Page 307 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“Were those guys hunters?” Ava asked, breaking the tense silence.

I nodded. “Definitely.”

“Why were they coming after me?”

“One of two reasons I can think of. Either it’s a revenge attack for your family catching those three lunatics we sent back to Antonio with a message; or, one of their spies or lookouts tagged you as my mate. They probably don’t know about the rejection and are just assuming because they’ve seen that you mean something to me. Therefore, they’ve targeted you. To me, that’s the most logical reason they’d go after you. That’s been Antonio’s MO since this all started—go after the mates.”

I tightened my grip on her hand. We weren’t mates. She’d rejected me and put all that to the side. But when I said the word? My heart somersaulted. Something else was happening, curse or no.

As we drove toward the security gate at Gio’s house and pulled up the driveway, I could see Gio pacing on the porch. He looked gray and slightly emaciated. It seemed his appetite hadn’t been restored yet. Beside him was his other brother, Mike.

I rubbed my thumb over the skin of her hand in reassurance. “You’re okay now. You’re safe.”

Her lips tugged into a reluctant smile before she got out of the car and jogged to her father. The sheer relief on his face when Ava ran to him made me a little emotional. It made me think of my parents. I typically kept their memories tamped down, but watching Gio embrace his daughter brought them back to the forefront.

Gio and Mike escorted us into the house. Kyle was inside and looked as white as a ghost. He rushed to Ava, lifting her off her feet as he hugged her. “Those pieces of shit are gonna pay for this. You wait and see,” he said after breaking the embrace.

Gio’s face was twisted with such fury that the rage I’d felt seemed small in comparison. He clenched and unclenched his fists, then gestured toward the living room with an incline of his head. As we walked, I watched Gio lean over and plant a gentle kiss on top of Ava’s head. It was strange seeing a man who was that dangerous being so affectionate.

My blood ran cold for his enemies. He wouldn’t let this attack go unpunished. Nor should he. I was also out for blood.

Once we were all seated, Gio took Ava’s hands and looked her dead in the eye. “Tell meexactlywhat happened.”

Ava relayed everything. Visiting Liam’s grave, the man watching and then chasing her, the car chase and near wreck before me, Miles, and her uncles arrived. When she fell silent, Gio was vibrating with rage. Mike and Kyle hissed curses under their breath. I had bit down on the inside of my cheek so hard, I’d drawn blood.

Her going to visit Liam’s grave stuck out the most to me. Things had somehow shifted when I’d kissed her. When she’d told me to leave, I’d assumed she was mad at me for coming on to her. But today told a different story. Maybe she was as confused as I was and wanted to talk it out with Liam in her own way. God knew I’d been talking to him non-stop since I’d walked out her door. I’d never expected anything like this to happen,but it was undeniable now. Something was definitely happening between us.

Gio pinned me with a stare. “These were Antonio’s men?”

I nodded. “Had to be. Once they saw me and Miles, they were scared but not shocked. One of them even called us abominations. Had to be hunters. No one else would have reacted that way.”

Gio nodded gravely. “They’ve targeted my baby. That means the gloves are off.”

A chill slid down my spine. I could see by the look in his eyes that he meant business. I was thankful this man was on my side and not against me.

I nodded. “Things have escalated. I don’t like it. I think Antonio believes Ava is my mate. That’s why she was targeted. It’s the only explanation. She needs to be somewhere safe. My friends are sending most of their mates and kids away. Maybe it would be best if Ava did the same.”

Before Gio could say anything, Ava spoke up. “I am not going anywhere.”

“Ava, you’ve seen the tip of the iceberg. These people are dangerous and are hard to predict. I think it’s safer for you to get out of town for a few weeks,” I said, an almost-pleading note in my voice.

Ava shook her head and gestured to the members of her family. “Blayne, I think I have enough protection, don’t you think?”

“Not enough, apparently,” I said.

“Well, I think it’ll be better now. We know what they want. You or my family can watch over me, but I’m not about to go running away. I refuse to live my life like that. I did that once, and I don’t want it to become a trend. Blayne?—”

Gio broke into the argument. “Look, how about this? Ava stays in town, but she’ll move in here. No better security anywhere than right here.”

Eagerly nodding, I said, “Okay, yeah. That’s a good compromise.”

Ava sighed. “Maybe, yeah.”

“You too, Blayne,” Gio said.

Ava and I stiffened. My brow knitted in confusion. “Me too, what? What about me?”

“You should stay here, too.”

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