Page 51 of Three Hearts Hideaway

Showing up at her home uninvited.

Putting her down.

Making her believe she was worthless.

When Roman got off the phone, he would call Jerry and make him fly them to Ottawa tomorrow. He didn’t care that it was after midnight. He’d promise Jerry a year’s worth of free drinks at The White Pine Pub. Flight plans were probably a thing that needed to happen, but he had no clue about that. He was supposed to fly Ava home tomorrow, anyway. If anyone could make it work, Jerry would.

Because he was going to see Ava as soon as possible.

And he was going to fucking kill Sebastian.

ROMAN

“Come back, Ava. We’ll take care of you.”

“I don’t know if I can. ”

He gripped the phone tightly, wishing it was Ava he was holding on to. “You don’t mean that, love. You don’t.”

“Thank you. For the time I got to spend with you. For treating me so well. Tell Logan I say thank you, too.”

“Ava. This is bullshit. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but it’s true. This isn’t the Ava I know.”

She was quiet on the other end, but her steady breaths sounded through the line.

“You’re coming back to us. End of story.”

“I told you Sebastian was done with me, but he says that all the time. He won’t actually let me go, and I want to be strong enough to tell him off, but I don’t know if I am.”

“Fucking tough. He can come to Little Greenfield and try to get you back. We’ll tell him no for you.”

More silence. More tears he wished he could reach through the phone and wipe away.

“This is what you want? Both of you?” Hope filled her voice.

His insides ached at the question. “Of course it is, love. Do you really doubt?”

“Sebastian really got in my head. Everything’s been so fast with you and Logan. I want to make sure this is what you both want, too.”

“Ava, we’ll be there tomorrow. So gather your things. Everything you want to have for the next few weeks, pack. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

He prayed to the universe that she was nodding in the silence on the other end of the line.

“Do you hear me, love? I need you to answer me.”

“I hear you.” Her voice was more confident now.

“Good. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Go to sleep and don’t give that jag another second of your thoughts. Dream of me. I’ll be dreaming of you.”

“Goodnight, Roman.”

“Goodnight, love.”

The flirty, wonderful woman he’d fallen for was shaken. All in less than a day. He understood some people were capable ofholding a kind of power over others, but he’d never witnessed it until now.

The way Ava talked about herself tonight was proof that Sebastian had been manipulating and controlling her for a long period of time.

If he ever saw Sebastian, he’d lay him out flat on his egotistical ass. Logan would be itching to put him in his place as well. It wouldn’t surprise him if he was planning how to hurt the motherfucker in the worst possible way.

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