Forsaking All Others Read online

  “He’ll come back. We have to go.”

  Evan nodded as they ran outside toward the woods behind their home. Oddly enough, he hadn’t understood when his father had told him a mere few months before to run for the woods if anything happened, but he knew now.

  “We have no mama or papa anymore, lillebror. I’ll take care of you now.”

  Evan was snapped back from his memories and shook his eyes with a sad smile. He met Julianna’s eyes as he racked his brain for a way to explain his memories to her.

  “We hid, but we could see his face. The person who had killed our parents. Turned out his name was Austweitz, and he had only been fifteen at the time. He was an orphan, found on the streets and had been trained to kill in exchange for a home.”

  A deep rage flooded Evan’s veins as his hands balled into fists once again, the veins bulging in his arms.

  “We were eventually found by the police and became wards of the state, but we didn’t want that. We already felt like sitting ducks just waiting for this man to come back and finish us. So we ran. Again. This time to America. Somehow, Hudson had found a way to get us into a military academy where we received an education and training. When I graduated, we both left and traveled, in search of him. Of Austweitz. During that time, through connections we’d built working for the military and during our travels, we got into the private sector and dealing with information security. That’s when we found out his location, after years of searching. We went without hesitation, fueled by pure revenge.”

  His rage continued to build as he recalled that day when he’d finally seen him. Austweitz had aged considerably although only ten years had passed. When they’d found him, it had been immediately after the man had massacred a whole family for a business deal gone bad. He was still up to his old ways, and it made Evan’s blood boil.

  Hudson had struck first, a clean shot through the ankle. His face was the epitome of concentration as he had done so. “A swift death is not what he deserves. He deserves to suffer. For what he did to everyone. What he did to our family, lillebror.”

  Hudson’s precision shattered the bones of his ankle on impact. Evan had fired next, opting to injure Austweitz’s left hand, satisfaction overtaking him as he watched the man scream in agony. They had then descended upon him before Hudson had demanded to know why their parents had been killed. Austweitz had laughed and stated that he didn’t remember why, but knew he wanted the money.

  “I just remember the two little shits that had gotten away.”

  That was what he had said as he had lay there, crippled, as they had trained their guns on him. It was a business, he told them, and he only knew how to do one thing right, which was to follow commands. Annoyed, Evan had discarded his rifle and had raised his handgun and aimed right in between the man’s eyes. Everything he and his brother had endured, all of their training, every life they had taken, had been leading up to this point. He’d fired without hesitation as he’d watched the life vanish from the man’s eyes. Hudson had remained silent during the exchange and had stayed quiet for a long while even after they’d returned to their hotel room.

  “We can’t live like this anymore.”

  That was all Hudson had said as he sat in the chair across from him. Evan had nodded.

  “Normalcy was never our thing, storebror.”

  He’d been rewarded from a grin from Hudson, a very rare occurrence.

  “Then we will try. Together.”

  Evan did his best to explain to Julianna. “I killed him. I was twenty. Hudson twenty-three. He was still terrorizing families for nothing more than the highest bidder. He wasn’t the first man I’ve killed, but I didn’t want to be like him. I needed a reason for living other than revenge. We both did.”

  He fell silent, not enjoying the vulnerability he now felt as he waited for Julianna to respond to him. All of his anxiety left him in a rush when Julianna took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. She remained silent, but it was exactly what he needed as he pulled her close, molding her to his body as he rested his cheek on top of her hair.

  “You don’t scare me, Evan. Neither of you do.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her hair and sent his eyes skyward. He didn’t know where this woman had come from, but he was grateful that she was in his life. He loved her fiercely and wanted a future with her. Unable to verbalize his feelings, he brought her face up to his.

  “I love you.”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded her head and leaned in, pressing her lips against his before she leaned against his chest.

  “I love you, too, Evan. I’m not going anywhere.”

  The early morning sunlight cast a soft glow into the room as Julianna awoke, a tangle of arms and legs with Evan’s body. She smiled and tenderly pressed a kiss to his cheek as he slept. She pulled one of his shirts over her head before making her way outside. The morning air was cool. She stared out at the scenery before her, the sun ushering away the last of the nighttime clouds.

  I could get used to this.

  Evan’s home was secluded, quiet, comfortable. She’d felt right at home immediately and was enjoying her stay there.

  She never let her guard down, knowing she could still be in danger. She had no qualms about Evan, or even Hudson keeping her safe, but it would be foolish of her to even try to forget what was still happening in her life. Devon would not quit until he found her. She shivered and rubbed her arms. He’d really had her fooled. The epitome of charm until he’d reeled her in, and then he’d showed his true colors. In retrospect, there had been warning signs.

  She had just chosen to explain them away. She sighed softly and turned to her left to notice Hudson leaning on the railing on the other side of the wraparound deck that his room opened to. His dark hair hung loosely around his shoulders and he had a cup of what she now knew to be coffee in hand as he too enjoyed the early morning. He loved the stuff. Although he didn’t acknowledge her, she knew he had seen her. He missed nothing.

  She smiled and waved; he responded with a nod. She really liked Hudson. He didn’t say much, but he cared a lot, and he always made her feel welcome. He also didn’t seem to mind the teasing she would often do to get him to smile. So far, it hadn’t worked. Since their arrival, he had alternated his time between Evan’s home and his and would just come and go fluidly. That was his way. His presence was always there, but he was never in the way. To be honest, she really enjoyed having him there with them, not only because of the added safety, but because of the way him and Evan interacted. Evan himself was not a man of many words, but with each other, there was a change, a level of comfort between them she found absolutely beautiful.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” she called out to him. He turned to her, the wind blowing lightly through his hair before he shook his head. The resemblance between Evan and him was striking.

  “No. Too much to think about.”

  Julianna nodded her head in understanding. Just then, she felt Evan’s strong arm loop around her waist from behind. His voice was a deep rumble as it tickled her ear.

  “Good morning, love. How did you sleep?”

  “Not much. I think that’s your fault.”

  Evan laughed as he placed a soft kiss on her lips before he stared out into the morning.

  “Are you enjoying your time here?”

  His voice was soft as he pushed his hair back from his face as the wind, which had now picked up, continued to blow.

  Julianna leaned into him as he slung his arm around her waist once more.

  “I am. I just couldn’t really sleep. I was just talking to Hudson—oh!”

  Julianna’s statement died on her lips when she looked over to notice that Hudson had left. Just like that. She hadn’t even heard him leave.

  “He does that. He kind of just…disappears.”

  “Something wrong?”

  Evan stared off into his home before he shook his head. “No, that’s just Hudson.”

  “Okay,” she said, and leaned in
to him once again.

  They stayed like that for some time, enjoying the breeze and watching the sun rise higher in the sky before they went inside, in search of breakfast. They entered the kitchen to the smell of bacon in the air. Hudson was working at the stove. He paused when he saw them, his spatula in mid-air. He was cooking pancakes on the griddle.

  “I’m making breakfast. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” Evan laughed.

  He walked into the kitchen and peered over his brother’s shoulder to see what Hudson was making. Julianna continued to stand in the hallway in front of the kitchen in shock. Hudson move swiftly and effortlessly as he cooked.

  “You cook?!”

  Her surprise drew a nod from Hudson. He didn’t smile, but she noticed the amusement in his eyes as he responded.

  “Somebody had to. This one is hopeless.”

  He pointed the spatula in Evan’s direction before he returned his attention to the food on the stove. He also completely ignored Evan’s glare as he reached around him to grab the pancake batter as he ladled more onto the griddle.

  “You know, I was going to help you, but for that, I refuse.” Evan replied, his eyes narrowed.

  “Good. I think Julianna would want to have an edible breakfast.”

  Hudson’s reply was swift and automatic. Unable to help herself, Julianna burst out laughing.

  Evan glanced between them with a shake of the head, then went to set the table.

  By the time Evan had finished setting the table, Hudson had finished the last stack of pancakes and was now handing him the food to put on the table. Julianna’s stomach growled loudly as the smell of pancakes—cinnamon, it smelled like, and bacon surrounded her as Evan set them on the table.

  “Want me to help with anything?”

  Both men shook their heads in unison as Hudson spoke.

  “Just eat. Evan will do the dishes later.”

  “What?!”

  “Either that, or I refuse to cook anymore.”

  “Hudson, don’t go making those kinds of threats—”

  “—so you’ll do the dishes. Good.”

  Julianna burst out laughing once again as Evan grumbled to himself.

  “I would have offered, anyway.”

  “Saved you the trouble.”

  Hudson finished with a glare at his brother, who glared right back before piling his plate high with food. She watched Hudson do the same, while she prepared her own plate, still watching them. It still never ceased to amaze her the amount of food that the two of them could put away. She took a bite of the pancake which was fluffy and delicious, and not too sweet. Hudson was a great cook. She told him as much. He muttered a gruff thanks. They ate in a comfortable silence as she eased back in her chair, stuffed, as they both finished their second helping of the meal.

  “There hasn’t been a lot of movement from Devon lately, so I’m going to figure out what he’s up to.”

  Hudson nodded as Evan trained his eyes on her. Another wave of nausea snaked through Julianna’s gut at the mention of his name, but she didn’t want to fear him anymore. She needed to take action.

  “Okay. What can I do to help?”

  Evan leaned forward in deep thought before he glanced at her again.

  “Keep your eyes peeled. And tell Danicah to keep on alert. My gut tells me he’s up to something. I don’t trust the bastard, and for all we know, he’s probably gearing up to strike again.”

  She nodded, already rising from the table to call her sister once again. Although Julianna had already verbalized as much to her, she wanted to reiterate the severity of the situation. She trusted Jason, and Danicah was a fighter who wouldn’t go down easy. So far, she had been keeping in touch with Danicah periodically, providing her with much-needed updates about her safety. It had been during one of those talks when Danicah admitted to her that she wholeheartedly trusted Evan, although she hadn’t known him for that long. That alone made Julianna feel even safer that her sister felt the same way about Evan as she did.

  “I’m not going anywhere without my two bodyguards,” she joked as she rose from the kitchen table and disappeared down the hallway. She had also already come to realize how accurate Evan’s gut instincts were, and it made her nervous knowing he felt something more was coming. She only prayed that he would be wrong, but this time, she refused to be a fool and not be on alert.

  32

  Devon fumed as he paced the length of his house, doing his best to keep calm as he tried to focus on what Adela was telling him over the phone. She was telling him that maybe it was time to make their relationship public. Normally, he would have been elated, but this time, he only felt anger. He still hadn’t found out where Julianna had gone. It seemed as if she had disappeared off of the face of the earth.

  And I know it had something to do with that fucking asshole.

  He had to give it to Evan and his brother. They were clever. Seen when wanted to be seen, but quick to disappear in the flash of an eye. He had combed through their backgrounds—orphaned at a young age in Norway, attended a military academy in the United States with top scores and accolades, and now with work in the private sector. However, they had secrets. Everyone has secrets. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was definitely impressed with their prowess. He was sure Evan wouldn’t have made it out alive after he had bombarded his home, but not only had the bastard made it out, he’d made it look easy.

  And he still has Julianna.

  At that, he hurled a decorative vase across the living room. This only temporarily eased his anger. He was drawn back to the present by the sound of Adela’s voice as she continued to chatter on. To be honest, conquering her had been exciting, but now he had her where he wanted her, she was proving to be just like all the others. He mentally scoffed as he thought about Michelle. She had been reported missing at this point, but no one blamed him. He had spoken to the police by choice and had voiced immense “concern” over her absence at work when they had come by to interview everyone at the office.

  I deserve a fucking medal for my performance.

  He smugly grinned as he ended the call with Adela; he had promised dinner later that evening. Although she bored him, he still needed her in his corner. On a whim, he dialed Julianna’s number once more, and became overcome by rage when it was answered by someone else.

  The bitch changed her number again.

  This wasn’t good. He had been spending countless amounts of money, basically hemorrhaging his bank accounts, to keep up this quest for Julianna. She needed to come home now or it would cost her life. He cocked his head to the side. He hadn’t really thought about ending her life until this point, but it may be an inevitable sacrifice if she didn’t comply. That way, no one would have her. Including that piece of shit, Evan.

  Devon cursed under his breath as he rolled his shoulders, checking his watch. Keeping up this game, this farce was becoming much too much for him to handle. He was used to being a man who got things done, no matter what it cost. That alone was his problem. He was too busy tip-toeing around trying to make ripples and not waves. He wasn’t that type of man, and for that reason, he was going to do whatever necessary to bring Julianna back home. To make her pay. If he couldn’t find her, then she would come to him. He was going to hurt her deeply. And he knew just where to start.

  Devon sat in a nondescript rental, his eyes narrowed into slits as he concentrated on the image around him. His eyes were glued to Danicah’s frame as she exited the building in her dark blue scrubs. To be honest, he was surprised the whoring bitch even worked, but there she was. Her hair was piled up on top of her head in a bun, and she seemed nervous as she glanced around her before getting into her car. Once inside, she pulled out her phone and started a conversation, after which she slowly pulled out of her parking space. He slowly maneuvered his car onto the road, doing his best not to draw too much attention to himself. She seemed on high alert, and he would have to take extra precautions to make sure she had no i
dea she was being followed. He stayed several cars behind her, close, but not too close to draw attention. He watched her park her car in her driveway. He didn’t know where her husband was, but he had something for him in case he decided to make an appearance. When he saw her disappear into the house, he exited the car, quickly and stealthily making his way to the back window which was now broken thanks to the landscaper who had serviced their home earlier that day.

  And who says money doesn’t get you what you want?

  Sweat beaded on his brow as he removed the screen and slipped inside. He paused, listening for movement before making his way through the back of the home toward what had to be the front of the home. Once again, he found himself surprised how tastefully decorated the place was. Then he saw her in the kitchen. She was wearing a pair of headphones and was dressed in gym attire as if she was getting ready for a workout.

  Foolish. This will be too easy.

  He darted from the back hallway and around the corner from the kitchen as she paused and reached into the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water. She removed one of her headphones and looked around briefly, her instincts telling her that there was something amiss.

  Too late.

  Not wanting to wait any longer, Devon emerged from the cover of the corner and was behind her in two swift steps. She barely had time to react before he clamped a gloved hand over her mouth. However, it wasn’t fast enough as she released a blood-curdling scream. Irritation surged in his gut as he shoved the gun into her back, immediately silencing her.

  “Do that again, and I will not hesitate to use this. We’re leaving. Now.”

  She was obviously frightened, but she refused to move. He attempted to drag her toward the back of the house.

  “I said move, bitch!”

  His words were harsh and cut through the house. Danicah’s body shook.

  She has more sense than I thought. She has every reason to fear me.