the Cobra.”
“What about them?”
“They used to…uh…entertain Taylor whenever he came to the club, and it didn’t stop there. They told me they had been to his house multiple times. It’s a long shot, but they may still be in contact with him.”
Lind weighed her words carefully. “If they are, do you think they might know where he is?”
Eve smirked, confident. “If they are still in contact, it’s not just to chat.”
Lind grinned back despite everything. “You’re a fucking genius, you know that?”
“I aim to please,” Eve said. “Let me put in a call to them. I’ll ask them to meet me for a drink and introduce the subject. I don’t want to do it over the phone.”
Lind nodded. “All right, but Lucas and I will be with you to keep an eye on things. Don’t look at me like that,” he said when Eve tensed and glared at him. “You still need to be protected.”
“I can shoot that gun now, you know.”
Lind gave her a smile that was more like a grimace. “I hope you never have to.”