Elevating Eve (Fairford Affairs #4)

14. Eve

CHAPTER 14

Eve

S itting alone at a table near the back of the event hall, Eve did her best to be invisible. Not that she disliked any of the people here at the luncheon. Jonathan’s family had welcomed her as one of their own without question, especially his mom and sisters. And, of course, she already knew the people who had arrived from the Manor, to varying degrees.

No, she hid in the corner because the more she heard about Orson Hale, the more he reminded her of her own dad. After so many years, she thought she’d completely worked through her grief. But hearing story after story that could just as easily have been told at her dad’s funeral made it abundantly clear she was wrong.

She’d go back out there in a few minutes, after a short break.

For at least the tenth time since that morning, she went over Jonathan’s eulogy in her mind. She didn’t think she’d ever heard anything more beautiful in her life.

Eve had no choice but to admit it, to herself at least. She fell just a little bit in love with him while he stood behind that podium, revealing his fractured heart to the other hurting people around him.

A tall man, broad shouldered man who appeared to be in his sixties or early seventies walked up to her table. He dropped into the chair next to her without waiting for an invitation. “I hear you’re dating my nephew,” he said, not bothering to introduce himself first.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. She only wanted a few minutes to herself. Was that too much to ask?

Summoning up the dregs of her dwindling energy supplies, she held out her hand. “I’m Eve. You must be Orson’s brother.” The man bore a remarkable resemblance to the pictures of Jonathan’s father she’d seen the last few days. He’d also been one of the pallbearers, standing just behind Jonathan.

“Warren Hale.” He shook her hand only once before letting go.

She remembered Alice making some offhand comment about her Uncle Warren—how he threw a hissy fit about where the funeral would be held. Fuck, she wished Jonathan or one of his sisters was here to carry on the bulk of the conversation. It had been stupid to try to slip off on her own. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said awkwardly, “From everything I’ve heard, it sounds like Orson was an incredible man.”

Warren tilted his head slightly to one side. “You didn’t know him?”

Something in the man’s tone set off a warning in her head, though she wasn’t sure why. She decided to remain as polite as possible and hope it was her imagination. “I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to meet him. I really wish I had.”

“How long have you and Jonathan been dating?”

Oh yeah, it definitely wasn’t her imagination. She had no doubt that he’d react poorly to the true answer to that question. “Not long,” she said noncommittally.

“And yet you sat in the first pew with Jonathan and the girls,” he said, tone making it abundantly clear what he thought about that. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as the silence stretched out.

“Jonathan wanted me there,” she said at last, not liking the direction of this conversation at all. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. “I want to support him, and all of you, any way I can. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to Jonathan. It was nice meeting you.”

She scurried away faster than was strictly polite, but she didn’t care about that anymore. The way he looked at her made her instincts kick into high gear. If she had to walk past him alone in a parking lot, she’d put her keys between her fingers in case she had to go all Wolverine on his ass.

Eve nearly made it back to the table where Jonathan sat with various members of his family when Warren caught up. “Those are interesting bruises around your neck,” Warren said just a tad too loud, eyeing the band left by Jonathan’s belt with raised brows. “I wonder how you got those.”

The jerk clearly had no intention of letting it drop. He’d cause a scene whether she participated willingly or not. Cheeks heating with a betraying blush, she turned to face the older man. “That’s none of your business.”

“But it is yours, right?” At her confused look, he said, “Your business, I mean. I assume you work at that hotel of his. I must say, bringing a prostitute to his own father’s funeral is a bit too far, even for him.”

Eve’s mouth fell open, her mind going completely blank. How in the fuck was she supposed to respond to that?

Before she could figure it out, Lucy Hale stood at her side. The woman leveled her brother-in-law with a death glare that would’ve sent her running. “Shut your damn mouth, Warren. One more remark out of you and I’m going to ask you to leave.”

Jonathan moved up to Eve’s other side, putting a protective hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Eve was just telling me about her work at that little hotel of yours,” Warren said, a cruel glint to his eyes.

Frowning, Jonathan looked down at Eve and his mother, then back up at his uncle. “Eve has been working in construction her whole life. She’s absolutely brilliant. The whole project would be a mess without her.”

It was Warren’s turn to frown. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then began fidgeting with the buttons on his suit jacket.

“Jonathan’s little hotel is doing so well, they’ve had to expand,” Lucy said, looping her arm through Eve’s. “As I understand it, this lovely young lady here is one of the two people leading the whole team. We’ve all been enjoying learning more about her accomplishments.”

Warren continued to look uncomfortable for a few more seconds, but he rallied quickly enough, that cold, hateful glint back in his eyes. “ Oh, get your nose out of the air, Lucy. Your boy runs a sex hotel, for heaven’s sake. And I’m sure you’ve noticed the bruises all over the girl. Did you raise your son to hit women, or was that Orson’s doing?”

By the time he finished speaking, the entire room had gone silent. As if this needed to be any more mortifying.

“Fuck off, Warren,” Jonathan said, the hand on her shoulder shaking with rage. “As usual, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Warren gave Lucy another superior look. “It was definitely you who taught him not to respect his elders.”

She glared back at her brother-in-law. “No, it was me who taught him he only has to show respect when it’s been earned.”

A few people Eve didn’t recognize walked cautiously up to the group. One middle-aged brunette woman had her hands out in front of her, like she was approaching a stray dog and didn’t want to startle it into biting her. “Why don’t we all calm down,” she said in the most kindergarten teacher voice Eve had ever heard. “Dad, let’s go for a walk.”

Warren glowered at the woman who was apparently his daughter. “You’re telling me to leave?”

“You’re out of line, Uncle Warren,” Alice said, moving up to stand at Jonathan’s other side.

“I just had to listen to a goddamn pimp give the eulogy at my brother’s funeral, and you’re telling me I’m out of line?” He barked out a callous laugh, then looked Jonathan right in the eyes. “Orson was ashamed of you. He would’ve wanted me to give the eulogy.”

“That’s a lie,” Lucy said, hands fisted at her sides, every muscle in her body rigid. “Orson was so proud of all three of our children, as am I. They’re all happy and being true to who they really are. What decent parent would want more than that for their kids?”

Scoffing, Warren shoved a finger toward the center of Jonathan’s chest. “Proud? After all the shit this one put him through, it’s no wonder he had a heart attack.”

Without any warning at all, Jonathan drew his hand back and punched his uncle in the face. For the space of a heartbeat, everything went completely silent and still, as if a spell fell over the room.

A second later, it all devolved into chaos .

“Jonathan!” Eve yelled, and she wasn’t the only one. She and Alice both tried to grab onto him as he advanced on Warren, but he pulled out of their grasps as easily as if their hands were made of smoke.

“You son of a bitch!” Warren roared, holding a hand over his nose, blood slipping through his fingers. “Get this maniac away from me. You all saw him attack me. Call the police.”

“Jonathan, stop!” Maisie ran up, holding her daughter on her hip. “Who cares what that asshole thinks?”

Ignoring all of them, Jonathan grabbed a fistful of his uncle’s shirt, hauling him up from where he’d toppled to the ground. But before he could get another punch in, Leo and Aiden leapt into the fray, grabbing his arms and pulling him back. “Come on, man,” Leo said, struggling to keep his grip as Jonathan fought to get away. “It’s not worth it. You know it’s not.”

For a moment, it looked as if Jonathan would break away from them. But then Rafe and Camden arrived. The two men looked as though they could bench press Jonathan if they wanted and had no trouble hauling him away from his uncle and outside.

Eve ran after them, the rest of the Fairford Manor crew right on her heels.

As soon as they pushed through the doors and out into the sunlight, Jonathan wrenched away from the other two men. This time, they let him go, and he stalked off several steps, letting out something halfway between a scream and a growl.

“Jesus, Jonathan,” Leo said as he hurried through the doors. “I know the guy’s an asshole, but come on. It’s your dad’s funeral. Get it together.”

“Did you hear what he said?” Jonathan demanded, keeping his back to them.

Sighing, Leo said, “Yeah, he called you a pimp and said a bunch of stupid shit about Eve. He’s not the first to say ignorant shit like that, and I’m sure he won’t be the last. The moron has no idea what he’s talking about.”

Eve held her breath. That wasn’t what set him off. Not even close.

“No,” Jonathan forced out between clenched teeth. “He said I killed my dad. He said it’s my fault he had a heart attack. ”

Everyone except Eve tensed, all at once.

She stepped forward slowly, wanting to give him plenty of time to ask her to stop. When he didn’t say anything or move away, she placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

Jonathan shoved the hand away. “Don’t touch me right now.” So much anguish filled those words. “ Please. I’m too angry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Okay,” she said softly, resisting the urge to fiddle with her ring. “But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m not afraid you’ll hurt me.”

“I already hurt you.” He gasped out a strangled half-sob. “My whole fucking family thinks I hurt you.”

“And that,” Aiden said in a kind, level voice, “is none of their goddamn business.” He moved up beside her, but ventured no closer, careful to give Jonathan his space. “Our subs have the power to stop us with a single word. Just because some prejudiced Neanderthal doesn’t get it doesn’t make it untrue.”

Mason took position at Eve’s other side, looming almost a foot taller than her. “There are seven Doms and six subs out here right now. And I guarantee you every single one of us has more kindness and respect in our pinky finger than your uncle has in his whole body.”

“Don’t let him make you ashamed of who you are,” Eve said, almost pleading. “There’s something my dad used to say all the time. You should never take criticism from someone you wouldn’t go to for advice.” She thought of how deeply she’d failed at that since her father died, resolving to do better from now on.

“I wouldn’t even ask that guy for a restaurant recommendation,” Zach said. “I sure as fuck wouldn’t let him tell me how to live my life.”

Just then, the doors opened behind them, and she turned in time to see his mom and sisters come outside. Maisie must have handed her daughter off to Sean. “Uncle Warren’s gone,” Maisie said, taking in the strained gathering with worried eyes. “When he realized no one was on his side, he stopped all his bullshit about calling the police and slunk out the back door.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” Lucy added. “You shouldn’t have had to go through that. Especially not today of all days. ”

None of the tension eased out of Jonathan’s body, but he did finally manage to turn. “Thank you. All of you. You’re the people I care most about in the world. I appreciate you having my back.”

It took Eve a moment to realize he included her in that group. The people I care most about in the world.

She fell a little bit deeper.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” he continued, sounding almost robotic now. “I think I’ll take a walk before I come back inside. Not giving anyone a chance to respond, he turned and strode away, shoulders stiff and tense, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Eve’s chest ached as she watched him go. She longed for something she could do to ease his pain—to take away this current desire to be on his own. If it was in her power, she’d do anything to make that happen.

Resolve flowed through her as she followed the others back inside. This wasn’t a time for impotent hopes and worries. Not when Jonathan so clearly required her help.

What she needed was a plan.