The woman willing to kill my parents is beautiful, like on the level of the Goddesses beautiful that it almost hurts to look at her. Her hair is the darkest shade of black and curled, looking silkier than anything I've ever seen before. Her eyes are the colour of seaweed and her skin is like perfect porcelain.
No one can be called pretty when they're stood next to her. She's at least five-nine, with curves in all the right places. Somehow she's made the casual clothes she's wearing - ripped jeans, cropped shirt, and blazer - look professional and sexy. It's annoying.
From the conversation, I can confirm that her name is Evangeline, though she goes by Eva and she has had many jobs in intelligence. She's willing to help us after having a large hand in both Saviour and Riley's upbringing. She doesn't look thirty-five and it's annoying me even more. She makes me feel like a bruised potato and even Asa's arm around me doesn't make me feel any less jealous of her appearance.
"So what would you do to my parents?" I manage to ask, my voice sounding muffled and coarse compared to her silky, confident voice.
"Whatever you'd like, I could probably convince them to leave you alone. I have a large influence on the richer end of the city you're from. Either that or I obliterate their image online."
"You're a hacker?" Romeo asks excitedly.
"She taught me how to code... you remember Ghost?" Saviour says and Romeo's jaw drops as he bounces in his chair.
"No way, you're the Ghost? Unbelievable!"
"Peyton, that was meant to be a secret. Look you mustn't go screaming that about the feds are still after me, hence why I haven't been online under that name for close to ten years. I don't need any of that to destroy the Channings anyway, their inner workings are enough. I can just publish them online, they'll be too caught up in the politics of it all that Juniper won't be able to fix their reputation."
"And the French mercenaries?" Mac inquires, as he looks at the woman with stars in his eyes. Looks like he has a crush on a certain British beauty that could literally murder everyone in the room without blinking an eye.
"That really depends on what you want to do. Mercenaries are loyal to the money, you cut off the money then the problem is solved. Destroy the Channings' reputation - maybe even expose that they've hired mercenaries - and the French won't get paid so won't act on their mission. I'm sure the kid wants to kill the doctor anyway so at least he won't be a problem, I'll clean up the loose ends back in the city for you and then Juniper won't have to worry about anything else." She gestures to Asa and I fight a smile.
Of course, he would want to kill him. He's proved so many times how protective he is of me and looking at him now, he doesn't have a speck of desire for the literal Goddess stood opposite him. That does wonders for a woman's self-confidence. "Evangeline!"
"Fuck!" Evangeline shouts as Lucia and Matias walk in looking frustrated. "Hey, guys."
"Car now," Matias demands his hands on his hips. I think he's attractive with curly hair and gorgeous eyes but his wife is way out of his league.
"I am your wife's godmother, not your dog. Besides, I've already done the favour you requested and now I've been roped into another agreement because of it so both of you can bugger off."
"Did you forget something?" Matias continues.
"Probably but that's irrelevant. I need to head into the city tonight unless you guys have a good computer set up that I can borrow?"
"Follow me!" Romeo shouts, dragging Eva behind him as she hurries to keep up with him.
"Prez, can we please go and get the doctor now?" Asa growls, his body is tense and it's like he is itching at the seams.
"Take Boulder and Breaker, bring him back here." Asa is up in seconds, tucking me into Raphael's side and heading into the weapons room. He comes out with a bat which does not encourage my fear to calm down, only fire up.
I manage to escape Raphael's grip and follow him out to his bike. Breaker and Boulder are still inside saying goodbye to Cassidy and Riley. "Baby you should be resting." He warns me, as he leans against his bike with me on his chest.
"You're going to go and hurt him, aren't you?"
"He beat you, June. I will kill him for that." I shiver in response to that, you'd think I would be disgusted by the fact he's willing to kill for me but really, it's a huge turn-on.
"Thank you for protecting me."
"You don't have to thank me for doing my job, Juni. You're mine to protect now, you understand that? I will tear him apart for touching you." I tangle my fingers in his cut and stare down at my hands. I don't want him to get hurt because of me. "This is not your fault, you know that right?"
"I brought him here... if I had just stayed back at my parents you wouldn't have to worry about French mercenaries or anything." He spins me around to place me on his bike, tilting my face up to look at him.
"I don't care if I have to fight an entire army to keep you, Juniper. You're not going anywhere." He kisses me gently, avoiding all of my injuries before telling me to go back inside. "I'll be back soon, stay with the girls, okay?"
I agree if just to ease his worry and stand with Riley and Cassidy as the three of them ride off. "They'll be back... they may be covered in blood but don't worry about it, it won't be theirs." Riley winks at me and helps me back inside, my exhaustion coming back very quickly now that Asa is no longer here to support me.
"Good Lord, that boy doesn't stop talking." Eva declares as she ventures her way into the pink room with the rest of us.
"He's just excited, he doesn't have many people that understand everything he's talking about," Saviour explains, shuffling up the couch to give Eva some space. "Now, tell us everything. I want to know who you've been seeing."
"Unfortunately, I'm still as boring as ever. Sex is for fun, relationships are not. I haven't had a serious relationship since I was about twenty-two, men ain't shit and all that." Eva squeals in excitement as she swings Miracle into her lap. "Oh, hi baby. She looks just like you."
"I know, perfect isn't she?"
"I want to know details about relationships here, they must be good if you've all got tattoos of their names." I blush and shuffle away from the conversation. I'm not an Old Lady, I don't know what I am but I don't have one of the jackets nor do I have a tattoo.
Once every other woman in the room has given what I would consider 'too much information' about their relationships, Eva turns to me with a kind smile. "And what about you, darling?"
"Umm, I'm not an Old Lady."
"Not yet, sweetie. We're ordering your jacket soon." Lexie tells me and my jaw drops. "Don't look at me like that, we all see the way you are with each other. Rubble was so scared when he brought you in bruised and bloody... it's only a matter of time."
Thank the Lord.
YOU ARE READING
Rubble (Riders of Apollo #7)
Romance"That's Rubble." I tune back into the conversation, having missed the entire thing, I think introductions were made but I got bored so. "He's the biggest pain in the ass when his best friend isn't here so be warned." Saviour teases and my jaw drops...
