Page 110 of Lost to Thievery
“There are some disgruntled employees, but I made a deal with Volkov. I helped him rise to power. As long as he’s on the Bratva throne, my loved ones are safe. I intend to keep him there and he knows how easily I can replace him.” A slight smile appeared on Grayson’s lips. “And they’re all a little scared of my Ved’ma anyway. Something about a curse.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “So she’s safe?”
“Yes. And I was starting to forget why I’d let her go. Thanks for talking sense into me.” He opened the door.
“Grayson!” I leaped from my chair, taking a few steps towards him. “I made a terrible mistake.”
He stopped, not turning to look at me.
My heart hammered in my throat. “I had convinced her that you never loved her,” I murmured.
He gave a broken laugh. “Not to worry, doc. I did the exact same thing. It’s for the best. Just… just take care of my baby, will you?”
“But youdolove her. You did all of it to protect her, how misguided your action might have been. She deserves to know the truth.”
He turned slowly. “No. It might be quiet now, but in my world, there will always be danger. I don’t want that for her. She deserves to live a life as sweet and perfect as she is. With Becket,” he added with a cringe. “So you’re going to keep your mouth shut about all this and let her continue to hate me. It’s for the best,” he repeated absentmindedly.
“But I was wrong.”
He sighed. “It doesn’t matter now. She’s alive. She’s happy. And she’s already moving on.” His head hung low. “I don’t think there’s any turning back after tonight. Becket has her now,” he murmured, with a pained expression. “I will let them be.”
He walked out the door and sauntered over the lawn, heading for the shadows of the trees at the edge of my property.
“You’re making a mistake, Grayson!” I yelled from the porch. “She loves you!” Where the hell did that come from? Why did I tell him that? Why did I feel the urge to call Ava and tell her all about this interaction? I don’tmeddle.
Grayson pulled a hand through his hair before balling his fingers into fists.
“She will never stop hurting,” I called out to him.
He whirled. “Why are you saying this to me? Would you like me to rip my fucking heart out so I can gift it to her? If it’ll help her, I’ll do it. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
My heart broke at the sight of him, at the desperation in his voice. I’ve seen this same despair before. In Ava.
God, I had been so wrong! “You keep taking her decisions away. You’re making choices for her you have no business making.”
“What are you saying?”
God, what was I saying? “Let her choose. Let her decide for herself the type of life she wants. And who she wants to spend it with.”
“But—”
“No, buts, Grayson. I will not speak to Ava of this, but you need to give her choices back then respect her decisions.”
He stared at me, a little taken aback. Has anyone ever dared to speak so sternly at him? My knees went a little wobbly. But Ava had loved this man so fiercely, before I had convinced her not to. But I could see it now. It wasn’t ever one-sided like I had thought. It wasn’t manipulation. It was actual love. And by the looks of Grayson, it was deep and insurmountable. The kind of love most people would kill for. The kind of love that had Grayson sacrificing his own happiness for Ava’s. And as simple as it seemed, being in my line of work, I knew just how rare that actually was.
My chest squeezed. I had to fix this. “Tell her everything! She deserves her agency back!” I yelled after him, not sure if he heard me. He had already disappeared into the shadows of the trees.
Ava
Rainastaredmedownfrom across the table. But the glint of fiery rebellion had left her eyes. Mordovia had broken something in her.
“Are you ready to talk, Raina?” Owen asked from beside me, his voice echoing off the cold walls of the interrogation room.
Raina’s hands were blue from the cold, but she did not shake. She did not take her eyes off me, nor acknowledge Owen’s question.
“How is it that you are still alive?” she asked me, genuine curiosity on her face.
“Oh, you mean, why hasn’t Grayson’s spy killed me?”
