She’s a little pale.
Pounding on the back door has me whipping my head around, hand still against my face. Someone is here.
“Eve?”
Riggs.
I look to Carmen and she stares at me with wide eyes. She’s going to do a runner, I can just see it.
Not this time.
She turns and I lunge. I reach her before she even manages to take a few steps. I tackle her to the floor, head pounding, and then yell at the top of my lungs to Riggs. He slams on the door, over and over, and I know he’ll break it down eventually. Carmen and I tackle each other. She tries her best to get away from me. She claws and kicks, pulls and punches, but I’m not letting the bitch go this time.
I manage to get her into the position where I can straddle her and I slam her hands down by her head, pinning her to the floor. She screeches and squirms, but I’m not letting her go. No fucking way. With all my strength I hold her down, and even though my blood is dripping all over her face, I don’t let her go.
“You’re bleeding on me! Get off!” She screams.
The door out back busts open, and a minute later Riggs is charging into the room. He finds us on the ground and immediately pulls me off Carmen and then hauls her up, grabbing her tightly and ordering me to call the police. Dizzy, I go to the office phone and dial the police. Then, I go back out to help Riggs restrain Carmen, who is screaming and pleading with him to let her go.
“I’ll go to prison, Riggs. Please. Let me go.”
“No fuckin’ way,” he growls. “You’ve done enough damage. You’re goin’ down for what you’ve done.”
“Please. I know you love me. I know you don’t want to see me hurt.”
“I don’t fuckin’ love you, Carmen. I did, once, I fuckin’ did and then you went crazy and tried to kill me. Now you’re causing problems in my life and I don’t want you around. You can’t go on like this, you’re going to pay for what you’re choosin’ to do.”
“I love you,” she cries. “Please. Let me go and I’ll leave you alone.”
Dammit.
I kind of feel bad for her now.
It’s clear that she truly believes the two of them have a chance. Sure, she didn’t need to act like a complete crazy person, but maybe her life hasn’t been great and she’s truly struggling to be a good person. I don’t know that prison is the right place for a girl like her.
“Go,” I say, and Riggs turns staring at me in horror.
“What the fuck?” he mutters.
Carmen looks at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“She can’t go to prison,” I say gently. “She’s in a bad headspace, she’s got issues, but it’s clear she loves you. It’ll destroy her in there. Let her go.”
“No fuckin’ way. She’ll come back and do nothin’ but cause problems.”
I look to Carmen. “You have two choices here, Carmen. You go and you stay gone. You don’t bother Riggs again and you accept it’s over, which deep down, you know it is. Move on with your life and be happy. The other choice is you go to prison because you will go to prison as soon as the cops arrive. What’s it going to be?”
She looks to Riggs, then to me.
“I’ll go,” she croaks.
“You better make it snappy, they’ll be here any minute.”
“Eve!” Riggs argues, grabbing Carmen by the arm and stopping her when she tries to walk away. “If she fuckin’ goes, she’ll be back. I know her better than anyone, and I’m tellin’ you this won’t be over.”
“You might know her,” I say, “but you don’t know women. She’s hurting, she’s holding onto hope and she needs help. Give her one more chance to get that help, but Carmen,” I go on, looking to her, “If you come back, I promise you that you won’t be going again. If you cause my family and friends any more troubles, I’ll not be so nice next time around and I’ll make sure you get locked away. Are we clear?”
She nods. “I won’t come back.”
Riggs looks to me angrily, then to Carmen. He looks hesitant but he finally releases her.
She lets out a loud sobbing sound. “I do love you, for whatever it’s worth.”
“Yeah. I know. But you can’t come back from what you’ve done, so move on and do better next time.”
She swipes at her tears and then looks over at me. “Sorry, Eve. I did actually like you.”
With that she disappears out the back door.
The sirens grow near.
Riggs looks at me. “Every single day I spend with you, you surprise me more. It’s like a never-ending fuckin’ maze.”
“Welcome to the world of Eve,” I grin.
He is in for a treat.
“A BIKER CLUB, EVE. What the fuck were you thinking?” Giorgio yells after storming into my apartment with Dom and Stefan behind him.
I guess he found out about Stefan joining the club. I wonder how much he told him? Did he tell him it was that or death? Did he tell him he stole from them and this was the only way out?
I do wonder.
“Hello, brother, and to what do I owe this incredible pleasure?” I mutter, pressing start on my coffee machine.
“You let Stefano join that stupid fucking club that your boyfriend runs. Do you have any idea what this will do to the family name? When dad finds out, he’s going to flip.”
I look to Stefano, who mouths ‘sorry’ and I give him a weak smile. He’s been through enough, and we all knew Giorgio was going to flip when he found out. That was a give in.
“You know what dad would have flipped over?” I tell Giorgio. “The fact that Stefano was stealing drugs from that club and he would have been killed for it. That was the only way out and you’re going to just have to accept it.
