“Yes.”
“It’s a real thing, and I experienced it that day.” He exhaled. “As soon as I saw you, a red haze clouded my vision. It took everything in me not to hunt that bastard down and kill him. The only reason I didn’t is because of Magnus. He needed me to take care of him so he could take care of you.”
Ava’s hand stilled on his stomach. She waited patiently for him to say more.
“Plus, I knew my brother was gonna do everything in his power to ensure Rivers could never do that to anyone else again.”
“My mother beat him to it.”
Trey hugged her closer. “She did.”
“I like to think of it as her way of slaying the monster for me,” she whispered.
“I don’t think you’re wrong in thinkin’ that.” He pressed another kiss to her forehead.
They were quiet for a moment, and Ava was convinced he’d fallen asleep when his gruff voice broke through the silence.
“I know what you’ve been workin’ on with JJ.”
She flinched. “You do?”
Trey exhaled heavily. “Ava, I know you want justice for that woman—”
“She deserves it,” she countered before he could finish that sentence.
“She does. However…”
It took everything in her not to pull away, but she waited patiently for him to speak his piece.
“I need you to let the task force handle it.”
“Why?”
Trey shifted back, and Ava could feel the heat of his stare. She forced her gaze to meet his.
“Because we wouldn’t survive if somethin’ happened to you.”
Ava wanted to counter that nothing would, but she’d already given that some thought. After JJ had dug deeper into Harrison’s father, Ava learned just how powerful the man—the whole family—really was. If she and JJ were right, he was powerful enough to make people disappear. Not only that, but he had the connections to ensure they were never found or looked for.
So rather than argue, Ava conceded. “If I promise I won’t speak up or draw attention to myself, can I still relay information to JJ so she can look into it?”
Trey relaxed, pulling her closer again. “You’ve got to tell Magnus.”
Ava clamped her teeth together. She’d been battling that dilemma for the past couple of weeks. She hated keeping secrets from him, but she knew if she told him what she’d been doing, he’d lose his mind. Ava told herself she’d kept it a secret for his benefit.
“I’ll be right there with you,” Trey assured her, kissing her forehead again.
“Okay.” Ava wrapped her arm over his stomach and hugged him close. “Trey?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
She felt more than heard the hitch in his breath and waited patiently for his reaction. She’d wanted to tell him how she felt, but she’d been scared it would send him running. She knew Magnus was still keeping some distance between them for that very reason. And while she respected his need for self-preservation, Ava didn’t have that much restraint.
“I just wanted you to know,” she whispered when he didn’t respond.
“I love you, too, girl,” he said just as softly.
