31

ALEX POV:

I paid and left the restaurant immediately after Ava. She hadn’t gotten far, and I followed discreetly to make sure she got home safe before I drove back to D.C.

I hated seeing her upset, especially on a night when we should’ve been celebrating instead of fighting. I wanted to run after her and apologize for being an ass, but the clock was ticking, and I needed to finish what I’d started.

Only then could I put the past behind me, once and for all.

I stared at my computer screen, watching the minutes tick by. 11:55 p.m. I’d given the man a midnight deadline.

11:56 p.m.

I hadn’t told Ava the truth…about many things. I didn’t have urgent business to take care of before dinner, at least none relevant to Archer Group. Instead, I’d been talking to my family’s killers’ killer.

The police had ruled my parents’ and sister’s murders as a home invasion gone wrong, but I knew better. The men had said it was a job and mentioned a “he,” someone who knew