Evelyn's dream of securing a scholarship to America's top ballet school shattered when her mother was brutally murdered during her teenage years. Determined to make a difference, she became a detective, ready to take on the world. Assigned to invest...
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The shock of what had happened minutes earlier clung to the car like smoke as Evelyn drove towards the MC territory. James's blood still felt warm on her skin, though his body had gone cold. He was gone, shot down by a hitman in front of her eyes. The weight of it pressed against her ribs, heavy and merciless. She was no longer part of the police force. That tie had been cut the second she realized her own name was next on the list, her life dangling on the same thread that had just been severed for James. Tears still slipped from her eyes, though each one fell against a face growing increasingly numb, like her heart was slowly frosting over from the inside. Her shoulder burned with a sharp, relentless throb now that adrenaline had ebbed away, leaving only raw pain in its wake. All she could see was James, his lifeless body sprawled across cold ground. Her thoughts chased themselves in frantic circles, landing again and again on Emma.How could she tell her? How could she put that grief into words? Evelyn's stomach twisted tighter as the metallic MC sign loomed ahead, sharp against the gray sky. Beneath it, Emma stood, a hand curved protectively over her swollen belly. Her eyes darted restlessly, as though trying to locate hope in the empty air around her.
Evelyn slowed to a stop and pushed the car door open. Her legs shook beneath her weight as she stepped out. Green eyes clouded by grief met Emma's teary gaze. No words were needed, the crimson stains smeared across Evelyn's hands and jacket screamed the truth. Emma's breath hitched as her arms tightened protectively around her stomach, the children within, the last link to the man she loved.
"He's gone, isn't he?" Emma whispered, her voice trembling like porcelain about to crack. The wind hissed in their ears, carrying the weight of finality, of endings that could never be undone. Evelyn's vision wavered, the edges blurring as blood loss tightened its grip.
"Yes," Evelyn forced out, though the word scraped her throat raw. She edged closer but couldn't bear to face Emma fully. Her stomach twisted violently, churning her insides until her food form this day clawed its way upward. She turned and emptied her stomach onto the dirt. The bitter acid burned her tongue. Emma, even in her grief, rushed forward, steadying Evelyn with one hand and sweeping the detective's hair away from her damp face.
"Evelyn... Just a little longer. We'll be safe." The words stung like salt in a wound. Evelyn should have been the one holding Emma up, not the other way around. Shame swelled inside her, pressing against her ribs like a second heartbeat. She straightened slowly, wiping her mouth with the back of her trembling hand, and forced herself to meet Emma's tear-reddened eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Evelyn whispered, her voice cracking.
"I tried to stop him, I begged him to see another way. I never wanted this to happen." Fear curled inside her, whispering that Emma would lay the blame at her feet, that grief would harden into resentment and tear their bond apart. But Emma only shook her head, tears slipping freely.
