Page 32 of Ravage

The thought of her being hurt and let down makes me want to slaughter anyone who makes her cry.

I love that she sees flaws in people and thinks they are beautiful. I was never enough for my family growing up—I was either too much to handle or, in comparison to my father, not enough. I was forgotten and tossed aside, treated like an insane criminal. But Avery accepts me for who I am, allowing me to be the devil in her dreamsandher nightmares.

And now I have a hard-on thinking about it.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, focusing on the two of them again.

"Are you even paying attention?" Damon snaps at me with a raised eyebrow.

Grinning, I shrug. "I was thinking about Avery's ass."

Her face flushes with embarrassment and a hint of need. I laugh, winking at her.

"I was saying that while you were at the appointment with Markel, I spoke to the guards. Apparently, Arthur is going to start conducting 'welfare checks' in the evenings."

"Meaning what exactly?"

Damon's eyes flicker over to Avery. "They are going to be checking the rooms to ensure people aresafe."

"To make sure we haven't killed ourselves?" Avery asks with disgust.

"That's the general story they are running with," Damon agrees. "But I don't believe them for a second. It's just another way to access patients without witnesses."

Her face twists with anguish. "And if they notice I'm not there, it's going to raise alarm bells."

"You're not staying there alone," I interject angrily.

Theo crosses his arms, eyes narrowing on Damon. "What is the plan then?"

Damon nods. "We're creating a schedule so that one of us is always in the Eastwood Wing keeping track. We'll monitor the guards to determine their checking times and make sure no one is taken from their rooms."

"Still unsure what this has to do with my ass," Avery mutters.

"We'll be there to make sure your ass stays glued to the bed," Damon says coolly. "But in rotation so that we aren't caught out of the rooms either and get rest just in case. Byrone is working on it at the moment. It appears we have gained enough access so that we can manipulate the systems to receive notificationsof which doors are being unlocked to know where they are at all times. One of us three will be watching your room specifically."

She relaxes slightly. "And what's the plan if they do try to take me?"

"We kill them," the three of us say in unison.

Avery smiles before shaking her head. "And if they kill you first?"

"You give them too much credit," I laugh. "The guards barely know their dicks from their toes—which I'll happily remove one by one."

"I've already removed fingers before," Theo teases. "Piece of cake."

"What if they try to take you?" Avery asks quietly.

Her expression changes, a darkness falling over her features. I can see her mentally reliving her time downstairs, my blood boiling when tears build up in her eyes. But they are quickly gone, her face hardening once she realizes what's threatening to come out.

"What did they do?"

My words cut through the silence in the room, asking the question that's been on all our minds. I don't know if she's ready to talk yet—but I do know some of what occurred downstairs. Damon filled me in this morning briefly and to say I'm murderous is an understatement.

They used Leah against her. Led Avery to believe I wasn't coming for her because I was with someone else.

The nerve of them, especially considering they are the reason she is dead in the first place.

I made a mistake once by letting my guard down. It will never happen again.

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