Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers Book 3) by Ahren Sanders (inspirational books for women .TXT) 📕

I was protecting you from something we’d never know was true.”

“My instincts are telling me it was real.”

He stays quiet, but after a minute, his chest vibrates. I raise my head to find him full-out, grinning wide.

“What can you possibly find funny?”

“Baby, there’s nothing funny about this shitty situation. Once again, you shocked the hell out of me. Thought I knew most of your moods, but good to know when you get riled up, you unleash the mouth of a sailor.”

“I may have been a little haughty, but I was pissed.”

“Got that. If I wasn’t so stunned at your outburst and scared you’d launch yourself off the bed, there’d be a different reaction. Thinking about it now has my cock hard as a rock.”

“Oh my God.” Mortification sets in thinking about how loud and crass I was.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s hot as hell knowing you needed my dick more than your next breath.”

“Jeez, can we forget about that?”

“And the thing about biting your tit, the pleasure and pain… coming until you blacked out—can’t wait to reenact that, baby.”

“Evin,” I groan, burying my face back in his neck, “stop.”

“Not a chance. Me drilling you against the headboard is coming back to me hard and fast.”

“I can’t believe I told you all that.”

His finger goes to my chin and urges my face back up. He’s sobered, but his eyes are still dancing. “Baby, you spewed all that to let me know your body couldn’t get enough because you think you were pregnant. When you recover from this surgery, I’ll make it my number one goal to get you back to that place. You need my cock all day, every day? It’ll be my pleasure to bring you to the brink of blacking out.” The way he emphasizes the last part sends a ripple down my spine.

I can’t help the smile that slips through. “I’m not sure how in the world you have made one of the darkest times in my life seem okay.”

“Because it is okay.”

My smile slips. “I hate her, Evin, with every fiber of my being. Because of her, I lost my career and my baby. I can’t help but wonder if she’s coming after you next.”

All his amusement dies and his eyes turn deadly. “You will never lose me. That bitch isn’t coming anywhere near us again. The call I took in the hall was from my lawyer. I’ve slapped the Bindel family with a temporary order of protection. If you want, we can start the process of pressing charges. They probably won’t stick, but it would be worth it to see them squirm.”

I narrow my eyes, assessing his instant shift in mood. This is more than my off-handed comment. “Did something happen?”

He nods, then dives into the story of his ambush last night. With each word, my heart races faster. Marco Bindel is a powerful and influential man. The idea of Evin storming up to him and laying him out without a care in the world is a little scary. Knowing he reached out to Isaac and they were all in the same room with no bloodshed is also fascinating.

“In the span of however long since you walked in the room, I’ve gone from wanting to strangle you, to having a complete breakdown, to wanting to strip you naked and jump you. Which is inappropriate. I’m a volatile mess.”

“It’s never inappropriate for you to want to jump me. My guess is you’ll want to strangle me a lot. As for the breakdown, that is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Too much at once is overwhelming.”

“I appreciate your trying to shield me, but please don’t do it again.” A memory from Saturday night hits me and I gasp, jerking back. “That’s what was bothering you on Saturday night. Not taking me to Charleston, but the possibility of a lost pregnancy.”

He closes his eyes, nodding somberly. “It was both.”

“So, you only halfway lied to me?”

“Halfway,” he admits softly.

“Is there any more that I should know?”

He hesitates, and I tense, placing my palm over his heart. “Tell me.”

“Marco is being vetted for a Presidential run.”

I freeze, this being the last thing I expected.

“We suspect he’s known where you are all along. The same with Karen. Our guess is Tasha was seeking you on her own.”

Another blow.

“He also asked to see you.”

All I can do is blink.

I stare at him, not seeing anything. Fear and disgust weave through my system. He explains the call with Scottie and Pierce, ending with Scottie’s offer.

“Poppy, you’re pale as a ghost. This was too much.”

“No,” I swallow, clearing my throat, “I’m not ashamed of who I became after cutting them out of my life. If we choose to release the dogs, I can handle it.”

“We’re not doing anything right now. You’re barely a day out of surgery. There’s no rush.”

I cuddle into him, my mind racing with all the possibilities of what the Bindels can do. Then my brain goes into survival mode, formulating a plan. Evin takes my hand from his chest and slips my rings on my fingers.

“Whatever you’re thinking, I’m by your side.”

I fluff my hair, scan my face, and wink in the mirror. “You’re ready, Poppy,” I whisper to myself, boosting my confidence.

Today is my day. One more evaluation, another round of therapy, and if all is well, I’m out of this place.

After my breakdown on Monday, my sense of survival kicked in. No more pity parties, no more dwelling over my losses, and no more tears. We gave it two days for me to adjust. Dr. Rexwell didn’t hand my care off to one of his colleagues, instead keeping me as a patient. He won’t approve intense rehab for a few weeks but gave me a green light to increase my mobility without the wheelchair. He also introduced a therapist who did an assessment.

I knew immediately there was going to be a problem. Everyone treated me like crystal. Evin, Edward, Ryanne, Dante, all of them wanted to