Page 16 of Revenge

Ava used to look at you like you had all the answers and then you pushed her away and treated her like shit.

As I rode the lift, I glanced at our reflection in the mirrored walls. Ava was tiny in my arms and I felt another uncomfortable surge of regret.

Although living away from home, Ava had developed quite the backbone. In the early days, she would back down quickly. My hellish temper was the reason for that. I’d been bull-headed. Hence my old nickname, The Bull.

I thought about Ava’s derisive little snort when I’d accused her of trying to shoot me for a second time.Hadshereallyknown the gun was empty? Did she not realise that my man would have been on her in seconds if the gun had gone off? How could someone so smart be so fucking stupid?

The fact that she attempted what most men wouldn’t dare, made me feel a cocktail of annoyance and respect. It was also downright attractive. I had always been drawn to strong women.

Anyway, so fucking what.Nothingwould come of it. My intentions towards Ava were of a business nature. I couldn’t allow it to be anythingbutthat. Feelings were not to be a factor, period.

It must have been too long since I’d had sex. I’d ended things with my mistress, Casandra three weeks ago. Not the best of ideas. Sexual frustration was not a good look on a crime boss. Things got ugly. I blamed Casandra's absence for my unwanted reaction to Ava.

When I got downstairs to the car, Sean was leaning against it smoking a cigarette. He dropped the butt to the floor and stubbed it out when he saw us, pulling open the back door of the black SUV.

“What did you do?” he snapped out, blowing smoke down his nostrils. His worried face was as maddening as hell. Yes, I was a criminal and could be cruel at times but the fact that they thought I’dhurtAva made me feel like a bastard of the worst kind. I didn’t hurt women; it wasn’t part of my code.

Two of my closest men didn’t know me anymore. I thought back to Ava’s words about mental health professionals. Maybe I needed to speak with Dr Farmer about my medication. I occasionally took prescription sedatives as they helped me keep my shit together.

During my teenage years, I’d been referred and had to take a course of anger management classes, for all the fucking good they did me. Now I took the herbal remedies; they kept me calm (most of the time).

“Boss?” Sean prompted me when I remained silent which irritated me more. My soldiersneverusually questioned me and the fact that he did when I was self-reflecting made me want to hit something.

“I didn’tdoanything. She passed out.”

Juggling Ava’s body against my chest, I lifted her into the backseat.

“Fuck me,she’sgrown up,” Sean commented, which didn’t help my mood.

As I arranged my little prisoner’s body against the leather of the seat, I darted him an unimpressed glower. Sean was staring at Ava with his tongue hanging out,literally.

“Stop perving and start thefuckingcar,” I instructed, yanking the seatbelt over her body. I purposefully didn’t focus on where the strap settled across her perfect breasts. A sheen of sweat coated the pale skin of her throat and down into her cleavage. Fuck me. I’d noticed upstairs that she was braless.

Sliding into the car next to her, I saw Lester appear through the main doors into Ava’s building with a pink gym bag in his hand. Fuck knew what he’d packed in there but it didn’t matter really. I had arranged for Ava to have a new wardrobe. It was all put away neatly in her bedroom at my house just outside of Kensington.

Lester placed the bag into the boot before joining Sean in the front of the car.

As the engine growled, I glanced down at Ava’s wound. It wasn’t deep but needed attention. I scrubbed a hand down my face with a sigh, fucked I felt wrecked. I was almost twenty-eight but still felt too old for this shit.

“Go,” I instructed and Sean shoved the car in gear and pulled into the traffic. We were followed by two other vehicles which I’d arranged for security. I was an important man and never travelled lightly, especially when visiting Italy. You had to be careful when treading on another Cartel’s soil without asking.

“Pass me the med kit,” I instructed gruffly.

As Lester handed me the essentials, I got to work, cleaning Ava’s wound. God, she was much easier to deal with when she was unconscious.

As my fingers skimmed across her flesh, my dick twitched, she was so soft there. I told myself to get a grip, I was a grown man, not some randy teenager.

I did a thorough job before I placed a light gauze across the cut.

To anyone on the outside looking in, my behaviour may look like that of a man who cared.

And I did, but not inthatway (so I told myself). I needed Ava healthy to action my plans. It was business and that was that, there was no room for feelings in business.

Keep telling yourself that.

And above all else; Ihadto protect my investment. After Ava’s ballsy display in the kitchen, I realised that my days of scaring her into obedience were gone. As she shifted slightly on the seat and her eyes flickered, I withdrew the vial of propofol I’d got from Dr Farmer. It would be easier for everyone if Ava remained asleep for the entire journey to London.

I swallowed down that knot of remorse and did what was necessary. It was for her own good at the end of the day.

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