Page 97 of Ricochet
“Yes. And I am sorry for saying this, but it has to happen soon. We can’t risk anybody finding out about this baby, or even worse, your relationship to Nathan. There are things you don’t know about our families, and I would like to keep it that way. But Ava, they are dangerous people. Hell, I am dangerous which is why I know what I’m telling you is the truth.”
She sniffled, and I knew how much she hated being separated from her brothers. I guess even though I hated Kieran’s guts, he was still her brother, and I was glad she had all three of them to protect her and support her.
Thanks to them, she never got entangled in the web of lies and darkness the rest of us did. I wished my own brother did the same for me, or even Maya.
Jesus fuck, I didn’t want to ruin my mood further by thinking about my family. My lovely father still refused to tell me where my sister was, and Theo and his ignorant fucking ass could burn for all I cared.
He never gave a shit about the two of us, always thinking about his own ass. That was why I didn’t feel guilty helping Ava to get away from him. That whole engagement was a nightmare none of us needed, and her misery wasn’t something I wanted to look at for the rest of our lives.
“I know that what you guys are doing, aren’t the nicest things.” That’s putting it mildly. “But I still love you, no matter what you do.”
I wondered if she would still love me if I ever told her everything I did. Would she still think the world of me if she knew how many people I killed? How many families disappeared because of me, and how many kids lost their parents?
Would she still love me if she knew how many kids I killed, and I would do it again, because that was my job? It was who I was.
But I would never hurt her or people I loved. I would kill for them. They were the last ones I would ever hurt. Even Kieran, for all his faults, he was still somebody I loved. And those feelings didn’t disappear overnight. I wished they did, but those little bitches stayed with me even after the shit he threw at me.
“Ava—”
“No, I know what you’re going to say. I know you’re dangerous, I know that very well. But I also know you would protect me and this kid with everything you have. You didn’t think I fell for that stupid story of you traveling through Europe during that year you were gone? Come on Phee, you know me better than that. I know it had something to do with your father, the way you were behaving before, and my brother going crazy with worry.”
Well, shit. I did think she bought it. I didn’t want to explain where I was, and if I could, I would erase that whole period from my mind.
“Ava, there are things—”
“I don’t know. Yes, I understand, and I don’t wanna know. If keeping me in dark keeps me safe, so be it. I don’t have to know. But I just want you to know that none of that shit matters. What matters to me is the way you are with me, and you’ve been nothing but supportive and an amazing friend. If Kieran didn’t do the shit he did, you would be my sister.”
That hurt, badly.
I had one sister, but I hadn’t seen Maya in four years, and wherever she was, was unknown to me. That was another thing that ate at my soul, but I couldn’t take care of multiple disasters at once. I had to focus on one Armageddon at a time.
“You know I’ll try to do my best to keep you guys safe? I would give my life for yours.”
“Shush your mouth. I don’t want you giving your life for mine. If it ever came to that, I want you to promise me that you wouldn’t risk yourself to save me.”
Easier said than done, Ava. Unlike me, she didn’t know where the monsters lurked. She couldn’t defend herself, but if it made her feel better, I could lie.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
“Promise me, Ophelia. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid in order to save me.”
God fucking dammit, she should’ve asked me to kidnap somebody, or some shit like that. I sucked at keeping promises, and this one was the one I would gladly break.
“Ophelia.” She threw a pillow at me. “Seriously. No risking lives, and no reckless shit.”
Was she kidding me—reckless was my middle name? Well, I mean, my other middle name.
“Okay, okay, I promise.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire. The breath she was holding released out, and the calm energy she had earlier enveloped her.
“Now,” she started again. “What the fuck was that shit today, huh? Don’t you know who those guys are? Even I’ve heard about Sons of Hades, and they aren’t somebody you want to get involved with.”
Oh Ava, Ava, Ava. I wished I had her innocence and self-preservation skills. Unfortunately, I had none, and Sons of Hades weren’t the ones I would be scared of.
Yeah, they could make you disappear, but they weren’t the worst monsters I encountered. The shit I did, the ones they did, it was all the same.
We weren’t the good guys, but we weren’t the bad ones either.
