Sins from Her Past (Scandalous) (22 page)

She only hoped he wasn’t off somewhere preying on some other innocent girl.

Vin left the noisy ballroom and headed toward the living area across the massive foyer. But he didn’t get too far before he saw Alan sprawled on a sofa with a near-empty bottle of scotch.

“Well, lookie who it is,” Alan slurred. “Where’s the rest of the posse?”

Great. Alan was totally plastered at his father’s party. His father who was a state senator. His father who was seeking reelection soon.

“What the hell are you doing?” Vin scolded. “Are you insane?”

Alan laughed and tipped the near-empty bottle up for another swift swig. “I’m not insane at all. Just having a little party of my own right now.”

Vin moved closer and flicked on a table lamp, illuminating the room even more than just the golden sunset streaming in provided.

“Why are you in here drinking at all?” Vin asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alan took another swig. “I’ve found out the woman I thought was meant for me is actually planning her life with another man.”

A good portion of Vin’s anger dissipated. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if Evelyn didn’t want to be with him. His heart would certainly be ripped out. Vin eased the bottle from Alan’s hands and set it on the table.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get cleaned up,” Vin offered. “We’ll cover for you.”

Alan rose to his feet and laughed. “Isn’t that just like you? Always wanting to step in and take my place?”

Vin shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you need to go upstairs so you don’t embarrass your father. I’ll tell him you weren’t feeling well or something.”

Alan’s eyes narrowed. “You have no idea, do you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Evie is mine,” Alan growled. “I loved her before she ever knew you.”

Realization dawned on Vin. “You’ve been in love with Evie?” God, this could get messy. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“She knows how I feel,” Alan replied. “She knows I’ve loved her for years. She loved me too or she wouldn’t have given me her virginity.”

I’ve only been with one man.

He stole my virginity.

He raped me.

Vin couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t draw in enough air with this tight band around his chest as Evie’s tearful words slammed into him.

But he didn’t need to breath in order to take action.

His fist connected with Alan’s jaw before Alan could even blink.

“You sick bastard,” Vin yelled as he pulled Alan around to hit him again. “You were the one!”

Alan tried to get a swing in, but ended up falling backward against the couch and rolling onto the floor.

“Get up, you piece of shit! Get up and fight.”

Vin couldn’t control his anger, didn’t want to. Of all the people, Alan had never crossed Vin’s mind as Evie’s rapist. God, this wasn’t happening. Vin had wanted to come face to face with the nameless bastard, but…

Alan shoved himself to his feet and yelled while charging Vin stepped aside and Alan went sprawling out into the foyer, sliding on the chestnut floor.

Vin marched out after him. This fight wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Alan scrambled to his feet, stumbled and tried once again to swing at Vin, but Vin caught his fist and squeezed, twisting his arm behind his back.

“Vin!” Evelyn yelled. “Stop!”

She rushed into the room with Dylan on her heels.

“Dude, let him go,” Dylan yelled. “Vin!”

Vin jerked Alan’s arm even tighter and higher up his back until Alan screamed in pain. When he let go, he gave the bastard a shove forward.

“What the hell is going on?” Dylan asked.

Evelyn was staring at Vin like she’d never seen him before and Vin wanted to go to her, wanted to hold her, wanted to know why the hell she’d covered for Alan all these years.

Vin turned to Dylan when he saw Alan out of the corner of his eye, coming at him again. Turning, Vin braced himself. He actually wanted a good fight, instead of storing up all this anger and hatred for the man who’d raped Evelyn and gotten away with it.

When Alan’s body slammed into Vin, Vin actually laughed. God, it was going to feel so good to pummel this asshole he’d considered a friend for so long.

Because Alan was drunk and not near as muscular as Vin, Vin was able to take that strength and push back. He and Alan grappled until Alan was backed against the ballroom doors. Vin’s fist connected with Alan’s jaw once again, this time sending blood streaming out of his nose.

The doors behind Alan gave way and Alan fell into the chaotic ballroom. The music was blaring, people were laughing and talking until a couple of ladies screamed. One scream turned into another as Alan took a swing at Vin.

Dylan stepped between them, taking the blow. A couple of male guests intervened and pulled the fight apart, which pissed Vin off even more because he was barely warmed up.

But damn, he’d totally forgotten about the party. Seriously, all he’d thought about were the tears he’d seen falling down Evie’s cheek, her frightening memories from being raped, the nightmares that had kept her up at night.

Vin took in a deep breath, shrugged Dylan off his back, and said to Alan, “Get the hell out of my sight.”

Alan wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand. “Don’t lay your damn hands on me again. And this is my father’s house. If anyone is leaving, it’s you.”

“What on earth is going on here?” Rick demanded as the crowd parted to let him through. “Why are you two fighting?”

Vin looked at Rick and shook his head. “Rick, I’m sorry for ruining your party. But there’re things you don’t know and now isn’t the time to get into them.”

“So you all just use your fists to settle things?”

“Dad, leave it.” Alan stormed out of the room without looking back.

Vin raked a hand through his hair and glanced at the doorway where Evelyn remained out in the foyer, tears streaming down her cheeks, her breath coming in gasps.

Shit. He’d done this. He’d let his anger get out of control, he’d let his selfish emotions override how this would affect her, or even Rick.

Vin turned back to Rick. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Rick. But trust me when I say that things aren’t what they appear.”

Rick crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Then enlighten me, Vincent. I’m a fair man. What just happened?”

“With all due respect, sir, you’ll have to wait on that answer.” Vin glanced around the room to the still-stunned, silent guests. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Dylan followed him out, but Vin held up a hand and turned to his old friend. “Not now, Dylan. I need to see Evie first. Then I’ll talk to you. Just give me a day.”

Dylan searched his face and finally nodded. “One day.”

When Vin turned back to Evie, she was gone.

Chapter Nineteen

Evelyn couldn’t put her clothes in her bag fast enough. There was no way she could stay with Vin now. No. Way.

First of all, she couldn’t look him in the eyes after he’d uncovered the truth. How could she ever be with him again once he knew she’d been with Alan?

And that’s not the worst of it. Vin had no idea of the circumstances. He had no idea that, after the first time, Evelyn had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have to be with Alan or her already destroyed world would flip once again.

Finally, there was no way she could stay because more than likely Vin wouldn’t want her here. She couldn’t imagine how he could or would still love her now that he knew the truth. She imagined some of that anger she’d witnessed from him tonight was geared toward her. He had to be angry that she had technically covered for Alan.

She’d never been so scared, so humiliated and mortified, but most of all as ashamed as she had when she’d seen Vin pounding Alan. She hadn’t needed to ask what was going on. She’d known.

She double-checked the drawers she’d been using and zipped up her bag. With the way Alan’s crazy moods had been lately, she had no doubt he’d said something referring to her and Vin had pieced things together.

He was smart like that and he’d been determined to uncover the truth.

With a swipe of the back of her hand, she cleaned her face of tears. Crying wouldn’t do anything at this point. She hoisted her bag up over her shoulder and turned.

“Going somewhere?” Vin asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Evelyn squared her shoulders. “Don’t, Vin. I don’t want to fight.”

He shrugged. “I don’t want to fight either, but I think I deserve answers.”

Evelyn dropped her bag at her feet, braced her hands on her hips. “Where do you want me to start?”

“Maybe at the part where you were covering for Alan, or why you never said anything years ago, or why the hell you didn’t tell me when I asked. Pick one.”

A band of guilt tightened around Evelyn’s chest. “I think the reason I never said anything would be obvious. Rick was my guardian and he was running for senator when I first came to him. Alan convinced me it would ruin his father.”

Evelyn ran a hand down the red gown she still wore. “I’m not placing all the blame on Alan, but—”

“Stop it!” Vin yelled as he stepped farther into the room. “Why are you still covering for that bastard, Evelyn?”

Her eyes misted as she met his angry gaze. “I’m not. I’m just explaining why I didn’t say anything at that time. I was scared, I’d lost my parents and the one man who was my only hope of healing was running for a major political office. I just couldn’t.”

Vin nodded. “Okay, I’ll buy that. You were young, but why didn’t you tell Dylan?”

Evelyn bit her lip and glanced away. “Because Alan was his best friend. They were going off to college. I thought everything would just go away.”

“What do you mean you thought everything would go away?” He took another step forward, cupping her chin and turning her to face him. “Evie?”

“It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence,” she whispered. “After that first time…he came to me several more times over the course of that two years I lived with Rick.”

Vin dropped his hand, rubbed his face and stalked across the room. He stopped, rested a hand on the tall chest of drawers as he looked out into the night through the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the pond. Evelyn watched as his back muscles tightened and before she saw him even move, he’d picked up a picture frame from the dresser and hauled it across the room, away from her, but enough to make her jump when it busted into shards and fell to the carpet with a crackling.

Evelyn sank onto the end of the bed and stared at Vin’s back. “That’s why I didn’t say anything,” she told him softly. “I didn’t want to divide the only family I had left. I just wanted it to go away.”

“Did you honestly think it would?” he asked, turning to face her. “Is that why you went away when you graduated?”

Evelyn nodded. “I couldn’t stand the thought of Alan coming home anymore when I was there. I would try to make sure I was always with someone, but at night…”

The muscle in Vin’s cheek ticced. “Go on. Unless it’s too painful for you, but I can handle it, Evie.”

She took a deep breath and continued. “At night he’d come into my room. Sometimes, most times, he’d been drinking. He’d tell me how he loved me. How we were meant to be together. When I’d put up a fight, he’d remind me that his father was paying for Dylan’s school, for my school, and that he’d taken us in as a favor to my parents. I’m ashamed to say, after those first couple times, I just gave in to what he wanted.”

Vin walked forward, sank to his knees in front of her and rested his big, strong hands on her thighs. “Don’t even, for a minute, think that this is your fault.”

Evelyn swallowed. “Maybe not at first, but I condoned what he did to me. I had this crush on him and a part of me even thought it was love, before he took my innocence. That vision was skewed and I honestly just didn’t know what to do. My silence only aided my nightmare. I was a coward.”

Vin gripped her arms as he gave her a shake. “Never say that again. Ever.”

“What would you call it?” she cried. “Seriously, Vin. I let him do that to me. I can only blame Alan for so much.”

Vin shot to his feet, raked a hand through his hair and cursed. “Are you listening to yourself? He took advantage of you, Evie. He’s made you think all this time that you had no choice but to go along.”

Evelyn looked up at him. “Did I? Honestly?”

“You know Dylan would’ve done anything and everything for you.”

Evelyn nodded. “Including give up his college. Then where would that have gotten either of us? Besides, it would’ve been Alan’s word against mine. He was a politician’s son, gorgeous, and I was—”

“Don’t say it,” he growled. “You were and are amazing and beautiful. So don’t give me this shit about how you looked compared to him.”

“Whatever you’re going to say to me I’ve heard before from the psychiatrist I frequented after I left.” Evelyn stood, clasping her hands in front of her to stop the trembling. “I know I’m technically not to blame, I know Alan is sick and has problems, and I know I should’ve said something then, but I didn’t and when I returned I was hoping Alan would just leave me alone.”