Saving Evie: An Enemies to Lovers Romance: To Love and Protect, #7

By LK Shaw

Evelyn "Evie" Vincent and Sebastian Nichols can't stand each other.

Or can they?

When Sebastian hires Evie's father as a handyman on his run-down ranch, the two are constantly running into each other. Sebastian is far from friendly, so Evie avoids him, even though she's secretly hurt. The truth of the matter is, she's the first woman he's been this attracted to since his wife died, and he is fighting against it.

When a threat from Evie's past puts her life in danger, Sebastian realizes he's fighting a losing battle.

Can he save the woman who's healed his damaged heart before it's too late?

*Author's Note: This book was previously published as part of Elle James' Brotherhood Protectors series. It has been revised and approximately 5,000 new words added.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LK Shaw
• Release date: Apr 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201374945

LK Shaw

LK Shaw is the bestselling author of sexy, sinful suspense. She resides in South Carolina with her high maintenance beagle mix dog, Miss P. An avid reader since childhood, she became hooked on historical romance novels in high school. She now reads, and loves, all romance sub-genres, with dark romance and romantic suspense being her favorite. LK enjoys traveling and chocolate. Her books feature hot alpha heroes and the strong women they love. Want a FREE short story? Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and download your copy of A Birthday Spanking, a short story set in the Doms of Club Eden world! http://bit.ly/LKShawNewsletter

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Thirteen years ago

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When will I see you again, Daddy? I choked the words out. Tears spilled down my face and dropped from my chin. I swiped them away, trying to be strong, but there were too many.

Just ten feet separated my father and me, but it felt like miles. The courtroom had been emptied and only four of us remained. I tried moving closer, but my foster mother’s hold on me tightened.

Not for a long time, baby. I’ll write you, though, and call as often as I can, he promised, his voice rough, as though he held back his own tears. I want you to be a good girl while I’m gone, okay? Study hard. Keep your grades up so you can get into a good college. Make me proud, Evie.

Unable to bear the separation any longer, I tore myself from June’s grasp and raced to my father. I threw my arms around his waist and hugged him as tight as I could. Despite my best effort to hold them back, my sobs grew louder. He circled me in his embrace. The weight of the cuffs around his wrists laid heavy against me.

I love you, Evie, he whispered, kissing the top of my head, before releasing me.

My foster mother pulled me away from him. More tears streamed down my face as the sheriff’s officer led my shackled father away to serve out his sentence. All I could do was stand there.

I love you, Daddy, I screamed just as the door closed on my last view of his back.

CHAPTER 2

Eight years ago

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You’re eighteen now, Evelyn. It’s time for us to get married.

I stared in slack-jawed shock at the proclamation coming from my soon-to-be former foster brother.

Married? My voice rose in pitch. Was he insane?

Stanley straightened to his not-so-impressive height and threw me an affronted glare. You were meant to be my wife the minute you came to live with us. I thought you knew how I felt about you. I’ve been waiting all this time for you to grow up. You’re mine, Evelyn.

Chills raced down my spine at his eery, obsessive tone. He’d been waiting for me? Like he’d been watching me all this time? I shivered again. From day one Stanley had been overly friendly. Constantly following me. Complimenting me.

Over the past six months his ardor seemed to have grown. I’d never expected to hear him say we should get married, though. Besides, I abhorred him. He’d been a weasely young man who’d grown into a weasely adult.

I’ve told you a hundred times not to call me Evelyn, I said with barely controlled patience. There’s also no way I’m marrying you. I’m only eighteen. Besides, I don’t love you.

A hint of darkness flashed behind his eyes, but he blinked and it disappeared. I see. Well, perhaps while you’re off at school, you’ll realize how wrong you are. It’s fine, Evelyn. I’ll wait until you see reason.

Before I could respond, Stanley turned and walked out the front door.

You think you’re so much better than all of us, don’t you?

My head whipped around at the sneer in the female’s voice. Vanessa, Stanley’s sister, stood in the doorframe, hatred oozing from her pores. I shook my head in confusion. Unlike her brother, she had almost hated me as soon as I’d walked through the door over five years ago. She’d made my life miserable. Snide remarks about my father. Name calling. Normal mean-girl behavior.

What? I asked in confusion. No, I don’t. Why would you even think that?

Vanessa uncrossed her arms and closed the distance between us. She didn’t stop until she’d moved into my personal space, close enough I could almost count the lashes around her eyes. I refused, however, to back down. She wouldn’t be getting the satisfaction.

You’ve had Stanley panting after you for years, leading him on, making him think he had a chance with you, she said with contempt. I can’t wait for you to leave. I hope I never see you again.

Without giving me a chance to reply, Vanessa followed in her brother’s wake, leaving me standing there confused and irritated.

For five, wearisome years I’d lived with Robert and June Paulson, and their two children. All things considered, I could have wound up in a number of worse places, so for that, I was grateful. One thing was clear, though. She wasn’t the only one glad I was getting out of here. Those two were bat-shit crazy.

CHAPTER 3

Present Day

Sebastian

---

Nearly a week ago, I’d driven thirteen-hundred miles from Chicago, Illinois to Fergus County, Montana. Passed through four entire states, and not once had I expected to show up to a two-story, run-down ranch house, left to me by an uncle I hadn’t even known I had. Even more surprising? This overwhelming rush of adrenaline through my veins. This buzz of renewed energy.

For the last three years, ever since my medical discharge from the Army, I’d been struggling. Coasting through life. Merely existing. I woke in the morning, did my job, and went to bed at night.

I stood on the front porch, gazing out at the rugged land surrounding me, and was struck with a sense of purpose. A reason to get up in the morning. Apparently taking on a dilapidated house and practically non-functioning ranch was it.

The only problem? I had no idea what I was doing. I’d been born and raised in the city. Joined the Army at eighteen and been shipped overseas. My area of expertise had been, and continued to be, communications. Computers were my tool of trade.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t capable of most of the repairs, but there were too many for just one person. They weren’t the only problem. Running a successful, or what I hoped would be a successful, ranch? I didn’t have a damn clue, but I wasn’t afraid of hard work and manual labor.

Everything could wait another day though. I needed to focus on my other job. The one that actually paid my bills and had given me something to occupy my time since leaving the military. After almost tripping over the top loose step, I made it into the room I’d been using as an office for the last three days.

Since I spent most of my time in here, I’d chosen it because of the view. It was situated on the second floor at the back of the house. Large windows filled one wall and overlooked almost the entirety of the ranch.

A few cattle were scattered around the acreage, and not too far in the distance a lone cowboy sat atop a horse observing the small herd. The landscape was beautiful, and although I’d only been here a week, a sense of pride filled me. All of it was mine.

After a final look over my property, I settled onto the office chair with its ripped upholstery. It tilted to one side on the uneven wheeled legs, and I quickly righted myself with a curse. Once I was sure I wouldn’t topple over, I fired up my computer. After several keystrokes, I logged in and opened the file sent over by my contact at the D.E.A. office back in Chicago. A contact who worked closely with one of my cousins. After glancing through the enclosed data, something wasn’t adding up. I needed verbal, not digital, information so I picked up the phone.

Agent Roberts, came the feminine greeting.

Landon, it’s Sebastian.

Hi, Seb. How are you finding the wilds of Montana?

That same small adrenaline spike hit. It’s certainly not Chicago. Believe it or not, though, I’m finding it peaceful.

I’m glad to hear it. What can I do for you?

I got the file you sent, but I need some clarification on a few things.

We discussed the current case she was working on and the type of information she needed. Once we were on the same page, I went to work. I took a quick lunch break and then dove back in.

Some time later, I glanced up for another look outside. The sun hovered low in the sky. Shit. It was getting late. I closed the computer and grabbed the short list of items I’d written down that I needed to pick up at the hardware store. The ranch was situated about ten miles outside the small town of Lewistown, where nothing stayed open past eight o’clock. If I didn’t hurry, they’d be closed for the night, and I’d wanted to get an early morning start on some of these repairs.

Taking care not to trip on the loose step—it was first on the list of repairs—I rushed down the stairs and out to my pickup truck. During my drive into town, I used that time to look around me, and felt a surprising connection to this wild land.

I made my way down Main Street until I spotted Wells Hardware. There were plenty of open parking spaces, so I pulled into the one closest to the front door.

It took me almost thirty minutes to find nearly everything on my list. The only thing left were roof shingles. I stared at the entire