On one hand, I’m happy he’s speaking to her. I want her to interact with people. But on the other hand, I’m the one he should be talking to about this shit.
I speak up, getting his attention. “I want her with me.”
He narrows his eyes as he replies, “Women usually stay at home.”
“Forgive me, but I don’t want to leave her somewhere I don’t know is secure.” He seems shocked by my answer. What the fuck did he expect? I don’t know him or his famila. And I don’t trust the safe house we’ve been staying in. He must be able to read that from my hard expression.
“We’d never hurt her.” Ava takes a small step backward, away from him and moves closer to my side. Her hand brushes against mine and I’m quick to take it. The tension in the room is thick. I rub soothing circles on the back of her hand with my thumb.
“I don’t know you, Vince. So you’ll understand that I’d like to have her with me.”
“Yes,” his eyes dart to her neck again before meeting mine, “I imagine Abram would be upset if anything were to happen to her.” Ava noticeably cowers at this and scoots closer to me. It pisses me the fuck off.
The hot air seems to suffocate me, and the only thing I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears. I’m surrounded by three armed men with Ava at my side, and all I want to do is take out my anger by beating some fucking sense into them. I focus on my breathing instead.
“Let’s get to business, Vince.” I bite out the words with only the tiniest bit of aggression apparent. His eyebrows raise and he exchanges a glance with someone behind me. I don’t turn, I just stare back at the asshole with a hard look.
“What is it that you’d like to know?” he asks, walking back around to his desk and gesturing to a chair to my left. There’s only one chair there. I look to the far corner of the room where Tommy’s standing and there’s a chair behind him. I think about moving it over so she can sit with me, but then I think twice about it.
I don’t feel like sitting anyway. I guide her to the chair with my hand on the small of her back and motion for her to sit. I move to stand behind her and grip the chair. She looks uneasy and she’s right to be. I do my best to comfort her by placing my hands on her shoulders so she can feel me there.
“Would you like the other chair?” Vince asks, as Tommy pulls the chair across the floor. There’s an awkward tension in the room and I don’t know how to get rid of it. It’s making Ava tense, it’s pissing me off, and if I turn down the seat it’s only going to get worse. I turn around and look at Anthony who’s standing behind me and in front of the door.
Regret settles in my chest as I clench my fists. I wish I hadn’t brought her. I wish I had somewhere safe to take her. But I don’t have anyone. I turn back to Vince and give him a quick nod before gripping the chair and pushing it to butt up next to Ava’s.
I take a seat and hold out my hand for her. She’s quick to take it and turn her body toward me.
“We don’t deal with this aspect of the industry, so you’ll have to excuse me, but I find this...” Vince looks between the two of us, “...odd.”
I crack my neck to the left and stare back at him debating what all to tell him. Fuck it. I might as well lay it all out there. “I don’t do this shit, and I won’t be the one working between you and Petrov.” I take a steady breath knowing I may have just triggered my death sentence. When this gets back to Abram, he’s not going to be happy. But I’m sure as shit not going to be doing this. “I’m here to learn the ins and outs of your business and report back.”
Vince narrows his eyes at me. “That’s not the impression I was under. I thought you were in charge of this...” he trails off, looking at Ava and then quickly averts his gaze as he concludes, “...this kind of handling.”
“I’m not, and I won’t.” My words come out hard and I’m glad they do.
His brows raise in surprise before he schools his expression. “Is there anything else I should know?”
My brow furrows in confusion. I don’t know what he’s hinting at. “Subtlety isn't a strength of mine, Vince.” I lean forward, but keep my hand back so Ava doesn’t have to change positions. “If you want to know something, you should just come on out and ask it.”
“Is she yours, then?” Vince asks, and I swallow thickly as I settle my back against the seat.
I don’t know how to answer that. If I could take her away, I would. It’s one thing to turn down Abram, I’m probably already dead for that. But to steal from him, that would most certainly put me six feet under.