Criminal Affinity [18+]

Chapter 45

Lamb turned to lion I eat nightmares for supper,
One command and I'll stick em' on another.

| Immortal - Elley Duhe |

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Her

From the way Ava's eyes stay wide on the skyline, she knows she isn't getting any sleep tonight. It has only been thirty minutes since Ivan left the room, but that conversation seems like it happened ages ago.

Is he still going to find Marvin for her? Is he still going to come to get her in two days?

The uncertainty makes Ava feel worse.

She did this to herself. This is why you should never shit where you sleep. She's been acting out of hand for too long, but can she blame herself?

How else is she supposed to act when life as she knew it refuses to exist anymore? Pretend like she's fine? Like she's the ruthless little killer that everyone wants her to be?

Ava is tired of pretending. She doesn't even know herself anymore. But when did she know herself? She lived all her life becoming something for someone else. She was always just a puppet, a means to an end, a soldier, a fucking weapon.

Dale Henderson brainwashed her to the extent that she took pride in it—being nothing more than a destroyer.

No one will understand what it's like to be weaponized to the extent of dehumanization.

Ava picks up her phone to check the time when she sees five missed calls from Lily. She frowns, swiping her phone open to see multiple texts begging her to pick up the phone. Ava lurches up, throwing her comforter off and gets on her feet.

The call comes through again and Ava immediately picks up.

"Ava!" Lily's voice is sharp with worry. "Is William with you?"

Ava's chest thunders. "No...he left thirty minutes ago."

Lily curses, her voice sounding breathless as if she's been running. Ava makes out the sound of an engine whirring and Lily barking orders but cut off by static.

"What's—"

"Listen to me." Her voice is hard. "William was at a club that was attacked and he's not picking up. He's sending no signal back. You are closer to him than us, I know it's a lot to ask but can you please get to Vera's and find out if he is okay?"

Ava is quiet, her mouth opening on a jagged breath. Attacked. Is he...?

"Ava. Okay. Fine, I understand. I will personally make sure he lets you go. I will make sure you're settled somewhere far away from here and you get a new life. Just do this one thing for me. Please, please go there. You just have to head to the reception and ask someone to drop you at Vera's." Ava can hear the cracks in Lily's voice, making her blood run so fucking cold.

Ava hardly registers her words. He can't die. Ivan can't fucking die. That can't be the last thing she does to him. She shouldn't have let him leave. She should have thrown open the door and yelled after him to come back.

"Okay." Ava says but has already begun dressing. Lily misunderstood Ava's panic for hesitation. There's nothing anyone could offer her to let any of them die for nothing.

Ava's resolve tightens everything inside her, making her vision blurry with it. She's fucked.

Within five minutes Ava is in the car, dressed in the same clothes she left the mansion in. Her gun is plunged in the elastic of her waistband, restless and buzzing. In the five-minute route they take, Ava shuts her eyes and takes slow breaths until her mind is clear and her pulse is rhythmic.