50

Clinton
“I wish we could live like this forever,” Ava murmured. Her eyes were closed, her breathing easy. She seemed serene while I felt like a raging tiger ready to pounce on my prey. What I’d come to realize after our lengthy discussion was that various indicators pointed to the fact that I had a mole in my organization. That was the only way someone could have known about our whereabouts and other private details. I told few about my comings and goings within my company, my two capos then filtering down necessary information.
The other aspect of the damning situation I knew to be true was that whoever was perpetrating the game had known for years that Ava was alive and living under an assumed identity. Why had the ruse festered for so long?
My answer?
Something had prevented the person seeking revenge from acting on their plan for years. In my mind, that could mean only one of two possibilities.
Health issues or prison.
I’d widened the search overnight, asking Brock to coordinate with my main hacker to narrow down possibilities. I’d included every Elite member from our graduating class. I hadn’t kept up with their whereabouts. I could care less about the elitist clique we’d turned into a killing field. My life hadn’t been centered around college.
But others had felt differently.
“Why can’t we?” Weston asked, lazily running his fingers down her arm.
She purred, opening her eyes, then nuzzled against his chest. “Here or somewhere else?”
“I think we should purchase two other houses around Lake Michigan. Then we can move from one location to the other,” Christian suggested, glancing in my direction, his smile bordering on mischievous.
“I’m thinking more tropical,” I added. I found it interesting that we all wanted the same thing. Professionally, it would be interesting. While there were still several uncertainties, we’d made one aspect of our kinky relationship very clear to the beautiful woman.
She was going nowhere, at least not permanently.
That allowed me to smile.
“Then we’ll buy six houses. You pick the locations, Ava ,” Weston murmured.
“That’s very dangerous. My tastes are… elitist.” She grinned after using the word, and I swatted her on the bottom.
“Uh, no.”
She laughed and I realized I’d never felt so comfortable.
“And the three of you can be my bodyguards when I’m on tour.”
“Who said we’re going to allow you to continued singing?” Weston teased.
Jerking up, Ava grabbed a pillow, smacking him in the head. “Oh, no you don’t. I will continue to be a career woman. I am a star, you know.” She held her head up, pressing her hand against her heart in a show of entitlement.
“Uh-huh,” I told her. “You’ll be wearing a collar, and one of us will have control of the leash.”
“You’re so mean,” she purred.
“You got that right.” I grinned, twisting her nipple until she moaned. I could ravage the girl’s body for hours and still never get enough.
The moment of passion was short-lived, the sound of Weston’s phone drawing our attention away from the beautiful woman curled at our sides.
He eased off the bed, grabbing his jeans.
“You were expecting a call?” Christian asked as he rolled over, kissing Ava on the lips.
“Yeah, one of my employees has a unique ability to find out any information, even if it’s been well hidden.”
Christian grinned. “And you thought our boy was too vanilla.”
I had a massive computer system at my disposal, the hackers I employed able to slide by every fire wall from the FBI to the CIA without being detected. It was only a matter of time before connections were made.
Weston gave him his middle finger before answering the call. “Jarvis. What did you find out?” He paced the floor while Jarvis mentioned whatever he’d found.
I tossed back the covers, dragging my tongue across her nipple before jumping out of bed. “I’ll be right back.” I’d pushed off opening the envelope for long enough. I yanked it from my trousers, walking to the door leading to the balcony. There was just enough light coming from inside the room that I should be able to read whatever notification Ava ‘s father had dared send.
The old anger jetted to the surface, but I tamped it back. I’d already made the decision the man wouldn’t be touched. There would be more harm done than a benefit added.
I was the kind of man who never allowed anything to surprise me. That’s because I’d grown up learning to expect the worst. To have my stomach in knots while I pulled out multiple pages was odd, and I debated bagging the read. But something compelled me to find out what was important enough for a man known as the Iceman because of his lack of remorse and his creativity in methods of extermination to dare send me anything.
After taking a deep breath, I read the information.
Then my thoughts drifted to Ava . Everything about the woman had surprised me, including her tenacity and resolve. She was one of the strongest people I’d ever met, her love of her family unwavering. She trusted me enough to be able to share the truth, carrying a burden that shouldn’t have been placed on her shoulders.
The three of us had been drawn to each other ten years before, just as we’d been once again, not knowing the truth. In her, we’d found something perfectly unexpected, something as dark and broken as the rest of us. But in the shattered pieces, she’d offered something even more precious.
Hope.
And love.
I adored the woman with everything I had and would honor her until the day I died.
I lifted my head, studying the twilight sky, stars already peeking through the thin clouds from before. There were methods of betrayal that I was accustomed to in the business I was in.
Then there were those that could steal your breath.
Christian walked outside, narrowing his eyes. I handed him the letter and accompanying proof, then gripped the railing. As the seconds passed, I concentrated on the sound of my thudding heart as the scent of her continued to linger in my nostrils. Light to darkness. Good to evil.
I didn’t deserve a second chance, but I would take it.
Only after righting the wrongs that should have been handled long ago.
“Shit,” he said quietly.
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?” I heard the concern in Christian’s voice. He’d heard the gory stories, had experienced my battles with what a school psychologist had called PTSD.
I knew a part of me was dangerous as well as unhinged. You couldn’t put a child through a minefield and not expect him to come out a little crazy. But this was…
The ache in my gut about my brother swept through me as painfully as it had done all those years ago. “I’m not sure.”
Weston moved outside, shaking his head.
“I appreciate the call.” He slipped his phone into his pocket before turning around to face us. “We have some of the answers. I don’t know whether to believe what I just heard or not.”
Christian snorted. “It couldn’t be any worse than what we just learned. Read this.”
After a few seconds, Weston issued a low growl. “Fuck me. I don’t know what to say.”
“No need,” I said quietly.
“At least we can be assured what Jarvis learned is factual. And at least we know the truth.”
Truth.
Was there such a thing? As an ugly memory surfaced in the front of my mind, I held my breath.
“Get off her!” I roared as I threw myself at him, pummeling his back and neck with brutal punches.
He laughed, tossing me aside with ease.
“Baby! No!” my mother screamed. There was blood, so much blood everywhere. On the carpet and staining the walls. After he’d finished with me, he’d gone after my mother. Goddamn him.
“You’re nothing but trash. That’s all you’ll ever be.” He laughed, puffing himself up like he did every time he dealt with one of his men. We were nothing to him. Nothing.
Wham!