Page 87 of Exile and Embrace

Shaking my head, I start the boat again. “Ava, this is the life we’re trapped in. If it was my choice, this is not the life that I would give you.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it is, Finn. If I didn’t want to be here, I would have broken our agreement and left, but I’m not doing that.”

“Why?”

The corner of her mouth twitches. “Because, Finnigan Byrne, I think you need me just as much as I need you.”

As she helps me dump the body over the edge of the boat almost an hour later, I think she might be right.

There is a large part of me that needs her, even though I know I will never be the man she deserves.

But boy, how I wish I could be.

22

AVA

Zoe squeals as she runs through Aunt Courtney’s front yard and straight into my arms.

I laugh, stumbling backward as I try to keep the both of us upright.

She laughs as we rock, hugging me tighter before pulling away.

A visit with my sister is just what I need right now.

I called her the day after helping Finn dispose of a body, wanting to hear her voice, needing her close to me. Two seconds after she picked up, she told me that the first chance she got, she was getting on a plane out here.

Now, three days later, Zoe is finally here.

Tears flood my eyes as I hold my baby sister tighter.

I didn’t think that being away from her this long would be as hard as it is. “I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe that you came all the way out here to see me.”

“I needed to get away from planning that damn will reading.” She shakes her head as we walk through the front yard and into Aunt Courtney’s house. “I swear, the man had more stipulations for a will reading than a normal person. He wanted it to be some grand event, as if it isn’t just going to tear open all the old wounds.”

“Is Mom at least leaving you alone?” I crouch down to hug Lola as she comes barreling into my arms. Her tail thuds against the wall as I pet her fuzzy head. “She doesn’t have the number for my new phone, so I haven’t spoken to her at all.”

Zoe shakes her head as I stand, and we head into the kitchen. “No. As per Dad’s instructions, she gets the final say on everything.”

“Which means that she’s using this as an opportunity to be a pain in your ass and try and worm her way back into your life?”

Zoe laughs as she goes to help Aunt Courtney carry the food for dinner over to the table. “You’ve got that right. We’re speaking minimally, and it’s only because I have to. Any time she brings up something other than the will reading, the conversation is done.”

“I’m glad that you still have boundaries with her.”

Zoe nods. “There is no way that she is going to be shoving her way back into my life. Not that Christian would ever let her, even if I didn’t want to keep her out. You should see how he’s handling this entire thing.”

“I doubt that he’s happy about it at all.” Smiling, I grab a bottle of wine and some glasses. “It’s good to have you here, Zoe. I didn’t know if you were going to be able to come with everything else you have going on.”

Aunt Courtney smiles as she puts the tray of roast beef down and comes to hug me. “I’m so glad that you were able to bring Zoe out here. I was really hoping I would get to meet her.”

I pull out of the hug, and the three of us sit down to eat. “How have things been going here?”

Zoe plucks a couple of pieces of the roast beef from the tray and puts them onto her plate. “Everything here is good. We’ve been getting to know each other for the last couple hours.”

I spoon some mashed potatoes onto my plate and drown them with gravy. “That’s good. I would have been here sooner, but I had to finish packing away Dad’s things.”

Zoe’s gaze flickers to mine.

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