Page 49 of Concealed Deception

Twenty-Eight

Ava

It took a lot of stamina for us to finish finding our common ground.I think we covered every surface possible before we ended in bed, exhausted and sated.

“You should get some sleep,” Xander whispers in my ear, sleep mused himself.

I snuggle into him, enjoying his warmth.“I think this is the first time we’ve made it to an actual bed to sleep.”I giggle lightly.

“Well, treasure, you better get used to it.”

I think I already am.

“Why did you leave the hospital without seeing me?”Sleep isn’t coming for me any time soon.Even in the hospital, I slept very little, and when I did, staff would wake me.

Xander props his head up, so he can see my expression.It’s seeming to be something he needs to read the situation, no matter who it is.“I was angry.”His simple answer isn’t enough.

“At me?”I ask warily.

“Never at you.”He kisses my forehead.

“Talk to me.I need to know we’ll be okay.I can’t go through thinking this is the beginning of the end.Yes, how we got here was beyond unorthodox.I meant every word I said earlier.I’m not going to change my mind.I’m yours and I want you to be mine.Forget about how we got here, if that helps, focus on us right now.”I speak in a soft tone while rubbing circles on his back.

“I put you through a lot for my own greed, then had a momentary lapse of bad judgment thinking letting you go would be the best option for you.I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again.Once we get through this, youwillbe my wife.”His declaration forms a warm smile.

“Do you not think this is over?”I tense up.

“For you, it is.For me, unfortunately, it’s not.I may have eradicated my father, but to a lot of other people I took the head of a trafficking syndicate.I need to make sure they’re dealt with before I can leave California.”He rolls away from me, sitting up against the headboard.

I move closer to him, so we’re still connected.I need his touch so I don’t fall apart.

“I’m sending everyone back to New York, Ava.I can’t be in both places at once.I’m giving you the choice to stay here to spend time with your aunt or go with them.”My head rests on his chest, moving with the increase of his heartbeat.That alone makes my decision easy.

“I’m staying.I have unfinished business here too.”I think about Quinn and the girl in intensive care.Plus, I need to see Lacey before she leaves.I feel guilty for running off and leaving everything in the air.“I might have left the hospital without discharge as well.”I bite my nails, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“You really are a little rebel.”Xander’s chest shakes with laughter.“I’m sure Tony has everything sorted at the hospital—if not Camille will.Although, I wouldn’t put it past her to have someone come to check up on you,” he concedes.

I sit up next to him, not ignoring the wince as he moves to let me go.

“How are you going to fix this?”I need to know he’s doing the right thing by facing his father’s co-conspirators.

“Let me worry about that, treasure.We have all the time to work out what you’re going to do about your aunt, Lacey, and the other two.”He holds me close as I snuggle in.I don’t think I’ll not be able to worry, but I trust he’ll do what he can to shut this shit down once and for all.

“Thank you for coming for me.”The strength I found earlier has opened the door for my vulnerability to come sweeping through.“Do you think I’ll ever be rid of the nightmares?”

“Oh, treasure.I’m going to break every neck that had anything to do with what happened, and if anyone tries to come near you, I’ll stick a hose down their throat and drown them where they stand.”

Xander gets off the bed and starts pacing as he battles the war within.For the first time, I properly examine his body and the marks he was left with; the bullet wounds that put him in hospital in the first place.I become self-conscious of my own bruising, alternately rubbing my wrists.Somehow, now that things have slowed down, the hellish memories from what I’ve been through are trying to slip through the cracks.Seeing is believing, and the more I recollect Xander’s unmoving body covered in blood, the harder it is for me to suppress my reality.Flashes of chains and others curled in a ball inside the dark dungeon shift to the forefront.I try my best to focus on Xander to keep me from plunging into harrowing memories, however, the longer I watch the more distressed I become.

I was dumb to believe I could be perceptive about this situation and sweep it under the rug.Somehow being in hospital stopped all that.Now I’m out and have time to recollect, the more I want to disappear into my shell and wait for it to all evaporate.

“Hold on,” Xander’s voice tells someone, then my body leans into his as the bed dips.“Ava, what happened?”he asks, unsettled.

I try my hardest to push the memories back, but it’s of no use.

“Shit.Tony, I’ve got to go.Bring her with you.”I hear a thud, then a strong arm is wrapped around me, pulling me into a solid mass of warmth.

“What the hell happened?”Everything from his body language, his tone, to the anxious look in his eyes tells me he’ll not believe a word out of my mouth if I try to manipulate the truth.

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