Chapter 42

"What the hell happened to your face, Eva?" my brother, Jake, hisses when he walks into the room.

Ever since my little "accident," I've been laying low in an old home in the country, miles outside the city. I used my trust fund to purchase this house when I found out that Donnie was living in Tennessee. Everyone thinks the dorm is my only residence when it's not. Well, except my brother. I didn't plan on taking a kid at the time, so telling my brother about the house wasn't an issue. But it is now. Ain't karma a bitch.

"Don't worry about it," I snap, walking toward the fridge to grab something to drink. "Did you bring what I asked you to?"

"Yeah." He tosses the duffel bag on the table. "What the hell do you need a rope, duct tape, and gloves for?"

I don't get the chance to reply, not that I would tell him what I'm planning next, when the baby cries. I cringe at the sound.

"Who is that, Eva?" he says slowly.

I grab a Coke and close the fridge with my hip. "Who's who?" I say dumbly, popping the can open.

Without responding, he storms down the hall into the second bedroom on the right.

I hear him comforting her, making my eyes roll. I walk toward the kitchen table and take a seat. I lean back and wait for him to ream my ass. When he rounds the corner, he's holding Sophia in his arms.

"Is this who I think it is?" His voice is eerily calm.

"Who?" I ask cooly.

"Don't fuck with me, Eva," he seethes. "Why the hell do you have Sadie's daughter?" he says, bouncing her in his arms. "Her picture was all over the news when they issued an Amber alert."

I sigh. "I'm watching her," I lie.

"Stop it, Eva. Just fucking stop."

"She's fine. I made a rash decision at the last minute."

"What?" he says in disbelief. "You kidnapped her daughter, Eva. That isn't a rash decision. That's fucked up." He shakes his head. "Why would you do that? She's probably worried sick."

"Like I said, it was a last-minute thing." I shrug. "Look, she's fine." I point at her.

"Her diaper is soaked and she's probably hungry." He turns to look down at her while she sticks her finger in her mouth, hiccupping as she calms down. I can't deny how adorable she looks. But I can't let that deter my mission.

When he looks back up at me, he says, "I'm going to change her." He gives me a pointed look as if he's waiting for me to challenge him, but I don't. I'm not going to waste my energy on him and what he thinks of me.

"Fine." I shrug, taking another sip of my Coke.

I watch as he walks away and hear him fumbling in the room. It's not like I'm mistreating her. I packed her diaper bag, for fuck's sake. I didn't plan on taking her, I just wanted to hurt Sadie. Send a message for her to back off. That Donnie is mine. Always has been. Always will be.

And then her bitch best friend got in the way, complicating things even more.

Which is why I feel bad for pressing charges against him. But I need him to know that I'm serious about us. That we belong together. I'll even be okay being a stepmother to his children.

My brother returns with Sophia in his arms and walks over to the stove. "I'm going to make her a bottle."

Again, I shrug and finish my Coke. He finishes making her bottle and walks back to the bedroom. I rise to my feet and toss my empty can in the trash and make my way toward the living room. Standing in front of the window, I contemplate my next move. My brother being here complicates things. He knew how broken I was when Donnie's letters stopped coming after we moved. It was like he had forgotten all about me. Jake kept telling me to move on, that we were kids, and though at one point we were friends, not all friendships last. But what he didn't understand is that the last letter Donnie sent said that he missed me so much and wished I was there with him and that one day we would be together again.

Lies. All lies.

After that, I went down a spiral and was committed. My mother was too busy trying to get laid to even notice how fucked up I was. Jake was the only one who noticed. He left me to rot in that place when he moved to Tennessee to be with a girl he met online, who later broke up with him. I made up a lie that I was moving here to be closer to him to help mend his broken heart. As much as I love my brother, Donnie is the only reason why I moved here.

After being discharged from the hospital, I immediately set out to locate Donnie. My first step was to search for his last name, which led me to his father"s company, Du Pont Enterprises Investment Corporation. I searched multiple schools on Google within a fifty-mile radius of his father"s company until I uncovered his name on his high school"s website, listed under "Featured Athletes."

He was devastatingly beautiful. His hair matched that same captivating hue, with dimples highlighting his cheeks whenever he smiled. His piercing, bright blue eyes remained unchanged.

I stalked his Instagram page every day to catch a glimpse of him. Then, amidst the sea of pictures and captions, a post caught my eye. He revealed that he had decided to attend college in Tennessee.

That was the moment I realized, there was no turning back. I had to go after him, to Tennessee.

But to my surprise, I didn't know the bitch was going to move here with him. I watched Donnie from afar and kept tabs on him. When I found out he got Sadie pregnant, I was almost suicidal but murderous too because he was supposed to be my first. And I'm getting pissed knowing she has experienced it instead of me. People may think I'm a stalker and crazy, but I don't care. Donnie is mine.

"Eva, I'm taking Sophia back to her mother." My brother's voice sends a tingling sensation up my spine. I slowly turn to face him and scowl at him. Sophia is no longer in his arms.

"You are, are you?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Eva, this is nuts. You can't just kidnap an innocent child."

"I needed to get my message across because he isn't listening to me," I explain.

He shakes his head, narrowing his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

I sigh in annoyance, turning away from him and staring out into the woods. "I took the necessary measures to ensure that Sadie would back off but she wouldn't. She's a fighter, I'll give her that." I turn back to my brother to see the anger and shame on his face.

"Did you hurt her?" he asks, swallowing a gulp.

"Yes," I say, matter of fact.

"Wh-what? Oh, God, Eva. What did you do?" he whispers.

"I didn"t kill her, if that's what you're asking."

He pales at my words.

I roll my eyes. "I just knocked her out, but I heard over the police scanner that she's fine. Can't say too much about Donnie or her best friend though."

"Wait...were you the one who got him arrested?"

"How did you know about that?"

"One of her friends, Lupe, I think that was her name, called me, letting me know Tia wasn't coming into work and told me bits and pieces. She said that some psycho bitch accused him of attacking her." His eyes widen when he takes in my face. "Did you do that to yourself?" He gestures toward my face. I have a bruise over my left eye, my cheek is reddened like I've been burned, and my lip is swollen, and the gash is held together by butterfly bandages.

It wasn't easy, and it hurt like a son of a bitch. I got the idea from the scene out of a Scream movie when the chick hurt herself to make her look like she was attacked. Plus, Sadie got one good punch in my eye before she went down like a ton of bricks.

When I don't respond, he staggers back with a horrified look on his face. "What the fuck, Eva? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Before I can speak, his eyes widen as if he just realized something. "Did you stalk Sadie? Were you the one who broke into her apartment and Donovan"s? Did you stab Tia?"

Again, I don't respond. I tilt my head and wonder if I need to get rid of my brother now that he's putting the pieces together.

"Answer me!" he yells, clenching his fists at his sides.

I don't say anything.

He huffs and starts to walk away toward Sophia's room. "You're insane. I'm taking Sophia with me and going to the police."

That does it. I pull my gun out of the back of my pants and cock the trigger, pointing it at the back of his head. "No, you're not."

He freezes and slowly turns to face me with sadness, and I almost—almost feel bad but mask it with fury.

"Are you really going to shoot me? Your brother?"

"Yes."

He flinches.

"Donnie was mine first. He loved me once, and I'm going to remind him of that. He was the only boy in my class who took notice of me and wanted to spend time with me. He wasn't forced like you were by Mom because you felt sorry for me."

"Eva, that's not true," he says.

"Shut up," I snap at him, still pointing the gun at him. "It doesn't matter anymore. You're not going to go to the police because if you do, I will kill Sophia and then Sadie. Is that what you want?"

"I don't want any of this!" He throws his arms in the air. "Eva, it's not too late to stop this. You don't have to do this," he pleads.

"It is too late. One way or the other, Donnie will be mine. He promised me."

"You were just a kid, Eva! He loves Sadie. He wants to be with her. Start a life with her. He's having twin boys with her. You never crossed his mind. He doesn't feel—"

BANG!

Jake

BANG!

I stumble backward, my back colliding with the wall. A sharp pain shoots through my body, and I bring my hand to my stomach to cover the wound. My warm blood flows between my fingers as I struggle to catch my breath, my heart racing with fear.

Eva just fucking shot me!

My sister stands a few feet away with a blank expression. "I"m sorry, Jake. You should"ve left it alone, my dear brother," she says. "Now you have to sit there and die. And for what? For nothing."

I gasp for air as pain ricochets all over. "Wh-why?" I ask her, tears falling down my cheeks.

"No one will stand in the way of my mission. Not even my own blood."

She tucks the gun in the waistband of her pants, lets out a high-pitched whistle, and starts walking away.

The sound of Sophia"s inconsolable sobs pierces through the air, causing a sharp ache in my chest. I feel utterly helpless, unable to help her. Eva"s voice rises, and she starts harshly yelling at Sophia. I clench my eyelids shut, praying Eva doesn"t hurt Sophia.

I need to do something while I still have some strength.

My hand shakes as I fumble for my phone with my free hand, dialing 911 with trembling fingers.

The line rings twice."911, what"s your emergency?" a calm voice answers.

My breaths are filled with panic and pain, leaving me unable to speak.

"Hello?" the dispatcher probes gently.

"I ne-need help," I stutter in a whisper.

"Okay, sir. Tell me your name and what is the problem."

Eva is still screaming at Sophia.

"Ja-Jake. I've been shot," I manage to croak out, the words barely escaping my trembling lips.

"Where were you shot, Jake?"

"M-my st-stomach," I stammer, trying to catch my breath.

"We"re going to have help sent your way, okay? Can you tell me where you are?"

"A house," I say with a gasp. "She has..."—another gasp—"Sadie's... daughter, Sophia."

"Stay on the line, Jake. Help is on the way," the operator assures me.

I drop my phone on my lap and touch my stomach. I wince at the searing pain, and my vision blurs.

Minutes feel like an eternity as I lay there clinging to the hope that help will arrive in time to save me and Sophia.