Page 40 of Capturing Ava
“Great. Would one of you like to explain to me why I’m here?” I interrupt.
“You didn’t tell her?” The angry brother scowls at Chase. “Why didn’t you tell her?” He waits, but Chase doesn’t respond. “Wait, how did you get her here if she knows nothing?”
“Look, Damon,” I watch as he pushes his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think now is the time to discuss this.” He grits out while giving his brother a stern look.
“Of course you don’t.” He knits his brows together. “Are you hungry?” I just stare at him and I don’t even notice that he’s walked towards me until he’s clicking his fingers in my face. “Hello, thief girl. Are you hungry?” He asks once more. I nod, “Come on, then.” He sighs.
“Wait, you’re letting me leave the room?” I ask.
“Try escape,” He whispers. “You won’t get far.”
“Charming,” I mutter as I swing my legs from the bed and stand there looking at Chase. “I just—.” I look down, not daring to look into his eyes. “Wanted to say thank you for—.” Shit, why was this so hard? “The light.” I gasp out.
I wait for a response, but one never comes. As I direct my gaze towards his eyes, I notice him clearing his throat. His mouth opens, but then it closes again. Well, this was awkward and the most quiet it had been between us. What had changed? And why did I care? I was his prisoner, not his girlfriend. I meant nothing to him and yet what he had done by placing that light by the bed meant the world to me.
I walk out of the door and breathe a sigh of relief. He walks in front of me, guiding the way. He still hasn’t spoken a word. In the forest, I couldn’t get him to shut up and now here he takes a solemn vow of silence. It was oddly unnerving. I take in my surroundings as we descend the cream and gold staircase, chandeliers with pretty crystal lights hanging from the ceilings. There isn’t much of a colour scheme going on here. Everything is just cream and gold, like they have dipped it in luxury. I can sense the plush cream carpet bounce beneath my feet and it brings a feeling of comfort.
Venturing into a vast hallway, my eyes roam around the area and eventually focus on a door located at the far end of the hallway. A door to freedom. My eyes linger on the door for a little too long and he’s noticed. I experience his arms wrapping around my waist and his warm breath causes a delightful sensation up my spine. “Oh, little beast, I dare you.” He challenges me. “There is nothing for miles and I sure would love to hunt you again.” He whispers. I shake my head and let my eyes move from freedom and back to the place I was stuck in. “Come on, they don’t bite.” He smirks.
I wasn’t sure who ‘they’ were, but I should hope they didn’t bite. We’re there, a pack of animals awaiting me in there. I think I should have just taken my chances alone, baked, in the forest because here in this strange place I was out of my element and I didn’t like it.
I move behind Chase as we enter the dining room. This room seems more welcoming, with burgundy and cream walls and exquisite curtains draping from the large bay window that streams in a wealth of light that seems to illuminate the true beauty of the room. A large mahogany table sits in the middle of the room that could fit many guests around it and an exquisite chandelier drapes low, allowing the golden light to encompass the room in a dazzling glow of illumination. Positioned at the head of the table, I observe the irate brother from earlier. A beastly man sits next to him and a smaller version of the beast appears even more out of place than I do, but it wasn’t the men that surprised me.
My eyes widen as I cast my gaze upon the delicacy on the table. There are pancakes dripping with syrup. Eggs, sausages, bacon. Toast. There are hot cups of coffee just simmering away. Plates upon plates of food that made my tummy rumble and my mouth salivate. I had never seen such an array of delicious flavours all at once. “Wow,” the words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“We didn’t know what you liked to eat. So we made everything.” The angry brother announces.
“You made—all of this for me?” I choke out.
“Yes, well, Chase is an idiot. You didn’t ask to be here. I’m Damon. Please sit down.” I nod and take the seat opposite that has been offered to me. “I’m the fuck ups brother.” He smirks. “That big bastard over there is Gage.” He nods to the beast, who gives me the brightest smile I’ve ever seen. Oh, not so scary after all. “And this little shit is Miles. Don’t let his innocent looks fool you.” He winks.
“Asshole,” I catch Chase murmur.
“So you didn’t fuck up?” Chase lowers his head. “what I thought.” Damon smirks.
“So, are you all brothers?”
“Well, no,” Gage responds. “Well, not blood brothers anyway, but we look out for each other, so I guess we are like brothers.”
“How did you meet?”
“Eat.” Chase growls, scolding me. I sense the heat rise and notice the heat spread across my face. Grab a plate, collecting everything laid out on the table. I then take a forkful of bacon and quickly eat it, shaking my head at my own lack of restraint in speaking out of turn.. I wasn’t even a guest. All I was an inconvenient prisoner.
“Good Girl.” Chase smiles. God, why do those words create warmth and a desire to spread through my body? “We met Gage when we were on a job. Damon and I work alone, and Gage was doing the same job. Instead of working together, we fought each other, which could have ended for all of us, and if it wasn’t for the enemy launching a sneaky attack, then we wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
“Oh wow, so it was like fate you would meet.”
“I don’t believe in fate, Ava. We had a common interest, and we worked together.”
“So, fate then,” I smirk. I listen to a groan pass his lips. “What about Miles? How did you meet Miles?”
“Oh, Miles was also a happy accident.” Chase smiles. “We were down a tunnel,”
“A tunnel?”
“Oh, yes, Chase loves his underground tunnels.” Gage groans.
“And you don’t?”
