Staring at the disconnected call, Evangeline couldn''t shake the feeling that Arabe''s parting words had a strange, hidden meaning. Finn had told her they were close, that they had relied on each otherpletely before returning to the Lockridge family.


    So why would Arabe trust her, a virtual stranger, more than her own family? Did she really believe Evangeline wouldn''t harm him? It probably had something to do with the intense internal rivalries within the Lockridge n, but still, to be trusted so implicitly by Arabe was... surprisingly touching.


    Evangeline sighed, trying to figure out her next move. Taking him to the Lockridge estate was out. Her little rental apartment? The space was tiny, and the single armchair was definitely not big enough for a grown man to sleep on.


    After weighing her options, she decided on a hotel.


    Her new sry meant she no longer had to live so frugally, but she was still mindful of her finances. She found a reasonably priced, clean three-star hotel nearby that she hoped would meet Finn''s standards; he was a bit of a clean freak and notoriously picky about his surroundings.


    Getting him out of the bar was an ordeal. With half of Finn''s dead weight draped over her, it didn''t take long for her shoulder to ache and her back to scream in protest. Worse, his head lolled against her neck, his warm breath ghosting across her skin with every exhale. It was a heady mix of whiskey and his own crisp, masculine scent. She''d had a little to drink herself, and the proximity was making it difficult to keep herposure. Her knees felt weak.


    Just as they stumbled through the club''s main entrance, the two bodyguards Glenn had assigned to her materialized out of the shadows. "Miss Whitmore, let us help you," one of them offered.


    Evangeline nodded, about to gratefully hand Finn over. But then she hesitated. She trusted Glenn, and he''d assured her these men were reliable. But Finn waspletely unconscious, vulnerable. Arabe had ced her trust in her. She couldn''t just pass him off to someone else. Besides, if they were busy wrangling Finn and something happened, she''d be left to fend for herself.


    She forced a smile. "It''s okay, I''ve got him."


    The men didn''t press the issue, simply melting back into the night. As always, they were there when she needed them and invisible when she didn''t.


    Thankfully, the rest of the walk was uneventful. By the time Evangeline managed to haul Finn into the hotel lobby, she felt like her spine was about to snap. She carefully propped him up on a nearby sofa and headed to the front desk to check in.


    Before she could even open her mouth, a familiar, incredulous voice called out from behind her.


    "Evangeline?"


    She turned to see Liam Leigh, Soren''s best friend, staring at her.


    Liam had spotted her earlier at the bar with his friends. He''d seen her leaving with


    a man slung over her shoulder but had assumed his eyes were ying tricks on him. Unable to shake the image, he''d followed them, his disbelief growing until he saw them walk into the hotel. It really was her.


    "What... what are you doing here?" Liam''s eyes darted from her to the man passed out on the sofa, his expression a mixture of shock and disgust.


    The look on his face practically screamed *harlot*.


    Though Liam was Soren''s closest friend, Evangeline had never liked him. Over the years, whenever she joined Soren and his friends, Liam was always the first to aim a sarcastic jab in her direction. He was the one who had called her a nuisance for following Helena Carlisle''s orders to bring Soren home, all while praising Poppy Yates for being so understanding. He was the one who had delighted in sending her photos of Soren and Poppy together.