“Let’s get to business, Vince.” I bite out the words with only the tiniest bit of aggression apparent. His eyebrows raise and he exchanges a glance with someone behind me. I don’t turn, I just stare back at the asshole with a hard look.
“What is it that you’d like to know?” he asks, walking back around to his desk and gesturing to a chair to my left. There’s only one chair there. I look to the far corner of the room where Tommy’s standing and there’s a chair behind him. I think about moving it over so she can sit with me, but then I think twice about it.
I don’t feel like sitting anyway. I guide her to the chair with my hand on the small of her back and motion for her to sit. I move to stand behind her and grip the chair. She looks uneasy and she has every right to be. I do my best to comfort her by placing my hands on her shoulders so she can feel me there.
“Would you like the other chair?” Vince asks, as Tommy pulls the chair across the floor. There’s an awkward tension in the room and I don’t know how to get rid of it. It’s making Ava tense, it’s pissing me off, and if I turn down the seat it’s only going to get worse. I turn around and look at Anthony who’s standing behind me and in front of the door.
Regret settles in my chest as I clench my fists. I wish I hadn’t brought her. I wish I had somewhere safe to take her. But I don’t have anyone. I turn back to Vince and give him a quick nod before gripping the chair and pushing it to butt up next to Ava’s.
I take a seat and hold out my hand for her. She’s quick to take it and turn her body toward me.
“We don’t deal with this aspect of the industry, so you’ll have to excuse me, but I find this...” Vince looks between the two of us, “...odd.”
I crack my neck to the left and stare back at him debating what all to tell him. Fuck it. I might as well lay it all out there. “I don’t do this shit, and I won’t be the one working between you and Petrov.” I take a steady breath knowing I may have just triggered my death sentence. When this gets back to Abram, he’s not going to be happy. But I’m sure as shit not going to be doing this. “I’m here to learn the ins and outs of your business and report back.”
Vince narrows his eyes at me. “That’s not the impression I was under. I thought you were in charge of this...” he trails off, looking at Ava and then quickly averts his gaze as he concludes, “...this kind of handling.”
“I’m not, and I won’t.” My words come out hard and I’m glad they do.
His brows raise in surprise before he schools his expression. “Is there anything else I should know?”
My brow furrows in confusion. I don’t know what he’s hinting at. “Subtlety isn't a strength of mine, Vince.” I lean forward, but keep my hand back so Ava doesn’t have to change positions. “If you want to know something, you should just come on out and ask it.”
“Is she yours, then?” Vince asks, and I swallow thickly as I settle my back against the seat.
I don’t know how to answer that. If I could take her away, I would. It’s one thing to turn down Abram, I’m probably already dead for that. But to steal from him, that would most certainly put me six feet under.
“For now.” I answer as honestly as possible. All eyes dart to Ava as she takes a ragged breath in. When she notices how much attention she brought on herself, she cowers in her seat and looks to me with a sad expression. Her lips part, but I quickly shake my head, stopping her. I don’t want to hear her say she’s sorry. She’s said it too much already.
I brush my thumb along the back of her hand. “It’s alright, Ava.” I try to reassure her quietly before turning back to Vince. “The circumstances are different today than they will be in the future. I just need to get a handle on how you run this operation.” The questioning look on his face vanishes and is replaced with a hard, no-fucking-nonsense look. He gives a nod and rises from his seat. I do the same and Ava quickly follows suit. Her other hand covers the back of mine and she walks closer to be by my side.
She’s scared and obviously unwell. I would give anything to ease her pain. I wish I could say she was mine and that I was taking her away from this shit. But I can’t. And I won’t lie to her.
“I have a shipment coming in any time now. We’ll wait outside.” He walks around the front of the desk and meets my eyes, before walking toward the doors. “I’m not sure what all could possibly be different on our front that Abram would need to know. But I’ll let you have a look.” I give him a tight nod as my muscles coil.
He’s right. It’s a simple operation. I don’t know what Abram has planned, but I can’t imagine there’s anything the Valettis do that would be a surprise to him.
I walk behind him with Ava gripping onto my hand like she’s afraid I’ll let go. I won’t. I pull her closer to me and just barely resist the urge to kiss the temple of her forehead.
Abram already knows everything except simple numbers. He must want something else.
I hadn’t thought of it before, but now that the realization has hit me, I don’t fucking like it.
Kane
I watch as the last forklift moves across the ramp with the container secured. I’ve seen this shit a million times. The waves crash against the dock and beyond that it’s relatively quiet. A few men are shouting in the distance. Vince is quiet next to me with his hands shoved into his pockets. Ava is somewhat settled in a folding chair a few yards from us. It took her a while to feel comfortable after the shit that happened in the office, but she seems to be okay now. Although, her eyes have lost the bit of vibrancy I saw this morning, and a small frown mars her beautiful face. I wish I could take her unhappiness away.
“She’s fine, Kane.” Vince’s words distract me from my thoughts and I turn to face him. “She’s not gonna fucking dive in.”
My face contorts with anger, and I have to bite my tongue.
“What? Is that not what you were thinking?” He huffs a humorless laugh and looks over the bay. “I’d fucking jump before I’d go back to that fucker.” My heart stops beating and my throat closes. It’s so fucked up, but it’s true. She’s such a sweetheart, such a good girl, and the fate she has is such fucking shit. It’s a nightmare.
I feel tears pricking at the backs of my eyes thinking about the hell she’s been through. It’s not fucking right. My jaw tics as I stare off into the distance and watch the waves form and crash along the beach. I want to save her from that shit. But I don’t want us both to wind up dead.
I open my mouth, ready to tell Vince what a fucked up position I’m in. I might as well. Maybe I’ll die for it, but something about him makes me think I can trust him, even if I don’t fucking like him. The sound of fast-paced, heavy footsteps coming closer makes me turn away from Vince and toward the men walking toward us.
I practically growl in anger when I see that bastard Felipe stalking toward us with his gaze firmly locked on to my good girl. That fucker shouldn’t even be allowed to look at her. I clench my teeth tighter to stop myself from saying shit that’ll get me killed. I have to remind myself that I’m on my own, and I’m the only thing standing between all these fucking pricks and Ava. I can’t do something stupid.