Page 54 of Little Fury

“And you? Do you love him, Ava?”She asks me quietly. Like she's worried the question is out of line.

“Of course I do!”I tell her, offended that she asked me that.

“No, I know you love him. You decided he was yours years ago and never looked back. What I mean is, are you inlove with him like he is with you? Marcus is charming, gorgeous, and knows you better than anyone. He always wants to make you happy and see you smile. So, falling into his bed after he tells you he loves you is easy. Anyone would, but are you in love with him?”

“Beth, if I can’t love Marcus, the person who knows all my deep, dark secrets, I will probably never love anyone like that. And I love him enough and in enough ways that being with him, giving him what he wants far exceeds the life I thought I’d have.”

“Oh, Ava.” I hear the pain in her voice. The pain she feels for me over my own words.

“Beth, my parents died when I was seven. I was sent to a place by a biological mother I have never known. Harry trained me to hurt and kill people. Happy is not something I ever really am. I enjoy things, and I have sarcasm and snide comments down pat. But happy? I think when you have a beginning to life like I did, happy as most people see it, is not something I’ll ever have or be.”

Beth doesn’t say anything at first. Then I hear Harry’s voice, making me realize I was on speakerphone this whole time.“We know Little Ava, but we love you like our own, so we need to know you have some joy in your life.”

“I know you guys. I was so lucky to have you. No matter how my life started or how it ends, I will forever be grateful that I had the two of you. I should go. Marcus will be back with food any minute and I need a quick shower. Night, you two,”

“Night, Little Fury,”Harry says.

“Night, Ava.” Beth adds.

I disconnect the call, placing it down on the charger and turn on some music.“Radio Ga Ga”By Queen comes on, and I turn it up as I head into my room and the bathroom to shower. I put my hair up in a messy bun, peel off my dampsuit, and turn the water lukewarm, I step in. My skin is warmed from the sun, and the cooler water feels nice. I wash myself, getting the last bits of sand off my body, then step out, wrapping my body in a towel.

Walking into my bedroom, I hear someone in the house. Instantly knowing it’s not Marcus, I tense. He would’ve come into the bathroom or yelled that he was back. I grab shorts and a tank top and throw them on quickly. I snag my gun as I head out of my room onto the patio. I click off the safety, making my way down the deck toward the doors that open into the house.

I step onto the deck, thankful for the clouds tonight. The moon can be very bright off the ocean, but tonight, the moon is hidden, so the light is minimal. I approach the open patio doors, careful to stay in the shadows. I see them then. Two men in black are quietly moving through the house. I make my way closer to the open door on the deck, keeping my eyes on them. I step over the threshold into the house my bare feet moving me silently.

Both men have their guns out as they head towards my room. They aren’t looking behind them, having entered here from where I’m currently watching them. I raise my gun and shoot the first one in the head, His body hits the marble floor with a slap. The second man reacts quickly, and my shot misses him, embedding itself into the wall behind him. He raises his gun at me. We look at each other, my gun trained on him just like his is trained on me.

He slides the deadbolt into place, answering my first question about who they’re here for. I see Marcus's house key on the table by the door.

Fuck. That's not great for me.

“Miriam”by Norah Jones comes on over the speakers. I can’t stop the laugh and smile that song emits from me.

“What’s so funny, Ava?”he asks.

I cock my head at him.“Hmm, you know my name. What’s so funny, sir, is that if you knew this song, you would know it’s about a man who kills a woman for cheating on him. Not saying I cheated on you, but it’s still rather amusing. Out of all the songs that could have come on, this song seems slightly poetic.”He just stares at me.

“NO? You don’t see the poetry in it?”I pause, waiting for an answer, but none comes.“All right, are we doing this? Should we do like 3,2,1, shoot? Or do you want to put the guns down and see if you can take me? Honestly, I'm open to either. You look like a one-on-one kinda guy. Am I right?”

“You’re a little crazy, aren’t you, sugar.”

“Aww, sweetheart, if you only knew. But really, what’s it going to be? Marcus will be back soon, and then it’ll be two-on-one, so your odds go significantly down.”

“You sure about those odds?”

There’s a tone to his voice that gives me pause. A bit of smugness that he really shouldn’t have. He knows something, or at least thinks he knows something I don’t.

“Pretty sure, but really, can anyone ever be 100% sure of anything?”

“Seriously, you’re fucking nuts, devochka.”

“There it is.”I smile slightly.

He instantly knows what he did.“I’m going to fucking enjoy this,”he says in Russian.

“It’s good for you to believe that; confidence in oneself is key,”I reply my Russian surprising him.

Putting his gun onto the side table, all pretense gone now, I do as he did and place my gun on the dining room table. I keep my eyes on him waiting for him to make a move. He looks at me and sees a tiny female. I see that little leer that enters his eyes as he looks me up and down. He likes what he sees. Small female, nice boobs, bare feet, and for him, that alladds up to easily subdued. He comes at me fast. Believing his size alone is all he needs against me.

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