Eva arrived at the mansion riding an adrenaline high. Emmett was going to search her apartment. He was going to find his thumb drive right where he’d left it a year ago.
What he wouldn’t realize was that she had found the drive and had been in his crypto account. She had his log in info and could take everything he had in there if she wanted to.
More than that, she now knew the extent of what he’d done. And thanks to the tracer she’d installed, she’d know everything he did in the future and where he was doing it from.
So would any authorities she chose to share that information with. Anonymously, of course, because this wasn’t about her. This was all Emmett.
He’d accumulated a hefty sum in that account as the price of crypto increased on his initial investment.
Court records had told Eva where Emmett had gotten most of the money to buy the crypto in the first place. The facts showed that what he’d stolen from her, Poppy and Olivia had been small potatoes compared to the funds he’d embezzled from an elderly Kentucky woman with the help of her granddaughter, who he’d also met online and then had moved onto having an in-person relationship with after he’d left Tennessee.
But even after the crime had been revealed, because he’d hid the money in a crypto account and not in a bank, the poor woman—God rest her soul—and her relatives never got any of her money back. It was after her death that her eldest son, the executor of the estate, had discovered her life’s savings missing.
It seemed there were rotten apples in every family tree and apparently they found each other.
They also turned on each other. The granddaughter had named Emmett as her partner in crime, probably in an effort to get a reduced charge for herself. But she was the family member who had stolen and misused the bank log-in, so she got nailed the hardest. And since the authorities couldn’t find any of the funds, Emmett claimed that she’d spent all the money.
She couldn’t prove otherwise so he only got charged as an accessory, proving there was no honor among thieves.
Emmet had left Eva so much rope to hang him with, she wasn’t sure where she wanted to start. His parole officer because he’d left the state, no doubt illegally, immediately after being released from prison. The son who should have inherited the stolen money. The DA who could probably come up with a few more charges to throw at him based on that crypto account. It was like a buffet of revenge and Eva was paralyzed by the plethora of options.
Entering the Wilder front hall, she drew in a big breath to calm her racing pulse.
The scent of the fresh cut tree reached her nose. Merry Christmas to her. She couldn’t think of a better gift than legally screwing Emmett Wilder.
As she closed the front door and started to take off her coat, the warm air surrounded her, chasing away the chill of outside. She sniffed again and smelled fire. The good kind from the fireplace hearth and not from Poppy burning dinner—which hopefully wouldn’t happen since she was hungry. Revenge gave her an appetite.
The scent of cinnamon wafted to greet her, coming from the direction of the kitchen. Yum.
This really was a lovely home. And she did enjoy coming out of her hermit apartment for the family dinners they’d begun having here since Olivia’s confinement.
She could only hope the snake left and stayed gone, with or without her assistance. He didn’t deserve this family.
Maybe she didn’t deserve them either, but she’d be damned if he got any of their stuff. This beautiful old museum of a mansion included.
But that wouldn’t happen. What she’d found insured it—she hoped.
As Wyatt rounded the corner she narrowed her eyes at him. Would Emmett being a felon convince this family not to take their dumb vote about giving him the inheritance? She wasn’t sure. Which was why she was ready to take matters into her own hands.
“Eva. Hi. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Yeah, I’m sneaky like that. So, something smells good.”
“Yes. That’s because Poppy and Darcy baked a pie for tonight.”
She laughed. “Poppy and Darcy, huh? I can’t wait to see that.”
“I’m sure it’ll taste good…even if the crust leaves a bit to be desired.”
“Gotcha. I find whipped cream hides a multitude of pastry sins.”
Wyatt nodded. “Good tip. I hope we have some.”
She almost suggested that he call Linc to pick some up since he was probably still down in town. It was about the right time for him to be bringing the snake to pilfer her apartment, where Emmett would find and take that thumb drive that would prove to be the final nail in his coffin.
Eva decided to keep all that to herself. The less Wyatt knew about Emmett and that thumb drive the better. He definitely wouldn’t approve of her hacking the snake’s account or putting a tracer on it.
“I think I’m going to see if Poppy needs help with dinner,” she said, keeping the topic of conversation on something safe.
He nodded. “I’m about to pour myself a drink. Can I get you one?” he asked.
“Always,” she replied and found herself actually humming a Christmas tune as she made her way toward the kitchen.
But that is where her good mood ended. Because besides Poppy, standing by the stove wide eyed and pale, there also stood the man she’d recently learned was the snake himself.
It looked as if he and Linc had just walked in the back door as she'd been in the front hall chatting with Wyatt. He still had his coat on and he had the nerve to grin at her.“Look who’s here. My two favorite girls…”
Eva narrowed her eyes as a near growl came from deep in her throat.
Nope. This house wasn’t big enough for the two of them. Olivia might have to stay, being bed ridden and all, and Eva would feel bad leaving her here, but she could not remain in this man’s presence.
“I think this is my cue to leave. Poppy, you’re welcome to join me at the apartment if you’d like.” With that Eva spun on her heel and headed through the doorway she’d just walked through.
In the hallway, she heard boots on marble and dared to glance back as she reached for her coat. She saw Linc rushing after her.
“Eva. Wait.”
She spun back fully now. “I told you not to bring him here.”
“I couldn’t help it,” he began.
She shook her head. Putting Emmett in a room together with Wyatt when he could spill the beans about that will? Did Linc really think that was a good idea?
And how had they gotten here so fast? She’d left the apartment, filled her car with gas, talked to Billy for no more than ten minutes about scheduling an oil change, then came here.
Emmett must have been in and out of her apartment in no time. Hopefully that meant he’d found the drive in the ceiling. But if he was here, she was leaving.
Eva reached for the doorknob when Linc grabbed her arm in a grip that left no mistake he wasn’t letting go. His eyes were intense, demanding, and filled with emotion when he said, “Don’t take your anger at Emmett out on me.”
“Then do what you say you’re going to do,” she returned. “Now let me go.”
She tried to yank her arm back but he was unrelenting and refused to release her. Her anger was turning into mist in her eyes. And if there was one thing she refused to do, it was let any Wilder man see her cry.
“Eva. Stop.” His low even tone was one he might use with Darcy if the child threw a tantrum and needed to be calmed down. Firm but gentle. Loving…and maddening. She was no child. But she might possibly be acting like one.
Calming down, just a bit, she whispered, “Linc, please, let me go. Let me go and fix this mess.”
“It’s not yours to fix.”
“You’re wrong.” She’d caused this with that damn key. But she also held the key that could clean it up. She glanced down at his hand wrapped around the sleeve of the ugly Christmas sweater she’d put on thinking this was going to be a fun night. “Please. I have to go.”
He finally let out a breath and released his hold. “Okay.”
She opened the front door and then paused. Glancing back she said, “Make sure he stays around town for a little while.”
Linc frowned. “Why?” After a glance back toward the kitchen he leaned closer and said, “We want him to leave.”
She wobbled her head back and forth. “Yes, but not yet.”
He looked confused but nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay,” she repeated then headed for her car.
Time to get back to her apartment and back to work. Knowing that snake had been there would only fuel her determination. She wouldn’t rest until she’d hammered that final nail.