Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Dread flows through my blood at his tone. “She’s in danger?” I surmise, reading between the lines.
Nick nods, and I curse under my breath. “Ford is a bigger problem than we realized,” he continues. “He’s pissed off every gang, crime boss, and underling in this entire city—hell, this entire half of the country.”
“Jesus Christ,” I breathe, shaking my head.
“And, well, since nobody’s been able to pin down his location and flush him out, they’re all after his weakest link,” Nick says, leaving the implication hanging between us.
“His daughter,” I conclude, knowing I’m right even before Nick gives a sharp nod. “They’re coming after Ava.”
“And he’s made it very clear who has her now.”
Shit.
This is worse than I thought. So much fucking worse.
“He set us up,” I growl, fury rising to new heights. “He’s using his daughter as some sort of bait or prize.”
Nick looks as disgusted by the whole situation as I feel. How did Ava survive under that man’s thumb for so long? How did she stay so sweet when she must have been treated so terribly? Something in my chest tugs, as though pulling me back towards the girl I’ve claimed as mine.
“We keep her hidden,” I tell Nick, my rage hardening into steely determination. “She is to be kept safe at all costs, do you understand?”
Nick’s brows furrow together like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “Of course, Boss,” he says, though I can tell he wants to ask more questions but wisely keeps his mouth shut.
“I will protect that girl no matter what,” I tell him, making sure he knows how serious this is. “She is under my protection now, and if anyone so much as touches a hair on her head, they will lose their hand.”
Nick raises a brow but nods in understanding. My mind is running every possible scenario, trying to come up with a faultless plan. I had just promised myself, and her, that I was going to improve, to be better, to become the kind of man she so clearly deserves.
But that kind of man can’t keep her safe.
One last time, then. One last embrace of the darkness. One final plan to bring anyone who comes after what’s mine to ruin. One more rampage before I wash my hands of blood so they’ll be good enough to touch her.
Ava is mine. Mine to protect, mine to touch, mine to keep. Nobody else’s. There’s not a single man in this city I won’t cut down in her name. I want to be worthy of her, want to give her a life like she’s always deserved, one full of sweetness and light instead of the dark horrors she’s grown up with. But before I can do that, I have to do this.
I need to fight for us to have any future at all.
I snap back out of my thoughts to find that Jace has joined us, talking low to Nick about everything he and I have just discussed.
“Put everyone on high alert,” I order, interrupting them but not having the ability to care. All that matters is Ava. “Inform everyone that she is our main priority. I expect all of you to follow my lead in protecting her over everything, understood?”
Jace and Nick both nod sternly and turn to do as I asked. I hear Nick bark out orders down the hall for everyone to join him for a briefing, and I’m immensely glad I have him as my second in command. I know he will truly help me protect Ava, even if he doesn’t understand why I’m so protective of her so soon.
The creak of a door catches my attention, and I spin around to find a pair of big, bright blue eyes peeking out through a small gap in the bedroom door.
“Angel,” I say, my voice instantly softer than it was when speaking to my men. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
Ava blushes as she opens the door and slides out, coming to my side. I lose my breath at the sight of her in my t-shirt, the hem skimming her mid-thigh and showing off her gorgeous legs. Her hair is still damp and her flushed cheeks are the most perfect shade of pink.
“I was, but I heard you all talking,” she admits softly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in, it just—”
She gasps as I grab her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up to meet my eyes.
“You will never have to apologize to me,” I tell her sincerely, hating that she’s been forced to feel like she has to say sorry for everything. “You did nothing wrong, beautiful girl.”
“Oh,” she breathes, blinking up at me. It takes everything in me not to drag her back inside that bedroom and explore every inch of her.
“Now, what did you want to say?” I ask, bringing the conversation back on track because it’s clear she has something to say about what she overheard. I wish I could have told her everything in a better way, but it’s good that she knows everything regardless. She deserves to know what’s happening and what her father has done.