Page 70 of Revenge

“What?”

“That’s Anton’s phone. I know his ringtone. You absoluteswine, what have you done with him?”

I could feel a muscle in my jaw start to tick with annoyance. Why the fuck hadn’t I silenced it or better yet, thrown the fucker in the Thames.

Ava’s hair swirled around her shoulders as she moved around my desk, forcing me to rise. I was ready for battle as she threw herself at me, smacking me on the chest. My hands shot out to take her wrists.

“Calm down,” I cautioned her as she rocked into me.

“You monster. After your speech about no more lies? Howcouldyou?”

I subdued her easily and as gently as I could.

Once she stopped struggling, I let go of her hands and she leaned against my torso, saying in a sad little voice, “Is he dead?”

I gently took her upper arms and perched her on my desk, “No, he isn’t dead.”

“But youforcedhim to confess?”

After a deep swallow, I replied, “Yes.”

“I want to see him,” Ava said, a lone tear sliding down her face. “Please, Kai.”

Letting her go, I took a step back. Probably not the wisest move taking my eye off her. I moved to the window. I needed to catch my breath. Replaying Ava’s demands about a partnership, I realised that I couldn’t give her what she wanted. Not that I couldn’t, I didn’t want to. A partnership would mean we were equals, and she wasn’t ready to be a queen. Not yet. The few women in mafia circles who were leaders were not like Ava, they were cut from a tougher cloth and had seen and experienced things you wouldn’t dream of. They were born into the organisation; they were not forced into it through marriage.

Turning back to face her, Ava’s face was flushed and tear-stained and I hated myself at that moment.

She already makes you weak and you’re going to marry this woman?

Forcing Ava to become my wife would rekindle the hatred she used to feel towards me. That made her the perfect candidate to play that role. If she hated me, feelings wouldn’t get involved. I’d had mistresses that had fallen too quickly in the past. Affection made things messy and complicated. I also believed that as Ava was indebted to me, she would be easier to manipulate.

How wrong I was.

My fingers itched to reach out and tug her toward me again. My entire body was desperate to touch her, feel her mouth on mine again. The woman would be my downfall.

You can make her hate you again. Just show your true colours.

If Ava wanted to see the darker side of the organisation, so be it. I would introduce her to it.

She’d see the raw underbelly of real mafia life and my monster in all his glory. Not the one that bossed her around and was a mean fucker. The one that maimed and killed.

I imagined Ava would have second thoughts about her request for a partnership then, but I had my trump card.

I would give Ava, Quinn's life for those twelve months. As a wedding present.

*****

As expected, AvademandedI take her to Quinn immediately so I had Sean and Lester bring the car around. I messaged Cillian and arranged for him to meet me in the basement. He was already with Suki as they had dined in the restaurant at Pacino’s.

He’s sleeping. Want me to wake him up?

I knew exactly what method Cillian would use to do that. I paused, my thumb hovering over the send button.Yes.But I want him conscious.

Whilst she was changing out of her dress, Nico appeared in the doorway with a strange expression on his face. I told him Ava had agreed to my proposal and that I was taking her to the basement.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Kai.”

“Ava wants to see the harsher side of the business. So be it.”

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