Page 96 of Holding on to Chaos
She heard more car doors slam in the driveway, felt her heart clutch when she saw the broken glass on her front porch, the door now ajar.
“Oh, hey guys.” Evan appeared on the back porch a cereal bowl and phone in hand. Diesel, fur still bristled, pranced down the porch steps to sniff Donovan’s pant leg and roll over on his back.
“Where is she?” Eva asked.
Evan shrugged. “She left about two minutes ago. Carrying a buncha stuff. She tried to get in the back door, but it was locked, and Diesel jumped at the window and scared the heck out of her.” He took a bite of cereal, milk dribbling down his chin.
“Oh, my God, Evan. I’m so sorry,” Eva said, wrapping him in a hug and spilling milk and cereal all over them both.
“Evan!” Gia and Beckett rushed around the side of the house with Lydia squalling on Beckett’s hip. Gia tossed her phone to the ground and hit them at a dead run knocking them to the porch boards.
“Everything under control?” Deputy Layla jogged around the side of the house.
“Clear the cottage,” Donovan said briskly, nodding in the direction of Eva’s house. He waded into the pile and pulled Evan to his feet.
“You’re going to interview me, right?” Evan asked. “Cause I’m a witness.”
“That’s right.”
“Who would do this?” Gia demanded as Beckett plucked her off the porch before he wrapped Evan in a tight hug.
Donovan stared down at Eva, slowly pulling her to her feet. Guilt had her knees buckling. He held her up, but she could see the hurt, the anger.
“Eva, you’d better tell me right now whether this had anything to do with your hypothetical bullshit last night,” Beckett growled, taking a step toward her.
She opened her mouth but found herself facing Donovan’s back.
“You’re gonna want to calm down, Pierce,” Donovan said, slapping a hand on Beckett’s chest.
“What’s going on?” an out-of-breath Emma demanded as she and Niko ran into the yard.
“Is everyone okay?” Niko asked, scanning the tense faces.
“Eva knows who did this,” Beckett said coldly.
“That may be,” Donovan said evenly. “But taking a swipe at her now isn’t helping me find whoever did this.”
Gia grabbed Beckett’s arm. “I know this was terrifying, but I can’t see how yelling at my sister is helping anything!”
“Eva, start talking,” Beckett demanded.
“Stop yelling!” Gia yelled.
“Back off,” Donovan warned him. There was no hint of the decades-long friendship between them in that order.
“If you all can sideline the pissing contest, the house is clear but wrecked,” Layla announced hopping off the cottage’s front porch and crossing the yard. She took an easy stance next to Donovan. But Eva noticed she kept her hand near her cuffs.
“This is all my fault,” Eva said, scrubbing her hand over her face.
“Eva, what are you talking about?” Emma asked, climbing the steps of the already overcrowded porch. “Do you know why someone would break in?”
Donovan, careful to keep himself between Beckett and Eva, turned to look at her.
“I know why, and I know who,” she admitted, her eyes welling with tears. She willed them away, but there was nothing she could do about the lump in her throat, the ice in her belly.
“Let’s go inside and talk,” Donovan said quietly.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
