Page 128 of Lost to Thievery
“Man! I hope my next death won’t be this painful,” Hunter groaned, stretching his calves in the air.
“Whatever you want, sweetie. Ava? Do you have any poisons that won’t hurt as much?” Gemma quipped.
“For Hunter? Nah…”
They laughed, sounding hoarse like a bunch of chain-smokers. But I wasn’t really joking.
“Just so we’re all clear, I might still poison the lot of you.”
The laughter died down.
“We know,” Gemma said quietly.
“We’ll take our chances.” Hunter smiled at me, his eyes sorrowful.
“You’re family, Ava. We’ve stood by you at all costs.” Grayson lifted an accusing brow. “Even when you shot me. Even if you try to kill us now. We’re here.”
“Stood by me? You allleftme!” Grayson was fucking crazy!
“But they didn’t.” Liam pushed off the ground, stiffly getting to his feet. “Do you know how many times I had to pretend not to see them? Becausesomeonewas always around. Do you know how many people we’ve killed to keep you alive? Jeez, Ava, we’ve been through the fucking wringer, let me tell you. Hunter jumped in front of a bullet for you while you wereshopping. Forincense.”
“Are you fucking with me, Liam? I never heard a gunshot go off.”
“A silencer, baby,” Grayson said quietly.
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Liam is being dramatic. It’s more of a flesh wound, really. But it’ll make a wicked scar.” He pulled his wetsuit down his arm and grinned at me. “See?”
There was a freshly healed, but still pink, circular scar on his upper arm.
“Doc says if I didn’t have all this muscle, it would have gone straight through me.”
“Oh my God, Hunt. We know! It was your big, big muscles that saved Ava.” Gemma laughed, rolling her eyes at Hunter.
I stared at Hunter, not sure what to think or how to feel. I still had all this anger in me. I didn’t know what to do with it.
“Don’t blame them for my fuck-up,” Grayson murmured, watching my face intently. “I didn’t really give them a choice in the matter.”
I sat up, that anger flaring again. “Afuck-up? Is that what we’re calling it? You all leaving me behind like I meant nothing… it broke me. I…” The lump in my throat choked me up. “No one has ever hurt me like the three of you. I don’t understand how you could do that to me!”
My chest constricted. And now I had done the same to Owen. I was much worse than them. I knew exactly how much this betrayalhurt. And I still put Owen through it.
I almost laughed. I was the biggest hypocrite to walk this earth. I had no right being mad at the three of them.
“I know. I’m so sorry. I was scared, Ava. I had sat in that van and realised I had become my father. My arrogant behaviours got the people I loved on a fucking kill list. It was too late for Hunt and Ab… Gemma. They were already in the thick of it. But you, I could get out. I wanted to save you from all this. Please tell me you understand, Ava. I was scared to death that I would have to watch happen to you, what happened to my mother.”
I flinched.
“I know I hurt you. God, I know how hard this was on you, but I was drunk on fear, baby. I was scared out of my mind.” His trembling hands cupped my face. “I admit, I let it get the better of me. I wasn’t thinking straight…broke rule four.” He swallowed hard, dropping his gaze. “I see that now. It was the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever done. I thought…” He shook his head. “I was wrong, baby. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Ava. I’m…” He turned his head away to hide the emotions he was struggling to keep in check.
My heart broke, my ribs pulling inwards as the pain radiated through me. I looked away from him too. I didn’t want to see him like this. I wanted to be angry at him. I wanted to punch him in the face, not wipe his tears.
“It almost killed him too,” Gemma offered, giving me a small smile that never reached her eyes. Instead, they looked as broken as Grayson’s.
“Yeah…” Hunter stared out over the ocean. “He went batshit crazy there for a second. Mom had a shrink come check him out.” He looked at me. “You can imagine howthatwent. At leastafter that, he stopped talking to you like you were in the room with us. But I know he st—”
“Hunter,” Grayson interrupted, raising a brow at his brother. “Really?”
Hunter snickered. “I’m just filling her in.”
