Page 92 of Unexpected Love

“Oh, thank God. I knew you’d see reason.” My mother stands from her seat beside the bed.

“I don’t know why you think I’m here, but I can promise you it’s not because I’ve finally agreed to whatever you have planned.”

“Ava.” My father pinches the bridge of his nose, exasperation clear in his voice.

“No. I’m done listening to all of you. Here’s what’s going to happen.” I step to the foot of the bed, eyes zeroing in on Brian. “You’re going to drop all charges against Gage, and then you’ll go back to Boston where I’ll never hear from or see you again.”

“And why would I do that?” he sneers.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll press charges against you, both in Boston and here.”

“They’ll never stick.”

“I’m not done,” I seethe. “I’ll also talk to every news outlet that will listen to me. You’re right that the charges might notstick, but the media? They’ll eat this story up, and you’ll be ruined anyway.”

I see the anger flare in his eyes, but I also see the moment he recognizes the truth in my statement. The press picking up this story will destroy him and the firm if I share that they fired me after Brian tried to rape me.

He growls but nods his head. “I’ll drop the charges.”

I turn to my parents. “I don’t care what you do, but you will never contact me again. I knew you were selfish, but I never thought you’d intentionally put me in danger. I’m done with you, in every sense of the word.”

“Ava.” My mother steps forward, desperation clear in her voice. She reaches for me, but I step back, and her hand falls. “If you don’t do this, your father and I will be ruined.”

“And I should care why?”

“We’re your parents.”

“You might have given me life, but you haven’t been parents since I was old enough to walk.”

“If you don’t do this, we’ll lose everything.” My father finally speaks, standing from his seat.

“Okay, I’m curious.” Declan steps further into the room, his arms banded across his chest. “Why will you be ruined?”

“There are things you don’t know about, things that your mother and I did before we ever had you, and those things are coming back to haunt us.”

“Well, I guess you have to live with that now, don’t you?” Maybe I should care more, but I can’t find it in me. I turn back to Brian. “You’ll call the sheriff tonight and you’ll tell him you’ve reconsidered and are dropping the charges. If Gage isn’t out of that jail cell in an hour, I’ll call the Globe. Melissa might not be my sister-in-law anymore, but she’ll print this story faster than you can say objection.”

I don’t wait for a response; I leave the room without a backward glance. I’m surprised that I’m not even a little curious about what “things” my father was alluding to, but I truly don’t care. I just want all of them out of this town and far away from me.

“Damn, girl.” Quinn laughs as she jogs up to my side, throwing her arm over my shoulder. “I’m so glad I got to see that.”

“That felt way better than I thought it would.”

“Of course it did.”

“Where’s Declan?” I ask, noticing he’s not with us.

“You know he had to give them all a piece of his mind. He’s a fixer, and someone he cares deeply about was hurt.”

I lean my head against her shoulder, taking comfort in the knowledge that I have so many people in my corner. I’ve always known Declan would do anything for me, and for the last five years, I’ve known Scott and Caleb would do the same. But since showing up in Ashford Falls two months ago, I’ve gained so much more than I ever thought possible. It feels good fighting for it.

I’m pacingthe length of Gage’s living room when I hear his keys in the door and freeze. I know Gage will be happy that he’s not getting charged and won’t lose his job, but he’s also going to be pissed I didn’t listen to him.

Declan and Quinn wanted to wait with me, but I wouldn’t let them. This is something Gage and I are going to have to talk about alone.

He steps through the door and sees me immediately. “What the hell did you do, Rebel?” He doesn’t sound angry. If anything, he sounds like he’s in pain.

“I couldn’t let you sit in a jail cell all weekend. Not when I could do something about it.”

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