Page 96 of Ties That Bind Us

“Nick, he’s trying to apologize, give the guy a break.” Leo looked at me sympathetically.

“Stay the fuck out of this.”

“It may not seem like it, but I care about Ava, Nick, and what happened with Alessandro . . . it wasn’t right,” Jimmy continued. Fuck, this kid just didn’t know when to shut up.

“You care about her?” I shot him a wicked smile. At this point we had the attention of everyone in the bar. Before I knew what was happening, my hands were at his throat, slamming him into the bar. “I’m sure you do care about her. Did she come running to you tonight when she left me? Is that what this fake apology is all about? You finally got your way, and Ava is at home waiting for you while you’re here rubbing it in my face?”

“Nick, get a grip, man.” Leo pulled me off of Jimmy, who got up quickly and straightened his jacket.

“I’m sorry for whatever shit you two are going through right now, but I swear to God I haven’t even spoken to Ava in weeks. She made her choice.” His face fell. “I’ll leave you guys alone now.”

Jimmy walked away with his head down, and ducked into the booth once again.

“You need to go home,” Leo growled. “You are losing your shit and you’re going to do something you regret.”

“Funny, I don’t regret one second of what just happened.” I smirked, throwing my drink back.

“I thought I might find you guys here.” My father stood in front of me, judging my current state fervently.

“Oh, of course you called Dad.” I rolled my eyes at Leo. “This is perfect, the gang is all here.”

My dad’s glare was icy and shut me up quickly. Even drunk, I knew how to take a hint. “Are you done? Because if you’re through acting like a spoiled teenager, I have some news you might like to hear.”

“I’m all ears.” I smirked, mocking him and sitting up as straight and still as I possibly could. I didn’t have to answer to him. I had had a hellacious week, and I had every fucking right to get piss-ass drunk in a bar if that’s what I wanted.

“This is pathetic, Nick,” my dad scoffed. “I thought you cared more about Ava than this.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s the one who left me,” I spat. How dare he come in here and doubt my love for that woman?

His eyes burned into me. “If you’re willing to give up on her this easily, then you didn’t deserve her in the first place. And you certainly don’t deserve to lead this family.”

“Fuck you.”

“Are you going to sit here and act like a child all night or do you want to know who was responsible for the accident?” He crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance.

“You know who it was and you haven’t told me?” I was livid.

“I came here to tell you, but from the second I walked in, you haven’t exactly been cooperative.”

“Who is it?” I ignored his taunting. I needed something to focus my anger on, and if I knew who had hit us, I could take it out on them.

“The car that hit you belongs to Jeffrey Pratt, he’s an associate of Alessandro’s. Alessandro ordered the hit, thinking Leo was in the car.”

My blood ran cold. Alessandro? Alessandro had done this? I had been wasting all this time thinking it was Asnikov and it was my own fucking father-in-law?

Ava wasn’t even supposed to be in that damn car.

What Alessandro did, it wasn’t right.

Alessandro’s own words and the words of Jimmy rang clear in my head. It was all starting to make sense. It was Alessandro’s fault, and this time he had gone too far.

“I want him dead,” I growled, so low I wasn’t sure anyone could hear me.

“You do what you have to do,” my dad said stoically, giving me the green light. Thank God, he understood the gravity of this.

I may not be able to win Ava back, but I could make sure Alessandro paid with his last breath.

Ava

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