by Small,DJ
After taking a drink from her glass, Robin told her, “I’m not going to let someone else take credit for all the work that I’ve put in. You can get rid of that fucking thought.”
Ava was silent, drawing in shallow breaths as she recovered from being choked. She never thought Robin would ever hit her or cause her harm in any way but between the other night and now, she was certain that if she pushed the woman further, she would kill her. Ava was having a hard time reconciling the person in front of her with the woman that she had met three years ago. She wanted to know what happened to the Robin that had been so sweet and caring towards her.
There was no way the person in front of her, a person that had the capability to commit unspeakable acts, could possibly be the same woman; she had no idea who this Robin was. Ava drew in another deep breath then croaked out, “Robin, please. You can’t keep me hostage in our marriage. Why are you acting like this?”
Robin’s eyes filled with rage, then she hurled the glass that was in her hand at the wall behind Ava, and as it shattered she shouted, “Because you fucked me over, Ava, and when you fuck me over you lose all my goddamn respect.”
“That doesn’t give you the righ-” Ava scrambled back when Robin took a step towards her.
Robin jabbed a finger towards her. “It does, because it’s obvious that you have no respect for me, our marriage, or yourself.” A disgusted sneer caused her lip to curl. “Judging by those pictures, you really have no respect for yourself.”
Ava refused to stand there while Robin belittled her. She may have been scared of her, but she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “Fuck you, Robin. Just because you’re a controlling asshole, it doesn’t make you better than me.” She advanced closer, refusing to back down. “Do you want to know why I did it?”
Robin gestured in front of her. “I’m all ears, Ava. Tell me why you felt the need to be a whore and a cheating slut.”
“Because I’m not happy!” Ava yelled, hoping if she raised her voice it would click somewhere in the woman’s head. She ran her hand through her hair and continued on. “I’m wasting my second chance at life. Marrying you was a mistake. A mistake I made while I was still getting a better grip on myself.”
She drew in a breath then let out. “I went looking for something that would give me a thrill and let me feel like I wasn’t wasting my life.” It was painful to tell Robin this, but it was the truth; the obvious truth. She let out a short, dry chuckle. “At this point, you and I were roommates who had sex with each other.”
“I don’t fucking care, Ava. It’s a mistake you’re going to have to live with, because this is a forever deal, and you’re not leaving this marriage,” Robin argued. She was being unreasonable, and Ava realized that as she stared at her. Wherever Robin was mentally, it wasn’t allowing her to think rationally. Ava had tried, and now she was done. She grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair then headed for the front door of the apartment.
She heard Robin rushing after her, and before she could turn around she felt a blow to her head. Ava fell to the floor, and she fought to remain conscious. Robin stood over her and repeated in a threatening tone, “I told you, you’re not leaving this marriage, Ava.”
Eventually Ava lost the fight to stay conscious. Her last thought before everything went black was a silent plea that Kacey didn’t do anything once she found out. She didn’t want her to get in any trouble.
Chapter Ten
Kacey paced the length of Frank’s office as she tried not to give in to the urge to go to Ava’s apartment. She had come to the club because she couldn’t stand sitting around while she waited to hear back from Ava. She also had some work to take care of, but trying to respect Ava’s wishes was the main reason for her need to change scenery.
Ava had been gone for an hour and a half, and Kacey felt like she was missing a vital part of herself. She started to regret not standing her ground when they had argued earlier. Letting Ava go to her apartment alone so that she could go see that psycho caused an unsettling feeling in Kacey’s stomach.
Kacey stopped pacing to pull out her pack of cigarettes. She put one in her mouth and lit it before continuing to pace the invisible path in front of Frank’s desk. Ava made her weak. Kacey shook her head. No, Ava was her weakness. A faint smile crossed Kacey’s lips as remembered the first time that she had seen her. Kacey had known right then and there that it was all over for her.
She had just gotten back from Venezuela, and had gone to the club to meet with Frank and a couple of other guys when she had seen Sunshine walk out onto the stage. Ava had definitely been a ray of sunshine that night. Kacey recalled the way her heart had jumped into her throat and how all she could focus on was the beautiful woman on stage whose presence amazed her. Kacey could tell that Ava was different from the other girls, but the one thing that she hadn’t been aware of was the trouble that Ava would bring with her. She was a loose, married cannon, and that was dangerous in Kacey’s line of work.
Kacey took a drag off her cigarette then blew out the smoke with a forceful breath as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She looked at the time that was on the screen. Only five more minutes had passed since the last time she checked. Kacey started to get a feeling in her gut that told her that something was wrong. She didn’t think it should take this long for someone to break up their marriage, or so she figured.
She had no idea. Her longest relationship was a one night stand that she happened to see twice in the same month. The attachments that came with relationships were something that Kacey usually didn’t want to be a part of. She was afraid that if she let someone get close to her, then she would eventually lose them. It was an irrational fear that she had developed when her father was killed.
However, Ava had managed to find a weakness in her defenses, and was worming her way into Kacey’s heart. She continued to smoke, driving herself to the edge of insanity as she thought about all the terrible things that could be happening to Ava. When the door to the office opened Kacey snapped her head up to see who it was, hoping that it was Ava. When Frank walked in, she scowled. He glanced at her, his tone sarcastic. “Oh, don’t look so happy.” As he walked around his desk he pointed at her. “Put that out, or I’m gonna tell the good doctor.”
Kacey gave a soft snort, but she moved closer to the desk so that she could put her cigarette out in the small potted plant that was on Frank’s desk. “Ava hasn’t told me to quit yet, so I’m not stopping, and you better keep your mouth shut about it.”
Frank chuckled as she went to go lie down on the couch that was on the other side of the office. “I’m not going to mention anything to her, but I’m sure she’ll lay into you as soon as she sees you lighting one up.”
Kacey covered her eyes with her arm. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” She let out an aggravated growl. “I’m going crazy, Frank. Ava left an hour and a half ago, and I haven’t heard anything from her.” She uncovered her eyes then rolled her head to look at him. “I’m worried.”
Frank glanced up from the invoices that were in his hands “Why are you worried? She’s doing something extremely difficult, Kacey. It’s going to take longer than two hours for her to dissolve a relationship.”
Kacey scoffed as she sat up. “I’m worried because that bitch put her hands on Ava no less than two days ago. If she does it again, I’m killing her.”
Frank dropped the papers that he was holding onto his desk and sighed as he regarded her. He was quiet for the longest moment, which annoyed Kacey. The drawn out silences from her uncle drove her crazy. A small grin came to her face as she realized that Ava probably felt the same way when she did it. Kacey blew out a quiet breath. She was more than worried; and the fact that Ava hadn’t called or sent her a text only made the feeling in her gut worse.
Kacey was pulled from her thoughts when Frank said, “Kace, I trust you to do what’s right.” He paused then continued on. “That being said, if shit with Ava goes south, I want you to abandon
ship. You are in no position to be caught up in some bullshit relationship where her wife provokes you to do dumb shit.”
Kacey had a hard time comprehending what she was hearing, but the serious look on Frank’s face told her that she had heard correctly. Kacey got up from the couch and charged over to his desk. She slammed her hands down on its polished wooden surface and leaned in as she glowered at him. “I will not abandon Ava. I-” She stopped short. The words that she had yet to tell Ava had almost slipped past her lips, and it surprised her, because she didn’t think she was ready to say them. She had never said those words to someone before, and she wasn’t about to tell Frank before Ava. Kacey backpedalled. “I care about her, Frank, and if anything were to happen to her, I wouldn’t be able to survive. If shit goes south, I’m going to be there with her.”
Frank shook his head and muttered, “I swear, you are a pain in the ass.” He pushed his chair back then got up and walked around the desk. When he was in front of Kacey, he pulled her in for tight hug. Kacey returned it and sighed. She and Frank didn’t show each other affection often; but when they did, it was for serious reasons. The last time they had hugged, she had just returned from Venezuela. Frank let out a deep breath, then kissed the top of her head. “I know you care about her, Kacey, but for my own selfish reasons I want to make sure that you’re alive for as long as possible.”
Kacey rolled her eyes and broke away from him. “Yeah, I know. You want me to take over for you.” She scoffed. “Don’t worry about it, Frank. I will be taking over, so you can retire to your fucking island.”
Frank pointed at her as his voice rose. “Hey, don’t take that fucking tone with me. You know it’s more than that.” There was a tense moment of silence then Frank scoffed. “I swear, you’re so much like your fuckin’ father I just want to pop you in the mouth sometimes.”
That caused Kacey to grin. “Yeah, well, I’m certain he would let you do it, too.” She ran her hand through her hair, then dropped it by her side. “I’m sorry, Frank.”
“I know you are, kid,” Frank said with a small chuckle. “As much as I would like to go enjoy my retirement, I’m still a little iffy about giving you the reins. Like I said, you’re too much like your damn pop; impulsive and stubborn, but I’d like to think that you got a bit of your old uncle’s wisdom.” Kacey chuckled; she was a mixture of both. There was a brief silence, then Frank said, “I promised your dad a long time ago - I think you were only twelve hours old - that I’d help him take care of you and keep you safe. I’ve kept up my part so far, Kacey, and I keep my promises. Don’t make me a liar.”
Kacey shifted her gaze away from him and looked down at the floor while she ran her tongue across her teeth. She hated when her uncle played the dad card. Frank didn’t use it too often, and when he did use it, it wasn’t to guilt trip her. Most of the time, he used it to get her to think about their situation.
Kacey was going to be the head of the largest drug organization in the city, and she needed to stay alive and keep a low profile in order for the organization to remain in its current position. She had every intention of doing that, but with Ava at her side.
Checking her phone again, Kacey pressed her lips together. She couldn’t wait any longer; it was time for her to go get the woman that she cared about, and if Ava and her wife hadn’t resolved everything then they could finish that through their lawyers. Kacey wasn’t allowing Ava near that woman ever again. She began to head for the door, and when her hand reached the doorknob, Frank gave her a warning. “This is her problem to deal with, Kacey. I want you to stay out of it unless you need to get involved. Do you understand?”
Kacey gave a slight nod then walked out the door. She had never lied to her uncle before, and wasn’t going to start doing so, but if Ava was having a hard time finding a way out of her marriage, then she was going to help her find a way. Kacey was a fixer of problems.
She left the club, then headed to the suburb where Ava’s apartment was located. Kacey was driving her car, and remembering that she had a gun in the glove box caused her to breathe easier. She had no intention of barging into the apartment while waving the gun around and demanding that Ava leave with her, but it did make for great insurance if Kacey needed it.
∞
Robin was closing the door to the guest room when a knock on the front door echoed through the foyer of the loft. “Fuck,” she swore under her breath. She had just put Ava in the room and was trying to figure out what to do next. There was no way she was going to go to prison because her wife was a cheating whore.
There was another knock; this time it sounded more persistent, and Robin swore under her breath again, then made her way to front door, where the knocking continued. Robin briefly wondered who would be at the door - she wasn’t expecting anyone and she knew for damn sure that Ava wasn’t either, but she answered it anyway.
She fell into a stunned silence when she saw who was standing in front of it. Robin blinked a few times, unconvinced by the sight that was in front of her, but the person in hall never changed. Once she realized that she wasn’t hallucinating, she composed herself. “Can I help you with something?”
The woman looked past her, then she stared Robin right in the eyes. Her demeanor was arrogant and she looked at Robin with slight indignation, Robin tightened her grip on the doorknob. “I’m here to see Ava. Is she here?”
“And you are?” Robin asked, knowing exactly who she was. This was the bitch that was fucking her wife; the woman that had stolen Ava from her. Robin drew in slow, deliberate breaths to keep herself from punching the woman, grateful that she was able to keep her face passive - she didn’t want to let on that she knew the woman’s identity.
The woman’s eyes gave her the once over then she replied in a clipped tone, “Kacey. I’m a friend of hers.”
Robin forced a polite smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Kacey, but my wife isn’t home. I’ll tell her that you stopped by.”
Robin moved to shut the door, and she almost had it closed when the toe of Kacey’s boot stopped it. “Ava said she was running a bit late, but told me to still come over. She said that she was going to call you to let you know.”
Robin knew that Kacey was lying, but if she denied her entry the woman would know something was wrong, so she played into the lie. Robin opened the door again and let out a chuckle that was so false it sounded hollow. “I’m sorry. I had forgotten about that, she called me while I was working. Please come in.”
∞
Kacey was able to get a better look inside the apartment as she crossed the threshold. When Ava’s wife had opened the door, she hadn’t seen Ava in the open area of the first floor, and other than the section of the living area that was hidden by a wall; she still couldn’t find her anywhere.
Kacey had to give Ava’s wife one thing-she wasn’t a complete moron. She had played into the lie that Kacey had expertly created. She realized that something wasn’t right when Ava hadn’t appeared to tell her off because she didn’t respect the two-hour time limit. The further Kacey walked into the apartment the worse the pit in her stomach got. Ava wasn’t around, and there were no sounds indicating that there was another person in the apartment. But other than those few signs; nothing in the living space told her that Ava was in trouble.
Unable to shake the feeling, Kacey kept an eye on Ava’s wife. She had moved to the glass coffee table and was putting pictures into a folder. The woman glanced at her over her shoulder. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m sure Ava will show up at any moment.” Kacey moved to sit down on the loveseat that was to the right of the couch, and the woman turned to look at her. “Can I offer you something to drink?”
Kacey shook her head no. There was no way she was going to accept a drink from this woman; she wanted to remain clear headed, especially if she had done something to Ava. Kacey raised her eyebrow as the woman turned to make her way into the kitchen, calling back to the seating area. “I’m going to text Ava to see how long she’ll be. You know how
she is when she gets caught up in her work.” There was a quick pause then she asked, “And who should I say is here? Kacey…”
Kacey contemplated telling the woman her last name. She wasn’t easily linked to the organization, but her last name did raise some eyebrows in the city. Not seeing any harm in it, Kacey told her. “Hudson. Kacey Hudson.”
There was another pause, then the woman came out of the kitchen with a fake smile plastered on her face; this one almost as bad as the one that she had given Kacey at the door. “Hudson. Sounds familiar.” She snapped her fingers. “Are you any relation to the family that runs the Hudson Furniture stores in the city?”
The question was one that Kacey got any time she told people her last name, and she answered it honestly. The chain of furniture stores had no effect on the organization, even though they were a front for it. The two were so separated that when her dad was alive, he would even do commercials for the store. Frank had called him a cocky son of bitch for appearing in them but Kacey remembered that her dad had just laughed him off.
She gave the woman a genuine smile. “Yes, actually. The chain was started by my dad, Leo. He passed away fifteen years ago, but the family keeps the company going.”
The woman, who was now sitting on the couch, gave a subtle nod. “I’m sorry. Do you mind if I ask what happened?”