Page 55 of Revenge

“I know. But there isn’t anything we can do about it now. I would say it’s a little too late for that.” I give her a smile trying to comfort her.

“Can I come in?” Max asks from the door with Marco behind him. I nod for Marco to let him in.

“Sure,” she answers. He eyes me. “This is my friend Oliver. Oliver, this is Max.”

“Nice to meet you, Oliver.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it. I don’t particularly like him, but Ava seems less sad with her friends around.

“I’ll be outside. I’ll give you two a minute.”

“Ok,” she tells me.

“Let’s take a walk, Marco,” I tell him.

“Yes, sir. Holden, cover me.” He speaks into his earpiece.

“What happened?” I ask when we arrive in the waiting area.

“We saw an Irish run out with her purse. We immediately knew something was wrong. Jimmy tried to run after him, but there was an SUV idling with the door open. We knew Ms. O’Brien was the priority.”

“Good call.”

“Sir, if I may?” I give him the go-ahead. “They aren’t going to stop. She needs to stay out of sight, or we need to be in closer proximity. No more distance protection.”

“I know. But you know Ava won’t give in easily.”

“She shouldn’t have a choice. Not anymore. Or at least not until we apprehend whoever is trying to hurt her.”

I’ve known for some time it would come down to this.

“I want four men at all times. Money is not an issue.”

“Yes, sir.” I walk back to her room.

My cell beeps again. Viktor is asking where I am. I quickly reply that I’m wrapping things up on a personal matter. I’ll meet him at Eros in an hour.

“It’s a long story,” Ava says as I enter.

“I need to go. Did you decide between option one or two?”

“Viktor can’t know.”

“Option one it is.” I stand beside her with Max on the other side. “Marco and Jimmy are going to be with you at all times. No more distance. You and my nephew are my priority.” I lean in and kiss her forehead. “He will kill me if anything happens to either of you.”

She closes her eyes. “I know. Thank you.”

“You will never have to thank me for keeping you safe. You’re family.” I leave the room knowing the words couldn’t be any truer.

I leave the hospital and walk to my car. I still have to deal with Viktor. He isn’t going to let go that I left his office so abruptly. I know him well enough to know he will want answers to questions I can’t answer for now.

Pulling up to Eros, I park and enter. Viktor is talking to Angus at the bar. He looks pissed, but that isn’t new. It’s his permanent state of mind as of late.

“Where the fuck have you been?” he barks.

“I told you, a personal matter.”

“Stop with the fucking lies. I want the truth.” He’s a few feet from me.

“My girlfriend, dickhead. She’s going through some shit, and she needed me.” I hate lying to him, but what choice do I have?

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