Page 36 of Duality (The Archers #1)

MARCUS

I glared at him, my mouth shut. I wasn’t about to tell him that we didn’t have that kind of cash liquid.

In investments and in bank accounts? Absolutely.

But we didn’t keep a lot of cash on hand.

How was Alexander going to come up with that in the quick timeline Finch had given him?

Was it even possible? Knowing my brother, he probably had a plan, but did he know what he was up against?

Finch was no slouch in the military, and Rico probably wasn’t either.

“You really are just going to let me go once you get paid? You’re not worried about payback? About the Ghosts coming after you?”

Something didn’t feel right here. Finch was greedy, but he wasn’t stupid. He had to know we would come after him. That the Ghosts would come after him.

Finch shrugged. “I’ve got a pretty solid exit plan. And enough leverage on the Ghosts to discourage them from coming after me. Besides, after tonight, you all will have other things to worry about.”

What kind of leverage could he possibly have on the Ghosts? I knew of them by reputation only, and they didn’t seem the type to forgive and forget. No, they were more the vengeance and fury type. What did he mean by after tonight? Was Citadel planning something?

“Like what?”

Finch smirked. “Can’t share all the secrets just yet. Now you just have to sit tight until your brother gets here. Shouldn’t be long now.” Was he serious? There was no way the Ghosts were just going to let him go, that I was going to let him go. He was a danger to Evelyn.

I snarled at him. “Do you really think I’m going to just let you walk out of the city? What the fuck, Finch?”

He smirked and patted my cheek. “Of course you are. Because if you don’t, I’ll turn right back around and come after everyone you love. Starting with your brothers and ending with that cunt you’ve been panting after.”

“You leave them alone,” I warned darkly.

Logically, I knew Evelyn could probably handle herself. But she had been through enough. No one was going to hurt her ever again. Not if I could help it.

He laughed. “That depends entirely on you. And my bosses, I guess. I don’t think they’re going to leave her breathing for very long; so you’d better enjoy that pussy while it lasts.”

I lunged at him, and the tight bindings around my wrists and ankles bit into my skin.

I ignored the pain, desperate to wipe that infuriating smirk off his face.

Over my dead body would he get to Evelyn, would anyone get to Evelyn.

I was done fighting my feelings for her.

Yes, she lied, and yes, we were going to have a conversation about it.

Mainly so I could explain to her how badly it had triggered me.

But she didn’t betray us. Finch had betrayed us.

Evelyn put everything on the line to save us.

There was a clear difference between the two of them, and I mentally cursed myself for taking so long to see that clearly. But I wanted her.

Finch and Rico left the room, and I estimated a couple of hours passed. I tried to get out of my ties, but Finch was smart. He had made it close to impossible to get out of them without dislocating something. I was debating about doing it when I heard movement outside the door and stilled.

Finch and Rico entered the room. Finch pulled his gun, leveling it at my head. I froze briefly before forcing myself to look unaffected.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned me as Rico moved behind my chair.

“Actually,” a familiar voice drawled. “Please do something stupid. Make my fucking night.”

Evelyn came into view, holding a handgun in her hands like it was an extension of her arms. She was dressed in black cargo pants that cupped her ass like I only dreamt of doing.

A tight black long-sleeved shirt covered her torso and accentuated her curves.

She simultaneously looked like an avenging angel and my greatest fantasy came to life.

Finch grinned and swung his gun to face her. I growled when he pointed it at her, but the click of a switchblade and the sharp edge of a knife pressing into my throat had me stilling. What the fuck was she doing here? Please tell me she didn’t come alone.

Evelyn looked away from Finch to scan me, and her shoulders relaxed slightly when she saw I was unharmed. She narrowed her eyes back on Finch. “Someone’s been a bad boy,” she taunted, a cruel smile playing at her lips.

Finch guffawed. “And I suppose you are here to teach me a lesson? A solitary little girl?”

Evelyn smirked as she prowled closer. “What? Scared of little old me? Afraid this little girl is going to bring you to your knees?”

“Bring me to my knees? It’s going to be you on your knees begging for my cock like the slut you are.”

If I hadn’t been watching her so closely, I would have missed the way her eyes shuttered briefly before she shook off Finch’s taunts.

“What are you waiting for, then? Come and make me,” she taunted.

Finch glared at her, as if annoyed that she wasn’t cowering before him.

“Oh, also,” she said, a dangerous glint in her eyes that I recognized from Sebastian’s adventures into darkness. “You really should have just disappeared. You never know what Ghost will come back to haunt you.”

Something—no, someone—dropped from the ceiling onto Rico. He grunted as he fell to the ground. Finch whirled around, and a gunshot went off. He cradled his hand to his chest. Evelyn had just shot the gun out of his hand .

My dark, avenging angel advanced on Finch.

He recovered quickly, spinning out with a kick that knocked the gun out of her hand.

She just grinned at him and rushed him, darting in to get two quick punches to his kidneys before spinning out of his reach.

I struggled against the ropes that tied me down, desperate to help her before she got hurt, but they didn’t budge.

Behind me, a fight was going on. I craned my head and saw Carter pummeling the shit out of Rico.

Something inside me eased. Evelyn hadn’t come alone.

Evelyn grunted, and I whipped my head around.

Finch had her up against the wall, his hands around her throat.

She struggled against him, and my breath caught.

He leaned forward and licked her cheek. I snarled.

Evelyn slammed her head forward, catching him in the cheek with her forehead.

He staggered back, and she followed it up with a kick to his stomach, forcing him away from her.

She fought with a mixture of martial arts techniques and street moves.

Finch was a pro, but she was faster, slipping around him and tripping him up.

He growled and lunged at her, taking them both to the floor.

My wrists were raw and stinging as I struggled against my bonds, but the pain barely registered. If he got her pinned…

He tried to pin her to the ground, one hand on her shoulder and the other around her neck.

She clawed at the hand on her throat and then reached between them.

The gunshot surprised me, and I jolted. Finch froze on top of her, his grip slackening.

Evelyn bucked her hips, knocking Finch to the side as he cupped his lower stomach.

“You bitch! You shot me in the dick!” He screamed, and a strangled laugh escaped me. She really had shot him in the dick.

Evelyn scrambled to her feet and held the small gun out in front of her. She must have had a backup gun somewhere else on her body. She laughed, the sound raspy from his attempts to strangle her.

“Guess I won’t be choking on it now. Although I don’t know if you could choke on something that small.”

He snarled at her even as blood pooled beneath him. “You bitch. They’re going to kill you. They’re going to kill everyone you love. They’re going to wipe you and your sorry organization from the face of the earth.”

I could see the threats land on Evelyn, her small flinch as his words settled in. I ached to be able to hold her. To take her into my arms and promise that it would never come to pass.

She stared at him, unblinking. “They can try.”

Before he could say another word, she lifted the gun and shot him in the head. He dropped to the ground, and I heard Carter curse behind me.

“He was supposed to be my kill,” Carter complained.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been playing with your food then,” Evelyn shot back, holstering her gun and coming over to me.

“You’re one to talk,” Carter shot back, but all I could see was Evelyn.

“Hi,” she breathed, digging a pocketknife out of one of her many pockets.

“Hi,” I breathed back, all words escaping me as her sweet orange-and-sandalwood scent filled the air between us.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, sawing at the ropes tying my feet. “I’m so sorry.”

I frowned at her. “Why are you apologizing?” I was the one who’d fucked up and trusted Finch.

“I didn’t catch his connection to Citadel in time,” Evelyn said, dropping her eyes to her task. “I missed it.”

“He was always a wily motherfucker,” I said gruffly.

“You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, it should be me apologizing.” I swallowed roughly as she lifted her head.

The gold flecks in her eyes sparkled even in the harsh fluorescent light.

“I’m sorry, Evelyn, for not trusting you.

For allowing my past to blind me. You didn’t deserve my anger, and I fucked up. ”

Her expression softened, and she smiled. The movement lit up her face, and my breath caught in my chest. Something flashed behind her eyes, and the smile dimmed slightly. My heart dropped. I should have known that simple words wouldn’t earn her forgiveness.

“It’s okay. I forgive you,” she said softly. Wait, what? “Maybe we can start over,” she continued. “Friends?”

I didn’t want to be her friend. I wanted to be so much more than her friend. But I had to earn that.

“Friends,” I agreed.