Chapter 24
AVA
Ava’s heart hammered in her chest, partly from the effort of taking down two guards and shooting one, and partly from the gun now aimed at her husband.
“Look,” Alex pleaded next to her, “I’ll work on your stupid program, okay? I’ll do everything you ask, just…let Ava go.”
“And me,” Kyle chimed in. “I think that goes without saying because I’m really of no use to you.”
“And…Doc,” Alex answered with a bob of his head.
Miranda scoffed. “I don’t think so. No, I’ve got what I need to make sure you comply now. With Ava in the adjoining cell to yours, we’ll be able to make certain you make progress.”
“Sebastian won’t be very happy,” Ava shot back, desperately trying to stall Miranda from doing anything until she could sort out a solution to their predicament.
“I think Sebastian may finally see the light about you,” Miranda answered. “How could he not? You are here trying to rescue Alex, not giving in to his demands like he’d so hoped you would.”
Ava tried not to show signs of her building panic as Miranda refused to relent and she saw no way out.
“No, I think he’ll be on my side with this one,” Miranda continued. “You finally proved yourself, Ava. And I couldn’t be happier.”
“I wouldn’t count your chickens before they’re hatched, Miranda,” Ava tried. “There’s no guarantee Sebastian is going to agree with you.”
Miranda’s features twisted with disdain. “Well, I’ll just have to make him see my side of things, won’t I? Now, let’s just get rid of the third wheel here.”
“Whoa, wait, what?” Kyle asked as Miranda shifted the gun to point at him.
“You are, by your own admission, useless, right? Then I may as well drop you now so I only have two people to deal with.”
Kyle’s eyes went wide.
Ava slid in front of him. “I don’t think so, Miranda.”
“Ava!” Kyle hissed.
“Stay behind me, Doc. She’s right. I’m more valuable than you are. And I’ll be damned if I go back on the promise I made to Grant and Julia.” Ava fixed her eyes on Miranda. “Now, let’s talk through a compromise that lets Doc head home.”
“Why would I agree to that?” Miranda said with a chuckle. “What do I gain from it?
“Both Alex and I,” Ava answered.
Miranda smirked, huffing out a sharp breath. “I don’t think so. You know what? I’ll just shoot you both. One bullet, two bodies. Say goodbye, Ava.”
Ava’s heart pounded against her ribs as Miranda steadied her arms, leveling the gun at her.
Her chest constricted, her lower lip beginning to tremble as she prepared for the bullet to hit her. She hoped by some miracle, Miranda would be a bad shot.
Maybe she’d miss or maybe she’d hit her in a non-fatal spot.
Alex leapt in front of her with a shake of his head. “No!”
“Alex!” she shouted as he reached behind him to make certain he was shielding her.
“Ava, stay behind me. She won’t shoot me. They need me.”
“Don’t be so sure, Alex,” Miranda growled. “I’ll drop you out of the way and shoot her.”
Ava peered over Alex’s shoulder, noting the lowered position of the weapon in Miranda’s hands.
Her heart rose into her throat. Miranda would merely shoot Alex in the leg, crippling him before she went back to her plan to remove Ava and Kyle from the picture. But an inch in the wrong direction, and she could kill him.
“No, Miranda, don’t!” Ava shouted, but the woman shook her head.
“The time for negotiation is over, Ava. Which leg would you prefer Alex? Right or left?” She smirked. “Oh, hell with it, I’ll pick for you.”
Time slowed as Ava reached for Alex, her breath shallow and her eyes glassy. A gunshot ricocheted off of the walls, startling her and echoing in her ears.
She held her breath as she waited to see Alex drop to the floor in front of her. But that didn’t happen.
Blood never sprayed from him, and he never fell.
Her eyebrows squashed as, down the hall, Miranda dropped to her knees, a shocked expression twisting her features as she glanced down at the blood blooming on the shoulder of her blouse. Her gun clattered to the floor.
Behind her, Raven stood, weapon still raised after firing the bullet that saved their lives.
Ava raced around Alex and snatched up two of the three guns now on the floor as Raven strode toward Miranda.
He kicked the gun away from her as she tried to reach for it before he kicked her to the floor and stepped on her wounded shoulder.
“Go, Ava.” Raven tossed a set of keys in the air toward her.
She caught them mid-air, shoving them into her pocket, her features pinching. “What about you?”
His robotic voice echoed through the halls, broken only by the sound of Miranda’s groaning. “I’ll be fine. Go. Now.”
Ava nodded as she stuffed a gun into her waistband and held the other one in front of her with one hand as she grabbed Alex’s with her other. “Let’s go.”
Alex interlaced his fingers with hers as they raced down the hall, Kyle in tow. She peered around the corner, finding a clear hallway.
Nothing stood between them and the doors leading outside.
Her heart hammered as she picked up the pace, eager to leave the facility behind, but cautious that they weren’t caught unaware.
“Hey, can I have my gun back?” Kyle asked.
She handed hers to him before she tugged the other from her waistband. “Keep your eyes peeled, Doc, we’re nearly there.”
They reached the end of the hall and pushed through the doors into the cool night air.
Ava gulped in the air as she pulled the keys from her pocket, her hands still trembling.
She tugged the driver’s door open and climbed behind the wheel as Alex and Kyle piled into the front from the passenger side.
Ava fired the engine and whipped the van away from the facility, her heart still in her throat.
She glanced in the side mirror as she continued to put more distance between them and the building.
Her heart continued to pound against her ribs. She pulled onto the road, emotions roiling inside her as she tried to process the situation.
She jammed on the brakes, sending them flying toward the dash as she slid the shifter into park, her breathing labored.
She slid open the door and stepped outside, gulping in deep breaths as she ran her hands through her hair.
The passenger door opened, and Alex followed her.
“Avs?” His voice remained shaky as he approached her.
She twisted to face him, her features twisted and her eyes glassy. “Alex.”
“Hey,” he said as he approached her, “it’s okay. We made it.”
Her lower lip trembled as she threw her arms around her neck. “Alex…I almost lost you.”
He pulled her closer, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I thought I’d never see you again either.”
She arched her back, leaning back and cupping his face in her hands. “Alex, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Ava.”
Her shaky voice took on a note of urgency.
“No, I mean, I really love you. When you were gone, I realized I never said it. After we decided to stay married, I never said those words, and I’m sorry.
I should have said them. I should have said them every day.
It just felt weird after Chris—who I may have kidnapped, by the way—but… I love you.”
He smiled at her, his eyes filling with tears as she spoke. He slid a lock of hair away from her face before he leaned forward to kiss her. “I love you too, Ava. All day, every day. And it doesn’t matter that you never said it. I knew it. Deep down, I knew it.”
“That’s no excuse. I should have said it, Ace. And I promise to say it every day for the rest of our lives. I love you, Alex. I love you, I love you, I love you.”
She pressed her lips against his as she pulled him closer in a deep kiss.
“Uhhh, sorry to ruin this pivotal moment, guys, but…maybe we could drive further away from the bad guy’s fortress before we stop for…this.”
Ava pulled back from Alex, glancing at Kyle with a wince.
“Yeah, still here. Don’t mind me. Kiss as long as you’d like, but maybe also wrap it up so we can go.”
She shared a glance with Alex before they grinned at each other. Ava reached an arm out toward Kyle. “Get over here, Doc. This is a team celebration.”
“Umm, it seems sort of…not like that.”
“Come on, group hug,” Alex answered.
Kyle offered them a sheepish glance as he trotted over and wrapped his arms around them. “Aww, thanks, guys. It means a lot to me.”
“So did your support in getting Alex back,” Ava answered as she gave his back a light rub. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without you, Doc.”
He lifted his chin. “I’m glad to know I’ve lived up to my role as back-up spouse.”
“Hey,” Alex warned.
“What? I said backup,” he answered. “You’re totally the spouse. It’s all you…obviously.”
“Thanks,” Alex said. “Now, Doc’s got a point. We probably shouldn’t be hanging around this close to a Board stronghold.”
“You’re right,” Ava said with a nod as she broke up their hug and started toward the car. “Plus, like I said, I actually have Chris tied up in the guest bedroom, and I probably should let him go.”
Alex scoffed as they climbed into the van again. “I don’t care what you do with him after what he did.”
“What he did?” Ava asked, freezing as she shifted from park.
“He knew where I was. He was with Miranda right after I got kidnapped.”
“What?” Ava cried. “You’re kidding me.”
She rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh as she started the van in motion.
“I kid you not, Sparky. The angry architect was involved in my imprisonment. I hoped he was the reason you found me but…wait, how did you find me?”
“Sebastian took me to see you.”
“He didn’t knock you out?” Alex asked, screwing up his face.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think he expected me to be able to recall all the turns, but I managed to memorize the route.”
“Good thing he doesn’t know how smart you are, or I may still be sitting in a cell.”
Ava turned onto another street. “And we have Raven to thank for getting us inside that building.”
“Do you think he got out?” Kyle asked.
Ava glanced in her mirror again, her grip tightening on the wheel. “I don’t know. But if he didn’t…it may be game over for our fight against The Board.”
Her stomach twisted into a tight knot as she wondered about the fate of their odd ally. Would their fight be over?