“Because you were a kid, and it was the only thing you could do.” She slams her hand on my chest, bringing me back to the moment.
She whimpers when I take her hand and pull her against me. “That was why I left alone last year. I thought the same thing was going to happen. When I ran, and I saw they were following me, all of them, I thought I’d done the right thing. Even if it tore me apart.”
“It’s okay,” she whispers.
“It’s not. I should’ve circled around, lost them, come back, and explained. I should’ve…”
“We can’t do anything about that now,” she says, taking a small step back. “But we can make the right choices going forward, yeah?”
“Together,” I say. “For Theo.”
“I’m so sorry, Rafe. About your mother.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly. My phone vibrates in my pocket. “That’s your boss.” I take it out. As expected, there’s a text from Adrian.
“Really?”
“He’s helping me,” I say, reading the address of the bar. “He’s a good person, Ava. I was wrong about him.”
I put my phone away and take two long strides. Wrapping her in my arms, I pull her in for a kiss. She meets my lips with an almost pained gasp, like she can’t take the closeness. But soon enough, she’s melting into me, her hands automatically curling around my waist.
She breaks away panting, knowing eyes staring up at me. “I’m assuming that text is urgent.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“So… raincheck.” She steps back with a small smile.
I turn and stride toward the elevator. It’s time to see my little cousin, perhaps wring his neck.
“The prick knew he had a tail,” I grunt.
Dante nods solemnly from the passenger seat. “Yep.”
He’s led Adrian’s man right across the city, to an upscale bar full of finance and tech bros and college kids. There’s no way anyone is going to start a gun fight in a place like this. It’s too public, too many civilians. They’ll want to avoid it for the heat. And I just don’t want to kill people who don’t deserve it.
“I can still talk to him.” I reach for the door handle.
“I’ll come, just in case.”
“Hang at the bar.”
“That’s a plan.”
We walk across to the club together. There’s a long line, which I’ve got no interest in. Dante approaches the bouncer and offers him a wad of cash. He’s done it so many times, he’s got a routine to it. A minute later, the bouncer is waving us through the doors.
He weaves toward the bar. I notice the way women look at him. Maybe a few are looking at me too, but none of them even come close to Ava.
I scan the bar looking for Tony, assuming I might have to search the back rooms, but I don’t have to look far. There he is. The slick prick is sitting at a corner booth with four bulky Hungarians surrounding him. I walk across to the club and drop into the free seat. Tony doesn’t look surprised to see me, a small smile playing at his lips.
He gestures to the men, then says something in Hungarian. When they’re gone, he moves to a seat closer to me, offering that shiny smile. “Evening, cousin.”
In my head, I’ve got my hand around his throat, squeezing until his eyes bulge and his face turns red. I’m shattering his teeth on the table. But that would mean a public fight. Perhaps guns and casualties. This fucking asshole.
“Since you came all this way to surprise me,” Tony says. “Maybe you should say whatever’s on your mind.”
“How do you think this ends for you?” I growl. “Honestly, Tony. What do you think happens?”
“There’s a good chance my men and I make the right play,” Tony says, shrugging. “You just don’t get it. Your father fled the country like a coward. He was going to let you die. And you think youstillget to be Don?”
