Flawed Perfection (An Eve Sumptor Novel) (17 page)

You’re not Eve Sumptor, anymore
. The thought nagged her until she shut it down. She may not be Eve Sumptor anymore, but the hell if she wasn’t still in there.

The elevator opened, and Eve stepped out, drawing in a deep breath. The smell of art had always been relaxing to her. Most people thought she was weird, saying there wasn’t a smell. But, oh, there was, and it calmed Eve.

“Mrs. Riley!”

If Eve were the squealing type, this would’ve been the time to do it. As it were, she let out a sound of surprise, whirling around to find Mikey walking towards her.

“Mikey. If you ever sneak up on me like that again …” She paused and tried to regulate her breathing and heart rate, holding up her hand to cut off whatever Mikey was about to say. “What are you doing here? The gallery is closed.”

Mikey blushed guiltily. “I …” His shoulders slumped as he took a deep breath. “I couldn’t stay away. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I was getting cabin fever. I’m sorry, Mrs …”

“Mikey, first, I thought we agreed you would call me Eve. Second, I understand how you feel. Believe me.”

Mikey relaxed, and smiled at Eve. “There are always people at the door, checking to see if we’re open yet. You being in the news again doesn’t hurt.” He quickly clamped his mouth shut.

Eve offered him a small smile. She didn’t mind being in the news when it came to her work, but being the center of attention because of yet another murder? Once was enough for Eve. Any more than that, and it just got ridiculous. She was beginning to get tired of her problems herself.

“Well, let’s not keep them waiting. I’m ready to open the gallery.”

“Oh! Did they find the person doing all of this?”

“They’re close.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie. For all she knew, they could have caught everyone involved. Billy hasn’t been returning her incessant calls, and Eve was getting incredibly impatient. “It’s still early. Let’s open up.”

“Eve.”

Eve just stopped herself from flinching at Adam’s angry voice. It certainly wouldn’t do to let Mikey see her any way but in control.

Mikey, however, couldn’t hide his discomfort. “Um … I think I’ll just …” Mikey quickly walked out of the main room of the gallery.

Eve steeled herself, and turned to face an extremely pissed Adam.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come here until we knew it was safe.”

“We did. But, I can’t keep sitting around doing nothing, Adam.”

“Not even with me asking you to do just that?”

Eve sighed, and gestured around her. “I need this, Adam.
This
is who I am. Stop trying to change me,” she warned.

Surprise flashed across Adam’s face. Did she really think he was trying to change her? “This is only part of who you are, Eve. You need to think about your family, too.”

“I
am
thinking about you and Bella!” Eve snapped. “Bella isn’t here with me, where I
want
her to be. You don’t think that hurts me? But, I’m here because I’m trying to prevent being resentful towards
you
.” Eve paced away. “I’m trying to prevent a lot of things,” she finished quietly.

Adam stared after her, completely speechless by her admission. “You resent me?”

Eve walked back to him. “No. I resent whoever is doing this to me. I resent the fact that my gallery has,
once again
, been taken away from me. I resent not being able to paint because I don’t feel inspired. I don’t
want
to resent you.” She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, Adam. So incredibly much. And, as much as I love doing things for you, I don’t want to be your secretary.”

“I don’t understand. When did I ever ask you to be my secretary?”

“You didn’t, I’m sorry. It’s just how I felt today looking for office space instead of being in my own office. Or, even my studio.”

“You offered to look for space for me, Eve. If I knew it would make you feel …”

“Stop. This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault.” Eve lifted onto her toes, and brushed her lips softly against Adam’s. “I need this, baby.”

Damn it. How could he deny her when she says things like that? Adam studied Eve, weighing his options. He realized, looking at her, he had no other options except to give her what she needs. Besides, he made sure James had security on her at all times. He had to believe that was enough.

“Fine. But,” he continued before she could say anything. “I would like you to call me or text me. Often. Can you do that without resenting me?”

Eve’s brow raised. “I can do that,” she answered evenly.

Adam’s lips twitched. Just that one quirk of an eyebrow from her, and he was putty in her hands. He kissed her again, letting this one heat up just enough to leave her breathless when he pulled away.

“Thank you. I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

“Mmhmm.” Holy hell, the man could kiss. Eve walked him to the elevator, mostly in hopes that she would get another kiss. “The warehouse,” she said suddenly.

“Sorry?”

“My warehouse. It would be perfect for your firm.” She noted his skeptical look, and smiled. “Hear me out. I know it’s a little rough around the edges, but it has amazing potential. The light from the wall of windows is impeccable, and with your skills, I’m sure you can make it perfect.”

“My skills, huh?” Adam’s cocky grin made Eve laugh. “It sounds interesting. I’ll go there and take a look around.” He checked his watch. “However, since my attendance has been questionable today, it’ll have to be tomorrow.”

“Remind me to give you the keys tonight.”

“Hmm.” Adam stroked Eve’s cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Be careful, please?”

“I’ll be here all day,
amant
. Besides, the security detail you had James put on me will be around.”

“He told you about that?”

“They aren’t exactly discreet.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you. You didn’t just think of me and Bella, but you thought of Lainey, too.”

“Lainey is important to you, babe, and that makes her important to me. I’m actually surprised she’s not here with you.”

“I asked her not to come. I needed some time to myself,” she answered Adam’s curious look with a small shrug.

“Federal Bureau of Investigations, how may I direct your call?”

“Eve Riley for Agent William Donovan.”

Eve waited on hold, tapping a pen on her desk. She was annoying the hell out of herself, but interestingly enough, it kept her from snapping at the operator when she came back on the line.

“I’m sorry, Agent Donovan is not available. May I take a message?”

“No, I’ve left enough messages. Thank you.” Eve resisted the urge to pick up her phone and throw it across the room. This shit was disrupting her life, and she’d be damned if she let it go on any longer than it had to. She took out her cell and scrolled down to Billy’s personal number.

Avoiding me is only pissing me off. Call me, or you will not like the consequences.

She pressed send, and sat back in her chair. Fortunately, Eve didn’t have to wait long for a response this time, smiling sardonically when her phone rang.

“It’s about time, Billy.”

“You shouldn’t threaten a federal agent, Eve,” Billy chided.

“It wasn’t a threat since you don’t know what the consequences are.” Eve rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tension she felt. “I asked you to work with Charlie and James, and you’re shutting them out. By doing that, you’re shutting me out. I don’t appreciate that.”

“I’m not shutting anyone out, Eve, I’m doing my job.”

“I don’t mind that you’re doing your job, Billy. But, I need you to keep everyone else in the loop. If you can’t do that, I don’t want you on my case anymore.”

Billy snickered, which only infuriated Eve more. “No matter how influential you are, you don’t have the authority to take me off the case, Eve.”

Eve took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she counted to ten. “I can complain to your superiors about the job you’re doing. Or, I can just tell you that if you don’t do what I ask, you lose my friendship.”

“Are you serious? You’re threatening me with your friendship?”

“Yes. I will do anything to stop this threat against my family. I brought you in against the advice of others, Billy. But, make no mistake, your friendship is not worth the lives of my family.”

Billy sucked in a breath. This is not how he envisioned this conversation going. He wanted to give Eve some good news. He wanted to let her know he had leads. But, he didn’t, and she was pissed. Damn it.

“Eduardo Martinez,” he told her.

“Excuse me?”

“The name of the alleged shooter is Eduardo Martinez. He didn’t give us anything, and we didn’t have enough to detain him …”

“You let him go?”

“We had no choice, Eve. We couldn’t prove he was the shooter.”

“If you had let James question him …”

“If James would have questioned him, nothing he would’ve gotten from him would’ve been admissible in court.”

“I don’t give a fuck about court! What I fucking care about is finding the damn person doing this to me!
This
is why I wanted James involved!” Eve pinched the bridge of her nose. Goddamnit why couldn’t he have just listened to her? “You let the only person that could give us
any
information go!”

“We don’t even know if he’s the shooter, Eve.”

“If James said he was the shooter, then he was!”

“Eve …”

“Fix it, Agent Donovan. Get him back.”

“I am having him followed, and tracing his calls. If he is the shooter, maybe he’ll call whomever he’s working for.”

“I hope he does. Keep the others informed.” Eve hung up without a goodbye. She was too pissed off to offer him any pleasantries. If he let this guy go, and he was the shooter, Billy may have just helped whoever is putting her family in danger. She was about to dial Charlie when Mikey buzzed.

“Yes, Mikey?”

“Ms. Cummings is here to see you, ma’am.”

Fantastic. “Send her up. How are things going down there?”

“Busy! But, I have it all under control,” he said quickly.

Eve chuckled. “I’m sure you do. If you need any help, just let me know.”

She would have to wait to call Charlie, instead she typed out a quick text.

Thinking of you.

She hesitated for a moment before hitting send, but was rewarded with an immediate response.

Thinking of you 2. Call me later?

Eve had just enough time to respond to Lainey with a yes before Dee knocked lightly on her door.

“Come in, Dee.”

“There’s certainly not a dull moment in your life, Mrs. Riley.” Dee gave her a sly smile, sitting herself in the seat in front of Eve’s desk, and crossing her legs.

“At least you waited until I came back to work to irritate me.” Though she was only half teasing, she offered Dee an amicable smile. “How did you know I was here anyway?”

“I’m an investigative reporter, Eve. I know things, and if I don’t know, I obtain someone who can find out for me.”

Eve’s eyes snapped to Dee’s. “Eduardo Martinez.”

Dee frowned. “The Brazilian hitman?”

Hitman? Billy didn’t mention that bit of information. Either he was still keeping things from her, or he didn’t know as much as Dee did. “You know him?”

“
Of
him. Thank God, I don’t know him. Why are you interested in a hitman?”

“I’m not. Apparently, he’s interested in me.”

“No shit?” Dee’s response was so out of character, both of Eve’s brows raised in surprise. “That is not good, Eve. He’s notorious in Brazil. Who the hell did you piss off there?”

“I don’t know anyone in Brazil,” Eve responded distractedly. She searched her memory for anyone that could be connected to her and Brazil, or even Tony. It’s possible she doesn’t know all of the people he owed, of course. “Do you know how to find him or contact him?”

“You want to contact the man who wants to kill you?”

“No. I’m not suicidal. I want to give James something to work with. If you have contact information, maybe he can work backwards and find out who hired this Mr. Martinez.”

“You’re taking a big risk, Eve.”