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Evan shakes his head disapprovingly. “As I told you before… I don’t give a shit about anyone else. I didn’t do all of this for them. I did it for you. All I cared about is saving you. And now I find out I didn’t evenneedto save you at all, as you could have got out long ago. Everything you endured could have been avoided.”

His words hit me hard, and I recoil. This time I let go of his hand as I glare at him. “I’ve very aware of what I fucking endured, Evan. I’m the one who has to live with my decisions every fucking day. They’re my regrets to have, not yours. I just wanted you to know that your father tried to help me. Whilst you can blame him for a lot of things, this isn’t one of them. On this occasion, he tried to do the right thing.”

My mention of Desmond suddenly seems to remind Evan that we’re not alone in the room, and he looks over at his father, who is sitting silently, just watching us both.

A few minutes pass, while everyone takes in the bombshell I just dropped, and it’s Desmond who breaks the silence first.

“I might not have agreed with Teigan’s decision, but I can’t deny that she has helped our plans massively. We have more information now than we ever could have found through conventional means, and thanks to her, we will be able to take down some big players in The Aristocracy. As well as saving a lot of women and children who are in horrific situations.

“I didn’t like the risk that Teigan took, but I respected her right to make the decision in the first place. I may have beenresponsible for splitting you up when you were teenagers, and I will admit it was because I never saw Teigan as part of this world. Her actions in the club proved me very wrong. She’s just as strong and feisty as you, son. I think together your reign will be unstoppable.”

There’s a look of pride on Desmond’s face that catches me off-guard, and I don’t quite know what to say. Evan’s cheeks are flamed red, like he’s struggling too.

Other than some flirting and a few kisses that ended badly, we’re not together. The idea that we could be, the way Desmond sees us, is so far from where we are, that it has my head spinning.

Evan speaks, pulling me out of the spiral I was no doubt about to fall into. “I learnt a long time ago not to underestimate Teigan. She’s capable of so much more than she seems.”

Evan’s eyes sparkle as he smiles at me, each of his words hitting me in my heart. He quickly turns towards Desmond.

“I’m unbelievably fucked off with you still, but I will apologise for punching you when I found out Tee was being sold in that auction. You didn’t deserve it then, but you deserve it for what you did to us back when we were kids. So we will call it even.”

“You punched your dad?” I splutter, looking between the two men who have matching amused expressions on their faces. “Why would you do that?”

Desmond chuckles. “I don’t know why you’re so shocked, Teigan. My son has always been fiercely protective of you, even when you weren’t in his life. He was willing to risk everything for you, including expediting the war against The Aristocracy, all so he could make sure you were safe.”

My mouth flops open, and I don’t quite know what the hell to say to that. Evan looks down at his shoes, refusing to meet my gaze, and the silence between us sizzles.

I’m at a loss for words, and all I can do is fumble for something to break the silence. “Oh… I mean, thanks.”

Wow, that’s really the best I can come up with?

Desmond chuckles again. “Is there anything more you want to talk about, son? I promised your mother I’d take her to a spa day.”

Well, if that isn’t the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard Desmond Doughty say!Evan looks startled, like he might be thinking the same.

“We need to have a much more serious discussion about you interfering in my life, but we can do that another time. Just know, now that I’m in charge, and you are technically dead, it ends now. No more making decisions for me. I do what I want with my life, and you don’t interfere. That is, if you’d like to remain part of it,” Evan states firmly, pulling back his shoulders as he fixes his father with a stare that very much tells him he won’t be messed with.

I hate how fucking hot he looks like this—confident, certain, and in control.

“I can certainly agree to that,” Desmond says as he stands, finishing off his glass of water before he turns to me. “I hope my son is looking after you, Teigan.” He throws a suggestive wink my way before turning to leave the room, my cheeks heating from his innuendo.

“Nice to see you again, Desmond. Try not to get in any more trouble,” I add, waving goodbye to him as he chuckles at my blush.

Evan follows to show him out of the house, and I stay put in the living room, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do now.

Do I run back upstairs so I don’t have to face Evan, or do I stay and talk to him? If I stay, there’s so much we have to talk about, and if I’m being completely honest, I’m not ready for him to know everything yet.

Evan walks back into the room, looking a little more relaxed than when his father was here. He doesn’t go to sit down, and instead, keeps his gaze locked with mine. He’s waiting for me to speak first, and I need to keep the conversation away from things I don’t want to talk about, so I blurt out the first thing that comes into my head. “Did you really put your family at war for me?”

Evan freezes, before letting out a big sigh. Slowly, he loosens the tie around his neck, before deciding to remove it all together. He throws it onto the armchair, and does the same with his jacket as he opens the top couple of buttons on his shirt. Once he’s more relaxed, he drops onto the sofa beside me.

“We were going to war with The Aristocracy eventually, anyway. I just accelerated things a bit,” he replies with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Why would you do that? Why would you put your family in more danger than they need to be in?” I ask incredulously, struggling to understand why the hell he would do this.

We weren’t even talking when he made the decision to save me. We’d seen each other maybe two or three times since I began working for Desmond, and neither of those times were particularly memorable, mostly resulting in arguments and words filled with hate. And now I know he thought I broke his heart by leaving him, it makes even less sense why he would want to help me.

Evan lets out a humourless chuckle. “You really don’t know?”