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An agonizing moan erupted from his chest, and he grabbed the back of her neck, hard. “It was me. Mother Earth, Eva, it was me. I fired that first shot. I-I was young, I thought I was helping your dad against Thomas Beck. I didn’t—”
She placed her hand over his and removed it from her neck. “What shot, Derek? You’re not making any sense—”
And then it hit her. Her heart sank into her stomach as a streak of lightning flashed across the room and realization dawned on her. The first shot, the shot that started the feud between Everwood and Stone Haven. The feud that got her mother killed.
A blinding rage took control of her limbs as she shoved him hard. “It was you! How? Why?” She had been high in the trees but had never seen where the shot had come from.
He staggered back, his eyes shut as he held his head in his hands. “I was hiding in the bushes. I had my father’s gun—I was prepared to help. But I-I didn’t know how to operate it, and it-it just went off. Eva, please, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
She stared at him, a tear that had been threatening to spill for a while now streaking down her face. “All these years, Derek. W-why didn’t you say anything earlier? Do you know how many have been injured—hell, killed—over this?” Her stomach turned, bile rising in her throat. She was gonna be sick.
He was shaking his head, gripping his hair. “I know. I know! I can make it right now though. You don’t have to marry Stone Haven’s heir. I’ll tell them it was me. They can prosecute and punish me—I don’t care. Just don’t do this.”
She couldn’t breathe. Her hands trembled as she wiped more tears off her face. How could she have not known, all this time?
With quick steps, he approached her, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “After I’ve served my punishment, then we can be together. The settlements will be at peace, and we can marry and take over after your father steps down. The council will accept us, we will control the—”
“Derek, no!” Eva yelled as she ripped her hand out of his.
Lightning struck close by, and thunder shook the walls of her small room as her fingers twitched to grab her knife. How could he betray her like this?
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “What do you mean, no? I told you I would fix it. You and I, we belong together.”
Her head ached with tension, and she rubbed her temples and moved to walk around him, but he placed a hand on her shoulder.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his, her voice rough as she said, “Take your hand off me.”
Instead of obeying, he tightened his grip. “Not until you admit we belong together.”
Fury boiled inside her, and she jerked out of his hold and shoved his arm away. “Your lie got my mother killed! Killed, Derek! How could you possibly think I could be with you?”
The change in his demeanor was unmistakable. His chest rose and fell with every breath, a muscle ticked in his jaw as his lips curled, and his intense dark eyes dragged over her.
“Just get out, Derek!” she yelled.
The pounding in her head seemed to be in rhythm with the rain outside. She needed to think—she couldn’t think like this.
“Baby, you’re just confused right now. I’ll fix this, then you’ll see. You’ll feel—”
He reached for her, but she slapped his hand away.
“Fix it? You think Stone Haven will believe you now, after all these years? They will think you are just making it up—a way of not agreeing to the peace treaty. Now, I said get out!” The flood gates were open, and she was on the verge of losing control.
He dropped his hand. “It’s because of him, isn’t it?”
“What? Please, Derek, just go.”
She turned away from him, her mind reeling as tears slid down her face and neck. How had she not seen this coming? She held her face in her hands.
“I know you think you have feelings for him, but it isn’t real. He can’t take care of you like I—”
She whirled on him, venom lacing her tone. “You’re half the man he is. Krieger is the best thing to happen to me.”
She felt more than saw him lift his arm, but before he was able to slap her, his body was flung to the floor. Krieger stood just inside the doorway, hovering over Derek.
“The lady asked you to leave.” Matching the tone in his voice, thunder shook the settlement once more.
Derek scrambled to his feet, a sneer on his face as he looked to Eva. “I’ll fix it, you’ll see. You won’t have a choice but to have a change of heart.” He turned toward the door, and Krieger sidestepped, making room for him to exit. On his way out, he laughed and said, “Either way, you won’t have her. That’s for damn sure.” Without waiting for a reply, Derek stomped out of her room.
