Page 97 of Revenge

“No. He’sdead. Kai confirmed it,” I replied, my breath whooshing from my mouth.

Fear gripped my throat like a fist as I tried to recall the conversations I’d had with Kai about his father.

He hadn’t spoken about his dad’s death at all. Or had he? I was so confused.

“No Anton, you’re wrong.”

My friend stepped forward and took my hand in his, “Shit Ava. I’m so sorry you had to hear it from me. After all that shit, he put you through. But I thought you knew he was still alive?”

“I don’t understand. Where is he then?”

“Gerard is living in a safe house, somewhere on the outskirts of London. He’s ill, cancer or some shit like that. But he still has some associates, even though Kai took over as the head. He’s the reason we need to get my mother out of the country. Kai said Gerard has a man working at the house here who may be feeding information back to him. That would mean both me and Mom are in danger. We’re staying in the country for six months under Kai’s protection until her passport is ready. Hasn’t he told you all this?”

No, and I felt broken.Fuckingcrushed.

No more fucking lies indeed! Kaiknewwhat Gerard had put me through and yet, he was still alive. My thoughts shot to my mother. Did shealsoknow Gerard was still breathing? A thousand thoughts cascaded through my mind, and I felt like a fool. I had been lied to, betrayed; possibly by everyone in thatfuckinghouse.

Even Anton, Kai’s enemy knew more than me. Enraged didn’t describe the level of emotion which pumped through me.

I needed to calm the hell down, if Anton knew I was upset, he wouldn’t leave.

“Sorry. It’s been a long week and I’m tired. What with the engagement party last night and everything.”

“Yeah, sure. Sorry, I wasn’t there. Kai thought my presence would create too many questions as to who I was.”

I nodded as I understood Kai’s reason for Anton not being allowed out of his room.

Over the next twenty minutes, I said goodbye to my friend Anton with a heavy heart. My entire body felt numb as I made my way back upstairs.

I needed to see Suki. If she knew Gerard was still alive, it would have been the ultimate betrayal.

After searching every floor, I found my mother in the cinema room of all places. She was watching Sex and the City. Cillian and Kai were both out on business and it was the perfect opportunity to speak with her.

I watched the end of the episode and then turned on the lights. She was sitting on one of the sofas unaware of the shitstorm I was about to create.

Fifteen

Ava

After probably the hardest discussion of my life, I established that Suki hadnotknown that Gerard was still alive.

When I dropped the bomb, Suki looked traumatised.

My mother’s reaction to the news was too painfully raw and Ihatedthat I was the one who had to tell her. I had always tried to protect my mother in the past but she had the right to know that her ex-husband was still breathing; if not for much longer.

I closed my eyes, the pained look on her face lashed at me when I said he was alive.

Suki had blinked back tears as I explained what Anton had told me about Gerard being broken out of prison and how his death was staged.

I wondered how far the lie went. Did other members of Kai’s organisation believe the old prick was gone? As we spoke, I remembered Gerard’s black, flat soulless eyes. God how I’d hated him, how Istillhated him.

The rage finally evaporated and I started to think clearly again.

Once I had explained the situation as I understood it, there were still some blanks to fill in, and I told my mother what Gerard had done to me.

When I revealed that her husband at the time had touched me, Suki became so upset that I had to contact Dr Farmer on the phone Kai had given me. She was almost hysterical, her voice a hoarse whisper, saying how she felt she’d let me down.

I pulled my punches and didn’t tell her about everything. Suki said she had questioned his intentions towards me once and then told me about the medication he’d put her on. So, she must have sensed something wasn’t right. Why didn’t Kai? I pushed that useless thought to one side. I could no longer blame Kai for something he was unaware of. However, Kai knowing his father was still living and breathing would be a subject I would be taking up with him when I saw him; the lying rat.

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