What a difference a year makes. Here it was Valentine’s Day 2006 and she was alone, so unhappy and hanging on to her sanity by a thread. The values that her life had been based upon had failed miserably. As she stood in her office, packing up the last of her things, Evangeline thought to herself, ‘What a waste’!
Todd wanted to wipe the smug look off of John’s face. Here they were sitting on this raggedy plane and the man who had just shot someone with extreme force was lecturing him on the tenets of karma. Thankfully his nitwit niece was distracting John and he was leaving him alone. The last thing he needed to hear about was justice, especially since he had been set up and so unfairly judged. Blair had abandoned him and seemly already replaced him with the man he was now sure had framed him. He was facing lethal injection despite his friends’ best efforts. He sent up a quick prayer that Evangeline heard his message and would appeal. Todd lowered his head in despair.
‘What is she doing here? This is so not what I need,’ thought Evangeline as she walked out of the hangar. She almost wanted to turn away from Natalie and skip the daily drama, but this was about Todd. Todd’s life was more important than skipping the irritation of the woman Layla affectionately called “whore d’ oeuvre”.
Natalie turned around at the click of high heels and rolled her eyes. ‘She’s probably trying to get on John’s good side. She’s trying to take him away from me again,’ she thought as she gave Evangeline a fake smile. “What are you doing here Evangeline? Did you bring Christian too,” she asked snidely.
“I’m here to meet with my client and escort him to his next destination. Since you’re too self-absorbed to care about anyone, I doubt you’re here to see Todd off. Perhaps you spotted a biscuit! Either way, it’s none of your business,” Evangeline replied as she barely squeezed past Natalie. Her eyes snapped up as John stood and asked, “Evangeline, what are you doing here?”
She was immediately irritated. Now she knew why Natalie was here. Seems like a break up didn’t split up the father daughter pair. She was so disgusted. The last person she wanted to see was John.
His heartbeat was at a staccato seeing the woman of his dreams. She was here.
“I’m here to escort Todd. What are you doing here?”
“Bo asked me to do this to show Dr. Crosby I’m a team player. I…”, as Natalie interrupted, tugging on John’s hand.
“John, you were talking to me. Oh John, show Evangeline the St. Jude’s medal I got you. I bought it for him to protect him. Isn’t it sweet that he’s wearing it Evangeline?”
With a small laugh, Evangeline replied, “Oh. It’s a medal for protection. I wonder when that happened. Why don’t you two lovebirds continue this outside? I need to talk to Todd for a moment.”
John’s heart dropped as she turned her back on him. She couldn’t really believe that he and Natalie were a couple, could she? He inwardly sighed as he thought that he hadn’t really given her much reason to think otherwise. Why did Natalie have to be here now? A few weeks ago he had been making some process. His heart had broken when Van said they couldn’t be friends. Maybe he could have changed that if he had some time alone with her. Natalie and her comments about that stupid St. Jude’s medal had probably messed that up. He had only put it on because he truly felt like a lost cause. He had lost Evangeline, Michael’s trust in him was shaky and, to top it all off, he had lost his job.
He watched as Evangeline walked over to Todd and divested herself of her coat. John’s eyes wandered from her mile-long legs to her crown of beauty. His breath hitched as he caught sight of her beautiful calves encased in black leather and ran up to a shorter green tweed skirt and on to a lovely sheer black chiffon blouse over a green and black corset top. The hair that he loved to run his hands through cascaded down her back. His blood ran hot at the thought of kissing along her long neck and beautiful collarbone and unhooking the blouse to feel the chocolate silk underneath. He felt himself get hard and was glad his black coat hid that fact. In the back of his head, he heard, “John, John? Are you okay?” Reality set back in as he noticed that Natalie had never left. She was still talking to him. Man, he could never get rid of her. She was like a dog with a bone. “Natalie, we really have to go,” he said gently. He involuntarily took a step back as she smiled slyly and touched the medal around his neck. “I’m so glad you love me so much that you wore this. It will protect you and bring you back so we can really celebrate Valentine’s Day and our love,” Natalie said loudly for the other 2 passengers to hear. She gave him a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek.
John was embarrassed as he turned around to face Evangeline and Todd. She snickered as Todd whispered in her ear, “Maybe we should take her with. If we crash, she’ll be the one thing that floats.”
John sat down on the other side of the plane. He figured that whatever Evangeline and Todd were whispering about they didn’t want him to hear. ‘Why did we have to be on opposite sides this time?’ John felt the farther in they got on this case, the worse it got between him and Evangeline. All he wanted to do was spend time with her. He wanted to talk to her, make her laugh and make love to her. If he was honest with himself he would admit he wanted her back. He didn’t know how to get there. It was a colossal mistake to get involved with Natalie. Now Evangeline thought he never loved her. But, he did then and, God help him, he loved her now. He wondered what they were talking about. They seemed to be arguing about something. He wondered if it was about Spencer Truman. He didn’t know why Todd would really think the good doctor would be after him just for a woman. Maybe Evangeline would let him in a little if he checked it out. ‘That’s what I’m going to do,’ John decided in that moment. He was going to get Evangeline back. He was going to show her that she was wrong about Todd but she would then trust him because he at least gave it a fair shot. Then they would be back to being friends and he would get her to fall in love with him again. It was that simple. At least he hoped so.
Evangeline noticed John staring at them. She frowned and asked, “John, can we please have some privacy? Todd and I need to discuss some things that are not for you to hear.”
John looked shocked that she had used that tone with him. She almost seemed disgusted with him. Natalie was going to ruin everything again. He lowered his head as he stood up and went to talk to the pilot.
Evangeline rolled her eyes as she turned back to Todd. “Todd, this is the only way. The justice system failed you.”
“Evangeline,” Todd pleaded, “you can’t. You could get in trouble. We’ll appeal and find another way.”
“Todd, it’s not working. I no longer believe in a fair justice system. You never had a chance but I’m giving you one now.”
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stood up. She reached into her purse and took out her new purchase. “Trust me,” she said as she ruffled Todd’s hair.
Evangeline slowly walked up to the cockpit. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and in her head she was screaming that she was making the biggest mistake of her life. Those thoughts fell away as she imagined Todd strapped to an electric chair. She had to give him the chance Lady Justice had not provided.
She whispered quickly, ‘Daddy, I know this looks bad. But, it’s the only way. Please help me save this man’s life.’
“John,” she called out, “I need you to have the pilot change direction.”
John wasn’t really paying attention as he was looking at the map. He asked, “Why?”
Evangeline repeated, louder this time, “John. Tell the pilot to change direction.”
He noticed her tone and turned his head. His eyes widened as he heard a soft click. “Evangeline, what the hell are you doing?”
“I’m saving Todd’s life,” she replied as she took off the safety of her brand new Glock 20.
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