“Well, it looks like you’re trying to tell me your family is more involved in real estate than beating in people’s kneecaps.” She chuckled, but I froze.
There wasn’t a way in the world she knew about our visit with the trainer. I slid my wallet on the table and closed my eyes. How in the world would I ever be able to juxtapose our two worlds? She wanted to help men like me and my brothers, and I . . .
No. We weren’t criminally insane. She wasn’t trying to help us. We knew exactly what we were doing and why. There wasn’t anything insane about it. The V Mafia hadn’t come this far because of madness. My family excelled because we were calculated businessmen. If it weren’t us running the streets, it would be someone else.
But if we weren’t fixable, did that make it better or worse? The thought sat heavily in my soul, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood. She was still experiencing a high from the ride.
“Well, there could be a little of both,” I joked, turning around to face her.
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “I’m sure.”
But something told me she didn’t believe it, which was good, but also puzzling. She had pages at her fingertips, which I was sure she’d read through.
Yet, she was here with me, willing to listen to my side or at least to ignore the other.
Ava walked over to the window and looked over the twinkling lights of the buildings in the distance. Her silhouette was more gorgeous than the view out the glass.
I came up behind her and slid my hands over her hips, along her waist, and up to the back of her neck. A wave of goose bumps scattered across her skin, and I kissed the exposed part of her neck, right behind her ear. She moved into me as my arms slid around her waist, her body still facing the city.
The smell of vanilla and something spicy only drove my hunger for her. She moved back into me, pressing her ass into my hardness, and that was when I saw it, a recent scar that hadn’t even faded into the surrounding skin color. The pink edges ran along the back of her neck, and my mind flashed to the man at the clinic and at her doorstep.
I knew bringing up what I wanted to would change the course of the night, but she needed to know, regardless of what she thought of me for interfering.
“Ava, I have something to tell you.”
I felt her body stiffen in my arms.
“Is it about your family?” Her voice was soft and timid, completely unlike her usual demeanor.
“No.”
She turned around slowly and her eyes searched mine.
“When I was visiting you at the clinic, both my brother and I noticed a man loitering around. It was like he was focused on your office. When he got in his car, we decided to follow him.”
“You saw him at the clinic just waiting?” Her voice was low.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
She shivered.
“We followed him to a brownstone, and after tonight, I can say it was yours.” I slid my hands along her upper arms as terror spread through her gaze. “He left an envelope at the door.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Had I known it was your house . . .” I shook my head.
“You said you followed him? What kind of car was he driving? What color? License plate?” She looked around the room as if she was looking for a place to hide.
“It was an old Honda Accord, dark blue.” The pain in her gaze nearly brought me to my knees. “I wish I had known.”
“You couldn’t have done anything,” she whispered. “There’s no way you would’ve known, but I need to call my dad. Let him know what you saw.”
“So this is the patient?”
She nodded, looking somewhat in a trance as she gripped the back of her neck and massaged it.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“There’s nothing any of us can do until he’s caught.” She swallowed a gulp of air and shut her eyes.
“And you’re sure you want to go back to the same place that housed these individuals?” I asked, feeling dread creep through me. I could’ve ended this for her.
Her eyes blinked open as if she got a sudden charge of energy. “It’s where I can do the most good. I’m not going to let this man take away the life I’ve built for myself. I already started down that path, and it’s time I correct it. I need to call my dad.”
The determination running through her made me a believer.
“My dad didn’t mention seeing a car in the video they had, so this could be a big lead. They might be able to look for a Honda around the time he was there.”
She nearly ran to her purse and pulled out her cellphone. I wanted to help, but there wasn’t anything I could actually do.
Ava dialed her phone on speakerphone and within a ring, a man picked up
“What is it, honey?” he answered. “It’s after midnight. What’s going on?”
“Did you see the car Alfred used to get to my house in any of the video?”
“No. We didn’t see any vehicle on the footage that we could tie to him. Why?”
“Well, someone saw what car he was driving. He was at the clinic, and someone happened to follow him to my place.”
“How does one happen to do that, Ava?” he asked.
“Long story, but Alfred was driving a navy-blue Honda Accord, an older model, on the day he dropped off that letter.”
“This is a good lead. We’re getting close,” Ava’s dad assured her, and my heart tugged slightly. I could hear the worry in his voice and the grit of a man who would stop at nothing to keep his daughter safe.
“Okay, Dad, I just had to tell you. I’ll see you for Sunday dinner?” she asked.
“I’m counting on it. Love you, baby doll. I’ll let you know what we find out.”
“Love you, Dad.” She turned off her phone and slid it into her purse before looking in my direction. “Thank you.”
I shook my head, feeling completely useless. It wasn’t a sensation I was used to.
“I wish I could have done more.”
“Every clue gets him that much closer to being caught.”
“Will he be sent back to the same facility?” I asked, my blood pumping quickly. “The one you’re going back to?”
“Most likely, but there’s a chance he might not.”
“When are you going back?”
“Monday.”
“What does your dad think about that?” I questioned, not imagining he’d be too supportive.
“I haven’t told him yet.”
“I see.”
“But after Alfred had flowers and a handwritten note delivered to my place of work, I think my dad will agree I’ll probably be safer at my old place of employment.”
“Maybe from Alfred, but what about the others?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of me.
I knew I had absolutely no control or say over what Ava did. We’d barely just met, and even if we’d had a longer relationship, she was definitely not someone who could ever be told what to do without some serious resistance, which was one of the many things that drew me in.
She shrugged and smiled faintly, looking out the window, still cupping the back of her neck.
“Did he do that to you?” I asked, taking a step closer.
“Do what?”
“The scar on the back of your neck.”
Her gaze dropped to the wood floors and she bit her lip before answering. “Yes.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets and clenched my fists. The thought of someone hurting her was more than I could take.
“At the facility?” I prompted, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “It was my fault. I didn’t—”
“That isn’t your fault,” I cut her off.
“I’d let my guard down.” She turned around to face me. “I refused to meet with him, and he saw me walking down the hall so he took matters into his own hands.”
“What do you mean, you refused to meet with him?”
“We’d already had our regularly scheduled app
ointment, but he demanded to see me again. Unless there’s a legitimate reason, we don’t cave to their demands. If we let them shift the power balance, it never leads to good things. There was no legitimate reason for me to meet with him, so I declined the request.”
Anger burned in my veins. These men were nothing more than juvenile thugs using the system to get what they wanted.
“I knew that and should’ve been on guard when I went into his section, but I wasn’t. He managed to slam a metal stool into my back before the correction officers pulled him off.” Her eyes looked hollow as she relived the incident.
“What happened to him?”
“What do you mean?” She looked bewildered.
“Punishment. Was he charged with assault or something?”
She shook her head. “He wasn’t allowed time in the yard, but something far more dismal would need to happen for charges to be brought.”
“Are you serious?” I was astonished.
She nodded. “It’s part of his illness. He’s manipulative and unable to gauge right from wrong.”
I gritted my teeth.
“The man stalking you is a psychopath.”
“He wasn’t diagnosed as one, but I don’t think that means he’s not one.”
“You seem detached.” I narrowed my eyes on her.
“I do?” Her brows rose. “I guess I’m . . .”
“You’re what?”
“I guess I am detached,” she agreed. “It will be a big relief when he’s caught.”
“And put back in the system to escape another day?”
“You sound like my father.”
“Is that so?” I rocked back on my heels. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Not always. No.”
“It seems like there should be a punishment more fitting for this creep.”
Her gaze flashed to mine. “Laws will take care of it.”
“You have more faith in our legal system than I do.”
“It’s the only system there is.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“I should probably get going.” She looked disappointed by the turn of events, and so was I, but I knew I had to tell her what my brother and I saw. If I hadn’t and something happened, I’d never be able to live with myself.
“I’ll call Viktor to have the car waiting downstairs.” I grabbed my phone and sent a message, and Viktor immediately replied that he’d be down there within minutes.
“I’m sorry things didn’t quite pan out how I thought,” she nearly whispered.
“And how was that?” I asked.
“Maybe next time, you’ll find out.” She placed a soft kiss on my cheek.
“Does this Alfred have a last name?”
A wry grin spread across her lips. “No. We’ll just keep him as Alfred for now.”
“You don’t trust me?”
“I trust you more than I should, but I think our idea of how to take care of the situation varies greatly.”
She leaned in for a kiss, and my entire world fell into her orbit as her lips parted, inviting me to experience a taste of what I wanted so badly but wouldn’t get tonight.
Chapter Sixteen
Ava
It took all the strength I had to persuade Blake I was fine coming back to my home by myself. There was a part of me that actually wanted him to come back to my place, but I knew I wouldn’t want him to leave, and I had too much on my mind. Viktor, his driver, walked me to the door and made sure I made it inside safely, and Blake texted minutes later to check on me.
It was nice to be thought of, but I wasn’t quite used to it.
I was more on edge than I had been for quite some time. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Blake saw Alfred, and that Alfred had been so close to me all this time while I went about my business, fooling myself that I was safe.
I saw the fury running through Blake’s gaze tonight, and I knew he didn’t understand my ability to dismiss Alfred’s actions.
Truthfully, I didn’t completely understand it either. I didn’t trust Alfred. I knew he was watching and waiting for me to slip up again, but I refused to give that idea a voice. It was like saying it aloud would bring the idea life—would bring Alfred to life—and the image that conjured was beyond terrifying.
I knew what was in his file by heart. I knew what he had done to his victims.
A shiver rolled through me as I looked out my bedroom window onto the city street. I’d turned the light off in my room, and I searched the sidewalks and properties across the street for any sign of movement.
It had been so long since I felt this scared, and it made me wish I hadn’t left Blake’s house after all. But it wasn’t fair to him to lead him on when all I could think about was being one step ahead of Alfred.
I tugged my pink terry robe tighter and turned around. A shiver ran over my body as I left my bedroom to check all the doors and windows one last time before going to bed. The quietness of my home was unnerving as I moved through the hall and down the stairs with only my footsteps echoing in the air.
I walked into the kitchen, scanned the windows, got a glass of water, and made my way into the entry, where I tightened both locks and glanced out the window. I hated knowing he was out there somewhere.
Ignorance truly was bliss. I made my way upstairs and back into my bedroom, flipping on the side lamp on my bedside table and placing my glass of water within easy reach before promising myself a good night’s sleep. Things were always better in the morning. It was like a good, solid sleep reset the mind and recharged the soul.
Taking in a deep breath, I wiggled out of my robe and draped it over the end of my bed. Everything was going to be fine. The police would find Alfred. I could go about my life again focusing on what I wanted, and my world would go back to normal, studying criminal minds and going in circles with my dad.
I crawled in my crisp cotton sheets and brought the comforter over my shoulders, my mind drifting to Blake.
We hadn’t slept with each other tonight, but I felt even closer to him than I thought possible. Things weren’t black or white with Blake. He’d been away from his family for quite some time, and it almost felt like the tour tonight was more about him reminding himself about the good his family was involved in rather than me. It would probably be difficult to be the black sheep of the family. I wondered how that entire family dynamic played out. I closed my eyes, thinking about Blake as I sank deeper into the mattress.
The truth above all else was that I couldn’t get Blake out of my mind. In a way, he was a good distraction. Instead of keeping myself up all night listening for things that go bump in the night, I thought about him until my lids couldn’t stay open.
Merely thinking about Blake brought me the peace I needed, and before I knew it, I’d drifted to a heavenly sleep filled with what tonight could have been.
Seconds turned to minutes and hours before I was jolted awake with my pulse pounding wildly.
Had I been touched?
Was it a noise?
My eyes flashed open. My pulse pounded and sweat stuck to my hair as I lay motionless, searching my room and not seeing anything out of place.
I promised myself it was nothing more than a dream turned nightmare . . .
Until I heard the sound of faint footsteps across the floor in my bedroom, moving toward my bed. My body went with limp with fear, and I kept my breathing steady as I tried to see through the darkness of night.
And then I spotted the back of him.
Alfred was in my bedroom.
Everything about my world was crashing down around me, and it would only take one mistake for him to know I was awake. I closed my eyes and continued to breath in a rhythm that would match someone sleeping.
I had to keep my fight or flight tendency in check as I heard him searching through my drawers, rifling through my pajamas, rummaging through my papers, and opening and closing my jewelry boxes as if he were nothing more than a ghost swimming through my real
ity.
I slid my tongue in between my teeth to stop them from chattering in fear as I listened intently. The sound of the drawers softly closing sent a chill through my spine as I tried to guess his next move.
Alfred had a history of watching his prey, studying the women who’d become his victims based on timing only he understood. He got enjoyment from watching his victims.
I felt something move on the edge of my bed as I lay motionless, and I realized he was lifting up my bathrobe. I heard his breathing change, and my stomach twisted into knots as I imagined him smelling the fabric. The bile rose in the back of my throat as I stayed focused on anything but the image.
If Alfred was startled, there was no predicting his actions. A deep breath through his nose sent a shudder through my spine, but I felt him drape the robe back over the bed. The burn of his eyes on me traveled from the top of my head, slowly over the sheet and comforter. I knew he was taking me in.
I was at his mercy, but I refused to succumb to the terror pummeling through my veins. His footsteps began to travel away from my bed toward my closet, and I slowly slid my hands between my back and the mattress to stop them from shaking.
When his footsteps stopped, I heard a low grumble several feet from where I lay. The sound bounced against the back wall, indicating he wasn’t facing me, but I was too frightened to challenge that assumption so I kept my eyes closed and my breathing constant.
The sound of hangers scratching along the closet poles crawled up my spine worse than fingernails on a chalkboard, and I wanted nothing more than to run out of the house screaming, but I knew something none of his other victims did.
He would catch me.
I pressed the lump in my throat down as I listened closely to him moving around in my closet. When I heard another drawer open, I knew he’d found my jewelry and my heart fell.
All of my mom’s jewelry was inside the drawer he was searching. The pain was almost unbearable as I thought about losing it all to this monster. I lifted my lids slightly to where the bottom and top lashes stayed touching, but I could see the shape of his legs in my closet as he rummaged around and violated me in more ways than I could ever express.
Blake: A Romantic Suspense (V Mafia Series Book 1) Page 13