Shadow of Secrets Pt. 13

**Disclaimer: All characters are 18+, no underage characters will ever be portrayed in any shape or form in this or any future stories.**

**Eva's point of view**

Eva hurriedly rushed downstairs, eager to catch a cab outside her building. Dressed in her sultry red cocktail dress, she glanced at her reflection in the elevator mirrored walls, admiring herself briefly before swiftly stepping out onto the ground floor. Her thoughts whirred, swirling with uncertainty and fear. She couldn't shake off the weight of the mounting danger threatening her peaceful existence, and the unsettling news of her friend's abduction added fuel to her torment. Nevertheless, she pushed aside her concerns, willing herself to focus solely on the task ahead--meeting Jax.

She hailed a taxi idling by the curb, grateful to escape the oppressive darkness seeping into the corners of her soul. As the cab pulled away from the curb, Eva breathed deeply, attempting to compose herself.

Despite her efforts, the images of Hayley tied up naked with her vagina stretched; leaking with copious amounts of semen oozing out and pleading for mercy flashed before her eyes. Then Hayley's face morphed into her own. A chill ran down her spine, and she shivered uncontrollably.

"Miss, are you alright?" the driver asked, casting a concerned glance at her. Eva forced a weak smile, nodding her affirmation.

"Just a bit cold," she murmured, adjusting her grip on her purse. "Nothing to worry about." The cabbie grunted noncommittally.

Eva rested her forehead against the cool windowpane, watching the familiar landmarks blur past. The dimness of the evening cast eerie shadows over the bustling streets of Darklight City, casting an ominous veil over her troubled thoughts. As the taxi approached Tony's bar Jax had chosen for their initial meeting before their rendezvous at the posh restaurant later, Eva steeled herself for the encounter.

"Look, miss," the cabbie interrupted her reverie, "you sure you shouldn't be calling someone?

Eva blinked several times, trying to refocus and regain composure. "I mean, your phone keeps buzzing and you ain't answering. Might be important?"

Eva flinched as she hadn't even noticed her phone making such a big noise. She reached instinctively for her phone and squinted at the display, recognizing Erik's name flashing urgently on the screen.

"Ah, it's my son," she sighed, waving a dismissive hand.

"He's just worried about me. I'll call him once we reach the bar." The cabbie shrugged, returning his attention to the road.

Eva exhaled deeply, staring blankly ahead as the pulsating vibrations of the cell phone in her bag continued to disturb her peace. She reached reluctantly into her purse, fishing out the device with trembling fingers. A flood of trepidation washed over her as she saw Erik's frantic messages on the screen.

"Mom, are you okay? Please respond!" One message read.

Another pleaded, "Please call me. I'm really worried about you."

Guilt surged through Eva, weighing her down. She pressed the power button, activating the phone. The glowing screen illuminated her palms, casting a ghostly light on her visage. She hesitated, chewing her lip. Should she return Erik's calls or focus on her rendezvous with Jax? Eva deliberated, pressing the keypad and scrolling through her contacts list.

Her thumb hovered over Erik's name, guilt gnawing at her conscience. "What should I do?" she whispered, gripping the phone tightly.

"Should I talk to him or focus on my date with Jax?" She pondered the dilemma, mentally weighing the pros and cons. Suddenly, a strange force seemed to possess her, urging her to ignore Erik's pleas.

"No, I must ignore it for now and meet Jax," she rationalized aloud. "I don't know what I'll even say to Erik with the way I'm feeling right now. I'll only worry him more."

She finally texted Erik back a short text before putting her phone on silent "I'm busy, Erik. No need to worry. I'll probably be back tomorrow so don't stay up too late." Even to her the text felt way too stern yet she couldn't think of anything else to say to him right now.

Just then she felt the cab slow down and she looked up thinking she had already reached the bar. The cab driver grunted in frustration "Jeez! Another roadblock! Great now I'll have to go around just to get across one block."

Eva looked out the window to see a truck overturned on the road up ahead and noticed that she could just walk less than one block to get to the bar rather than take the cab around through another way.

Eva spoke up "You can just let me out right here. I'll walk.... the bar is pretty close by from here anyway."

The cab driver looked back at her and Eva noticed his eyes wander a bit to her legs wrapped in fishnet stocking and her high heels before he said "You sure, lady? I mean those look like pretty high heels..... but if you are sure."

"Positive! Just drop me off right here.... Thanks!" Eva quickly replied; ignoring the guy's eyes still hovering over her long stocking covered legs.

With that he pulled the cab to the curb and parked.Eva got out of the cab and leaned in through the window to pay the cabbie. He shamelessly stared down her front when she leaned forward to hand him the money and even had the nerve to say "Well have a good evening now, Miss" with a toothy grin on his face letting Eva know exactly the kind of dirty thoughts he must be having.

Eva quickly paid him before clutching her purse and starting to walk away not having in her to think more about the cabbie who promptly drove away.

'A good walk will help me clear my head a bit' She thought to herself.

Erik's text weighed on her mind, but she pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand. Her heels clicked rhythmically on the pavement beneath her, echoing in the silence of the deserted street. Eva breathed in the crisp, chilly air, allowing it to invigorate her senses and provide temporary respite from her worries. Her long hair flowed freely behind her as the wind gushed down towards her while walking. Her abilities kept her warmer than any other human at this time of the evening yet she could feel the gentle breeze rush up a bit under her dress making her rethink her decision to comply with Jax's no panties demand.

Just when Eva noticed the bar's neon light shining brightly up ahead; she also sensed someone following her from afar. Whoever it was they were pretty far back from her yet her super-hearing alerted her of their heavy yet quick footsteps closing the distance quick. Now it was entirely possible that whoever that was; was completely harmless yet in Eva's paranoid mind she felt threatened.

Hayley's news had her on edge already and even the remote possibility of being followed and ending up with the same fate as Hayley was a disturbing thought for Eva. She obviously could overpower one individual easily with her abilities yet it would mean risking exposing her abilities; that terrified her the most. Besides Hayley had abilities too which didn't seem to matter when it came down to it so what chances did Eva have realistically? She would rather not risk it at all. Getting dragged into a dark alley by some stranger only to be subjected to god known what atrocities didn't seem like a good idea at all; powers or no powers. Once again the image of her in a dark alley forced by a dark faceless stranger terrified Eva.

Her thoughts whirled, swirling with uncertainty and fear. Eva took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Despite her apprehension, she refused to allow her fears to dictate her actions. If she turned around and confronted her pursuer, she might expose her powers. But ignoring the threat might lead to dire consequences. Torn between caution and action, Eva made a split-second decision. She abruptly stopped, pivoting on her heel to see her follower.

As Eva spun around, her gaze locked upon a burly figure looming in the shadows. She had barely a fraction of a second to take action before he would spot her in front of him. If it came to confrontation she would have to inevitably reveal her powers but if she avoided it altogether then maybe there was a chance she can give him the slip.

She saw a very narrow gap between two buildings leading to an alley which would lead her away from the street and into a bit of darkness where she might be able to ditch her tail. Without hesitating another moment Eva slipped away towards the gap letting the darkness engulf her completely as she kept her eyes focused on the burly figure. If he has seen her slip away there was better chance of her neutralizing him in this alley without anyone witnessing her using her abilities. She waited with bated breath as the footsteps of the man grew closer and louder with each step to where she had stepped off of the pavement.

She paused, surveying her surroundings as she stood at the mouth of the narrow passageway. The alley stretched before her, cloaked in pitch-black darkness punctuated by occasional pools of faint moonlight filtering through gaps in the towering edifices. It was the perfect hiding spot. A few stray cats prowled cautiously near the entrance, their eyes gleaming with curiosity as they watched her silently approach. As she moved deeper into the gloomy expanse, the sounds of distant traffic receded, replaced by the hushed whispers of the night.

Finally the man came into view on the street and Eva felt relief as she saw the man much clearly. It was merely a construction worker wearing heavy safety boots and carrying his toolbox with him. She realized her paranoia from having listened to the news about her former super-heroine friend, Hayley had made her second guess everything around her; see enemies everywhere when there were no danger around her.

More importantly Eva realized that she had become resentful of her own powers for the first time. Instead of giving her a sense of protection and invulnerability; her powers were making her feel they were the reason she and her son could never live a normal life no matter how much she pretended to be normal. The realization sunk her heart into even deeper sorrow knowing there was a chance she and in turn her son stood no chance of a normal life. While she had these powers she would always be looking over her shoulder and be paranoid like tonight.

TBC...