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CHAPTER7
Cyrus
James locked the door behind us before he guided us both into the living room. I carried Ava all the way. Her jawline was tense, and she huffed quietly with annoyance, but I paid her no mind. She could have died in that fire, and I didn’t want to let her go quite yet. To be honest, it was the only thing keeping me from driving into the city and strangling Anthony in his bed right at this very moment.
“I’m okay, Cyrus. You can put me down,” she protested.
“You will let me care for you unless you want me to ask my friend if I can borrow one of his guest rooms upstairs so that I can pull down those jeans and spank your bare bottom bright red to remind you what happens when you fight me,” I growled.
Her lips clapped shut and she nodded quickly. She blushed heavily, glancing in James’ direction, knowing full well that I wouldn’t hesitate to follow through with that threat.
I didn’t tell her that he’d heard me deal with Isabel plenty. She’d had a proud, stubborn streak and that put her in harm’s way more times than I cared for. A bright red bottom had done her good many times in the past, just like it would for Ava from time to time, especially when it came to matters of her safety.
Ava squirmed a little on the couch as I sat next to her. I was certain she was still thinking about getting spanked in the other room and that that was making her wet. She caught my gaze and I smiled knowingly, which made her blush even more.
“What seems to be the trouble?” James asked. He sat down across from me in an elegant gray leather armchair, crossing one leg over the other and patiently waiting for me to tell our story. He ignored my interplay with Ava and focused on why I had come in the first place.
Immediately, I broke into a quick summary of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours, and he listened intently. By the time I was finished, his expression had turned serious.
“The Montagna family flourished under Mike’s rule. Anthony inherited a strong backbone even if he didn’t earn any of it,” James replied.
“I need you to keep Ava safe for me for a short while. I’m going to go back into the city and deal with the problem more aggressively this time,” I explained.
My phone rang in my pocket, and I pulled it out. It was Jon.
“Jon,” I answered simply. “I was just about to call you myself.”
“Are the two of you alright?” he asked quickly. His voice sounded rushed and quite a bit worried. The fire had likely caught him off guard, just as it had me.
“We’re fine,” I replied briskly.
“Anthony took your cook hostage. He’ll give him back if you agree to hand over the girl,” Jon continued, a bit breathlessly. I could hear some commotion in the background, but not enough to make out what it was.
Fuck. So Mikey hadn’t gotten away after all.
“Do you want to meet at the pub again? Maybe I could talk some reason into the boy,” I spat furiously. I wasn’t angry at Jon. I didn’t think he would put a woman at risk that way. He’d never been the type.
My irritation was directed at someone much more specific. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the sea of red that had painted my vision scarlet.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Jon replied.
“McGuire’s. One hour,” I said, and I hung up the phone.
I stood there for several seconds as I gathered myself. I didn’t want Ava to see me like this. I’d done some terrible things in the past. Some might even call me a monster, but I would never expose my woman to something like that.
She needed to be cherished, loved, and protected.
I would be that man for her.
James stood up and pressed a button hidden under a side table. One of the massive paintings in the room slid across the wall, revealing a large weapons cache. I studied the various options. There were several sniper rifles, automatic machine guns, semiautomatic revolvers, throwing knives, and all manner of more inconspicuous weapons that would do in a pinch.
He took several handguns off the wall and tossed them to me. The weight seemed natural in my palm, and I curled my hand around the grip.
I could feel Ava’s eyes on me.
A butler arrived with a black suit jacket. It was likely James’, but the two of us were close enough in size that it fit me too. There were several places to tuck away guns inside it and I took advantage of them all. Ava watched with wide eyes and by the time I was fully outfitted, she looked ready to flee.
“I need to go, Ava. You will stay here with James. He has plenty of protective detail on the grounds to keep you safe,” I explained gently.
