Mastered (The Enforcers 1)

Drake felt Evangeline stiffen, her features drawn in mortification. Shame dulled her eyes, no hint of the vibrancy that made staring at her so entrancing. He swore viciously under his breath and started to put an end to this shit right now, but Evangeline drew in a deep breath and stepped from the protective refuge of his body.

His pulse ratcheted up and he had to fight to maintain an air of indifference. He’d never allow anyone to see his pain if she left with her friend.

“As you can see, I’m fine, Steph,” Evangeline said in a soft voice. “I’m sorry to have worried you, but I did call you and left a voice mail saying I wouldn’t be home tonight. I texted you, Nikki and Lana, as well. And then Drake sent Maddox over to personally reassure you that I was okay.”

“Yeah, a hired goon who looks like he just got out of Rikers,” Steph said, anger still seething in her voice.

Evangeline’s earlier look of shame and defeat evaporated and her spine went rigid. She stared back at Steph, her gaze unflinching as her face flushed. But not in embarrassment. No, his angel was pissed.

He fought to hide his reaction—his surprise—and forced himself to remain a bystander and allow Evangeline to fight her own battle unless it became apparent she was backing down. She further surprised him by walking up to Steph and getting right in her face so there was no possibility of misunderstanding. She pointed her finger directly into Steph’s chest, eliciting a look of complete shock on her friend’s face as if Evangeline had never stood up to her—or any of her so-called friends.

“You will not talk about Maddox that way,” Evangeline snapped. “He has been nothing but kind and patient with me. He intervened at Impulse when Eddie would have likely put me in the hospital. He was kind, respectful and gentle. He took me home, made certain the apartment was safe and told me he would be there the next night at seven because Drake wanted to see me. But I had to work and so Maddox waited for me at the pub until I got off and drove me to Impulse to meet Drake, where we agreed on a personal matter that will remain personal. You have no right to judge Maddox or Drake or Thane, for that matter, who went out of his way to let you know I was okay, when you know nothing about them. And furthermore, you are clearly questioning my judgment. My wants and my needs, which I remind you, are my concern. Not yours. I don’t tell you how to run your life, Steph, and I expect that same respect in return.”

Her hand swept toward Thane, who was wearing a look of shock mixed with approval. Pride even. Thane lifted his gaze to Drake as if to say, You picked a good one. Drake merely nodded his agreement.

“And Steph. You showed up at Impulse after being told I was fine and what my plans were for the night and threatened Thane unless he brought you to wherever Drake and I were. Has he hurt you? Has he threatened you in any way? Because the way I see it, he has treated you with far more respect than you’ve afforded him. I expected more from you, Steph. I expected your faith and trust in me to make my own decisions. I don’t need your, Lana’s or Nikki’s approval or permission to do anything. I don’t interfere in your personal lives, and yet you interfere with mine at every turn. And just to remind you, I never wanted to go to Impulse. It was the last place I wanted to go, but the three of you railroaded me into going, and the result was a night of humiliation I’ll never be able to forget.”

She shuddered and clasped her hands over her upper arms as if she were suddenly cold. Drake could contain himself no longer. He stepped forward and wrapped her securely in his arm, replacing her hand on the arm facing away from his body and rubbed up and down both for warmth and comfort. And to let her know he had her back.

Thane looked completely bewildered and discomfited by Evangeline’s defense of him and Maddox. There was a different look to his eyes when he gazed at Evangeline now. One that held a glimmer of respect, and Thane didn’t respect many people.

Drake’s admiration grew even more because he’d been right, or rather his gut instinct about his angel had been dead-on. Her sweet, soft, delicate feminine appearance, in fact, disguised a woman with an iron will and determination that wouldn’t allow anyone, even himself, to run over her. No matter that she thought the opposite. She clearly thought she was timid and weak and hated conflict, and she likely did. But it didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own and stand up for what she thought was right. His arm tightened around her, giving her a gentle squeeze of approval as pride settled over him. As did peace. He’d chosen well. He hadn’t been wrong about her at all.