Page 44 of Accepted Precedent (Love & Politics #3)
Mickey
I turn my phone on to contact Ned, and it lights up with notification after notification—texts, emails, news alerts. Not wanting to risk reading messages while driving, I start with the most recent one from Kristin and click the phone icon next to her name.
“Where the fuck are you?” Kristin snaps, picking up on the first ring. Then, through gritted teeth, corrects, “Sorry. Where are you, Mis-ter Gallagher?”
“I’m driving.”
“Driving where? Is Evie with you?”
“Evie? No, she’s supposed to be with you.”
“‘Supposed to’ is key there,” she groans. “She snuck out of the house. Your brother is tracking her, but she’s headed your way and?—”
The world stops. Everything she says after is muted as my ears begin to ring. “I’ll call you back.”
The man bound and gagged in my back seat is squirming. I have half a mind to pull over and kill him, but if there’s even the slightest chance he’s working for someone, they could still be after Evie—or Andrew—to get to me. He’ll die soon enough, once I find out who is behind this.
As I’m about to call Finn, a text from him flashes across my screen, followed immediately by his name lighting it up with a call. I answer, but before I can get a word out, he steamrolls over me. “Lisa Johnson.”
“Fuck,” I groan. “What does that cunt want now?”
“Who fuckin’ knows? But she was seen with the man who tried to convince Evelyn to go with him at the restaurant.”
“What?” I check my rearview mirror, locking eyes with the arsehole. “Seems I don’t need to keep you around after all.”
“Also, Evelyn is gone. When I was in my office, she stole my keys. I think she’s trying to go after you. Her phone is off, so no one’s been able to see her location, but I’m tracking the car right now. It seems like she’s parked at the medical center.”
“Or she’s going to her fuckin’ appointment,” I grumble, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
“Fuck, Mick, I’m so sorry. I’ll get her back, I promise.”
“Meet me there. I’ll need your help to make a few people disappear today.”
“My pleasure.”
He hangs up and shares his location with me. I try calling Evie, but it goes straight to voicemail. So help me, if she left the safety of his home for a damn ultrasound, I’m locking her away until those babies are born.
As I pull into the parking lot, I spot a black sedan toward the back with my fiery redhead in the front seat. I park in the space next to her, and her eyes widen as she scrambles to get out.
“What do you think you’re doin’, angel?” I snap as I get out of the car and round it, tucking my gun into the back of my pants.
“What am I doing? What are you doing?” She crosses her arms over her chest, but with her growing belly she struggles to do so comfortably. “I came to stop you from killing someone. Did you find him?”
I pull her to me and kiss the top of her head. Having her in my arms typically calms me, but I can’t quiet the adrenaline coursing through me. “Go back to Finn’s; I’ve got the arsehole in the back seat.”
“Mick!” She pulls back, her eyes darting between me and the car. “If you really want to kill him, have someone else do it.”
“He tried to kidnap you!”
A car screeches into the space on my other side. Finn’s out in an instant. “What the hell did you think you were doing, Evie?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t let him have any more blood on his hands.
” She then tells me softly, “He may deserve it, but you don’t have to be the one to pull the trigger.
I see what it does to you—the nightmares that follow.
Each time you kill someone, it takes longer and longer to bring you back from that dark place. ”
“I’ll take care of it,” Finn offers. “We have to track down Lisa too. She’s probably not the mastermind, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.
Evie’s right—you’ve always struggled with the dirty work.
I’ll make sure anyone who tries to hurt you or your family suffers.
” His phone chimes, and he checks it. “Kristin says she’ll arrange for an in-home ultrasound this afternoon.
” He tucks it away, retrieves his gun, then opens the back passenger door and rips off the gag. “Where is Ms. Johnson?”
“Like I’d tell you.”
Finn aims the gun at his forehead. “Let’s try that again.”
“If I tell you, she’ll kill me.”
“Very well.” He pulls the trigger. There’s a sharp inhale before the thump of his body falling back onto the seat. “Now, time to find that fuckin’ wedding planner.”
At my brother’s insistence, I drive Evelyn back to his house. The entire ride, my hand doesn’t leave her thigh. Part of me fears if I remove it, she’ll disappear. “I’m sorry, love.”
I don’t look over, but I feel her eyes on me as she lets out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry too.”
“Someone tried to take you from me today. I can’t put you or our children in danger.
I promise as soon as I get Jaclyn to the White House, I’m walking away from everything.
” She leans over, resting her head on my shoulder.
Hoping to make her smile, I tease, “Maybe I’ll keep the casinos though, so I can rig a slot machine for you. ”
Evie huffs a small laugh. “I don’t need a rigged slot machine. I just need you.”
“Fuck, I love you.”
The rest of the drive is quiet, giving me too much time with my thoughts.
Evelyn knows me better than I know myself, and she was about to risk her safety to protect me from more emotional scars.
I need to find a way to keep her safe, even if it’s not with me.
We still have about three years before I can give her everything she deserves, even if it won’t be enough to make up for the years she sacrificed.