Page 88 of Dirty Hearts

He’d be here soon.

When he did get here, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was I planned to do.

Ava allowed me to clean her off. She had blood on her from the guy I’d shot first. I stripped her down, myself too, out of the bloody clothes I wore, and got in the shower with her. Then I cleaned her like I was trying to wash away all that had happened. From her hair down. It was the first time this woman was naked before me that I didn’t think of sex.

I guess the silence that drifted between us helped. We’d been silent the whole time. She’d cried, and I felt like an absolute son of a bitch.

When I got her dried off, I left her in the fluffy white bath robe and placed her in the bed. Again, she allowed me to do all that.

The door downstairs sounded, and I knew that had to be Luc. Ava heard it too.

“You got dressed like you’re going out,” Ava stated, scanning over the clothes I’d changed into. “Are you?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Her eyes clouded over, and a tear ran down her cheek. “The cleanup crew… do they really just come and take the men away? Clean up like they never existed? What about the police? Shouldn’t we call them? It was self-defense,” she stuttered.

I sat on the edge of the bed when she started shaking.

“Doll,” I breathed, running a hand over my beard. “This isn’t a police matter. It’s just not. Under normal circumstances we would call the police, but this isn’t normal. Calling people like that would make things a whole lot worse.”

I wouldn’t venture down the path of explaining how much worse it could be and frighten her even more.

“They’re dead. What will the cleanup crew do to them?”

This was so hard. This part was so hard, and I didn’t know what more I could say that would calm her down.

This was the reason why we kept women out of business. It was the reason why I’d kept her out, but what was I to do if she was constantly being taken?

Fuck.

“Ava, do you think I should have found another way?” I had to ask because she kept focusing on the fact that the men were dead. Not the part where they came to take her.

She shook her head, but I wasn’t sure if she really meant it.

I stood up to go.

“Thanks for saving me,” she spoke in a small voice.

“You wouldn’t need saving if not for me.” It was the obvious, and I was done pussyfooting around everything. No more of it.

With that, I left her and made my way downstairs.

Luc was in the living room waiting for me. Him and Pa. I had to admit it was good seeing the both of them.

Pa straightened when he saw me.

“She okay?” he asked.

“No, she’s not. Not by a long shot,” I answered.

Luc regarded me with concern. “Did she get hurt?” he asked.

“Not physically. She’s scared. Scared of me.”

“I’m sure she’s not scared of you.” Luc shook his head.

“She is, Luc. She saw me kill. I shot three men and stabbed another. I haven’t killed since Victor.”