Can I keep you safe?

Rake stepped down from the vehicle, then he turned around and helped Ava out of the car. Once her feet were stable on the green grass, she lightly shook her arms to signal him to let go of her.

Rake got the signal and his fingers slowly slip of Ava's arm as he stared at her with concern in his eyes.

"Hey Jax." Rake called out as a man with blonde hair approached them.

"Hello, boss." Jax replied.

He then turned his head and gazed at Ava, who didn't pay him much attention since she was mad at Rake. He then looked at Rake, whose expression seemed aloof.

"Who's this pretty thing?" Jax said.

"She's just a chick that was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Rake replied with coldness in his tone.

"Are you going to take her to the big boss?"

"No. He can not know about her! I will handle her myself."

"It's your prey, so you call the shots on it."

Ava didn't know what to think or which words to use in such a situation. The entire conversation between Rake and Jax disgusted her, and what troubled her more is how Rake's attitude had instantly changed. She knew that the man standing before her was not the man that she had loved and long for all those years.

"What is going on, Rake?" Ava asked.

Rake ignored Ava's question as she stared into his brown eyes that had suddenly come cold towards her.

"Who is she calling, Rake?" Jax asked out of confusion.

"How should I know?" Rake replied with a stiff expression.

Ava did not want to believe what her ears had heard. Her heart pounded faster in her chest as the truth settled in her head. She wished what Rake had said was nothing but a lie, yet she knew that she would only be lying to herself if she believed it.

"Jax, can you handle this driver? I have some money for him. Wire whatever amount he requests for." Rake stated.

"Sure thing, boss." Jax replied.

Rake then grabbed Ava by the arm and pulled her away from Big D and Jax, then took her a few distances before stopping.

"Let go of me!" Ava shouted.

Rake turned his head and saw that Jax and Big D were questionably staring at both of them. He then turned his focus back to Ava, and she could see that Rake was back to his old self again. He had an affectionate expression on his face, and the way he gazed at her reminded her of their past love life.

However, when Ava gazed at the concern in his eyes, she found it hard to trust his current personality because so much had happened in less than twenty-four hours that had her doubting everything she knew about Rake.

"The moment we get into that chopper, you don't know me. We don't have a long-term history, and you never loved me. Nor... nor did I ever love you." Rake said.

"Haha!" Ava laughed, and yet, she was sharing tears.

She felt cold, and her body was trembling without her approval as those warm liquids dripped out of her eyes and down her face. In that instant, she wanted to cry and get rid of the suffocating feeling in her chest.

"Ava." Rake softly said.

He reached out for her hand, but Ava pulled her hand away from him as she stared into his eyes with deep anger in her eyes.

"Long history together? How can I have a long history with someone that I never really know! I don't even know your actual name. Oh, and never loved you, of course, I never loved you because I was in love with a man that never existed! Don't stress about me acting like we are close because I have never felt so far away from you then I do now." Ava softly said.

Although she had spoken all those words, she could not bring herself to feel that way.

Ava tried to dry the tears off her face, but she couldn't since she still had the handcuff on her wrist.

"That's good then. You can hate me all you want." Rake whispered as he gently wiped her face with his shirt's sleeve.

"Sir, I am done settling the driver, and he has left. It's time for us to go."

Ava and Rake heard Jax's voice a few distances away from them, and in that instant, Rake quickly pulled his hand away from her face.

"Let's go." Rake said.

Ava angrily walked past Rake without glancing at him. He then followed her to where Jax was awaiting them.

A minute later, they were all seated in the chopper. The pilot then lifted the helicopter off the ground once Rake had given him the go-ahead to do so.

Rake kept gazing at where Ava sat, but she kept her focus on the window as she admired the clouds.

"Are you sure that she's just a stranger to you, boss?" Jax asked after noticing how intensely Rake was looking at Ava.

"Yes." Rake mumbled.

"That's good then. You know lady Bella doesn't like any competition, and she becomes a pretty devil when she gets upset. Plus, your dad and her dad seemed pretty hooked on getting both of you married."

"I know that. I don't need a reminder!"

"I am just saying. The fact that you are taking a female back home is not going to look good to lady Belle, and your father won't be happy either about it, so keep your eyes on your little stranger before she gets entangled in a web that she can't get out of."

"I have it under control."

Rake glanced at Ava, and in that instant, she looked his way. The moment their eyes met, Rake felt a chill coursing through his spine.

'Can I really keep you safe from all the danger ahead of us?' He thought as Ava faintly smiled at him before turning her head back to the window.