Page 11 of Revenge

The silence suddenly pressed down on me like a physical force.

Scratching my jaw, I considered my next moves.

Ava had collated incriminating evidence which had sent my father to prison. Before I divvied out her punishment, I intended to establish why she did it and who she was working with.

Sending Gerard down was her true crime and luckily for her, unrealised by the men in my organisation. I would keep it that way, for a price.

Ava had also shot me the day I found out about her betrayal, but I’d let that slide, for now.

“So, do you wantmeto go fetch her?”

I pondered Nico’s words and then made the right decision. If you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.

“No, I’ll go,” I stated firmly. “Tell my pilot to get the jet ready; I’ll take Lester and Sean, and put a team of four on us for security detail. That leaves you in charge of handling things here. Once Hamish has finished downstairs, I want him back at the casino.”

“Boss,” Nico nodded in agreement. “How are you going to do it?”

“I’ll go to Milan and drag Ava back by the hair if she forces my hand. This is no longer about revenge.”

“No?”

“No, it’s about redemption,” I said with a determined smile.

Nico’s eyes clashed with mine. “Poor girl.”

And he was right. My ego alone could choke the life out of my victims. I was good at what I did and Ineverfailed.

For as long as I needed her, Ava would be mine.

Ava

Why did I have a feeling that I wasn’t alone?

Having let myself into my best friend, Anton’s apartment, I now had no option but to hold my breath and pray I was wrong. My heart was thumping so hard in my chest that I was surprised I couldn’t hear it. The only noise was the blood rushing in my ears and that faint annoying buzz from the fridge freezer in the kitchen.

Placing my grocery bags down by the door, I straightened. I needed to get to my Glock. I had hidden it at the back of one of the drawers in the kitchen. Anton didn’t like guns and staying in his place meant I had to respect his wishes.

I’d had no warning, there had been no telltale men watching me from the shadows as I’d entered the building; no strange looks from Anton’s neighbours as I walked up the stairs.Nothingto signal the noose was drawing tight again.

The hairs on the back of my neckbristledand I moved slowly towards the kitchen which was more of a kitchenette. It was through an archway at the other end of the open-plan living room. And right then, it felt like it wasmilesaway.

Focusing solely on the drawer, I moved through the living space closer to the kitchen. I didn’t turn my head or glance towards the corner where the TV and sofas were.

Iknewhe was there. Not one of his incompetent soldiers. This time, the big man himself had come in person.

That meant I was screwed.

I could have said it was due to my sixth sense, but that would be bullshit. My stepbrother, Kai had a unique scent that I remembered well. Spicy and fresh with a hint of that sandalwood cologne he wore. It flowed through my memory like a sweet poison.

I took a deep breath, inhaling that aura of danger, telling myself to keep calm.

Once I got to the counter, I slid open the drawer, pulled out my gun and pivoted sharply, pointing itdirectlyat Kai’s smug motherfucking face. Thankfully my hands were steady, a sign that my training had kicked in.

The man who had hunted me for the last twenty-three months was sitting in one of the chairs at the far side of the living space, his hands resting on his knees, feet crossed at the ankle. He looked so casual, as if he’d been invited in for coffee but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Miss me?” he began with a smirk. And I must admit, the view from where I stood wasn’t too shabby. Kai was unfortunately evenmoregood-looking than he used to be. His black hair stuck out in all the right directions, his deep dark eyes were like rich burnt toffee, and he had a mouth that could probably do unimaginable things to a girl's lady parts.

Kai Kinlan was still a prime specimen of maleness, with skin naturally tanned and a buildpackedwith muscle. There was no doubt about it, Kai’s body was a playground purposefully built for sin. Sex on legs; but he wasstillthe biggest wanker on the planet, a valid pointnotto be forgotten. He was also my arch-enemy. Well, since I sent his daddy to prison and then shot Kai almost two years ago. The first part was intentional; the second, not so much. Buthedidn’t know that.

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