Page 10 of Broken

CRASH!

The sound of glass shattering pulls me out of my thoughts and snaps me into action. I see Chef come racing out of the dining room, still holding the plate from before, but I ignore him and head towards the possible danger. Before Trixie has even made it back to the kitchen, the dining room door slams shut, and he overtakes her in his fright, making sure the kitchen door shuts firmly behind them both. Grant has an obsessive need to make sure that all doors are closed whenever anyone comes in or out. He says it’s because he can never be taken by surprise if someone enters the room that way because he will always hear the door open. I know this is a trait that he shares and probably learnt from his father. Since he grew up surrounded by violence and killers, not to mention his psychotic father, it's not surprising he’s wary.

Racing into the room as quickly as I can, my eyes gaze around the room to do a general threat assessment. I was next to the main door, so I know nobody entered through there, but there is still the servant’s door, which the house girls sometimes enter from when they are bringing in the food or drink. There are also three large windows overlooking the back of the property. After glancing over and seeing that the service entrance is secure, my next assessment is the windows. Having heard glass shatter, these are my main suspects for if a threat is entering the building. But before I can fully assess the windows to ensure they are all still intact or even identify any possible threat, my eyes catch a flash of red backed into the corner of the room. Ava has her back flat against the far wall and her beautiful face has all the colour drained from it. Despite obviously being terrified, she has a resilient look on her face and her stance is one of someone who is getting ready to fight if they really have to. Her tiny little hands are balled up into fists as though they are going to protect her. Not on my watch. Before I’ve even completed a threat assessment, my feet are moving of their own accord. I’m very aware I’m breaking protocol and acting in a reckless way that could potentially be putting my life in danger, but my brain is telling me I have to protect this girl. So I run until my body is right in front of hers and then I quickly finish the threat assessment.

Only a couple of seconds have passed since I first entered the room, but it feels like so much longer. I’m trained to evaluate the threat level and then react in an extraordinarily quick time. Any delays or reckless behaviour on my part could get everyone killed. That is why I have a plan and I always stick to it. I assess the room, I identify the threat, I track every individual in sight to make sure they are all safe, and then I plan how I will neutralize the danger whilst keeping everybody safe. When I was first assigned to work with Grant, I was told I would need to ensure that his safety was my number one priority and that is always in the back of my mind. But I don’t risk my life or anyone else’s safety for his, I just make it look like I do. I have never, in all of my years of doing this job, broken protocol and dove in before I even assessed what the risk was. But the minute I saw Ava cowered in the corner, looking scared, my brain changed perspective. It stopped assessing and all I could think about was protecting her. So I ran and put my body flat up against hers to make sure she is protected. Then, as I complete my assessment, I see the only threat in the room is Grant.

Grant is at the opposite end of the large dining table and, to an everyday observer, he looks cool, calm, and collected. Like he threw the crystal champagne glass, that’s probably worth around five thousand pounds, against the wall just as a casual pastime. But from the placement of the shards of crystal glass all over the floor, it looks as though Grant either threw the glass at Bobby as he was running out the door and it missed, crashing into the back wall. Or he threw it at Ava, who was standing near the back wall and she moved to the corner as a way to keep safe. Either way, the bastard got a little too close to Ava for my liking and I want to know why.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” I ask once I’ve got my breathing somewhat under control. I can feel Ava’s tiny hand pressing against my back and it is sending tingles through my body. I don’t know if she is trying to tell me something or just reaching out for support, but I move my back slightly against her hand to let her know that I’m not going anywhere until I know she is safe.

“We are all fine in here, Ryder. Tell the blonde she can clean the glass up after we have finished our meal. Don't want to waste good lobster, now do we? So come along, Ava. Sit down and enjoy,” Grant says casually as he goes to sit down in his chair at the head of the table. He may look calm, but I know him and I have spent years scrutinising the behaviour of Grant Blakeman.

I know I should move out of the way to let Ava get to her seat, but I still have yet to decide if Grant is a threat to her or not. He said he intends to make her his wife, and Grant always gets what he wants. So, I’m worried about what he might do when this feisty vixen turns him down, because she will. I hope. I can feel her hand still touching my back, my skin prickles like it’s coming alive and my heart races. I’m worried that it’s her way of trying to hold onto me and telling me not to move. But at the same time, I can see the look of disapproval in Grant’s eyes that I haven’t moved to the side after he gave an order. I do work for the dick, after all. So, I decide to meet them both halfway, I step slightly to the side. It’s just enough so Ava can go and sit back down if she wants, but close enough that if Grant tries something again, I can protect her. Ava peers around my back and with the sexiest look of determination I have seen and a cock of her hip to support it, she goes to town on Grant.

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on right now, but there’s no way I am having dinner with you. I want to go home. I don’t know why you really brought me here. It’s clear you lied about offering me a job. So whatever disgusting thing you have in mind for me to do to pay off my papa’s debt that requires me getting dressed up like this, I can tell you now, it’s a no. Thank you for the offer, but me and my papa will sort out our own way to pay you back. So, I am going to go home, if you let me know where we are so I can get an Uber, please,” Ava says with a confidence I did not expect given I can feel her physically shaking.

Now Grant looks pissed. I see the anger flash across his face and his eyes darken to almost black. I know Ava has seen it too because I feel her body tense against mine, where our arms touch. I have a feeling shit is about to get a lot worse.

“You are right, Ava. I didn’t bring you here to offer you a job. But unfortunately, your father’s debt is far too serious for me to just let you leave without us sorting out a way for my father to get his money back. Even if I were to ask Father to pause the interest, at great risk to myself, it would not help. You simply cannot pay back the loan and continue paying your bills and mortgage with the income you make from that shitty diner. Manny doesn’t bring in any consistent money and that makes you unreliable. Therefore, we have to come to some arrangement, or Father will be forced to send his employees to take care of Manny permanently. Just to show others you cannot steal from Alan Blakeman.”

Holy shit, Grant really is spewing some shit to this girl. Everyone knows the old man’s motto is ‘dead men can’t pay’. So he doesn’t kill people who owe money very often. Plus, he has a soft spot for Manny. He stopped the interest on Manny’s loan years ago and there is no way he would ever sign off on anyone taking him out. Nobody really knows why they get special treatment, but I’m guessing Grant does and he isn’t happy about it. But I know that Ava doesn't know any of this and there’s no way I can tell her right now. I can’t risk my job for this girl, there is too much at stake. Luckily for me, it sounds as though the feisty girl behind me doesn’t like to be threatened either.

“Don’t you dare fucking threaten my papa. We have some savings and I will get it to you. It’s not enough to pay the whole debt, but it’s a start. I will work as many jobs as I have to. It’s better than fucking you for money. I’m not a whore,” Ava spits venom as she shouts at Grant. She has obviously misunderstood his proposal and thinks that he just wants sex. I’m guessing when she finds out what he really wants, she might explode.

I can't help but feel a strange overwhelming sense of satisfaction at the fact she is standing up to this lunatic when everyone else gives in to his every whim. I knew from the moment I met her that she had fight in her, I just hope it doesn’t get her into too much trouble. Grant, obviously, is less impressed with her fighting spirit because he starts to laugh.

“Oh, Ava, don’t be so naive. You have no money left. We have hackers who follow the finances of everyone we lend money to. It's our way of tracking if they can actually pay us back or not. Manny blew the last of your mother's inheritance last week. He also has four maxed out credit cards and a substantial bank loan you don't know about, plus the three credit cards he has taken and maxed out in your name. You owe the banks a lot of money and that is on top of the money you oweme. I brought you here to make you an offer to solve all of your problems, but it’s nothing as perverted as prostitution. Look at me. I don’t need to pay for sex,” he says like the cock twat he is. I can’t help the eye roll and I think Ava has a matching reaction. Sadly, he is right. I have seen him pick up girls who have no idea who he really is and that always shocks me. I figured the girls he fucks are usually doing it because they know who he is, who his father is and more importantly, how much they are worth. But I have seen him pull girls just on his looks and fake charm alone, and it is fake. If Grant is being nice and pleasant with you, or if he is smiling at you, it is because he wants something from you. I spend enough time with him, as a friend, to know he is devious and manipulative and his everyday tone is neutral. It’s like he is void of emotions when he is just being himself and it’s fucking chilling to witness. Ava is stuck between a rock and a hard place here because Grant is not going to let her go easily. He will give her an out, he always does, but I can tell you now, choosing to be his wife will be the better option by a long shot. For some reason, the idea of Ava agreeing to marry this dick makes me feel very nauseous and angry.

“So, if it isn’t for sex, then what did you bring me here for?” Ava tentatively asks. I notice she still has not stepped out from behind me fully and her hand is now gripping my t-shirt like she is holding on to her lifeline. Grant sits back down and gestures for Ava to take a seat at the opposite end of the table.

“I had planned to discuss this in a slightly better setting, Ava, after we had got to know each other a little better. So the least we can do is make it civilised while we talk. So please, have a seat. Ryder, you may leave us.” Grant makes it sound as though he is offering Ava a choice, but I can hear the undertone of an order. Fuck, I’m torn because I have to listen to the arsehole, I can’t risk my job, but I really don’t want to leave her. Given the way her fist clenches my t-shirt tighter, I think she feels the same way. Thank fuck, he can’t see her touching me, even just touching my t-shirt would put both our lives in danger. When Grant has decided something is his property, that is that. No discussions, no negotiations, and absolutely no sharing. I’m debating what to do and obviously Ava senses my indecision, so she takes the decision away.

“I will sit down and talk with you, Grant, but only if I am allowed to have Ryder sit next to me. I need to know I am safe.” I see the look of disgust and rage on Grant’s face, but there is also a flash of something I rarely see marr his face, jealousy. He is jealous Ava feels comfortable and safe with me. Shit, that is really not a good thing, but if it allows me to stay in this room, then I’m all in.

“Fine, but just so you know, Ava, Ryder here may look kind, but he works for me for a reason. He is good at his job and he follows orders. If I asked him to shoot you in the head, he would because he knows what happens to my employees who cross me. Now, please sit down.” That was quite impressive. Not only did he manage to destroy any trust Ava might have in me and my ability to protect her, but he was also able to get an underhand threat in there for me about what happens to his employees that let him down. But he doesn’t need to threaten me. I know exactly why I am doing this and we both know that no matter what the order, unless there was a genuine threat to life, I wouldn’t shoot anyone.

With Grant's suggestion that I am the dangerous one in the room, I expect Ava to move away from me, but she doesn’t. Her grip remains strong until she has to let go and take her seat. Grant is sitting at one end of the long dining table and he motions for Ava to take a seat at the other end. There are chairs lining both sides of the table and I look them over while deciding where I should sit. My instinct is to sit in the chair Ava is heading for and pull her onto my knee to keep her safe, but, fuck, I can’t be thinking like that. I should take the seat next to Grant, that is where he expects me to sit to show I will always be on his side, but that’s too far away from Ava if anything were to happen. So I eye up the middle seat, hoping that neutral territory won’t get me into any trouble. But once again, it's like Ava is in tune with my feelings and she pulls the chair out on her right and drags it as close to her side as she can get.

“You can sit here please, Ryder,” she says to me with the sweetest voice that almost made me forget where we are. I look over to Grant to see how he feels about Ava’s suggestion. It really is a good idea not piss him off any further. I raise my eyebrows in a casual way, making it look like I think Ava is just being melodramatic. I am saying exactly what Grant wants me to. He thinks she is being unreasonable and stupid. He can’t understand that in her eyes, he has essentially kidnapped her and is now gonna propose. I am going to say it again, this is mental!

Grant gives me a slight nod of the head to give me consent to sit next to Ava. I’m glad I was able to convince him because I was tempted to sit there without his permission. As I go to sit down, I feel Ava lightly trail her fingers over my arm. To a casual observer, it appears that her hand collided with my arm by accident, but if the very slight, yet bright smile is anything to go by, it was not an accident. Her touch sends electricity sparking over my skin and it heats up my whole body. My heart rate increases and all the blood must be pumping south because I feel my dick start to harden against my jeans. She obviously felt the electricity between us too because she pulled her arm away. I give her a cheeky wink to let her know I have got her back before taking the seat she offered me.

Chapter Eleven

Ava

When my hand brushed against Ryder’s arm, I felt a sensation that I have never felt before. It’s like the tips of my fingers were pulsating with electricity and it lit up my whole body. I knew I was attracted to this man, but, fuck, my body clearly reacts to his. When Grant casually reminded me Ryder works for him and not only does he follow instruction, he has also done unspeakable things, my stomach knotted with a sense of unease. I’m not stupid. I can see the gun Ryder wears and the respect that all the security, house staff, and even Vic, show him. Ryder is obviously high up in Grant’s organisation and you don't get into that position by following the law. It hurts my head and my heart to think that Ryder is capable of hurting or killing anyone. He looks so beautiful, but his eyes seem so very kind, like this kind of life just isn’t for him. I know men shouldn’t look beautiful, they should be handsome or sexy and rugged, and there’s no denying Ryder is all of those things, but there is a beauty to his face that I have never seen on any man before. I think it is the way he looks at me, like I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, that causes it. So, while I know Ryder is very much a threat and not someone to be messed with, I truly believe that, even if instructed to do so by Grant, he wouldn’t hurt me. He threw himself into the room to protect me, not his boss. He put his body in front of mine and that tells me everything I need to know about the man. So, when Grant told him to leave so he could discuss his proposal, the real reason he brought me here, there was no way I was staying in a room with him alone. Even though I knew asking could potentially put both of our lives in danger, I have to take that risk. I need him, he gives me the strength I know I’m going to need to get through this conversation and save my papa.

As soon as we are both seated, I tell Grant to get on with it, I want to know why I’m here and more importantly, how the fuck I get out. Even though I am still sitting here, dressed up like I am going to a movie premiere, this no longer feels like a date. Now, it feels more like a business meeting. Grant is sitting opposite me with his back ramrod straight and he is glaring at me. I know it's because I am challenging him. Guys like him expect everyone, particularly women, to fall at their feet. Well, he has picked the wrong girl if that is what he’s after. So, I relax back into the chair and give him my own cocky grin, just to let him know the power has shifted. I’m no longer going along with this little charade. I want answers and more importantly, I want the fuck out of this house and to never see this douchenozzle again.

“So, you were telling me you have a proposal for me,” I sweetly enquire and before I have even got the words out, Ryder starts to choke. Almost like he’s choking just on air. It’s not like I said anything particularly shocking. Maybe he’s just surprised I have the nerves to stand up to his boss.

“You most definitely could say that, Ava.” Grant chuckles, like he is in on a joke and I am not. It's clear he likes to play games and manipulate people. Well, he is not playing that shit with me.

“Look, dickhead, either get on and tell me what is going on or I will pick up my phone and call the cops. I’m sure they would be very interested to hear that the son of a crime lord has kidnapped a woman from the other side of town.” I know this is an empty threat, but hopefully, he doesn’t. I would have to be stupid to call the cops on Grant. Everyone knows the cops are all in Alan Blakeman’s pocket. Everyone also knows that despite his son regularly getting himself into trouble, he has never been arrested, not once. It is also very well known what happens to snitches. We all heard about the witness who was planning to testify against Alan’s right hand man for some flimsy armed robbery charge; he mysteriously disappeared and the charges were dropped. Alan went to all that trouble for someone who wasn’t even his heir, so imagine what he would do to me or my papa. I realise by the smirk on Grant’s face, he knows I'm bluffing.

“Really, Ava? You’re a smart girl. You know how that would play out and whatever happens, it wouldn’t be a good ending for you. But you are right, it is time we discuss your predicament.” Grant smirks at me as he talks and it just pisses me off. I glare at him, wishing I could shoot deadly lasers out of my eyes and kill this fucker for good. I hate when people speak to me in a condescending manner or question my intelligence. Grant clearly thinks he is the most intelligent person in every room and I hate that. All I see in front of me is an ugly, bitter, entitled child.

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