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I sigh happily as I lie back in his bed, eyes already closing as he tucks me in.
“Get some rest, angel,” he murmurs, stroking my wet hair away from my face.
I hear the rustling of fabric as he gets dressed, and within seconds I’m slipping into a much-needed sleep. The last thing I think before my dreams consume me is that maybe this isn’t the death sentence I thought it was. Maybe this is the chance at freedom I’ve always longed for.
3
AXEL
Ava falls asleep in seconds, curled up wearing nothing but my t-shirt, which is so big on her it looks like a dress. The sight is too fucking good to tear my eyes away from, and for a long moment, I just stand there taking her in. Her chest rises and falls with slow, rhythmic breaths, her expression relaxed for the first time since she arrived.
The mere thought of what she’s been through makes my hands clench into fists at my sides. I checked every inch of her body in the shower, and aside from a few shallow scrapes and grazes, she seems physically unharmed. But even those small marks are unacceptable. Not to mention the dirt and torn clothes she was in. What sort of conditions was her monster of a father keeping her in?
One thing’s for fucking sure…
Ava will never be treated as anything less than the goddamn angel she is ever again.
The chiming of my phone breaks me from my thoughts. I’ve dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, having thrown on whatever was closest as Ava fell asleep, and shoved my phone into the pocket on automatic. I can’t go anywhere without it, can’t risk my team not being able to reach me or vice versa. We always wear earpieces when we go out on jobs, but when we’re not out shedding blood, everyone knows they have to keep their phones on and close to them at all times. If something happens and we can’t reach each other, it could be life or death.
It’s only that knowledge that has me opening my phone to read the message.
Nick: sorry to interrupt but we have urgent info, Boss.
“Fuck,” I mumble under my breath, careful not to make too much noise to wake up the girl in my bed. It takes all the effort I possess to drag my eyes away from her and leave the room.
I nearly smack right into my second-in-command as I exit my bedroom.
“What the fuck are you lurking outside my room for?” I snap at him and yank the door closed behind me, far too possessive to let him get a glimpse at my girl when she’s vulnerable.
My girl. That’s what she is now.
“I was gonna come get you, but then I heard her scream your name and thought better of it since I quite like keeping my limbs intact,” Nick says, holding his hands up in surrender when I scowl at him. “Hey, no judgment here, man.”
I grind my teeth together but have to admit I’m glad he didn’t barge in like he usually does. He’s right, I’d have had to gouge his eyes out if he’d seen Ava like that.
“What’s this urgent news you need to tell me?” I say darkly, getting this conversation back on track.
Nick’s back straightens, and his features harden into the dangerous mask he always wears when we’re working. It’s hard to imagine anyone being scared of him until you see him like this. “We found more on her while you two were…”—he waves his hand in the air and grimaces, obviously unsure of how to word it—“...getting cleaned up. Anyway, there’s more to this shit show than just her asshole dad using her like currency.”
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.
