Page 21 of Secret Redemption

She hated the idea of anyone getting the best of her, and she absolutely despised losing at anything. It drove her mother nuts and made her father grin and puff his chest with pride, unless he was the one losing, and that only happened when they played scrabble.

This bet with Zack though was one she couldn’t afford to lose. Could she play him at his own game or was the risk to big? Right now, she didn’t know and was too tired to figure it out. She closed her eyes and dropped her head, letting her hair fall forward, giving her a minute of respite. Ava felt someone sit in the chair Zack had vacated and brought her head up.

Lucy was looking at her with a kind, understanding smile.

“Rough night?” she asked in an understanding tone. Ava studied her for a moment and saw the blueish tinges still shadowing her eyes. Lucy was still suffering immensely from the loss of her big sister, and it broke Ava’s heart.

Lucy, Lizzie, and Celeste had been good friends to her in the last few months. The loss of Lizzie had hit them all hard, but Lucy felt deeply, and Ava knew she was hurting still.

Smiling she answered the question. “Rough night? Let’s see. First, we were held at gunpoint by Zin, who seems to have reverted to being “the Viper”, following that, Zack discovered he was a father to a two-and-a-half-year-old, and then we got shot at trying to get out, and Zack was hit. And let’s not forget the most important and embarrassing bit. That would be me throwing myself at Zack in his kitchen and almost getting caught by my father. Oh, and it turns out dear old dad has known for months that Zack was Riley’s father, which was why he sent me here in the first place to force the issue. So yeah. It’s been a rough night,” Ava took a breath, then laughed at the look on Lucy’s face and her open mouth.

“YOU WHAT?” she shouted, and everyone stopped and looked at them.

Ava felt heat crawl up her neck at the attention. “Shhh,” she said and waved at Lucy to quieten down.

“But you nearly jumped Zack’s bones? In the kitchen at his place and your dad caught you? You can’t say that to me and not expect me to react.” Lucy scooted closer and grabbed her hand. “Tell me!” she demanded and Ava tried to smother the feeling of happiness she felt at having a friend like Lucy. She had never really had female friends until she’d come here. She had always been around boys and found girls didn’t like her much. She’d tried, but they didn’t get her, and she didn’t get them.

The Fortis team had offered her the first real female friendships she had experienced, and it was just one more thing to add in the tick box in Zack’s favour.

Lucy was practically bouncing in her seat. “Has he got moves? Did he do you on the kitchen counter?” Lucy asked with a lascivious grin.

“Yes, he has moves and no he did not. That is in the past. We have a son, and I had a moment of weakness after a stressful situation. Zack and I will work out a co-parenting arrangement like adults and keep our relationship platonic.” Ava said the words with conviction and felt like the strong, in control, independent woman she was. Until Lucy threw back her head and let out the loudest laugh she had ever heard. She continued to laugh until tears ran down her cheeks, and every man in the room was crowded around them.

“Lucy? Babe, you okay?” Jace said as he knelt beside her and put a hand on her knee in a supportive and intimate gesture that made Ava’s heart flip. He had a worried look on his face. Lucy wiped her eyes and got herself under control.

“Tell him, tell him what you said.”

Ava frowned and repeated what she had said to Lucy about co-parenting with Zack. Jace smiled and stood, putting his hand on Ava’s shoulder and shaking his head slowly as Nate looked at her with a sad, pitying look. Dane rolled his eyes, and Daniel smiled at her as if offering an apology.

“Oh Ava, you are so sweet,” Lucy said and rose and walked to the door. “I really needed that laugh. Thank you hunny. Hey, I’m hungry, I’m going to get something to eat,” she declared as she slipped through the door as Drew grinned and followed.

“Me too, wait up!” he shouted.

Ava sat for a second wondering what the hell had just happened and why everyone thought she was being funny. What was so funny about her and Zack co-parenting? Why was that funny? Rushing, she followed Lucy out the room and followed the voices towards the reception area. Pulling open the door she stopped short as she saw Zack trying to protect Kanan from a seriously pissed off Celeste and a growling Samson.

If it hadn’t been so scary, it would have been funny. No scratch that, it was funny. Kanan was peering over Zack’s shoulder at Celeste and Samson.

The whole team was watching on in bemused silence as Kanan tried to speak to Celeste.

“Celeste, I just want to talk to you.”

“Oh, now you want to acknowledge my presence?” she snapped as she paced back and forth while Samson growled with bared teeth at Kanan.

“Celeste, call this beast off,” Zack demanded, and Celeste just glared at him and muttered something under her breath.

Ava leaned against the wall and settled in to enjoy the show.

“Celeste, seriously call him off!” Zack growled.

The girl turned and folded her arms over her chest, “Seriously Zack, you can move. It’s not you that he’s growling at, it’s that numbnuts!” she bit out.

“Yes, but I can’t have Samson getting blood on the floor, from this idiot, can I?” he replied, throwing a thumb back indicating Kanan, who was about to step round Zack until Samson snarled and bared his teeth again, causing Kanan to jump back and go a funny shade of green.

Dane, Daniel, and Jace were actively smirking like schoolboys now, and Drew, Will, and Lucy were openly laughing.

“You are all fired,” Zack shouted and went to walk away, but Kanan grabbed him, using him as a human shield between him and the dog.

Zack shrugged him off and turned to him. “You fucked this up, and you need to fix it now. We have too much shit going on to deal with theatrics.” He turned on Celeste then who was smirking at Kanan. “And you. You need to call that dog off before I call the fucking dog warden to take his ass to the vets.”