Page 50 of Absolution

“What are you doing here?” Max asks when he spots me, fear undeniable in his high-pitched tone.

I don’t speak. Just pull the trigger.

“What the fuck? Who is here? Max, let me out.” Ava bangs on the door, her words rickety with fear.

“It’s me, baby girl.” When I reach the door, I kick Max to make sure he’s dead. Once I’m confident he is, I say, “Stand back.”

“Okay,” Ava replies.

I hit the lock with the butt of my gun, then kick the door open.

“Viktor.” she throws her arms around me the moment I’m inside. “Thank God.” I pull her away just enough to scan her up and down. She glances down at Max’s body for a moment but quickly looks away. There’s a trace of pain on her face, which she shakes off. “I’m not hurt. Just take me home,” she reads my mind.

“Oliver.” She hugs him too.

“Hey,” Oliver replies, pulling her in closer.

“Let’s go home.” Ava breaks her embrace with Oliver and returns to my arms, where she belongs. With her cuddled close, I walk her outside. “I’m never going to let you out of my sight,” I murmur, relieved she is safe and in my arms.

“After today, I’m inclined to agree. How did you find me?”

“Oliver.” I nudge my head to my brother, trailing behind us.

“How?”

When she glances at Oliver, he crumbles like a narc. “I might have put a tracker on your locket.”

“Normally, I’d say that was creepy, but at this moment, I’m glad you did.”

“You and me both.”

When we reach the SUV, I get in the back seat with Ava.

“For a moment, I was scared you wouldn’t know who took me.”

I kiss the top of her head and pull her in closer. “I’ll always find you.”

Everything is right again when she whispers, “I love you, Viktor.”

“I love you, too, Ava.”

* * *

A few days later…

It’s been a few days since I rescued Ava from Max. There has been a lot of tension in the mansion. We have been trying to figure out who lied to Max. Ava and Oliver are convinced it was Diana based on his last words. I’m not entirely convinced. That man was demented.

Ava decided she’ll only leave the mansion when we’re together. Which suits me perfectly since we still need to deal with this Diana woman. It annoys me that Ava didn’t tell me her mother was back or about their heated conversation. But I guess I can’t talk. We still haven’t told Ava what Diana revealed to Oliver either.

I hate keeping secrets, but sometimes they’re for the best.

“Are you coming to bed?” I ask as I enter Ava’s home office.

She doesn’t even peer up from her computer monitor. “I need just a few more minutes.”

“You texted that thirty minutes ago.” I walk around her desk and pull her chair to me.

“It was true at the time.”

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