Page 110 of Fragile

“Turning the other way from what? You’re a lying little cow and you’d do anything for attention. Burning down the gym at school not to mention the other shit you’ve pulled,” Kai growled, maintaining a safe distance from her. His hands were fisted by his sides. I sure hoped they didn’t hurt her. She was borderline hysterical.

She sniffed and dashed a hand down her cheek which left a dirty smear.

“I never lied about that—about what he did to me, or—tried to do.”

“My Da never touched you, Ava. It’s all in your fucking warped head. Yes, he may be a monster but not that kind. He despises that type of shit.” I translated Da to the Irish version of Dad. So, Ava had dug up some dirt on Kai’s father and sent it to Gabriel for some reason.

“It shows how well you don’t know him. I hate him and I hate you—and you can go to hell with your father.”

And then everything seemed to go to shit.

Ava moved so fast it was almost a blur, the jerk of my body causing Gabriel and Max to push to their feet. You could taste blood in the air as she slid her hand inside Lester’s jacket and drew his gun on Kai.

She aimed it directly at his chest, her face full of fury.

Kai’s entire frame seemed to grow larger and an eerie quiet entered the space. “Ava, lower the gun, it’s over now,” he said, raising his arms. With a flick of his hand, he motioned for Sean to stand down as he moved towards his boss's side. He had his own gun in his hand and Gabriel’s tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

“It’s not fucking over. How stupid do you think I am? I had a duplicate pack and it’s already with the police. Both were sent through different couriers as I had a feeling you had one of them in your pocket. I sent Garrett’s mutt a pack as insurance.”

Fucking hell. The tension just jumped up another notch.

“What the fuck, Ava!” Kai bellowed, jamming his hand into his hair.

“Your father is finished, Kai, and so are you.”

Ava then pulled the trigger; the bullet flew from the gun and I jammed my eyes closed as both Gabriel and Max jumped in front of me.

There was a grunt of pain and sheer terror had me jamming my wrists up, the plastic cutting into my skin. Fear that Gabriel had been shot caused a whirlwind of despair.

As the smoke from the gun cleared and the boys turned to face the action, I saw Kai. The small red dot on his white shirt started to grow. Ava had shot her stepbrother and just stood there looking at the damage she had caused with a pained, yet horrified expression.

Another beat passed as everyone realised what had happened and Sean moved, his gun still aimed at Ava. Her stricken eyes widened and she dropped the gun she had been holding and ran for the exit. Sean pulled the trigger but Kai rammed his arm up into the air, knocking the gun and the bullet missed her, hitting the ceiling.

Ava made it out of the door unhurt. Then Kai turned on his man, still holding his side, clearly in pain.

“Are you fucking nuts, what the hell were you thinking?” he belted, sweat starting to form on his face.

Sean stepped back with the gun lowered. “She shot you,” he pointed out.

“It’s a scratch and she’s a fucking child, are you out of your mind? Lester, go after her and under no circumstances are you to use your gun. I want her back here alive. Understood?”

“Boss,” he said with a nod of his head before running out the door.

Gabriel’s hands fell onto my shoulders from behind in a protective reassuring way and I just wanted it to be over.

We all watched in silence as Lester fled after Ava and Sean shoved his gun into his jacket, annoyed that he’d been told off for trying to protect his boss.

Kai walked over to the table with the vodka, his expression pained as he lifted his shirt from his jeans and touched the wound. I saw a flash of his strong abdominal muscles as his fingers came away red and my stomach somersaulted. I sure hoped I didn’t throw up.

“Motherfucker,” Kai said, shooting us a glance. He then tugged his shirt off over his head. His massive body was rippled with muscles and covered in tattoos and several nasty-looking scars. I imagined each of them had a story of their own.

Dashing a hand through his hair he then balled up his shirt, lifted the vodka bottle and splashed some onto the wound. “Fuck,” he growled, his eyes closing from the sting of the alcohol.

Kai then took a slug from the bottle and poured the rest onto his shirt, before pressing it against his side to stem the flow of blood.

Gabriel made to speak but Kai held up a finger as he used his free hand to get his phone. Swiping the screen with his thumb. He then held it to his ear. “I need to call my Da. You had better pray that yours is with him. He’ll need his best counsel to sort this shit storm out.”

And then the penny dropped. Gabriel’s father worked for Kai’s. So, the dodgy people Garrett was mixed up with was this family, the Kinlan’s.

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