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Somehow Anna had found some stuffed animals, children’s books and pyjamas that fit Luka. After they had dinner and Luka had devoured both his dinner and dessert, Ava followed him up to the room that was next to hers and Zane’s bedroom. She helped him change and get comfortable in the big bed.
“Me and Zane sleep in the room next to this. If you wake up and feel scared, you can come to us. Or if you call out, we will hear you,” she told him.“And Zane won’t be mad? Jonas always got mad when I had nightmares,” Luka asked.“No, he won’t be mad. And if he scares you, I will put him in time out,” she told him. He smiled and nodded. Ava read him a story, but two pages in and Luka was off like a light. He had had a busy day. She tucked him in and left the door a little opened as she walked into Zane’s office, leaving that door a little open as well. Zane and Jax looked at her questioning, they never left the door open when they were working in there. “It’s in case Luka gets ouKaugnay na kabanata
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Ava stopped and looked at him. “Why do you ask something like that?”“Because you know that my childhood wasn’t exactly perfect and you know what kind of man I am.”“Okay, come with me,” she told him, took his hand and walked him into their bedroom. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have standing in the corridor. She made him sit down on the bed and sat next to him. “First, you need to stop thinking of yourself as a bad man without redeeming qualities. I have told you before, that isn’t the case. Yes, you may do things outside the law and some of those things involve hurting people. But I have never heard of you doit it to someone that hasn’t been deserving of it. And you have never, ever even made me fearful of you. Maybe with the exception of our first meeting, but that was just a high adrenalin night,” she told him. He huffed.“It’s different with you,” he said. “Why?”“Because I love you.” Ava smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “Just like y
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Luka was in a good mood at breakfast the next morning. He was allowed to have cereal because he promised Ava to eat four pieces of the cut up fruit which was in a bowl. He held up his end of the bargain and even ate a couple of extra pieces as he tried some of the fruits for the first time. “Luka, I need to run a couple of errands this morning. I won’t be gone for more than two hours. Would it be okay if Anna looked after you?” Ava asked him as they were almost finished eating. “Sure,” he agreed.“Why can’t Jax and I look after him?” Zane asked. Ava was so surprised it took her a moment to collect herself.“I just thought you had business to take care or,” she said. “Nothing that can’t hold off for an hour or two. Right Jax?”“Right,” Jax agreed as he walked into the dining room. “What am I agreeing to?” he then asked. Ava smiled at him.“That we have time to keep Luka company for a couple of hours this morning,” Zane explained.“Sure thing, that s
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Ava could hear laughter as she stepped out of the car in front of the mansion. It made her smile and she followed the sound around the house into the back gardens. On one of the perfectly manicured lawn, Zane and Jax were teaching Luka how to throw a ball. All three were smiling and laughing. Ava stood watching them for a moment. She let the stress and uneasiness drain from her. Zane looked up and saw her standing there and his smile got even bigger as he walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. Ava melted into him and let the feeling of his closeness wash away the last of the unpleasantries from the visit. “What’s wrong?” he asked as the kiss ended. “Nothing,” she said. He looked at her and took a hold of her chin.“Don’t lie to me, angel. You know what happens to liers,” he said in that dark voice, which always went straight to her core. “I will tell you later, when we don’t have an audience,” she promised him.“I will allow it. You’re okay
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It had been two days since Ava had talked with Fatima and she hadn’t heard anything back. She spent her days with Luka, and he seemed to settle into life in the mansion. Zane would usually find them when he had a break in his work, or when he decided he wanted a break. Ava was sitting in the garden crocheting; it was a nice day and Luka was sitting on a blanket with his Legos. It had fast become his favorite toy after his bunny. The pink bunny was laying by his side, it was his constant companion. He may have been a bit old for a security stuffy, but with everything he had been through, Ava thought he deserved it. Her phone rang and she saw it was Fatima calling.“Hi, Fatima,” Ava answered.“Hello, my friend. I hope you are well,” Fatima said.“I am, thank you. And you?”“I’m good. I have good news as well.”“I’m happy to hear it, I hope it’s regarding the thing we talked about,” Ava said.“It is. I have found his mother. I talked to her most of t
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Ava arrived at the cafe almost half an hour early. It wasn’t just that she liked to be on time for her appointments, it was also to make sure that the four women she had with her blended in to the crowd. She didn’t want to spook Fatima and Luka’s mother. Ava ordered a pot of tea and some cherry pie. She glanced at the table where three of her bodyguards sat and then at the table where the fourth one was drinking her coffee. Ava tried to look at it objectively and she thought they blended in with the rest of the guests. She took the extra time to relax and enjoy her treat.“Ava,” Fatima greeted her as she came walking.“Fatima, it’s nice to see you again so soon,” Ava said, standing up to give her friend a hug. Fatima looked around and gave Ava a questioning look. Ava smiled at her friend and gave a discreet nod towards the table with the one bodyguard. She felt a little bad towards her friend that she didn’t disclose the other three. But she knew it was for the bes
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Ava didn’t even bother going inside the mansion as she got home, she headed straight for the back garden and found two men and a boy sitting on the blanket, building what looked like a huge garage with different cars. She stood in the shade of a tree and watched them. It didn’t take Zane long to sense her presence and he looked up at her with a smile. The look on her face must have given her feeling away because he frowned. Ava had become more skilled in hiding her emotions, but Zane could still read her like a book. She usually didn’t mind. He handed his half-finished vehicle over to Jax and walked over to Ava.“The meeting didn’t go well?” he asked after he had kissed her.“No, it did,” she said.“Oh. Right.” He looked over his shoulder towards Luka. “Jax, I need to talk to my wife. Why don’t you and Luka stay out here for half an hour longer and then we can sit down inside and have a snack,” he called over.“I like that plan. Hi, Ava,” Jax said
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Life returned to its normal state after Luka left. Ava spent her days being spoiled by Zane and the staff. Her two weeks staying home would soon be up and she prepared to go back to the office. To be on the safe side, she called Gabriel to check if something major had happened she needed to be aware of.“Nothing big. We have a new client that I was planning for the two of us to have lunch with when you get back and we are all leaving early on Friday for the renovation,” he told her.“Renovation?” she asked.“Hasn’t the boss told you? Jax called the other day to tell me Zane had ordered some extra security to be installed. I guess he is a little worried about you going back to work,” Gabriel explained.“He didn’t tell me.”“I, on the other side, am thrilled that you will be back. I miss you, and it’s so boooooring to eat lunch with the others,” he said. Ava laughed
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Ava and Linda had a nice and quiet dinner. As none of the boys made it down before they were finished, the two of them decided to have a game night on their own. They moved to the living room and started playing Canasta. Anna made sure they had snacks and they gossiped as they played.“Let’s make it interesting and play for something other than just bragging rights,” Linda suggested.“Like money?” Ava asked. She was uncomfortable at the idea of gambling; it had never worked out well for her.“No. With the two men we live with, playing for money just doesn’t seem fun,” Linda said, and Ava agreed.“How about we do a dare? Whoever has the lowest score by the end of the evening have to do the dare?” Linda proposed. Ava thought about it, it sounded fun. She had played quite a lot of Canasta with Anna and Linda; she was almost confident she could win. She just needed to keep a straight
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