Page 80

“Sorry, Ava. We’ll have to talk when I get back. Ky just called. Someone slashed his tires while he was in the restaurant and he had to call the cops. I don’t want him handling it all alone,” Colt told me from where he perched in an armchair pulling on his shoes.

“Slashed his tires? Does he know who?” I asked.

“No, but there are cameras in the parking lot. Ky was upset when he called. He’s not great in a crisis,” he told me hurriedly, and I could see how worried he was.

“Just one second. I’ll come with you,” I said as I turned back for my room to grab my slip on sneakers. As I walked in there I got a feeling of unease about the whole thing and grabbed my gun from my nightstand too. I checked it was loaded, then tucked it in my jeans at the small of my back. I slid my feet into my ugly sneakers and hurried back to Colt, who waited with eh apartment door open.

“Where’s your security?” I asked as we exited the apartment and moved to the elevator.

“I told Ky to tell them they weren’t needed today. I wasn’t planning to leave the apartment. Plus, I feel stupid with paid men following me around. It’s been two weeks. The bastard who took me will have moved in now.”

“Colt! What if he’s just been watching and waiting for his chance to get to you?” I asked as my unease increased. “This could all be a ploy to get you out in the open. That psycho probably slashed Ky’s tires knowing you’d come running.”

“Well if he did, then it was a bad plan, since Ky says two cop cars turned up when he called in the damage,” Colt tried to reassure me, but I was far from mollified.

“I’m calling Mason. I want him to meet us…” my words were cut off as we walked into the underground parking lot and I was instantly thrown off of my feet and to the ground so hard my phone flew from my hand. My head bounced off of the concrete and blood was trickling down the side of my head as I tried to sit up.

“Ava!” Colt yelled, then he was grunting and I could blurrily see him fighting with someone a few meters from me. A loud grunt from Colt had my panic rising as I pushed up from the ground and forced myself to stand despite the dizziness clouding my vision. I took a few deep breaths to try and steady myself as I stumbled around a little, and finally my head seemed to clear enough for me to see.

“Stop!” I yelled as I pulled my gun from the small of my back and held it out in front of me. A tall figure, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt was on top of my brother, hitting him as Colt struggled to block the hits and get himself free.

When he continued, completely ignoring my command I moved closer until my gun was less than a foot from his head.

“Hands up right now or I put a bullet through you brains,” I warned. I was winded, but I kept my voice calm and steady.

I let out a shaky breath when he released Colt and stood slowly as he lifted his hands above his head. He turned to face me and all of my breath seemed to leave my lungs as I once again saw those evil eyes that had haunted my nightmares and flashbacks for so many years.

***