Leonel ~~~ “Leonel Goddamn Sinclair!” Ava's voice bangs into my boardroom like a bomb. My hand tenses around the file I’m holding. Fucking perfect, time for me to face the bloody music. I’d come into my office to distract me from the hell I knew Ava would unleash the moment she got home, but also because - with the whole trial going on- I’ve barely tended to Axion tech. I guess a few hours after announcing I’m getting married in three weeks without your fiancée’s consent isn’t the best time to restart caring for a business. I stand, bracing myself. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad? The doors to the boardroom burst open with a clatter, revealing Ava’s tense form. “Leonel.” She breathes out, her face contorted, “You better have the best explanation in the entire world right now if you don’t want me to cut off your dick and feed it to the press!” I deflate. Okay… so it’s very bad. I run a rigid hand through my hair, “ Mi Valienta, you’re home.” And despite all the tens
Ava ~~~ There are many ways to tell a girl her father was possibly murdered by her ex. This was not one of those ways. I shake my head, eyes darting around the room to ignore the sinking feeling that has me in its grasp. “No…no… that doesn’t -“ “Shit.” Nicco curses, “I shouldn’t have said it like that but I mean, think it through, Ava.” “No, my father left me!” I snap at him, the noose around my neck tightening. “No, Ava. My father left me 6 times and this pattern you’re describing? Not the way abusive dads leave.” He drawls it out, like what he’s saying doesn’t shake my entire worldview; everything I know and everything I am. My anger bubbles, and the only person I can think about directing it at is him. What right did he have to call me here, to involve himself in my family’s shit? “Fuck you.” I spit before hastily grabbing my phone. I stand quickly, rushing for the door. But Nicco is just as fast, and I feel him yank me from behind, pulling me till I crash
Ava ~~~ To Nicco’s credit, he doesn’t take me to the middle of nowhere like I expected. The limo pulls up in a nice area of the city, one with large boulevards and blaring sunlight that makes it look like we’re in a Disney movie. It’s cute. It’s also not where I expected someone like him would live. When I walk up to the front door and knock, I half expect Cinderella to come twirling out of the house with a smile and some tea cakes. Instead, it creaks open just a crack, and unfamiliar faded brown eyes stare at me delightedly. “Can I help you?” The little old lady croaks. I freeze, not sure what to say. I’m not exactly the person you call to deal with elders, not with a knife in my pocket or the history I have. Right as I’m about to apologise and tell her this must be the wrong house, Nicco’s harassed voice calls from inside. “Mum, I told you to stay by the window and not open the door!” He sounds as frustrated as his rushing footsteps, likely hurrying to sav
Leonel ~~~ I really can’t catch a fucking break can I? Even as I zoom past mounting traffic at record speed, I know I’m not getting to that courthouse early enough to counter whatever the hell Madison is saying. With one hand on the wheel, I ring the only number I have on speed dial for shit like this. They pick up on the second ring. “Hey man, are you seeing this shit right now?” Oliver’s voice blares, but there’s a breathiness to it that nearly makes me crash my car. “Did you just have sex?!” “Twice, and let me just say, your guest room is exquisite for making love.” I hear Evelyn in the background, I think telling him to shut up. I don’t have the energy to deal with this now. I clutch my phone tighter, ignoring the man who flips me off because I nearly crash into him. “Just do what you do. Fix this.” “Already on it boss.” He says, and I cut the call, giving the road my undivided attention. I arrive in record time, but not record enough to catch most of Madison
Ava ~~~ “There is no way your favourite colour is yellow,” I say, scrunching my nose at Leonel. He chuckles, taking another sip of his black coffee, “I don’t know what to tell you, Mi Valineta. You expect it to be something dark and dangerous but it’s really just yellow.” I resist the urge to laugh loudly, even though we’re the only ones in the coffee shop, it still feels weird to be noisy. After our little moment last night, Leonel woke up this morning insisting we go out and just enjoy each other’s company. They don’t need him to testify any time soon, and with all the tension that brews unspoken between us: me running away and his murderous behaviour, a day out may be just what we need to cleanse one another. Well... after last night’s sexual rendezvous, I’m not sure we will ever be clean again, but you get the idea. “Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that the guy who hunches over a cup of black coffee, no sugar or cream, has a preference for yellow.” He arche
Ava ~~~ "Fuck me." I don't stutter when I ask him, and there's no whining, needy sound in my voice, because I know exactly what I want, and what I want is him. Leonel's eyes pop open, shock turning the grey lighter, and he makes a choking sound I've never heard from him before. "You were right." He mumbles, gently pushing me away, "Maybe we should talk first." I shake my head, frustration making me press my hips firmer against his cock. he groans, so hard I know that sex is what he wants, so why hesitate?I tighten my hands around him, "I wanted to talk about my escape, about Jaxon and Madison and Riley and all that shit, but I'm tired of that being all there is to us. I want you." He sucks in a breath, the hands he has on my hips so iron-clad I can no longer grind against him. "Ava, darling." He whispers, finally releasing my hips with one hand, but just so he can run his thumb along the outline of my cheek. I hate how helpless I am against the gentle action: Aggressive, sto