I blink a few times as I process that. Would it really be that simple?
“I…I wouldn’t have to see him? He wouldn’t know where we are?”
He shakes his head. “No, it will all be done through the lawyers. However, you will have to give a statement recounting the abuse he inflicted on you and Chloe. It needs to be documented.”
The waiter comes at that moment and sets our meals in front of us but my stomach is rolling with nausea at the idea of putting all he did to me on paper. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to relieve each moment of pain, each blow inflicted. The noise of my baby’s arm breaking sounds out in my head and I know that I have to. I have to do this to give her the future she deserves so I pick up my fork, swallow hard and meet his eyes.
“I…I have pictures. A lot of pictures.”
Zack
I’m not getting anywhere with this code. I’m distracted and unsettled by what’s happening today and pissed that I’m not a part of it. It took me less than a full day to dig into that fucker’s life and unearth every single thing about him right down to the secret offshore bank account he’s been funneling the money he steals from his firm into. It’s a decent chunk of change but it won’t help him once we are done with him.
The fancy New York law firm took a week to get all the paperwork drawn up and it arrived by courier this morning. That was all East and Ryker needed to hit the road and head to Maine. They are caravanning up there to take Avery’s car back and dump it at the guy’s office parking lot. They plan to hang around until he comes out, let him know how things are going to be going forward and make him sign off on everything. Once that’s taken care of, the Feds will move in and scoop him up for his creative accounting thanks to a favor owed to us by our contact with them. Once all the paperwork is filed, it will be a minimum of sixty days before everything is finalized. And then, Avery and Chloe will be free for…
Fuck, that part unsettles me more than nailing the prick does. Free to what? Start a new life somewhere else or here with one of us? I hate both of those ideas. Avery and Chloe have only been here for a month but I’ve already fallen so fucking hard for both of them. There is no way I could sit on the sidelines and watch her pick one of my brothers to share her life with. So that only leaves what Ryker suggested. She doesn’t have to choose. She can have us all. Three men to protect her, care for her…love her.
I push away from the computer and desk and mindlessly massage my leg with a scowl on my face. How the fuck would that even work? We set up a schedule for who gets her each day? Fuck that, this is stupid and a waste of time. As if Avery would even be interested in something like that or be interested in me at all for that matter. She deserves someone better, someone…whole. I carry too much damage, inside and out. She’d never want…
“Wow, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you with an angry expression. Is…everything okay?” Avery asks from the doorway of my office. I wipe my expression clear and paste on a smile for her. It becomes easier when I see the plate in her hand stacked with sandwiches. I keep my tone light and easy. She doesn’t know what’s happening today. We knew she would be wracked with worry and anxiety if we told her. If everything goes to plan, we will present her with the signed paperwork and her path to freedom.
“There’s my favorite lunch lady! Thanks, Aves but I told you that you don’t have to make me lunch.”
She rolls her eyes at me and my smile turns into a grin at how far she’s come from the scared broken bird that first came to us. She moves further into my office to set the plate on the desk and frowns down at my hand that’s still massaging my leg.
“Zack, I thought you were going to make an appointment to have that adjusted.” She leans slightly and places her small hand on top of mine. “I hate that you’re hurting. What can I do to help?”
I flip my hand in hers so I can thread our fingers together and it’s the best fucking feeling ever to hold her hand.
“It’s nothing, more of a habit than anything at this point but I promise I’ll book that appointment soon.”
The frown is still fixed on her face as she sighs and spears me with an exasperated look.
“Hey, you guys took care of me when I was hurting, you have to let me do the same! I can bring you an ice pack or…oh! I know, Ryker made me soak in the hot tub to help my ribs. It made so much difference. You should do that too. Go soak in the hot tub and try and relax for a bit. I’ll even go with you if you want!”
My fingers tighten around hers and my grin dims at the idea of her seeing me without my prosthetic. The last thing she needs to see is how lacking I am. I’m shocked but I shouldn’t be when Avery drops to her knees in front of me with a disappointed look on her face. The more confident she is, the more she’s picking up on our moods and can read us better. She pulls her fingers from mine and nudges my hand aside to gently place hers on my knee right above my stump. Her eyes are steady as she holds my gaze.
“You don’t want me to see it? Is that it?” When I break our stare and look away her fingers press down slightly on my knee and she sighs. “Why? Why would you think I would be bothered by this? You are a hero in my eyes, Zack. This doesn’t make you less, it makes you more.”
I can feel the heat flooding my face as my eyes move back to hers and my voice is raspy when I say, “I don’t want you to pity me.”
A range of emotions passes over her face until her lips twitch and then she’s laughing.
“After everything…you saw the condition I was in, still am in some ways, and you think I would pity you because you are a warrior that has some damage?” She leans back on her heels and shakes her head. “I admire you. I wish I could be more like you. Darn it, Zack, how could you ever think that I could pity someone as strong as you?”
Her words fill me with a warm glow and I see the truth shining in her eyes. My grin comes back as something strikes me and I have to ask, “Avery, do you ever…swear?”
Her cheeks go pink and her eyes drop as she shakes her head but not before I read the why in her eyes. So many things he controlled to beat her down. Well not anymore.
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go soak if…if…you say…fuck.”
Her eyes fly back to mine and it only takes a beat before amusement is dancing in them.
She scrunches up her nose, purses her mouth and then says “Fudge!” before bursting out in giggles.
I can’t help but laugh too because she’s the cutest damn woman I’ve ever known. I help her back to her feet and spin her towards the door.
“Go get your swimsuit on, you degenerate. I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes.”
