Page 109 of Fragile

As he moved away, Gabriel attempted to come to me but was stopped by one of the two guns Sean still held.

Max stood there, drinking in the scene, his face unreadable in the shadows.

“What have you done Ava?” Kai’s voice had dropped low. It sounded calm but calm before the storm I imagined. There was a definite thread of steel in that tone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about and tell your pig to let go of my arm!” she yelled, almost hysterical. Tears now running down her cheeks.

“AVA!” Kai yelled, making her jump which forced a shocked Lester to drop her arm. We all watched the drama in silence, open-mouthed. Whatever was going on wasn’t good, at least not for the girl.

“I’d know your handwriting anywhere, you little witch. I repeat. What. The fuck. Did you do?”

Kai was now terrifying to watch, his entire frame poised for aggression. OMG. Was Ava the mole he had mentioned?

Mine and Gabriel’s gazes connected and I shook my head as he again shuffled forward, Sean’s expression was now on the drama between his boss and the teenager.

My heart squeezed as Gabriel made it over to me and dropped onto his knees.

“It’s alright, don’t worry. We’re going to get out of here,” he whispered, running his hands down my face.

“I was so worried about you,” I replied, my voice sounding scratchy.

“Same,” Gabriel choked out with a smile that was almost my undoing. I loved him so much.

“If you don’t tell me what you’ve done, Ava. I can’t protect you,” Kai was saying, the scene of possible betrayal playing out like a gangster drama.

Max watched in silence from beside Sean. Like two mates at a football match, ironic really.

“Protect me? No one can protect me. I fucking hate him!” she screamed.

“You ungrateful slut. He gave you and your mother a fucking home,” Kai returned, now starting to pace like a tiger in front of her. “You’ve really fucked up this time.”

“I don’t care, I want him inside and as far away from my mom and me as possible, either that or dead. Yes, in fact. I want him dead!”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, you silly, silly little girl,” Kai snarled. He then tore open the envelope and started pulling out what looked like papers and photographs.

Shaking his head, he twisted a look at Gabriel before turning back to face her. “Looks like your plan didn’t work so well little sister.”

“Go to hell! You have no idea what he’s like. He disgusts me.”

Kai’s shoulders slumped and he exhaled noisily before walking over to an old oil drum. He threw the documents inside and then pulled out a lighter. The flames flickered into the sky like serpent tongues as he started to burn whatever evidence Ava had dug up on whoever ‘he’ was.

As the drama continued, Max joined us and started to run his hands over my legs and upper torso.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Gabriel hissed, not happy that his friend was touching me.

Max growled with exasperation, “I’m looking for injuries, not copping a fucking feel!”

“Fine,” Gabriel shot back.

Max whipped his hands away and then started trying to snap the cable ties as Gabriel searched for something sharp. Hopefully, we’d be able to sneak out while their family crisis continued to play out.

I watched warily over their shoulders in case Sean noticed the two men he was supposed to be guarding were now attempting to untie me.

Stiffening, Kai’s deep, powerful voice rumbled from his position in the centre of the room.

“You’re fucked Ava, both you and your mother. You should have come to me first, I could have helped you, protected you both.” I could hear the regret in his voice, which shook slightly as he spoke.

“Protect me, since when have you ever done that? You never listen to what I say, you’re as bad as he is by turning the other way,” Ava sobbed.

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