Page 98 of Her Faithful Protector

“But I guess everybody has a weakness.”

Jack’s eyes narrow as if mocking Cooper. “He just couldn’t resist. Maybe Amethyst Avenue held some significance to him. For whatever reason, he returned. That son of a bitch returned.” His voice trembles with anger.

“You need a break?” I check in, hoping to give Jack a moment to collect himself.

“No. Let’s finish this. There’s got to be more to it.” He sits back down, determined.

He clicks on another document that summarizes the income Cooper received from selling his kidnap victims to various underworld mobs, spanning from New York to Mexico. If Cooper kidnapped his victims to sell them, I can’t imagine the chances that Jack escaped, thrived, and ended up with me.

Nothing on the page seems to catch Jack’s interest, so he moves on to another document, which appears slightly different. Although it still lacks proper formatting, there are headings. It provides information about Cooper’s arrest and trial.

Jack smiles victoriously.

This time, a nine-year-old boy had bested the crooked cop. The boy was from Cuba, abducted at a shopping mall in Orlando. The boy fled from Amethyst Avenue and positively identified his kidnapper in a lineup. That was the end of Cooper and his reign of terror.

“Take that, you despicable slime!” Jack exclaims.

Then both our eyes land on the same section of the document, stating that Cooper is currently serving time in Florida State Prison.

His face pleads with me, but he lacks the courage to say it.

“Tell me what you want, Jack.”

He takes my hand in his. “Ava. Sweetheart. If I’m honest, I don’t want to face him alone. But asking you to come with me to a prison and confront a criminal you should never meet would be too much.”

His honesty validates that we have come to a point in our relationship where we can communicate without any reservations.

“Nothing is above me, Jack. I’ll go with you to Florida.”

A smile spreads across his lips. Nothing and no one can prevent me from supporting the man I love.

36

JACK

Dread and anticipation lace my heartbeats as I prepare to confront Scalpel—John Cooper, the man who ruined my childhood. Thankfully, I have Ava by my side, my rock and pillar of strength.

We arrived in Tampa last night. The flight from Helena gave me ample time to feel anxious, but I had someone else taking care of that for me—baby Quinton. Well, to be precise, it was Quinton and his entourage, Morgan and Tyler. The journey was easier than I anticipated.

We just finished our breakfast at the hotel.

“I owe you guys,” I say to Morgan and Tyler.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Morgan says. “It’s like a second honeymoon for us. Only with a baby.”

Ava smiles at her best friend. “Consider it practice, Mrs. Hunt!”

Morgan looks at her husband for support, and Tyler seems to be on Ava’s side. “Well, she’s not wrong, baby,” he tells his wife.

“Babe, I love kids,” Morgan admits, her hand tickling Quinton’s belly, sending the baby to giggle and bounce in hischair. “But it’s nice to be able to hand them over to their mother when you’ve had enough.”

“I won’t pressure you, Wolf Girl, you know that,” Tyler affirms, calling Morgan’s nickname. The couple shares a kiss until Tyler reminds himself, “We have a lot on our plates. In fact, I’m actually on the clock here.”

Red Mark, or rather, my brother Sam, insisted that Tyler come with us to be Quinton’s official bodyguard while Ava and I visit the prison.

“Can we go now, Ava Belle?” I whisper.

Her eyebrows burrow. “Our visitation isn’t until this afternoon.”

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