Anyone who walked on by, and there were a lot of people, would know. She was out of favor with the Hell’s Bastards MC.
No one would come here. No one would care.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Honey, you will realize in life, that you can do anything. You’re an amazing person. Strong. Nothing will ever break you.”
Her mother’s words whispered in her mind as if she stood right next to her. She put her hand on her hip and stared around her.
It was easy to do. She pulled out her cell phone and started to call for cleaners to help clean the mess up and builders to take care of the windows and doors.
No one.
Each cleaning service was currently fully booked, and no builder would come to her shop. They were happy to help until she said her shop name.
Blacklisted.
Had Smokey done this? Was it the state of the shop?
The gossip mill had run all kinds of rumors. No one would touch her shop.
Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to be broken. There was always something to be done. She walked into the back and picked up a sweeping brush.
Ava started in the back, ignoring the pain in her hand. When it got to be a little too much, she’d attempt to use it one-handed.
“We’re closed,” she said, calling out when she heard the sound of footsteps walking on broken glass.
Smokey rounded the corner, and she held the brush in her hand even tighter, not wanting to let it go.
“Why are you sweeping the floors?” he asked.
“I’ve got to clean this mess.”
“Phone someone.”
“Smokey, this is none of your business. I don’t want you here. At all. Please, leave.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
“Get out.” She didn’t want to see him. It hurt too much. In the past few hours when it came to her encounters with Smokey, she’d started to feel like a broken record. Still, he wasn’t budging.
“I’ll leave if you tell me why you haven’t gotten cleaners and builders in.”
Ava glared at him. “Why do you even care? The message is loud and clear for everyone to get, Smokey. Ava’s is a bad place. She’s not on speaking terms with the Hell’s Bastards MC.” She pointed around the back room. “What did you think was going to happen, trashing my place?”
He opened his mouth, but she didn’t want to hear whatever the hell he was going to say.
“But that’s fine. You didn’t think of what this would mean because you had no intention of letting me live. How thoughtful of you.” She rolled her eyes and started to sweep. She held the brush in the wrong way, and pain radiated up her hand and into her arm, making her cry out.
Smokey went to take a step toward her, and she backed away.
“You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” She wasn’t going to ask for help from the man who’d ensured her life would be a living hell.
Silence fell between them.
Still, Smokey didn’t leave.
She took several deep breaths until she no longer felt sick. The pain was hard to work with. At least she had some time to heal her hand before she opened up the shop again. If no one would even come and work for her, and she was willing to pay them well for it, she doubted her shop would last. No one would come for baked goods. Not anymore.
Her life was over.
“No one will come and work for you?” he asked.
She smiled. “Nope. They’re suddenly busy. Well, they’re not busy. Not until I give them the location, and all of a sudden, their calendar is full. They don’t want to double-book. So, there you go, Smokey. I got my ass beat and my business is pretty much in the toilet. No one will touch me.”
She would have clapped her hands, but that would only cause her more pain.
Right now, she wanted to sob.
How she was keeping it together, she didn’t know. Or she was just holding on by a thread. She wasn’t sure which.
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t accept it,” Ava said. She took a deep breath. “This is hard for me right now. I don’t want to do this with you. My life is in the toilet. Please, just leave me alone. Let me drown in my misery alone.”
“You don’t have to be alone.”
“I’m not going to be with you, Smokey. Never. I mean what I said. It’s over between us, and there’s no way to fix it.”
“I don’t believe that.”
She shrugged. “Believe what you want. I’m done. We’re done. I’m glad it happened now instead of a few years down the line. I’ve already wasted ten years of my life with a man who never loved me.”
“Ava…”
“Hey, don’t sweat it, Smokey. Your breakup was certainly one I won’t forget. I’m getting used to it. Believe me. I need some air.” She turned on her heel and walked out the back to where she normally took deliveries. The other shops were enjoying the fully functioning workloads with all their employees while she leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths.
The bakery wasn’t going to make any money. She’d lost it. She knew that now. She’d have to sell the place and would probably lose any kind of profit there as well. The only way to get her shop fixed would be to call through to the city. Pay for someone to travel to her place and to get the job done. It was going to be a headache, but something had to happen.
The shop couldn’t stay that way for long.
She stayed outside long enough, hoping Smokey got the message. That he had to leave.
After opening the door, she came to a stop in the stockroom. Brick was there, picking up the flour that had been tossed across the side. One of the club whores who’d taken pleasure in holding her down was there, holding a trash bin.
Ava tensed up. “What the hell are you doing?” she asked.
Brick stood. He held a pack of chocolate chips this time. All of this was useless. She couldn’t use any of it to bake with and to sell it to the public.
More noise greeted her.
She wanted to go and see what was going on, but the thought of passing Brick and the other woman filled her with fear.
No one moved.
Brick cleared his throat and stepped out, grabbing the woman’s hand as he did.
She stayed perfectly still, and Brick took another step back, keeping his distance.
Her heart raced as she took a step forward, then another, until she was out of the kitchen, but that didn’t make her feel safe.
More of the Hell’s Bastards MC were in her small shop, cleaning. Their leather cuts holding their emblem clear for anyone to see, and it filled her with fear as they all worked.
They were too close.
“Smokey!” Brick yelled for their president.
She put a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm herself.
It didn’t help.
Nothing seemed to be helping. They were in her shop, and when she caught sight of Raven, she covered her ears, bowing her head.
It’s going to be okay.
It’s fine.
She counted to ten again. The first ten numbers were starting to piss her off.
When hands touched her shoulder, she screamed and pulled away. Smokey had tried to touch her.
She’d tried not to cry, but tears were already falling down her cheeks. “Get out,” she said.
“We’re here to help.”