Mag-log inAVA DUVAL Serena was meant to do the investigation. That was how the plan was supposed to go… or so I thought. Still tied to a chair, my body slumped , physically exhausted. This wasn't supposed to take this long to get over with, and although the plan was as careless as keeping a child on the edge of a stairway, I had trust in those people. Trust had always found a way to fail me. Maybe that was why when I heard the heavy footsteps approaching, my heart leapt into my mouth. In a moment, the door flung open, a gust of wind rushed in filling my lungs with cold air.I raised my head, straining my eyes to see the two large figures towering over me — two large figures with weapons. “You're up sweetheart. That's good,” Seth said, his voice ashy. The muscle beneath my eye twitched, my mind running through the plan we'd made at the basement. Was the plan a bust? I tried so hard not to look at Ethan who stood by Seth's side, tapping on his gun. My face crinkled at his words
ETHAN COLE “The plan is simple, we all just need to play our parts right,” Winnie said, her eyes scanning our faces. “Shoot,” I said, more eager to hear what she had to say. If we wasted any more time, VAR would've caught on to us, and that… no one wanted that to happen. “Ava would get kidnapped.”That one line made the room go quiet in an instant. Ava snuggled close to me, gripping my palm tight.“What the...?” She raised her brow, holding me close. My body stiffened, heat spread through my body, sending a tingling sensation down to my toes. I had to put this attraction aside… for now. I narrowed my gaze, peering into Winnie's face, searching for a clue on what she had in mind. Then it clicked, but before I could say it, she sighed. “Hear me out. To get access to Serena's base, we need to surrender you to Seth. You endure his nonsense and at the last minute, we start our raid.” No. It didn't make any sense. I wasn't putting her or anyone in danger with such ridiculous pla
AVA DUVAL An agonizing pounding slammed at the back of my head, my gaze felt unsteady and amidst the hazy dots caused by the headache, my surroundings were pitch black. I inhaled deeply, dust clogging my nostrils. A cough cracked through my throat… fuck, even breathing was so much effort. The cold feeling of the room bit into my skin, and it was evident I wasn't in the comfort of my home… or the basement. I tried standing, maybe the lights were off, but that also caused me pain. My hands were tied to a chair, and each time I tried to untangle it, the wire pierced my hand, sharp pain coursing through my body. “Shit,” I cursed, gasping for air. Where was I? The last thing I recalled was Ethan's lips on mine, hands stroking my waist… then… “Ahh…” I gasped as a tight bag was yanked from my head. Air lodged into my throat, but it wasn't fresh air. A stench so foul rushed through my lungs, instant regret washing over me. My nose wrinkled.What the hell was going on? My eyes c
ETHAN COLE We stood round the table in the basement, hoping to hold another meeting that won't end up a mess like the last time.Ava stood beside me, her fingers brushing mine sending warmth through my body. Hopefully, this meeting would go as planned. “I know we all have reasons why we want to betray VAR–” Winnie started, her gaze reaching everybody including me. “Maybe sharing that would remind us of why we're here.” No. I wasn't going to do that. I knew why I was here, and so did everybody. If that wasn't enough motivation then what was. I scoffed. “What's this? A therapy session?”Ava punched my arm, giving me a stern look. “Don't speak to her that way,” Zero hissed, glaring daggers at me. For all I knew, telling my teammates that I murdered Nina would make me feel even more terrible. Winnie knew that. She knew so much about me, the same way I did know her. Then why did she bring it up? I was more eager to finish that bastard organization than any person in this ro
AVA DUVAL He hurled me up onto the table, some files flying across the room. Without one bit of hesitation, his lips melted into mine, I leaned back using my hands to keep from falling. His large hands grabbed my waist, pulling me closer to him. Close enough to feel the warmth from his body and his hot breath washing my face. His lips brushed past mine, shaky and needy. We were making the same mistake as a few nights ago, but this time, there wouldn't be any awkwardness, or regret. I let his soft cedar scent intoxicate my thoughts while he grovelled like a good boy. A soft moan escaped my lips, emotions choking my throat. His hand moved to my dress, his fingers hurriedly working with the buttons. My breast popped out as soon as the last button came open. Ease spread through my body, a gasp leaving me. “I've missed you… so much,” he said between our kisses. When we parted, we stared at each other for a while, huffing… catching our breaths. Then he dove to my neck, bitin
ETHAN COLE Those fierce eyes stared right back at me, like if she had the power to kill me, she would. She was stubborn as ever, and staying with my teammates wasn't helping matters. I stepped closer, stealing the blades from her. “Hey!” She protested. My hand gripped the center where the two blades had joined to form a two-edged sword. Ava jumped up, stretching her hand to reach the weapon, but she would have to grow three boots taller to be able to reach it. “Don't fight it, Ava,” I said, moving away from her. “I'm guessing she told you about Seth?” I asked, although that wasn't news to me. I had been watching them since they were on the computer. Talk about stalking your love interest. Ava folded her arms over her chest, giving me the nastiest glare. “Were you watching us?” She spat, obviously aggravated. And as blunt as I was, I affirmed. “I like to use the term protecting.” A crooked smile appeared on my lips while I checked out the blade. She muttered somethin







