Page 108 of Fragile

“Move. Nice and slow,” Kai’s lackey instructed. Gabriel’s jaw ticked as he lifted his hands and did as he was told. I wanted to throw my arms around him and hold his head against my chest.

“I have what you wanted, so let her go,” Gabriel snarled.

Ava suddenly released a cry of panic and I felt a surge of pity for her. She was now hopping from one foot to the other and chewing her bottom lip. Something was off.

Gabriel mouthed to ask if I was OK and I nodded my head, releasing a breath when Kai moved the gun away and shoved it into the waistband of his jeans.

“Let’s see then,” he said, approaching the other man with his hand outstretched.

There was another loud crash from the doorway as what looked like Max suddenly came careering through the entrance.

“What the fuck?” Kai shouted, dropping his hand as all the men drew their guns. Sean, having Gabriel’s weapon, trained two pistols on the big guy.

Max straightened to his towering height and scowled at Sean, but he still raised his hands. Max was slightly leaner than the big guy but he had more height. The look in his eyes could have burned steel.

“You’re a big fucker, aren’t you?” Kai began with a quirk of his head. “Please, join us. Come and stand with your buddy,” he said, flicking the gun to motion Max over. He looked pissed off and dangerous but rather dazed. My stomach sank, this wasn’t the rescue I was hoping for.

Ava made to move away but Lester holstered his gun and caught her arm, telling her to stay put.

“You’re shit at following orders. What part of go around the back didn’t you understand?” Gabriel suddenly whisper-shouted at Max as the gap closed between them. Max bristled at the tone and gave him a look that said it all.

“There isn’t a fucking ‘back’ shithead, there’s a wall and that’s it. That’s why I came around the front.” Max made the quotation marks with his fingers on the word back, totally unperturbed that there was a gun trained on them and I was tied to a bloody chair. I helplessly lifted my ‘hi there’ eyebrows as he raised a hand to acknowledge my presence. The scene unfolding was becoming more bizarre by the minute.

“You’re fucking useless, did you even bring a gun?” Irrespective of the drama going on, my heart was burning to the point of self-destruction.

“I work in construction you ungrateful twat, I’m not Al-fucking-Capone,” Max thundered. “I’m also hung the fuck over.”

I watched with my mouth open like a dead fish as the scene before me started to turn into a farce. Did these men not understand who they were dealing with?

Kai had moved to stand close to them and was watching the scene with a slightly amused expression, his gaze shifting back and forth as they spoke. His gun was away and his arms were crossed over his chest.

Gabriel’s comeback was a dissatisfied grumble.

“What did you say?” Max snapped, with a blistering glare that could peel paint from a wall. “Next time, you can go around the back, I stood in fucking dog shit it’s that dark. You owe me a pair of Timberlands.”

“You whine like a bitch,” Gabriel bit back, before briefly glancing at Ava. His confidence was unshakable, how could he be so calm in such a fucked-up situation.

There were a couple of sniggers from the two henchmen and then Kai shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.

He then caught their attention as he stated in a disbelieving tone, “When you two have finished your lover’s tiff, do you think we could get on with business?”

“Yes. Fine. Here,” Gabriel said as he threw the envelope over. I recognised it as the one that Max had signed for ages ago. To be honest I had completely forgotten about it.

“The content has nothing to do with me. I only found it after your message. I’m no fucking snitch.”

Kai turned the envelope over in his hands and read the front, his eyes narrowing before his face changed; darkening slightly before turning grave.

“Who sent this to you?” he snapped.

Gabriel glanced briefly at a terrified Ava, who shook her head before he shrugged.

“Haven’t a fucking clue. You can see it’s postmarked and a recorded delivery; I didn’t send it to myself. Now let her go.” I could see the fury he was trying to hold at bay as I remained trapped in the chair.

There was a long-drawn-out silence as disbelief shot across Kai’s face.

“You’re fucking shitting me,” he said to himself before raising his gaze to drill it into Ava. She was ashen-faced and trying to yank her arm free of Lester’s hold.

“Watch them,” Kai ordered Sean.

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