Page 69 of Rise By Sin

“Carrying?” Ky questioned.

“I have my gun on me,” I explained as I pulled it from the small of my back and held it up to illustrate. “I might not be able to fight the way I could before, but my aim is really fucking good.”

“I still don’t like it. You have to do something to put an end to this, Mace. We’re not risking Ava or Colt getting hurt again,” Jack spoke up.

“I need evidence first. W have to prove Owen’s is behind it all. We got nothing from the struggle outside Temple, and thatsonofabitch got the bun back. Maybe if I’d had that I could have got prints and tied it to Owen’s, but without it…” Mason trailed off as he looked sheepishly to me.

“Thanks for reminding me exactly how much of an idiot I am,” I told him with a rill of my eyes. I never forgive myself for never hanging that damned gun over. I’d been such an idiot to forget about it.

“Hold up!” Colt said. “What altercation? Is that where those bastards did that to your face?” Colt asked. “And what gun?”

“A lot has happened, big bro. We don’t need to go into it all now,” I said in an attempt to put him off.

“You said you spoke to Owens? When and how?”

“She’s right, man. You don’t need to hear everything now,” Mason told him.

“Stop trying to protect me. I’m fine and I want to know everything, especially when it has put my little sister in fucking danger. Tell me damn it!” Colt demanded. All four of the guys in the room turned to look at me and I sighed exhaustedly.

“For fuck’s sake, Colt! I’m trying not to overwhelm you. You’re in hospital. You need to rest and relax,” I growled.

“Tell me now, Ava or I swear to god I will get up and discharge myself this fucking second,” he snapped and I knew he was at the end of any patience he might have had before.

“Fine. One of Owen’s goons came to Chicago and broke into my place looking for you. I managed t get him down and he ran, but not before he got a couple hits in. That’s the bruises on my face. He dropped his gun so I picked it up, knowing there’d be fingerprints. I also knew you were in trouble, and since youweren’t answering your phone I came to the city and went toTemplelooking for you.”

“We had no idea you were missing, mate,” Jack sighed as Colt looked to him. “You left us Mace and those voicemails and we didn’t even question it really. We knew you were worried Ava hadn’t been answering your calls so it just made sense.”

“He forced me to make those calls. Told me to leave two voicemails. He had a gun to my head, so there was nothing I could do to clue you in,” Colt sighed.

“You’re safe now,” Ky soothed him.

“Anyway we started looking for you and Mason filed a missing person’s report. Jack mentioned the money you borrowed so I started looking into that. I found the contract for the loan and went to see Gibb Neaverson, so I knew it was nothing to do with him. He pointed us to Ky’s restaurant though, and that’s where we met Kylan. He told me about the file you were building, and I remembered the safe at our place. Once I had the file I was pretty sure it was Owen who had grabbed you.”

“So her stubborn and insane ass decided to go and see him. Offer him money to get you back,” Mason cut in.

“We had no other choice!” I barked. “I had to get him back and Owen’s was most likely. He had already sent another of his guys after me to retrieve the gun I was holding onto. I had stupidly forgotten all about it, so I never handed it over to Mason to get forensics on it,” I groaned, feeling embarrassed. It was such a dumb thing to forget.

“He took the gun?” Colt asked and I nodded. “Did he hurt you?”

“I was fine,” I assured him, but he looked straight over me to Mason.

“Jesus brother, you’re getting me neck deep in shit with your sister here,” Mason groaned as he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck.

“The fucker stabbed her in the shoulder. Luckily, Deak got to her and we were able to call in the doc to fix her up,” Jack spoke up and Colt looked

“I think you’ll find what happened was I called Deacon after fighting the guy off. I might have been stabbed but he was hurting too!” I defended myself.

“Christ Ava! What the hell were you thinking?” Colt hissed angrily. He looked pale again and I hated that we were putting him through all of this. It could have waited until he was better and stronger.

“I was thinking I didn’t want to my brother!” I snapped back at him angrily. I buried my face in my hands and leaned forward as I fought to breathe through the tears that were threatening. “It was my fault, Colt.” I uttered through a tight throat. “I basically cut you out of my life. If I’d just answered your fucking calls. I was so scared. I c-couldn’t lose you,” My voice broke on the last word and a sob slipped out with it.

Strong arms wrapped around me and I knew it was Jack from the scent of his aftershave. He pulled me against his chest and hugged me against him.

“It’s over now, love. Colt’s safe. Everyone’s safe. Just try to breathe for me, nice and slow,” he soothed.

I took some deep breaths and fought to get myself together. I was so sick of crying! I never cried any more, at least not until I returned t New York and everything started to change.

“None of what happened was your fault, Bam. I don’t want to hear you say anything like that again, you hear me? I don’t even think that sick fuck grabbing me was anything to do with what I was messed up in. I think he chose me by chance. He never asked me what I knew, or why I had been looking into the disappearances. He’d have taken me no matter what,” Colt told me.

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