CHAPTER 20 #2
“Fine. One of Owen’s goons came to Chicago and broke into my place looking for you.
I managed t get him down and he ran, but not before he got a couple hits in.
That’s the bruises on my face. He dropped his gun so I picked it up, knowing there’d be fingerprints.
I also knew you were in trouble, and since you weren’t answering your phone I came to the city and went to Temple looking for you. ”
“We had no idea you were missing, mate,” Jack sighed as Colt looked to him. “You left us Mace and those voicemails and we didn’t even question it really. We knew you were worried Ava hadn’t been answering your calls so it just made sense.”
“He forced me to make those calls. Told me to leave two voicemails. He had a gun to my head, so there was nothing I could do to clue you in,” Colt sighed.
“You’re safe now,” Ky soothed him.
“Anyway we started looking for you and Mason filed a missing person’s report.
Jack mentioned the money you borrowed so I started looking into that.
I found the contract for the loan and went to see Gibb Neaverson, so I knew it was nothing to do with him.
He pointed us to Ky’s restaurant though, and that’s where we met Kylan.
He told me about the file you were building, and I remembered the safe at our place.
Once I had the file I was pretty sure it was Owen who had grabbed you. ”
“So her stubborn and insane ass decided to go and see him. Offer him money to get you back,” Mason cut in.
“We had no other choice!” I barked. “I had to get him back and Owen’s was most likely.
He had already sent another of his guys after me to retrieve the gun I was holding onto.
I had stupidly forgotten all about it, so I never handed it over to Mason to get forensics on it,” I groaned, feeling embarrassed. It was such a dumb thing to forget.
“He took the gun?” Colt asked and I nodded. “Did he hurt you?”
“I was fine,” I assured him, but he looked straight over me to Mason.
“Jesus brother, you’re getting me neck deep in shit with your sister here,” Mason groaned as he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck.
“The fucker stabbed her in the shoulder. Luckily, Deak got to her and we were able to call in the doc to fix her up,” Jack spoke up and Colt looked
“I think you’ll find what happened was I called Deacon after fighting the guy off. I might have been stabbed but he was hurting too!” I defended myself.
“Christ Ava! What the hell were you thinking?” Colt hissed angrily. He looked pale again and I hated that we were putting him through all of this. It could have waited until he was better and stronger.
“I was thinking I didn’t want to my brother!
” I snapped back at him angrily. I buried my face in my hands and leaned forward as I fought to breathe through the tears that were threatening.
“It was my fault, Colt.” I uttered through a tight throat.
“I basically cut you out of my life. If I’d just answered your fucking calls.
I was so scared. I c-couldn’t lose you,” My voice broke on the last word and a sob slipped out with it.
Strong arms wrapped around me and I knew it was Jack from the scent of his aftershave. He pulled me against his chest and hugged me against him.
“It’s over now, love. Colt’s safe. Everyone’s safe. Just try to breathe for me, nice and slow,” he soothed.
I took some deep breaths and fought to get myself together. I was so sick of crying! I never cried any more, at least not until I returned t New York and everything started to change.
“None of what happened was your fault, Bam. I don’t want to hear you say anything like that again, you hear me?
I don’t even think that sick fuck grabbing me was anything to do with what I was messed up in.
I think he chose me by chance. He never asked me what I knew, or why I had been looking into the disappearances.
He’d have taken me no matter what,” Colt told me.
“I never should have pushed you away though,” I said tearfully as I turned my head against Jack’s chest and looked to my brother. “I was stupid and selfish. I’m so sorry Colt.”
“It’s never going to happen again. I don’t care how old you are, I’m never going to allow you to push me away like that again.
I spent the last week thinking I was going to die.
I spent so much time looking back and regretting so many things I’ve done in my life, but one of the best things I did was taking you in.
You made me who I am – who I was always meant to be.
You pulled me out of the depression my father spent my entire life drowning me in and pulled me up into the light.
I love you, so fucking much and I refuse to see you hurting anymore.
You’ve been through enough. Do you understand me? No more torturing yourself.”
I couldn’t speak, my throat too tight with emotion as I swiped angrily at the tears running down my face again.
Instead I reached out to grab his hand and instantly I was pulled to his side.
He moved over and before I could pretest Jack was helping to lift me until I lay on the bed beside Colt, my head on his shoulder.
He wrapped his arm around me and held me, as I draped my own very gently around his waist. I knew the stab wounds he sustained where lower, but I wasn’t sure about other injuries and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.
“I love you too Colt,” I whispered tiredly after a few moments of gathering myself.
“Thank you for so much – for protecting me those times my mom was screaming some hotel down for cash from our dad, for taking me in when she left me, for not getting rid of me when I was a nightmare teen, and most of all for not dying. I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life. ”
“You’re never going to find out. I’m not going anywhere,” he promised as he kissed my temple. I just cuddled as tightly as I dare against him and reveled in having him back. Nothing and no one was ever taking him from me again.