Page 86 of Stolen Fate

Jace

I was distracted,which wasn’t like me, but that was the best way to describe my headspace since Evelyn had visited me, and it didn’t go unnoticed by most of my staff, including Belinda, who had been shooting curious stares my way all day.

I knew she wanted to know what kind of relationship I had with Evelyn. She saw me as more than her employer, which was normal, considering how long she had worked for me; it was the same way I cared for her as a friend, but I still wasn’t going to discuss Evelyn with Belinda—mostly because she was my assistant, but also because I didn’t know what there was to even say at this point.

I could have called up Jensen to either talk about it with him or take him to the boxing ring to pound out all of the restless energy I had been feeling since Evelyn entered my life. Jensen knew about everything that went down between Camila and me. If anyone would understand, it would be him, but I didn’t want to explain how I was feeling about Evelyn. I didn’t want him to see how much her presence in both mine and Elliot’s life had affected me. He would surely think I’d lost my mind then, and perhaps I had, in a way.

I steepled my hands underneath my chin and stared blankly at the dark computer screen. The monitor had turned off minutes ago, and I knew I should probably try and get some work done, but all I had managed to do was reread a line from an email several times before I gave up altogether.

It was three in the afternoon. I only had a few hours left before I needed to head home if I wanted to make it in time to have dinner with Elliot and Evelyn. Since Elliot was old enough to have dinner with me, I always made sure to come home before six so we could eat together. It sometimes meant I had to bring some work home with me and work on it when Elliot fell asleep, but I didn’t mind. Now, though, I wanted to come home for more than just Elliot—I wanted to come home to see Evelyn as well. She spent so much of her free time in her room that I rarely ever saw her, even though we lived in the same house.

I knew a part of it was because she was avoiding me, and I had briefly entertained the idea of leaving her alone—I didn’t want to come across as an asshole, and I wanted to let her come to me when she was ready—but that changed when I caught her touching herself to thoughts of me the other night.

The way she had let out a soft whimper while playing with herself, the way she uttered my name in a breathless sigh, the sound so faint, I almost didn’t hear it…

My listening in on her was an accident I couldn’t bring myself to regret.

I had heard her on my way to my room after putting Elliot down for the night. I knew I should have walked away when I figured out what she was doing, but I couldn’t make myself move.

I was absolutely entranced by her.

I shifted a little in my seat, trying to ease the semi I was sporting just from the memory of her.

There wasn’t any way I was going to be able to get back to my work.

My phone ringing brought me out of my musing. I frowned when I noted Evelyn’s name on the screen. It was embarrassing how hard my heart fluttered at the sight of her name, and I would be ecstatic about the idea of her calling me if it wasn’t while she was watching Elliot.

Evelyn had never called me during the day before, so it must have been an emergency. It certainly couldn’t be good. I picked up the phone quickly. “Evelyn. Is everything okay with Elliot?”

The slight hesitation on the other end of the line had me sitting up in my seat. I knew before she even spoke that whatever she was going to say wasn’t something I wanted to hear.

“Jace, um, Camila is here.”

* * *

I drove homelike I was being chased by a hellhound. I was so fucking pissed off that I couldn’t think straight.

That bitch knew better than to be around Elliot, and yet she had the nerve to go to my home to see my son when she knew I wouldn’t be there.

I had told Evelyn to take Elliot away from the house, but I knew Camila. I knew how persistent she could be when it came to the things she wanted, and right now, she wanted to see Elliot. I didn’t know why that was, and I didn’t care.

I was just angry and scared.

I was fucking scared.

I didn’t know how much Elliot remembered, and I didn’t know what seeing Camila would do to him. I didn’t want him to suffer by her hand any more than he had, and if I had my way, Camila would have been shipped off to some unknown island, with no means of ever stepping foot in New York ever again.

I got to the gate at the front of the house, and when it opened, I was greeted by my worst fears coming to life. I stepped on the brakes and three sets of eyes turned my way, but only one of them was relieved.

Evelyn looked comforted at the sight of me, while Elliot only glanced at my car before he went back to burying his face into Evelyn’s neck.

My heart broke at the sight.

I got out of the car, clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to keep myself from losing my shit in front of my son.

Elliot didn’t deserve to see the angry side of me.

“Evelyn, why don’t you take Elliot for ice cream?” I said softly. My eyes briefly went to Elliot, who had burrowed himself further into Evelyn, as if he wanted to crawl inside her and hide there forever. Certainly, he would be safer with her that way.

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