“Wait! What about Killian?! We can’t just leave him!” I yell, turning my head to the back of the car, looking at all the chaos surrounding the place we just left. The scene gets harder and harder to see the further we speed away.
“He’ll be fine. I need to get us out of here.”
I can’t even comprehend what’s going on right now. My eyes dart around, taking in the traffic flying by me. This was not supposed to happen today, I purposely didn’t tell them about this deal. I had kept them in the dark because I knew the next shipment was going to be double the size and we could get double the arrests. The only way they could have found out about this was through Killian. Leave it to him to go behind my back and set up a takedown. What the hell was he thinking? I was not prepared for this, if I had been, I wouldn’t be sitting in a speeding car with Sal right now.
“I’m getting really tired of all these fucking cops showing up at our exchanges. How the fuck did they know about this?” He rounds a turn as I grab a hold of the ‘oh shit’ handle white-knuckling it. “Dammit!” He hits the steering wheel with his palm.
I try to go with Killian’s maneuver and deflect Sal from the question he just asked. “I know you’re pissed but don’t forget there are twins on board.” His flaming red face glances at my belly quickly as he slows down. “Panicking isn’t going to do either one of us any good. We need to figure a way to get you out of here and fast.”
“You’re coming with me. I’m not leaving you to the vultures.” I’m shocked that for once Sal is actually worried for someone other than himself.
“I’ll be fine.” I try to soothe him a calm voice. I need to get him to carry on with his plans so I can try to salvage something here.
“No arguments. I’m not going to have my pregnant daughter sitting in a jail cell.” I notice we are headed in the direction of his house.
“Okay. Where are we going then? You know that they will show up at your house, right? That’s going to be the first place they look for you.” He smirks at my statement.
“They can look all they want but we will be long gone before they can bust through the front door.”
“Unless you have a helipad on your roof with a chopper waiting that I don’t know about, I don’t see how that’s possible.” I need to get answers from him. I can’t make a plan if I don’t know what’s happening.
“When you’re in the business we are, you always have to think ahead.” He speeds into the driveway and throws the car into park. He clicks the garage opener and leaves the keys in the car. “Come on, we don’t have much time.” As he speaks I can hear the sounds of sirens blaring in the distance. I don’t argue as I rush out of the car, following him into the house. We reach his study and he walks over to the bookshelf. He trails his fingers along the books before stopping at a blue and black colored one. Pulling down on the spine of the book, I hear a clicking noise and the wall pushes in. Taking a step in, he hits a light switch.
“I’ll be damned. You have an escape tunnel.” I say out loud as he opens the safe inside of it, removing some cash and a passport.
“Like I said, you always have to be one step ahead.” He steps in and I reach behind my back making sure my gun is still tucked away in its spot. There’s no way I’m following him without protection for myself. My heart is beating roughly against my chest and I’m unable to steady it.
“What are you doing?” He eyes me questionably and I reach in my back pocket pulling out my phone, placing it on his desk.
“Thinking ahead. With technology these days they could probably put a trace on our cell phones. If we plan on slipping out from under their noses we should probably take all precautions, don’t you think?” I must be learning from Killian, making up lies on the moment has always been his skill.
“You’re right. He tosses me his phone and I place it on the desk.” Walking back into the lit up tunnel, I follow him as he leads the way through, thankfully leaving the bookcase open for the cops to find.
“How far does this tunnel go and where does it come out?”
“It goes through all thirty acres of land. That’s why I bought this property. The land was huge and it comes out to a road that no one really knows about.”
“Okay, but what are we going to do once we get there?” I question as we continue to walk through the now dark tunnel.
“I have a car I keep parked over there. I never use it and the only person who knew about the tunnel and the car is dead, so there’s no need to worry about what’s waiting on the other end. I assure you, we will be just fine. Just keep up with me and I’ll have us out of here before you know it.”
“I have to say, I’m impressed with all this. And I’m shocked Angelo kept it a secret.” Sal chuckles.
“He wouldn’t open his mouth about this to anyone. He knew just as well as I did that this was his way out too, if needed. He was a selfish asshole and would never do anything that could prevent him from going behind bars. He proved that one when he didn’t step up for that minor drug bust Dante obviously set up. He was only loyal to a certain point.” As we reach what I think is the halfway mark in the tunnel, I stop walking and the sound of my missing footsteps must be noticeable to Sal, causing him to turn around. “Why are you stopping? We need to move quickly.” Reaching behind my back I pull out my gun bringing it around aiming it straight at his head. This is it, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for since I watched Sal murder the one person who truly mattered to me. This is the very thing that has kept me going this whole time.
“That’s far enough.” I move the safety to off as he slowing lifts his hands up, taking a step closer to me.
“Ava, dear. Put the gun down.” He's talking to me like I need placating.
“Don’t take another step.” I warn.
“Have you lost your damn mind? What’s gotten into you?” I can see the confusion on his face, none of this is making sense to him.
“I can assure you I haven’t lost anything. Well, let me take that back. I did lose something, as a matter of fact. I lost the father of my children thanks to you.”
“Ava, Killian will be fine. I will personally figure out a way to get him out of this mess. I don’t know what’s come over you, but you need to quit this bullshit. If you lower your gun, I’ll forget this ever happened and still let you walk away with me.” I laugh. He really doesn’t have a clue. He thinks that this is all about the bust, about driving away without Killian.
“The only one walking away from here will be me. You just don’t get it, do you? You’re always so worried about yourself, you’re too blind to see what’s going on under your own damn nose.” Sal remains silent, so I continue. “Yeah, you had a cop infiltrate your organization and being the son of a bitch you are, you even killed him. But what you didn’t know, is not only did you murder a cop, but you murdered my fiancée, the real father of my kids.” I was hoping he would look shocked, that he would feel some sort of betrayal with what I was telling him but he just laughs.
“Ah, I get it now. You made a poor decision of who you slept around with and even though he was a cop, you’re still siding with him, and for what? The sake of your twins? To do the right thing for your babies? You’re an arms dealer, for Christ’s sake, not the best parental figure occupation if you ask me. We’re family, Ava! Family doesn’t turn their backs on each other. Where the hell is all this coming from?”
“We may share the same blood but we are not family. And I hate to burst your bubble but Michael is the one who came to Dante for help in the first place.” Now this statement does get a reaction from him, his cheeks getting redder with anger.
“That little shit.”
“So you see Sal, in the end, your family is sticking together. We are just sticking together on the right side of the law. You had my world ripped apart, now tell me, how does it feel to have yours ripped out from under you?” I try to keep the smugness out of my voice, but I'm loving every minute of his pain, his realization that he is losing everything.
Avoiding my question he asks, “And what about you? Do you really think that you can go back to your life when all this is said and done, that they will just forgive you for selling all those guns and wipe your record clean?” He’s grasping now, trying to get me to side with him against the police.
“Well, considering I actually work for the FBI, I’m not too worried about that.” His eyebrows shoot up and his eyes widen as the realization sets in that not only did he have one cop under his nose, but two. This is apparently the last straw, the bit of information that finally sends him into a rage.
“I should have listened to Angelo when he warned me about you. So what about the DNA results? Did you fake those too? Was that your angle all along? Fake the DNA results and use the whole family thing to rope in Killian and myself?” His hands are clenching into fists. He would give anything to lash out but with the gun pointed to his head he can only stand there and shout at me.
“No. Unfortunately that just happened to be a really poor judgment call on my mother’s part. But believe me, I would much rather those results been tampered with then have a scumbag sperm donor like you. I just happened to have a Hail Mary thrown into my lap when I needed it the most.”
“How much.” He says smugly as his body relaxes.
“Excuse me?”
“How much do I have to pay you for you to turn around and walk back the way we came and part ways. You’ve obviously broken all the trust you had with the ties in my organization, and I can’t exactly continue forward now. So name your price and I’ll leave the country. I promise you’ll never see or hear from me again.” Taking a couple steps closer to him, he matches my steps backwards.
“There’s no way out, Sal. You can’t buy or talk your way out of this one. You seem to think you’re above the law and I’m here to show you just how wrong you are. You see, jail would be too good for you. You took an innocent man’s life, and took away my kids’ chance of having a father. There’s no better justice for that than repaying the favor.” I'm proud that I'm keeping my voice steady and my words are coming out clear.
“So you’re willing to commit murder and become a dirty cop?”
“I like to look at it as revenge for a woman scorned.” The sirens are now starting to echo through the tunnels, alerting me that I don’t have much time. The police must be close and it’s only a matter of time before they find the tunnel. I take a step closer to him and take aim at his head.
“You know you’ll end up losing your badge over this right?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. See, when Dante died, people grieved and suffered a loss. When I kill you, no one is going to care that you’re dead. Not one person will mourn you and when I say it was self-defense, well, no one is going to question a pregnant cop.” Sal looks behind me but I don’t let him distract me. “Don’t bother. No one is going to come to your rescue.” A grin spreads across his face, big like a cat that just ate the canary and it’s starting to piss me off.
“Well, seems like you have this all figured out then. Go ahead, if you’re ready to murder an innocent man and risk your career, now’s just as good as time as any.” He straightens his back, but I don’t see any fear on his face and it’s disappointing. I don’t think he believes that I have the guts to do this. But he's very wrong.
“You’re not innocent, but I couldn’t agree with you more. Now’s the perfect time.” My finger doesn’t even hesitate, quickly pulling back on the trigger. I feel the gun jump in my hand as the trigger releases, and I lower my aim, pulling the trigger two more times sending bullets into his chest as tears rolls down my face. He took the love of my life with three bullets, now I’ve returned the favor.
“Ava, no!” An all too familiar voice comes from behind as my arm is grabbed, the gun pulled from my numb fingers, but it’s too late. Sal’s dead. My vision is blurred and I’m pretty sure the adrenalin running through me is making me hallucinate as I see Dante stand before me. I can’t stop myself from crying as the feeling of relief floods through my body, I finally got justice for him. But wait, why am I seeing Dante? Why does it feel like I can feel his skin on mine? Feeling a little dizzy, I lose the feeling in my legs and collapse into his arms. I’m overcome by the smell of him and his hand touches my face wiping away the tears that can’t stop from falling.
“Ava, baby. Are you okay? You need to calm down. I’m here.” He cradles me into his chest, soothing me. He’s stroking my hair just like he used to and just as I whisper his name, spots begin to blur my vision, darkness invading the edges of my sight. The last thing I see before giving into the need to sleep is the face of the man I love, his words drifting over my heart. “Stay with me, Pop Tart.”
Ugh that noise. Beep…beep…beep. I groan at the sound and open my eyes, suddenly feel like I’m in the movie Groundhog Day. The fluorescent lights blind my vision as my eyes take a minute to adjust to the light. I turn my head to the left trying to avoid the glare of them, and I see Killian in the chair beside my bed.
“Please don’t tell me I was drugged again.” I moan. My body is stiff, making me wonder how long I’ve been out. Killian laughs nervously as he sports a nice shiner under his eye. “What the hell happened to your face?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I had another encounter with a clown?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.” I laugh, but it makes my body ache and I make a note to avoid doing it again.
“Ava, what’s the last thing you remember?” Yup, definitely feels like Groundhog Day.
“I was in the tunnel with Sal and all the adrenaline rushing through me was messing with my head because after I shot him I started hallucinating.”
“Hallucinating?”
“Yeah, it was the weirdest thing. I was convinced Dante was there with me. I heard his voice call out to me, and I know this is going to sound crazy but I even felt his touch. I must have hit my head really hard when I collapsed to the ground because, Killian, I seriously felt like I was in his arms.”
“That’s because you were, Pop Tart.” My head snaps to the right and there he is, in the flesh. Dante is very much alive and sitting in the chair by my side. A sob breaks free from me and I jump up way too fast, causing a pain in my right side.
“Holy fuck, that hurt.” Clutching my abdomen, I collapse back against the bed, trying to get the stars to clear from my vision. I open my eyes when a shadow falls across me and the only thing I can focus on is the sight of Dante’s face so close to mine. I reach out my hand, grab a hold of his shirt, and pull him to me since I can’t move without causing myself pain. He doesn’t resist as he leans down and places his warm lips to mine. I can’t stop my free hand from reaching out and holding his cheek, when I feel him lean into my palm I know I’m not dreaming. This is very real. As our lips part, he pulls back and stares into my eyes. Before I even realize it, my hand slaps his cheek. “You asshole! You made me believe you were dead and this whole time you were alive!”
“Now wait.” He holds his hands up in defense, I’m still clutching his shirt so he can’t back away from me.
“No, you wait! I can’t believe you did that to me! I grieved over your death, Dante. Do you know how hard it’s been on me thinking that I would have to raise two children on my own and how heartbreaking it was to think they would never know their father? I fucking killed a man to get justice for you!”
Killian clears his throat and my head snaps in his direction as he closes the door, keeping our conversation private. “Ava, we’re all saying it was self-defense, so you need to keep it down. You can’t be yelling shit like that. I understand you’re upset, but you need to try and keep calm. I think I’ll give you two some privacy.” He places his hand on the door handle and he must be crazy if he thinks he’s getting off that easily.
“Oh, no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere until I get some fucking answers.” He looks to Dante. “Don’t look at him! He’s on the top of my shit list followed very closely by you,
so don’t even think you’re getting to escape.”
“You heard the lady. I’d pull up a chair because I can tell neither one of us will be going anywhere for a while.” Killian sits opposite where I have Dante pulled in by his shirt. He clasps his hands in front of him, wringing them while avoiding all eye contact with either of us. I have so many questions and don’t really know where to begin. I catch Dante glaring at Killian and figure that is a great place to start.
“What’s going on between you two? And Lord help you both if you say nothing.” Killian shifts in his chair uncomfortably and Dante pries my hand off his shirt before sitting, pulling his chair closer to me. He does the death glare thing again and his posture looks like he’s ready to jump over the bed and attack at any moment. “Killian, how did you get the black eye?” I ask, feeling the tension in the room.
“I deserved it.” He answers, but doesn’t look up from the floor. It’s like dealing with kids and I'm praying my kids will be easier to cope with.
“That’s not what I asked. Answer the damn question.” I’m running out of patience.
“I did it.” Dante speaks up, looking rather proud of himself.
“I figured that much, but why?”
“Really? You’re going to sit there and act like you don’t know?” His tone is laced with anger and my short fuse is blown.
“Don’t you dare come at me with a fucking attitude” I seethe. “I’m not one for the guessing game today. You’re alive and I don’t even know where the hell you’ve been this whole time or what the hell you were doing, so whatever the problem is, just fucking spit it out already.”
Ava's Revenge: (Salvation Series Book 2) Page 17
