Ava ~~~ Have you ever had the sudden desire to explode? I have, far more than any human being should. I wanted to when Jaxon nearly sold me to pay off his debt. I wanted to when dad disappeared without a trace. I sure as fuck wanted to when Jaxon came back into my life. But this? Madison? The urge to explode isn't just about me now. I need it to extend to every fucking person here. “Ava…” I hear Leonel start, or at least I think I hear him start, I'm not sure. Everything sounds a million miles away, only Madison’s fake voice rings in my ears, reminding me that she and Leonel are… I'm going to be fucking sick. “I told you!” Riley snaps, her voice full of triumph, “I told you Leonel can be absolutely no good for you, Ava! Cheating? I would expect it from a lowlife like him.” I don't even process her words properly before she appears in front of me, desperation seeping off her in waves. “Ava, darling. We are family, we are all we have. No one in this world can look
Ava ~~~ Coming back here, even if I’ve only been gone about 5 hours, is derailing. Actually, no. Derailing suggests I’m kind of unsteady, but I’ve never been clearer in my goal: Hide Jaxon. Hide Riggs. Don’t get shot or let Leonel get killed by Riley in the process. I’ve never been surer in my life. “Don’t mess up anything. Don’t touch anything. And I swear to God if you let Leonel sit on a single piece of furniture in my house you’re going to wish I just left you all outside to rot!” Riley’s voice trails the creaking stairs we all make our way up, with Riggs limp in Leonel’s fit arms and Jaxon being heaved by Nicco and Oliver. “We heard you the first 5 times,” Nicco murmurs right after a pant escapes his lips. I know I should be more focused on… all of this, but spotting Leonel far ahead of the rest of the boys, carrying Riggs as if he were a pillow, while the rest of our party struggles with one man, makes my attraction to him claw at my chest. Fuck, he’s strong. I s
Leonel ~~~ My heart leaps, and my first though it to protect Bella, but then I remember, horrified, that she’s in the car ahead of me, and Riley is now marching toward them. “Shit.” Ava and I say at the same time, stepping out of the car in sync as I hear Oliver’s side of the door also slam open. “Riley, put that down!” Ava yells, rushing at her as the insane red-head swings the gun in the direction of the first car. My sister. My sister is in that car. I crunch against twigs and forest leaves as I sprint towards Riley, who is yelling at everyone to get down. “Where did you get a shotgun?!” I hear Nicco yell, his dirty blonde hair coming into view. “Shut up!” Riley yells back, flinging the gun his way, “I brought you to my house in confidence and you helped my sister escape?!” “You are a terrible host!” Oliver yells, his hands flying up as everyone screams at him to shut up. Riley cocks her gun, that mad look in her eye, “oh I’m about to show you how horrible I can
Leonel ~~~ My heart leaps, and my first though it to protect Bella, but then I remember, horrified, that she’s in the car ahead of me, and Riley is now marching toward them. “Shit.” Ava and I say at the same time, stepping out of the car in sync as I hear Oliver’s side of the door also slam open. “Riley, put that down!” Ava yells, rushing at her as the insane red-head swings the gun in the direction of the first car. My sister. My sister is in that car. I crunch against twigs and forest leaves as I sprint towards Riley, who is yelling at everyone to get down. “Where did you get a shotgun?!” I hear Nicco yell, his dirty blonde hair coming into view. “Shut up!” Riley yells back, flinging the gun his way, “I brought you to my house in confidence and you helped my sister escape?!” “You are a terrible host!” Oliver yells, his hands flying up as everyone screams at him to shut up. Riley cocks her gun, that mad look in her eye, “oh I’m about to show you how horrible I can
Leonel ~~~ “Boss, while I love your sister, don’t you think since this trial begun she’s become a little…” Insane? Intense? Desperate to help me no matter the cost? Yes. I do agree with all of Oliver’s unspoken judgments of Arabella, but I’m not about to question my sister when we have 30 minutes left in the 2 hour drive to Riley’s house. Instead, I turn to Oliver in the back, and hit him with a withering stare. “She just wants it help.” I snap, making a left through the trees Nicco instructed we turn into. Revoking Oliver of his driving duties means we are going far slower than he and, I’ll admit, I would like. “Helping is fine. But questioning Evelyn’s intentions after she found out about the murder, insisting on coming to court with you even when she didn’t need too, and now suggesting we hide our fugitives in the house of the woman who doesn’t like any of us? It’s more than just helping, she’s too invested in this.” I make a sharp right that has my passengers - Ol
Ava ~~~ Moving the men turns out to be the easy part. It helps that after Leonel and I’s confessions to each other, we are more invigorated than we were a moment ago, and getting what needs to be done done actually requires less effort than it would have if we hadn’t reconciled. It also helps that a brokenhearted Jaxon doesn’t put up much of a fight. Leonel gave him the sedative he arrived with, as well as giving some to Riggs for good measure, and we both lug the men upstairs, me heaving from Riggs’ weight, and Leonel moving like it’s nothing. When we finally emerge on the surface, however, I encounter my first problem, one I hadn’t exactly considered on the way here. “Absolutely fucking not.” Leonel booms, unconscious Jaxon still in his hands, when he spots an awkward Nicco leaning in the carseat of his truck. I’m so caught up in reconciling with everyone - with Evelyn asking me a million questions at once, and Oliver telling me a billion things at the same time - tha