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“She needs to come home where she would be safe. Being with you will only kill her,” Jason mumbles, puffing out his chest when my head whips his way. “Bartlett,” he snaps, “give them to her.”
“I can protect her. She’s not going anywhere with you.” My eyes narrow on Bartlett’s shaking hands. “Give her what?”
“Ava, please.” Bartlett leans around me to see her, ignoring me.
“Go home. You left me alone for years, and suddenly you're showing up? What’s going on?” Ava presses close to my side, grabbing my arm.
“We’re going to lose everything,” he gushes.
“Bartlett,” Jason seethes.
“We’ve been using the money our parents left us to fund the church. We’re running out. They left you a portion that I kept for you. I was saving it for you. But we need it now; we can’t continue the good work we do without it,” he begs, unrolling the papers. “I have to get your signature,” he stresses desperately.
“Mom and Dad left us money?” Ava asks, shocked. She doesn’t even glance at the papers.
“Yeah, they had life insurance policies. I can’t access the remaining money—it’s in your name. Please, Ava, I need it.”
“Are you kidding? You decided to tell me this now? Not when I was struggling to live on my own. Not when I got out of the hospital.” Ava gets in his face. “Why the fuck would I give it to you?”
“Ava, I’m your brother,” he says weakly.
“That’s not a good reason. How much are we talking about?”
“Come on, Ava.” He reaches up to touch her face. I take a step forward just as she slaps his hand away and he drops the stapled sheets.
“How much?”
“Half a million.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice lowers dangerously.
“It’s been gaining interest.”
“It all makes sense now,” she whispers. “You had to control me growing up. That’s why you did that. That’s why you wanted me to marry a man twice my age. You had to keep me under your thumb or his thumb. That’s why you came now—you need money.” She winds up and punches her brother in the face. While he’s moaning as blood drips down his face, she knees him in the nuts. “Fuck you. I will have a lawyer get me my money. I never want to see you again. I’m serious.”
“You don’t want to do this, Avangilene,” Jason says.
“I do. Next time you come to me, you’ll look way worse than you do now.” She reaches for my hand. She doesn’t slow down until we make it around the corner.
“That was hot as hell, darlin’.” I backed her against the wall in the alley.
“Shit, that felt good, though.” She laughs.
“I bet. It looked amazing,” I put my hands beside her on the wall. “I want you to move in with us,” I say. I don’t want to leave her alone in her house.
“What? No,” she sputters, shaking her head.
“We can say it’s temporary. I know he’s your brother, but I wouldn’t put it past them to take you by force, especially now that I know money is involved. That’s a lot of money,” I say, hurried.
“That is a lot of money,” she agrees.
“I want you to be protected. Let us protect you.”
We hold each other's eyes in tense silence. I understand she has to have a choice. I hope she makes the right one. She studies me. Her gaze travels over me. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but she must find it because she nods.
“I hope I don’t regret this,” she sighs.
“You won’t.”
