Page 37 of Choose Me

I mouthed sorry to the agent, and he shrugged before closing the door behind him.

"What the fuck is going on, James? Ava could have been killed." She yelled at me, shoving my shoulder with the palm of her hand, the force of it sending me a step backward.

"Damnit, Amelia. Can you relax for a second?"

"No. This woman is carrying your child, and not only do you leave her alone while you're a thousand miles away, but then you don't keep her safe from some other psycho that you apparently don't know about because the guy you thought it was washed up in the Hudson River this morning. "

I gave her a bewildered look, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I could feel Ava's eyes on me before she spoke, and the picture in my head didn't touch the confused expression on her face when I opened my eyes and met her gaze.

"Commons is dead, and you knew?"

"I just found out on the plane here."

"So, who was after me today if Commons is dead?”

"Why don't you sit down?" I gestured for her to sit on the hospital bed.

"I don't want to sit down, James. I want to know what the hell is going on." She crossed her arms at her chest.

"Amelia is right. Everett called me on the plane and said that Common's body was found this morning on the riverbank of the Hudson near Jersey City."

"How did he die?"

"His throat was slit, and his hands were sawed off."

I could see the wheels moving behind her eyes as she started to piece together the information I was giving her, and I knew what was coming next.

"Commons was dead this morning, someone was in the penthouse this afternoon after Commons was found, and you were on a plane heading here, but you said that you hadn't closed the case in Miami."

Here it comes.

"Who were you chasing after in Miami, and what do they want with me?"

Fuck.

"You've been through a lot today." I started to say.

"I've been through a lot my entire adult life; today is no different. Why are you avoiding this conversation?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was sent to Miami to assist in an investigation that involved Benjamin Callahan's sister, Margaret."

Her face scrunched, puzzled at my words. "What would Benjamin Callahan's sister want with me?" Her expression changed in an instant as the understanding sunk in. Inside that kind, compassionate, and beautiful mind, she didn't outright see the bad in people. She stepped backward and sat down on the bed, her eyes wide. "A life for a life." She muttered to herself.

"I don't know what the connection is between Commons and Margaret. So far, all we know is that Common's credit card was used to purchase items in and around New York. With Commons dead, we have more questions than answers. But I'm home now, and I promise I will figure this out."

She frowned, trying to process what I just said. "I'm the reason her brother is dead. And Common's spent a decade in prison because of me. They both have the motive to come after me."

I kneeled before her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or our baby," I vowed. "We have some of the best agents from Miami here to help, and now that we know Margaret is here, we will flush her out, I promise."

She nodded, locking eyes with me. "I just want to go home."

"The penthouse is considered a crime scene right now, so they are going to set us up in a hotel until a full sweep and clean-up has been done, and they make sure it's safe to return," I told her.

"Why don't you guys come stay with me? I've got the guest room, and Everett can sleep on the couch." Amelia interjected. "Your guard dogs can come too. The more the merrier."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Of course, if that's okay with Ava," Amelia replied, glancing at Ava for approval.

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