*Ava’s POV*Seymore has been so great about everything, and that makes me feel worse about accusing him of killing Conner. I went back to Ellie’s and talked with her and Sophia. They had pointed out so many inconsistencies in my accusation of Seymore that I felt stupid by the time we were done talking. “He really cares about you,” Sophia had pointed out. “I’ve never had a guy jump through so many hoops for me.”“The fact Corbin was involved has me immediately pointing a finger at him,” Ellie had added. “He’s the one with the background in murder, not Seymore.”“But Seymore flat out said he wanted to kill him,” I had argued. “So? I wanted to kill him, it doesn’t mean I did,” Ellie had retorted. I still feel bad about it, what had I been thinking? The fact Seymore just accepted my apology with a warm smile and comforting touch drove a blade into my heart. I’m so used to things that aren't my fault being blamed on me, that I’m having a difficult time accepting forgiveness w
*Seymore’s POV*As Ava falls asleep next to me I think about what just happened. Was it the talk of marriage and children that made me act so impulsively, or a darker part of me acting on its own? Either way, something told me to stay tucked into her pulsing womanhood to spill my seed. I’ve never been so careless. Every time I’ve been with someone, I’ve pulled out. I wonder if she noticed. Either way, it felt amazing. Strangely enough, I would love for her to have my baby. Children with her would be a dream come true. I’d given up on ever having children, deciding that life just wasn’t for me. Being with Ava has changed all that. After pulling her in close, I manage to close my eyes and drift off.***The Next MorningWe wake up to Ava’s phone ringing. She answers it and hurries out of the room, trying not to wake me up. While we were asleep, I must have slipped off of her.I hear her talking in the other room, but can’t make out what she’s saying. I climb out of the bed a
Last night was frustrating. Ava filled me in on the two men that came looking for her. Luckily, she was on a break when they came by and her co-workers had not bothered to hunt her down for them. After she got back, the manager pulled the two men up on security footage and asked her if she knew them.“I have no idea who they are,” she had said.“They gave us the creeps, so we just hurried and got them out of the building,” the manager had said. “They asked for you by name, though.”Sophia asked to see the parking lot footage, but she couldn’t get a plate number on the car. Ava told me she doesn’t want to go back to the shelter until we get this tied up.“I don’t like the idea that they know where I work. The last thing I want is to put the people I work with in danger,” Ava said. I understand, but it kills me. She feels like she can’t even do the thing she loves because of Duncan Ambrose. We had gone home from dinner and spent most of the evening sitting on the couch reading
*Ava’s POV*Seymore has been looking at me funny all day. He hasn’t brought it up, but I know what he’s thinking. I hadn’t allowed him to pull out. I had an oh-no moment the night before when he came inside me, but once my brain worked through it I decided it wasn’t a bad thing. If I get pregnant, so be it. I went through years of being unable to conceive with Conner, and I don’t want to have children too late in life. If Seymore brings it up, that’s exactly what I’ll tell him.The afternoon was too busy to talk about it. We needed to contact everyone and let them know what the plan was. Ellie was stoked, asking me if I wanted to come over to get ready together. I declined. She will take Sophia and head to the club early so they can get in place and let us know when it’s busy enough to slip in. Doc and Marcus said they would get the earpieces ready. Seymore and I left a little while ago to come home and prepare.“Is that what you’re wearing?” I ask as he steps out of the be
*Seymore’s POV*I dart up the steps with Ava on my heels. I feel like my heart is about to pop out of my chest. This is the most dangerous part of our mission, and I can’t turn around to see if anyone sees us. We reach the top and I pull her around a corner, both of us are out of breath as we press our backs against a wall. “We’re up,” I tell Marcus through the earpiece. “It looks good out here, Corbin’s sitting at the door checking IDs again,” he replies. “Find the black door and let me know when you’re ready for the code.”“It’s okay, Corbin doesn’t know we’re up here,” I relay to Ava, causing her to nod that she understands. We should have plenty of time to find the door we need. According to Sophia, Corbin won't be back up to check the building for at least forty-five minutes. There is a long hall to our right and a short hall to the left. I point to Ava and down the left side. She nods and heads down the hall while I take the right. The noise of the club is distrac
The phone rings a few times before Kade answers. The states are six hours behind us, so midnight here is only six o’clock over there.“Seymore, nice to hear from you again. Raven and I were just talking about you,” Kade says after the initial hellos. “How have you been?”“Do you have time? I’ve got a lot going on,” I reply, heading out to Doc’s garden to speak to him in private. It takes me a good hour to fill him in on everything going on. Kade asks his questions as we talk, congratulating me on my relationship with Ava, and then lecturing me for not calling him sooner when it came to the Duncan problem. “You know I could have helped, he’s someone I do business with,” Kade had scorned.I love that he wants to help, but I’m used to taking care of my problems on my own. Suddenly having a large support group of friends is taking some adjusting on my part. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner, I was trying to deal with it on my end without bothering you,” I retort. “But I co
*Ava’s POV*I can’t believe it. The man I trust above all others has sent me away. Sure, there had been no point in arguing with him, but that doesn’t mean I want this. I’m so tired of everyone else telling me what to do with my life. I know what’s good for me, and what I feel should override anyone else's opinion. I sit in the back of Sophia’s car, sulking as she drives. She and Ellie are both trying to tell me how to feel, and I’m over it. I would rather be with Seymore, fighting by his side. This is ridiculous and an unnecessary step. “If Corbin was the one who killed Conner, we need to treat him like the threat he is,” Ellie is saying. “That’s true, Ava. Corbin doesn’t care what the order is, he will carry it out without prejudice. The fact he mentioned I should stay away from you specifically worries me,” Sophia adds. My heart had dropped when Seymore said I should stay away from him. That’s the last thing I had been expecting. I thought he would step up his efforts
*Seymore’s POV*Ava hasn’t been gone for more than twenty minutes and I’m already losing my mind. I wish I hadn’t sent her away, it really did go against everything I was feeling. Her safety is my top priority, even if it means I’m going to suffer for it. At least Ava will have her friends to distract her, making the time we spend away from one another move quickly. I suppose I could go see Doc and Marcus. We could play some cards and just hang out. No matter what, I need to find something to keep my mind off of Ava. I pull out my cell and call Marcus.“What’s up, Seymore?” he asks right away.“I just sent Ava away. I guess Sophia talked with Corbin and he warned her to stay away from Ava. I figured she would be safer at Ellie’s than here, but I need to find something to do while she’s gone,” I explain in a drawn-out breath.“I understand, and it makes sense. I’m heading back to your place with the dogs. Doc finally got tired of me hovering over him and told me to go home