Mac (Riders of Apollo #8)

Chapter Twenty-Six: Mackenzie Grant

I tried to argue with Bear about tracking her on the cameras but I lost, allowing Romeo free reign to track her wherever she's gone and she is furious.

Her voice is cold and biting as she speaks to this 'Andreas' guy and I'm feeling grateful that I'm not on her bad side. Still, I can't help but find her anger extremely attractive as she faces down a dozen rifles with nothing but a handgun. I think we're about to find out how she has earned the reputation over the years and I'm excited for it.

"Who is Graham Nicholls?" Bear demands, obviously happy that the cameras in that building have audio and a clear picture. I'm happy for a whole different reason.

"I think we'll be finding out very soon." Saviour says, watching as Eva gets back in the car and speeds off. She's breaking every speed limit under the sun and Romeo is having a hard time keeping up with her as she flies towards her next target. I feel my heart rate picking up as I think about what kind of danger she's in.

She has a bounty on her head and she's driving straight to the man who wants her dead and she doesn't even seem a little scared. I have only had her for a few weeks, I don't want to lose her now, I can't lose her now. 

"I've never seen her this mad before." Riley comments, tilting her head in curiosity as she watches Eva slam out of the car, her gun back in her hand. 

"The cameras have audio?" Bear asks and Romeo nods, turning up the volume. I can only hear Eva's heels on the shined marble as she storms into the building, almost all of the guards advance on her quickly.

"I dare you to test me." Her voice is clear and laced with intent, ready to face down the lot of them just to get to the man who is currently sat at a desk at the top of the grand staircase. I can't see much of him, the cameras don't do him much justice but I'd say he's around thirty with generic features and a handlebar moustache.

"Let her through." Graham Nicholls, supposedly, turns on his chair and spots Eva ready to go for the throat. His guards part and Eva starts up the stairs, my heart pounds in my ears as I watch her get closer to the man who is trying to have her killed. "Welcome, dearest. It's been awhile." Eva takes a seat and lays her pistol on the table, relaxing into her chair as if this was any other business meeting.

"It has. I imagine the bounty wasn't put on my head so that I would come and have some tea though, was it? If it was you could've just called." She pours herself a cup from the teapot in front of her and takes a sip. "Chamomile, are you trying to keep me calm?"

"By the looks of your hands, Evangeline, I doubt anything could keep you calm right now. Not even tea. Your temper has always frightened even the strongest soldiers. Still, I'm surprised you're here. I thought the bounty would at least scare you a small amount." I've seen the beginnings of her temper when Sonya was around but the fact it frightens people confuses me. Maybe she's different when she's around us, calmer and more relaxed. At least I hope that's why.

"Death doesn't frighten me, it never has."

"You have faced death many times, have you not?"

"I have."

"Does it bother you that so many people refuse to see the good in you? That they want you dead?"

"We're all bad in someone's story. I seem to be bad in quite a few. If I'm honest, I am actually insulted by seventeen million. My net worth is close to three billion and you thought you could have someone kill me for as little as seventeen. I'm disappointed for you." She sounds friendly now, amused, as she watches the man sat across from her.

Three billion? I knew she had money, we all knew she had money. She didn't even flinch when paying off over twenty grand's worth of food and she has implied that she owns her own jet and helicopter. She has her own personal driver as well so she's not exactly hiding it. I did not think it was that much though.

"So, you forgive me for taking such rash actions against you? I can drop the bounty right now." He sounds genuinely scared, his eyes flicking between her bruised arms and her casual smile. "Yes, that's what I shall do. Giles! Please cancel the bounty on Miss White's head." 

Does he really think that's all he needs to do to settle this? I want the fucker dead for even considering having her killed. I would torture him myself if given the chance. 

"What I want to know, Graham, is why it was there in the first place?"

"I-I found out it was you who killed my father and I thought I should try for revenge."

"Ah, yes. Your father. He was a vile man, raped three young girls and trafficked a thousand more. He deserved a death worse than what he got. I warned him that I was coming, told him to pray to whatever God he believed in and he ran far. I caught him in your childhood home, you were sleeping in the next room... do you remember that night?" Graham starts shivering as Eva's feline eyes start roaming the area, most likely measuring the threats posed by each person in the room.

"I remember... I'm deeply sorry for my actions, Miss White. I will never do it again."

Eva lashes out so quickly that even the camera can't keep up with the movement. He falls out of his chair and starts rolling down the stone stairs, the guards scramble to do something but they freeze when Eva's hand rises in a 'stop' motion.

Hot as fuck.

She finishes off her tea and walks down the stairs to a half dead Nicholls at the bottom of them. She crouches down beside him and presses the gun to his chest.

"You chose an enemy that even your father couldn't beat and couldn't escape. It was a rather silly mistake to make so I could easily forgive you, had the bounty been on my head alone..." She then cocks the gun as Nicholls begins to panic, looking down at the gun and then up at her. "You put a bounty on Bear as well and considering both of my daughters are affiliated with his club, you put them in danger too."

"No! No, I didn't know. Please..." He begs, gripping at Eva's wrist in desperation.

"My father once said that no death is ever poetic, no matter how sad and no matter how dramatic. It is the survivor that turns it into poetry, makes themselves out to be the one in the right when really they are just the winner." Nicholls shakes even harder and I look around the room at the stunned faces of everyone.

Eva has always been such a gentle, sweet person. We all knew that she had to have earned her reputation somehow, if someone could fear her so much, but I suppose we never thought it would be like this. She's intimidating and chilling, as I watch her I can't help but feel aroused by her power.

Eva removes the gun from his chest and sighs, shaking her head gently, "I'm not going to kill you, Nicholls. Your mother made me promise a long time ago when she told me of your father's activities that I wouldn't do so even after you inherited the business. That you would change the way the company was run and you did. The bounty on Bear's head, who asked you to put it there?" Her sweetness shines through again in her mercy, I can see her body visibly soften from here.

"Gigo."

"You know that saying about snitches? The one about stitches? Betray me again and they won't have anything to stitch back together. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Good... Get the fuck out of my way." She shoves through the guards who are moving towards him to figure out if he's injured or not and walks out to the car.

"Fuck me." Is all Bear says and the room nods with him.

Yeah, please fuck me.