Dominated: The Enforcers 2 (The Enforcers Series) (16 page)

Drake squeezed Evangeline’s hand as the car came to a stop behind several others waiting to drop off passengers on the red-carpet entrance to Carnegie Hall.

“You look stunning, baby,” he said in a warm voice.

Her gaze was riveted to the mass of people at the entrance and at all the news cameras and photographers. Flashbulbs were cascading in waves as people got out of their vehicles. Oh God. Drake had warned her, yes, but she hadn’t expected this. Like they were freaking celebrities or something.

“Breathe, Angel,” Drake whispered. “Maddox, Silas and I are all with you. We won’t let anything happen. I promise.”

She swallowed the knot in her throat but it promptly got lodged when their car moved ahead and was next to disembark. The door swung open and Drake got out, shielding the inside of the car with his big body. Immediately, Maddox and Silas both pressed in on either side of him as he reached inside for Evangeline’s hand.

He pulled her to stand next to him in the chilly night air and she shivered, dazzled and dazed by the flood of bright lights and the flash of cameras going off in forty different directions.

She flinched when people began shouting questions at Drake. Maddox caught Evangeline’s other hand in his and squeezed reassuringly as he pinned her securely between himself and Drake with Silas directly in front of her. They formed an impenetrable barrier to anyone seeking access, thank God.

“Smile,” Maddox said next to her ear. “You look terrified. Flash them a gorgeous smile and show them those beautiful baby-blue eyes.”

She felt like a robot programmed to carry out voice commands. She smiled so big, it felt as though her cheeks were cracking. She forced herself to relax and look as though she were having the time of her life and hadn’t a care in the world. She even made herself look directly into some of the cameras and flash a toothy smile.

After they’d run the gauntlet and Drake had waved off requests for interviews, he pulled her inside the building and she promptly sagged.

“That’s insane!” she whispered.

“Come, let’s go find our seats. The sooner we’re seated, the faster we’re out of the line of fire,” Drake said.

“You all right, doll?” Silas asked quietly when they took their seats in a private box above the stage. “You need to go freshen up before the show starts? Maddox and I can walk you to the ladies’ room.”

Grateful for a chance to compose herself and check her makeup to ensure it wasn’t smeared everywhere, she nodded and rose. Drake caught her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to her palm.

“Hurry back, Angel.”

She gifted him with a radiant smile and then took Silas’s proffered arm and let him guide her out of the box and down the hall to the powder room.

“We’ll wait out here,” Maddox said. “Don’t take too long. No one will come in after you, but there could be someone already inside. Do your thing, quick in and out, okay?”

“Got it,” she said, flashing him a grateful smile.

She pushed inside the bathroom and went to the mirror to check her makeup. She used a tissue to dab at the corners of her eyes and then reapplied her lip gloss. She heard a toilet flush and, heeding Maddox’s advice to be in and out quickly, she turned and started for the door, when a tall, elegantly dressed brunette stepped in front of her on her way to the mirror.

“Excuse me,” Evangeline murmured as she stepped around the other woman.

“Oh, you must be Drake’s latest fling,” the woman said, humor laced in her words.

Evangeline reared back at the woman’s rudeness. “Pardon me?”

The brunette smiled. “Do enjoy it while it lasts, sweetie. And believe me, it won’t last long. Drake never keeps the same woman more than a few weeks. But the perks are amazing. And between you and me. If he ever invites Manuel over? Be prepared for a
very
good time,” she purred.

Her words fell on Evangeline like well-aimed daggers. Nausea swirled in her stomach until she was afraid of losing its contents, but pride was too ingrained in Evangeline to go down like that. She gathered herself together and managed to calmly stare the other woman down. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who is Manuel?”

The other woman’s tinkly laughter was abrasive and annoying. “Oh, he’s a friend of Drake’s. They share the same kinks, if you will. And as luck would have it, they share their women on occasion as well.”

Evangeline fought against the cold sweat that was fast breaking out on her forehead. Oh hell no, she wasn’t letting this woman take her down like this. She fixed the woman with a contemptuous and pitying look.

“You don’t know Drake very well at all, do you?” Evangeline said scornfully.

“Well enough,” the woman defended with a laugh.

“No,” Evangeline snapped. “You don’t. Because if you did, then you’d know that Drake is an extremely possessive man and he never shares
what he considers his. So if he shared you, then I guess that speaks to what he didn’t consider you. And if you do know Drake as well as you say, then you’d also know the significance of my being on his arm tonight when you should know perfectly well that he never takes a woman out with him anywhere. Now if you’ll excuse me, Drake’s men are outside waiting for me. But I doubt you ever met them either, did you?”

The woman’s pale, shocked face was the last thing Evangeline saw on her way out the door. She should be doing a fist pump for scoring a strike against the catty bitch trying to take her down a few notches. But all she wanted to do was weep.

Silas and Maddox immediately zeroed in on Evangeline’s distress and demanded to know what was wrong.

“Nothing,” she said sharply. “Let’s just get back, please.”

She stalked ahead, leaving them to fall in behind her or be left behind. They escorted her back into the box and she slid into the seat next to Drake, her heart pounding. She saw Drake look curiously at her from her periphery and then glance sharply at Maddox and Silas.

Thankfully the lights dimmed and applause rang out as the concert began. Once the music started, Evangeline was able to put the unpleasant bathroom encounter behind her. At least temporarily. The symphony was pure magic and she adored every note.

•   •   •

Drake sat watching Evangeline absorb the music with a look of enchantment on her beautiful face. He glanced back at Silas and Maddox, who sat just behind him and Evangeline, and arched an eyebrow in question. Something had upset Evangeline and he wanted to know who the fuck was responsible.

Silas picked up his phone and motioned that he was texting Drake. A few seconds later, his phone on silent, Drake glanced at his phone and had to bite his lip to keep from uttering savage curses. Son of a bitch.

Remember the crazy bitch you hooked up with about a year ago? Tall brunette named Lisa? She was in the bathroom with Evangeline and when Evangeline came out she was pale and shaken. I’m sure Lisa filled her head full of all kinds of shit.

Drake’s jaw was clenched so tight with fury that his teeth ached. Jesus Christ. He tried to think back on just how much time he’d spent with Lisa. It hadn’t been much. Hell, he couldn’t even remember what they’d done together. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t filled Evangeline full of poison and ruined her entire night in the process.

Goddamn it.

When the lights came back up as the music ended, the chairman of the board for the two charities money was being raised for tonight came out on stage to give his prepared speech engineered to solicit as many donations as possible. But Drake had had enough and he wasn’t going to torture Evangeline a moment longer than necessary.

“Get the car,” he said back to Maddox. “We’re leaving now.”

Evangeline turned, having heard Drake’s command. “Is it over?” she whispered.

“The good part is,” he said. “The rest is just speeches and soliciting donations. As I’ve already given one in your name as well as my foundation, it isn’t necessary for us to remain.”

She nodded stiffly and then turned her attention back to the stage. A few moments later, Silas tapped Drake on the shoulder to indicate that Maddox was waiting out front. Drake reached for Evangeline’s arm and then slid his fingers down to tangle with hers. He pulled her up next to him and then wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and guided her out of the box.

Silas’s expression was black but most notably, worry was evident in his eyes as he studied Evangeline’s somber countenance. As soon as they
stepped outside, Silas immediately stepped directly in front of Evangeline, blocking her from the photographers and news cameras. Someone shouted at her, calling her Drake’s latest skirt, and she flinched, mortification brimming in her expressive eyes.

Silas snarled and decked the guy who’d shouted the insult and bodies went flying. Drake picked Evangeline up and dove into the car, sending both their bodies sprawling across the backseat. As soon as Silas jumped into the front, Maddox roared off.

“What the fuck happened back there?” Maddox demanded.

“Dick mouthing off to Evangeline,” Silas growled. “Better give your lawyer a call in the morning, Drake. Son of a bitch had it coming to him, but it doesn’t mean he won’t scream like a little bitch and try to sue.”

“If he does, me and the boys will pay him a little visit,” Maddox said grimly.

“That’s enough,” Drake ordered.

Evangeline was already freaked out enough. The last thing she needed was to be privy to the seedier side of Drake’s world.

He picked her up and cradled her in his arms, holding her against his chest as he stroked one hand up and down her arm soothingly. He kissed her hair and left his lips there a long moment.

“You okay, Angel?” he murmured.

She nodded stiffly, and he cursed under his breath. Whatever the crazy bitch said to her in the bathroom must have really done a number on her.

“Take us home and drop us off,” Drake said tersely.

Silas turned slightly in his seat and focused his gaze on Evangeline. “You all right, doll?” he asked gently.

It was like a fist to Drake’s gut when tears filled Evangeline’s eyes. She turned quickly away but not before he and Silas both saw her distress. Drake pulled her more firmly into his arms and tucked her head beneath his chin as they rode the rest of the way in silence.

When they arrived at his apartment building, Silas got out and opened the door to help Evangeline. Drake emerged behind her and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

“Thank you for everything, Silas,” she said in a quiet voice. “At least I looked the part tonight, thanks to you.”

Silas reached out and cupped her chin in his palm. “You are every bit the part, Evangeline. You have more class in your little finger than that skank in the bathroom will ever dream of having.”

She flushed red and moved her head away from Silas’s grasp. “Good night, Maddox,” she called back as she started toward the entrance.

Drake quickly caught up to her and once more took her hand as they got on the elevator. Once inside, Drake pulled her into a hug and rested his chin atop her head.

“What happened tonight, Angel?”

She tensed against him and burrowed her face into his chest. He allowed her to dodge the question for the elevator ride. They would talk about it once they were inside the apartment, and hopefully he would be able to undo whatever damage had been done.

When the elevator opened, Evangeline tried to break away from Drake’s hold and walk into the apartment, but Drake held tight to her hand and led her into the living room, where he gently pushed her down to sit on the couch before taking the seat next to her, angling so they faced each other.

“What did the bitch in the bathroom say to you, Evangeline?”

He knew he sounded harsh, but he wasn’t about to let Evangeline worm her way out of telling him what the conniving little bitch had done.

Evangeline looked mortified and refused to meet his gaze. He was having none of that either. He put a finger to the side of her cheek and directed her gaze forward until finally she was looking at him.

He sighed. “Angel, you know there were women before you,” he said
gently. “I’ve never claimed to be a saint, but I can tell you that there have been no other women since I met you. I haven’t even looked at another woman. How could I? You’re the only woman I want.”

And astonishingly it was true. From the moment Evangeline had barreled into his life, other women had simply ceased to exist for him.

Evangeline averted her eyes, looking down where she was twisting her fingers together in agitation. “It wasn’t that,” she said softly.

“Then what was it?”

“It was what she said,” Evangeline choked out. “She said . . .” She closed her eyes and he was alarmed to see a hint of tears just before she’d slammed her eyelids shut.

In that moment Drake wanted to track down the damn woman and verbally cut her to ribbons just as she’d apparently done to Evangeline. Whatever she’d said had gotten into his angel’s head. Had made her doubt herself and had dealt a blow to her self-confidence. Fuck that.

“She told me to enjoy it while it lasted. That you never kept a woman for long.”

When Drake would have spoken, she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“It wasn’t that. I mean I may be sweet, naïve and too trusting, as I’m reminded at every turn, but I know a jealous, catty woman when I see—and hear—one.”

Bitterness tinged her words and Drake was reminded of the Evangeline he’d met that first night in the club. The Evangeline unsure of her place in the world. Unsure of her own self-worth. He wanted to put his fist through the wall.

“She knew about Manuel,” Evangeline said painfully. “She asked me if you’d invited Manuel over and went on about what a good time it was and how the two of you knew how to treat a woman. And for once I had a cutting remark. For once I stood up for myself and I put her in her place.”

Drake’s brows drew together in confusion. “Then what . . . ?”

Tears shimmered in Evangeline’s eyes, brighter now, threatening to spill over.

“I’m not proud of what I said, but I won’t lie and say that at the time it didn’t feel a little bit good because for once I wasn’t a doormat and a victim. But . . .”