Page 22 of Secret Redemption

Samson whimpered and looked at Zack with big doggy eyes as he stalked away angrily, slamming through the door, and bumping Dane in the shoulder as he passed.

Everyone was silent for a beat, and then the room erupted in laughter, even Celeste and Kanan saw the funny side and started laughing and grinning.

Ava joined in with the laughter and felt as if a weight had lifted off her for a second. The worry over Zack finding out about Riley had lifted, the stress of the Divine Watchers and Zin’s apparent defection, even the underlying anxious feelings about her and Zack were gone as she watched people she cared about finding humour in any situation.

Jace flung an arm over Lucy as they walked back through the door and whispered something in her friend’s ear that made her smile grow bigger. Ava loved how in love they were. Then she noticed Nate slip his phone out of his pocket and grin stupidly at something he was reading—only a woman could elicit a smile like that from a man, and there was only one woman for him. Her gaze swung to Dane and Daniel who were sharing a joke about something.

Dane was also head over tea-kettle, a saying she had heard Mimi use, for his fiancé Lauren and showed the scan picture of his babies around at every opportunity. As they all filed into the conference room to face a pissed off Zack, she had the strangest pang of wanting another child.

A baby sister for Riley with blonde curls and big blue eyes. She glanced up, caught the same big blue eyes as those in her daydream, and quickly shook off her silliness.

Everyone sat back down, but the room wasn’t quiet, everyone was talking, and a few glances were sent towards Kanan and Celeste who had entered last and now stood at opposite ends of the room. Celeste was glaring, and Kanan looked like an angry bear—a sexy gruff bear but a bear nonetheless.

She felt Zack’s eyes on her and turned towards him, the sexy frown turned into a sexy smile, and she felt a shiver run through her body. She tried in vain to fight the reaction, not wanting him to see but failed miserably. Instead of being a gentleman and ignoring it, he smirked, and his eyes roamed over her in a caress that she felt to her toes.

He looked away suddenly, dismissing her and banged his hand on the desk. Ava tried to hide her anger and indignation as Zack started the meeting again, but it was hard. Once again, she was getting suckered into his ‘dicksand’.

Dicksand was like quicksand but with dicks, and she fell for Zack’s Every. Damn. Time. Not that it had taken a lot she reflected, in fact, if she wanted to be fair he hadn’t been a dick at all, but, fuck it. She wasn’t feeling fair, and he wasn’t playing fair so he could kiss her ass about that.

Having decided once again to pull up her big girl panties, she tuned back into the meeting.

“So, as I was saying before K made his dramatic appearance. I want this team to concentrate on finding Zin and securing the book he’s after. Ava and I will go after the book. Dane,” he pointed, “you need to co-ordinate Nate, Liam, and Sly. Daniel, I want the new recruits ready to go by the end of the month. Lucy, you’re training with Emme. Drew, I want you to train with the others. Luce and Drew, can you also help Will as and when he needs it? I want our network tighter than a nun’s knickers.” Zack stood hands on hips, his presence and command of the room was something to see. All the men and one of the women in the room were deadly but every single one looked at Zack and knew he was in charge, and no one questioned it. Not only that, they all liked and respected him. It was, Ava had to grudgingly admit, his natural ability as a leader and his willingness to die for each and every person there that made them feel the way they did.

He looked at her and then spoke to the room at large. “I don’t have to tell you guys how much is riding on us. If this goes south, we’re all fucked, and I refuse to allow that to happen. Any questions?”

“Yeah, what’s the plan for securing Fortis from any more attacks both cyber or any other?” Daniel asked.

“Nate has asked a friend of his, who I also know personally, to come and secure the entire area around Fortis and within a mile radius. It’s all high-grade military security, and he’ll be working in conjunction with Will on this. He’s due here this afternoon.”

Daniel nodded at this. “Do you want me to coordinate that while Lucy heads up the training?”

Ava saw a strange look pass over Zack’s face before he addressed Daniel again, and she realised with his question that it was worry she had seen. “If you feel you can and it won’t take you away from Paige too much. I want that to be your choice, Dan,”

“Paige is good, and nobody wants these fucker’s dead more than me. They took my wife and my daughter’s mother. These fucks need to die.” The rigid set of his jaw and the cold look in his eyes was a far cry from the warm, yet sombre man Ava had come to know, and for the first time, she could see how he had been such a cold and deadly operator. His love for his family and friends fed his need for justice.

“Fine. In that case Lucy, you take over the training of the recruits, and Daniel get this place nuke proof ASAP.”

“Okay, if that’s it, then let’s go kick some Watcher ass.”

Ava went to push her chair back and follow the others as they left, but Zack stayed her with a touch to her arm.

“Stay please,” he asked, she sat back down. “Celeste, K, why don’t you quit glaring at each other and sit down. I want this ironed out, so I have one less thing to worry about.”

Kanan crossed his arms over his massive chest and just looked at Zack angrily.

That pissed Ava off. Zack had done nothing but try and help him, and at every turn, Kanan had been a douchebag to him.

“Sit the fuck down and act like a grown-up,” Ava spat, as she flashed K a furious look. “Honestly, Riley would have been on the naughty step by now. In fact, I think my baby has more sense in his head than you do.” She heard Zack snort and twisted to find him grinning at her.

“My boy has sense like his daddy,” Zack smirked, and Ava just squinted at him and tried to remain unaffected by all that was Zack.

“Our boy has the sense his Mama gave him,” she returned.

“Our boy?!” Kanan boomed, and they both turned to him.

“Yeah. Just found out last night Ava and I have a son together.”

Ava watched in abject fascination as the two men who had been estranged for years and had been fighting not two minutes ago were now embracing as Kanan slapped Zack on the back.

There was back-slapping and man hugs as Kanan congratulated Zack as if he had done all the work. Well, granted he had put in the effort at the very beginning of Riley’s life, but since then it had been all her and now Zack was getting the praise. She rolled her eyes, and Celeste giggled.

It dawned on her then that her friend had probably known her secret all along and if not the whole time then certainly from early on.

Celeste came to stand beside her and whispered as she looped her arm through Ava’s “I’m not really angry, but I couldn’t just let him get away with it, could I?”

Ava laughed too and looked at her friend. “You sure you’re okay sugar?”

Celeste dropped her head for a second and then looked her in the eye. “Yes, but I’m worried about him,” Ava knew exactly which him Celeste was referring to and it wasn’t Kanan.

“I have a sneaky suspicion my friend has fallen in love with Zin,”

Celeste tensed and stepped away shaking her head. “No. It’s not that... I… we…,” she paused and then continued, “We’re friends, and I care about him, the same as I do everyone here. This is the first family I’ve had since I lost my parents.”

Ava surveyed her face and then went on, “Honey, let me tell you something, I know that look, and that is the look of someone in love.”

Celeste shook her head, “How could you possibly know that?” she asked, her voice husky with emotion and denial.

“Because sweetheart, I’ve seen that look in the mirror for the last three years.”