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I give him a questioning look.
“There might be a lead. Thought you’d want to come with us.”
Ava sits straighter. “I’m coming with you.”
“It’s not safe.” Oliver declares, stepping closer. I’m almost scared to look at him. His eyes are as haunted as Ava’s. Something is horribly wrong. “Drink some water.”
“I don’t want water.” She pushes the glass away. “I want my son.”
“It will make you feel better.”
I don’t know what he’s up to, but I have to trust he knows what he’s doing.
“Drink, baby girl.” She almost defies me but thinks better of it. Instead, she accepts the glass Oliver is holding out for her. “Good girl.”
She drains the glass, then sets it down.
Satisfied, Oliver heads for the door. “We will leave in twenty minutes.”
A few minutes pass before Ava speaks, “Viktor, you have to find him and bring him home.”
“I will.”
I hold her like my life depends on it. About ten minutes later, her breathing slows. Instantly, I know what Oliver has done.
He gave her a sedative.
She’ll be pissed when she realizes, but it’s for the best. When I’m certain she’s asleep, I stand and scoop her into my arms. As if on cue, Oliver opens the door and holds it for me. I take Ava upstairs to our bedroom before laying her gently on our bed and kissing her forehead.
When I exit, Oliver is waiting for me.
“She’s going to kill you.”
“We both know she wasn’t going to relent. I didn’t want you to have to make the decision, so I made it for you. Short of tying her up, I don’t know what other option we had.”
He’s right. Ava wouldn’t let us leave without her. It won’t make her any less pissed, though.
“The lead?” I ask, needing to get things moving.
“Grace is still MIA. No one has been able to reach her.”
“And Aisling?” I ask through a stern jaw.
“Safely sleeping. Mom is with her.” Before I can ask, he continues, “There are four guards outside her door.”
“The mansion?”
“Full lockdown. A lot of men would have to die before anyone would get inside the mansion tonight. The safe room is also ready in the event it needs to be used.”
“Thank you.” My words are worthless, but they are all I have.
As his eyes shift to my bedroom door, he says, “I knew Ava had a fire in her belly, but I never imagined the degree she’d be willing to go.”
“I have underestimated her so many times. She was made for this world,” I reply more to myself than to him.
I have no doubt Ava will make good on her threat. I’ve faced many enemies, but there’s nothing like a lioness protecting her cub. Ava has changed since becoming a mother. She’s strong and assertive. She exudes power in every task she does.
One thing I know for sure, she will do whatever she has to do to bring Niko safely home.
