Evangeline jumped and turned as though she expected someone to be behind her. Drake, however, was pissed.
He strode the few steps to the wall where the speaker was mounted and slammed his thumb over the button.
“What?” he barked.
There was a slight hesitation, and then Thane’s voice bled into the room.
“Uh, Drake? You might want to come down here. We have a situation.”
“What situation?” Drake asked in an icy tone. “I distinctly left orders with all my men that under no circumstances was I to be disturbed.”
Thane sighed loudly. “This woman showed up at the club right after you left and demanded to see you. She then said that if I didn’t produce you immediately, she was calling the cops. I brought her here so whatever burr she has up her ass can be removed and we don’t incur unnecessary trouble.”
There was another slight pause as Drake mentally ran through every curse word in his dictionary. And then some.
“And Drake, it might be a good idea to bring Evangeline with you.”
Before Drake could respond to that absurdity, a screech blasted through the intercom that made him wince.
“Damn right Evangeline better be with him so I can see for myself she’s okay, or swear to God, I’ll call the cops and report Drake Donovan for kidnapping and I’ll tear this whole damn building apart to find her if I have to.”
Evangeline let out a sound of dismay, and Drake turned to see her stricken, mortified expression. She closed her eyes but bristled with humiliation, which made Drake want to put his fist through the wall. This was not how things were supposed to have gone, and this wasn’t going to do anything to settle Evangeline’s fears.
When Evangeline opened her eyes, Drake lifted one eyebrow in question. She promptly sagged like a deflating balloon. She covered her face with both hands as if wishing to be anywhere but where she was. Drake could already feel Evangeline slipping from his grasp, and something akin to panic skated up his spine. He never panicked. Nor did he fear. What would be, would be. And yet he found himself holding his breath in dread.
“It’s Steph,” she said quietly as she let her hands slide slowly from her eyes. “She’s one of my roommates. And Drake, she’s serious. You don’t know her. She will absolutely call the police and God only knows who else. I have to go down there.”
“Not without me,” Drake said, his tone carrying a bite he hadn’t intended.
He shoved the button on the intercom.
“Sit on her, Thane. I’m coming down with Evangeline and by God, Steph better be there when we arrive.”
He turned to Evangeline and extended his hand, waiting for her to slide her much smaller hand over his. He experienced a fierce sense of satisfaction when her flesh met his, but as his grip tightened in preparation to take her into the elevator, he could feel her trembling.
Doing his best not to frown and scare her to death, he instead pulled her close to him and slid his knuckle under her chin, gently nudging it upward.
“You aren’t alone, Angel,” he murmured. “I’ll be with you the entire time. You just have to inform your friend of your choice.”
Left unsaid was that he too would have to be informed of her choice because he was no longer certain she would choose him. Her friend might very well coax Evangeline away. His jaw tightened just thinking about the possibility. Under no circumstances would he let her go. She was worth fighting for.
With that in mind, he sent her a questioning look. She correctly interpreted the silent question as to whether she was ready, and she nodded. Drake pulled her to his side, tucking her beneath his shoulder as they entered the elevator.
The ride down was silent, and Evangeline’s gaze remained fixed on the floor the entire time.
Damn it! He just needed time. A few days. So he could show Evangeline the world she was entering. Instead, as soon as they’d walked inside his home, her friend had arrived, effectively dragging Evangeline crashing back to earth.
As soon as they exited the elevator, Drake saw a very determined-looking redhead stalk forward, Thane behind her looking pissed. Well, that made two of them.
“Evangeline, thank God,” Steph said as she barreled toward them.
To Drake’s surprise, Evangeline nestled closer to his body as if seeking comfort or support.
“To what do we owe this interruption at this hour?” Drake demanded.
Steph’s eyes narrowed. “I had to make sure Evangeline was okay. When she didn’t come home, we thought something horrible had happened.”
“Well, as you can see, she’s just fine,” he drawled. “Now if you’ll excuse us, it’s been a long day.”
Steph’s frown deepened and her eyes shot daggers at him.
“Evangeline is perfectly capable of speaking for herself,” she said acidly. “I’d like to know what she wants. Preferably from her.”