Page 67 of Revenge

Shock, anger, curiosity, and defeat and all of the above.

“You would get married to impress some business associates? I thought you always worked alone?”

“‘The Kinlan’s don’t play well with others’ is a false myth. I wouldn’t be in business if I didn’t involve external parties.”

“I think you're insane. You know I want out. Why on earth would I do the one thing that would draw me even further in?”

My heartbeat quickened as I started to dictate my terms, “Please, calm down and just listen. You want out and I will give you that but you must earn it.”

Ava’s brow knitted, “I have toearnmy freedom? How, on my back?”

I didn’t like her crudeness and my nostrils flared, “Nothing so crass. You owe me a debt and this is how I wish you to pay it.”

Ava’s jaw trembled as she grabbed the tumbler, necked the last of her whisky and slammed the glass down. At least she hadn’t thrown the contents in my face. “Debt. What debt?”

“The shitstorm you left behind when you ran. We may have discussed what you did to Gerard but you shot me if my memory serves me correctly. Did you think I would just forget about that part?”

“But my beef was your father, it hadnothingto do with you. You just got in the crossfire.” I watched as Ava pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. The motion conjured up images of our mouths, hungrily feeding off each other.

Clearing my throat, I managed, “But your actions affected me.” My gaze became hooded as I watched her body language. She was so easy to read. I used to enjoy riling her up, watching the fire in her eyes as she yelled at me, and called me a bastard.

Folding her arms over her perfect breasts, she glared across the space.

“How? By giving you all your father’s power. I don’t understand on what planet you’d see that as a negative thing. You’re the big boss now, surely that was always inevitable, irrespective of us speeding up the process.”

“Us?” I repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Her jaw ticked as she realised her mistake, “I meant me.”

Ava thought I had forgotten about her not being the sole offending party.

“You don’t understand Ava, it was never my intention to follow in my father’s footsteps. I had set up and created my own business. I was going to run the casino independent of the Cartel. Legitimately.”

“Bullshit,” she huffed, dropping her hands.

“It isn’t bullshit. Before you stuck your nose in and fucked it up, I was only months away from going fully legit.”

“And Gerard would just have let you go? I don’t believe you. You were raised as a criminal. Next, you’ll be telling me you’ve never killed anybody.”

I didn’t bother to correct her, what would be the point, “We’re straying from the point. I’m not proud of my past but I won’t apologise for it either. It’s the future that we now need to focus on.”

“We? Ava’s bright eyes burned with heat.

“Yes, we. You and me?”

“You and me? This is my life, not a game of chess and I refuse to be your pawn.”

“That isn’t what I’m proposing, you’d be more like a queen than a pawn.”

“I hate chess,” she huffed.

Rolling my eyes I pointed out, “Then you should choose a better metaphor. You’d be my wife not some fucking lackey.”

“You’re not making any sense. Ihatethis life. Why would I marry into it?” Ava was babbling now, her features expressing panic.

“Because Idemandit. You owe me and this is how to repay your debt. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable. I only need a year of your life. Then you will be free. We will divorce, I will give you a settlement and you can go and do whatever you want.”

“Is this about what happened upstairs?” she questioned, her eyes dipping to my lips.

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