“I’m not blaming you, Ava. I’m blaming him. He would be all too happy to get me out of the picture.”
Ava heaved a sigh and shook her head. “That’s not true. I know you don’t want to hear this, but there’s really no reason for him to be jealous because I’m in love with my husband, not you. You can leave all the roses you’d like, Raven, but I belong with Alex.”
He heaved a sigh as he tightened his fingers into fists. “Your allegiance lies only with Alex Stone, and that’s why I question your loyalty.”
He stepped toward her, and she instinctively scrambled backward.
Raven’s head cocked before it shook. “Ava…you have no reason to be afraid of me.”
“Don’t I? You knock me out repeatedly, kidnap me, zip-tie my wrists, and constantly accuse me of betrayal. Yet somehow, I’m supposed to leave Alex for you.”
“Everything I have done–”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said with a dismissive wave. “For me or to beat The Board or whatever. I’m sick of this, Raven. We can’t beat The Board when we can’t even trust each other.”
“You don’t trust me? I’ve gone out on a limb for you more than once.”
“Yeah, well, so have I for you. I just helped you fight off two attackers, then handed over my weapon. And you don’t trust me. Maybe it’s time this arrangement came to an end.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Raven said as he reached into his pocket.
He lunged forward, spraying the canister in her face.
As the gas hit her, her eyes rolled back in her head. She fell forward, collapsing against Raven before she blacked out.
When she opened her eyes again, darkness surrounded her. She blinked a few times before she tried to sit up. Herhead swam as she tried to place herself. Something seemed familiar, a scent, the feel of the fabric on which she lay.
As her eyes adjusted, her heart skipped a beat. She reached sideways, finding a lamp on the bedside table and flicking it on. “Home?”
Before she could think any further, the door burst open. Alex raced in with Kyle behind him. “Ava?”
“Alex?”
“Ava!” His features twisted with relief as he raced to her and pulled her into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him close. “I’m fine.”
She glanced over Alex’s shoulder at Kyle, who shifted his weight from foot to foot across the room before she reached a hand out to him.
He reluctantly crept forward, squeezing her hand.
Alex pulled back, gently rubbing a thumb against her cheek. “Thank goodness you’re home. I was so worried.”
Ava heaved a sigh. “There isn’t much to worry about, but I’m glad I’m home, too. Unfortunately, I think it means our association with Raven has come to an end.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wait,” Kyle said, his eyes going wide. “Was one of the guys at that loft Raven?”
Ava’s lips parted as she stared at him. “What loft?”
“The loft you were presumably at with the two dead Board pawns,” Kyle said.
Ava shifted her gaze from Kyle to Alex, her eyes questioning. “You were at the loft? How did you find it?”
“He’s using my own program to hide your cell phone location. I hacked it to send me your location with a ten-minute delay so he wouldn’t notice. We went to the loft…and found the two dead people.”
Ava bobbed her head. “They came while we were there. With a little help from me, he killed them both.”
