A Prior Engagement (41 page)

The burly officer smiled, and said, “We actually work for the City of New York and it’s a good day when we get to arrest the real
bad guy.”

“Bad guy? I’m Thomas Whitney. Look at the name on the wall. Whitney Industries! Whitney, you asshole! You’ve arrested the wrong guy.”

Richard squatted down next to Tom. “It’s a division of The Wright Corporation now. Your role in the company has been dissolved. Your family no longer owns any part of this company thanks to you.”

The first cop sighed loudly. “Listen man, don’t make this harder than it has to be. Just play nice and let the company go. You’re fighting a losing battle here.”

Looking over his shoulder at the officer, Tom got the message. With his cheek against the expensive Berber carpet he’d chosen just six months prior, Tom watched Everleigh’s father help William up, offering him a tissue for the blood on his face. That’s when he realized he had been set up, ambushed.

William sauntered closer, standing above him. “Good work, gentleman. I’ll sleep better knowing the streets are safer tonight.” Then he bent down, and whispered, “Don’t ever come near Everleigh or myself, or anyone in our family again. I’m warning you. I won’t play fair, and I won’t play nice next time.”

It was all becoming clear—he’d lost. He had lost everything: His money, his company, and Everleigh.

He watched William walk out of the room, followed by Richard, and the board members, two of whom stepped over him to get out of the room in a hurry.

“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” Tom asked, needing someone on his side.

“Royally,” was the only reply the officer gave him before he started reading him his rights. “You have the right to remain silent…”

* * *

The following Sunday, Evie and William walked into the Wright home, welcomed with open arms for a dinner that was becoming tradition.

William waited for Richard to speak, knowing he knew more of the logistics of the situation. “Tom was arrested. He’s in custody downtown.”

“Why was he arrested?” Kitty asked, shocked.

Richard Wright paused, worried his family might think him weak for seeking revenge, but he needed to repair his relationship with Everleigh, and that meant telling her the truth. “I’m not proud of much these days and you might think less of me for doing this, but I’ll admit I found some pleasure in it. I bought Tom’s company.”

“You what?” Evie felt sick to her stomach. “How could you do that? How could you,” she said, standing up. She threw her napkin onto the table. “How could you attach us to his family, to him, like that?”

Tears filled her eyes as William stood up and started to rub her back to comfort her. “Evie, you’ve got to hear him out. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

Richard also stood up, his face falling as he watched his daughter’s hurt and disappointed face.

She stared at him needing more, pleading with her eyes to correct her assumption.

“I bought it to take him down. That’s what I’m not proud of. I bought it to get revenge on him. I bought it in a moment of weakness on his part, maybe on mine, too.”

“Tell her about the books,” William added.

Evie sat back down with the two men doing the same.

Richard continued. “I had my accountants go over the books with a fine-toothed comb. They discovered he was embezzling money right out from under the company’s nose.”

“His family has money. You know this. You’re friends with his parents.” Evie’s tears had stopped as questions flooded her thoughts. “How is that possible?”

“I guess he didn’t tell his parents he needed help. It’s a white-collar crime, but this morning he had his bail revoked because he’s on suicide watch. They want to make sure he stands trial. There are some issues with taxes and the government won’t drop the case.”

Evie knew she shouldn’t, but she did care—just a little. She remembered the good in him, the good times they had together before he changed, before she changed. She took a sip of her wine and then said, “I’m feeling tired. This was a lot of fun and meant more to me than you know.” She looked at her parents. “Thank you for supporting me and William.”

“Are you okay?” Kitty asked her.

“Yeah, it’s a lot to take in. I understand the sentiment behind what you did and I can’t say I’m upset over that. I want him to pay in every way possible, but killing himself . . . I just can’t believe it’s come to this.”

The dinner was cut short, no one in the mood for socializing. They said their good-byes and William held her hand when they left. He let her have time to process the events of the night as they headed home. He walked beside her in the warm night air, but let her think.

Several times she looked at him and they caught eyes. They smiled. Their relationship was easy, trusting, and blissful. Evie swung their hands between them, and said, “I don’t care about him in that way.”

“I know you don’t.”

“I’m in shock. I can’t believe he’d kill himself.”

“He won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“He loves himself too much for that. He’s trying to garner sympathy.” William was positive of that.

Evie stopped and tugged him to her. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you don’t care about him. It’s that you care about people in general. Someone’s hurt and you don’t want anyone to be in pain. You tried to make everyone else happy at the expense of your own happiness. You’ve got a big heart and I know it’s not that you have feelings for Tom. It’s that you wouldn’t want anyone to hurt.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“The bruises and stuff have healed, Evie, but you still have a lot to resolve, emotionally.”

She was quiet in thought again.

William didn’t want the night to end thinking about Tom.
He
didn’t deserve their attention. “C’mon on, pretty girl, I have plans for you and that big ‘ole heart of yours.”

She smiled at the insinuation. “My heart, huh?”

“Well, maybe not your heart in the physical sense other than making it race, but definitely this area covering your heart.” He pointed straight at her chest, circling his finger in the air.

She stopped shocked by his sexual boldness, but she loved hearing him talk like this. “My boobs?”

“Evie, you have incredible boobs and I still love that you call them boobs.” He pulled her along again until they were walking. “And yes, I’m going to do lots of dirty things with and to them.”

“Breast is way too formal of a term.” She giggled. “I love you, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” That comment from him warranted a whack on the arm. “Okay, okay, I love you too, baby.” He laughed, making her laugh as well.

Chapter 35

Evie and William arrived home a little after eight-thirty at night. She felt like she had another pound of burden lifted from her shoulders with each step she took. Several times she looked down at William’s hand that held hers as they walked, still somewhat in disbelief this was it. They were now free from the monster and the past. They could now move on together and live their lives.

As they rounded the corner to the apartment, Evie took off racing. William was right behind her laughing as he watched all her worries disappear. It was beautiful the way her skirt blew behind her and her hair flowed in the breeze. She was beautiful. He grabbed her by the waist right before they reached the front door of their building and spun her around, catching her before she lost her balance.

They laughed and panted, trying to catch their breath.
Freedom.
This is what freedom felt like. It had been many years since Evie felt freedom: Freedom from
him
, freedom from the constraints of social standards and expectations, freedom to love, freedom to live and breathe and be who she was meant to be. Freedom was wonderful.

She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed William by the face and kissed him—hard. She smiled, blushing, and said, “I want you to make love to me.”

William didn’t wait. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her in through the main door, up the flight of stairs, and once he unlocked the door, inside the apartment.

They didn’t bother with lamps or lights of any sort. The light from the street was enough for them to see each other and their surroundings.

They wasted no time and took their clothes off. Illuminated from behind by the dim light, she was an angel, a sexy angel wearing a necklace more befitting the occasion than could have been planned. The light highlighted the silver bird on the chain escaping its cage, gleaming in the low light. The monster kept her locked away, her own life like a cage. William freed her.

She held her head up, looking at him wordlessly. Eyeing his body up and down twice, she lingered on his midsection which is when she raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t insecure with William. She was quite the opposite. He let her have wants of her own, to explore what she liked, and she wasn’t judged. She was confident when she was with him.

They stood in front of each other with their emotions and bodies exposed and vulnerable and yet they felt none of that. They both felt loved, powerful, and comfortable like this, together.

Reaching out, she dragged her palm down his chest, winding her fingers through the light hair that adorned his skin and stopping at his belly button, twisting her wrist to where her fingers faced down and moved lower.

William’s breathing picked up and she felt his heavy breath against own skin. He leaned forward and kissed her, his hands grabbed a hold of her hips, and he moved them to the bed. “Come here, baby.”

Crawling onto the bed, she lay down next to him, his hands roaming her body as she closed her eyes. William watched her chest start to rise and fall as his fingers slid between her thighs. This was still so surreal to him that he got to be with her at all, much less touch her in such provocative and sexual ways.

She opened her eyes as his fingers found the place that sent shivers through her body.

Leaning down, he kissed her on the lips once then on her cheek, forehead, temple, then made his way down her neck and back up toward her ear. His warm breath made her skin pebble as he tugged her earlobe between his teeth. “William.” She moaned as her hands found his skin hot to the touch and she gripped him to her. “You’re teasing me.”

He stilled his fingers and his mouth. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” he whispered in her ear. “I want all of you at once, but still want to savor every part of you, starting here.” Increasing the pressure beneath his fingers tips, he also nipped harder.

She became of puddle of goo beneath his hands and lips, beneath his words.

He smiled against her neck, a chuckle followed closely after. They had made love many times since the first time and he was happy to give her what she wanted and what she needed. William reached over into the drawer of the little table beside the bed and pulled a condom out. He slipped it on and touched her at the apex of her thighs. As he rubbed little pressure-pointed circles, he moved into position between her legs.

William stopped touching her, holding himself above her and looking down into her eyes. He could tell she felt safe and trusted him. He could also see how much she wanted him and hoped she could see the same reflected from him. He positioned himself while taking her hands, bringing one at a time to his lips to kiss then placing above her head. As he held on tight to her wrists, he pushed into her.

Her head pressed back into the pillow beneath her, and his dropped from the overwhelming sensation and they groaned each other’s name in unison.

Opening his eyes, he watched her writhe below him in pleasure then let his eyes drift to where they were connected, feeling the intensity of their bond.

She wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him for more, her body moving of its own volition in tune with his every movement. Not long after starting, they finished together, cuddling and whispering words of love and devotion, the future, and forever.

The next day, Evie woke up bright and early, mainly due to the fact that the blinds were left open from the night before. She turned her head and saw William facing her with his eyes still closed, his face beautiful and rugged, content with a slight smile curled on his lips. She kissed him lightly so as not to disturb him before rolling out of bed.

William grabbed her by the elbow, and muttered, “No, stay. Bed. Me.”