Bridgette and her crew have come and gone, they’ve worked wonders making me look more beautiful than I have ever seen myself. As I look in the mirror, I barely recognize the old Avery; this new, improved version of myself looks confident and self-assured. The more I look, the more I start to believe the image that stares back at me. I’m wearing the red dress Catherine asked me to wear, and it’s gorgeous. Mom and Adam won’t know what’s about to hit them. They can both kiss my ass, and they will before it’s over.

I sit and wait it out. Bridgette got Fallon ready first, and then me. Fallon is one of the party’s hosts and needed to be ready in time to greet the guests. I, on the other hand, am supposed to wait till Jeffery tells me it’s time to make an appearance.

Roughly about an hour after the party starts, Jeffery comes to get me. I calm my nerves and descend the stairs. All eyes are on me as Catherine announces me halfway down the stairs. I see all the Sterns looking up at me with pride. It makes me feel like I belong to them, which I wish I did; family is very important to them, it’s something I’ve never experienced. Then I notice my mother and Adam. Mother starts to shuffle to the front of the room in a panic to get to me.

“Avery, my God. Where have you been? I thought I was never going to see you again.”

“Hello, Mother.” I kiss her cheek and act nonchalant. “I’ve been fine. I simply decided to take a trip with a friend. It was a hellish ride, but I came back home in one piece and in some ways even better than I was before.”

I notice Adam staring at me like he wants to kill me on the spot. I’d like to see him try. Catherine and her sons would never let that happen, knowing that helps me do what I need to do. I let go of my mother and walk up to Adam.

“I hope I didn’t scare you and Mom too much. I was detained for a longer time than I would have liked. I’m sure you know what I mean, don’t you, Adam?”

He looks like his heart is about to come out of his chest, and his face becomes red with anger.

“I’m sure, Avery, I have no idea what you could possibly mean. Your mother has been going crazy without you.” He then leans into me and whispers in my ear, “Nice dress, you look just like the harlot we both know you are now.”

Before I can open my mouth to curse him out, Catherine strolls in and snatches Adam’s arm and escorts him away, with some story about wanting him to meet someone. I turn and see Gabriel, he nods his head in my direction and begins to follow his mother. I also notice Liam watching me from afar, which gives me some sense of comfort.

“Mother, I would like to catch up, but not right now. Can we just enjoy the party? Then later we will discuss everything about my absence, I promise.”

She agrees, but I know it’s only so we don’t cause a ruckus in front of everyone. Mom is not one for public displays of emotions.

She walks with me as we enter the center of the party. She then releases my arm and joins her husband as if to show unity in public.

Vin asks me to dance. I accept and let him lead me to the dance floor. Once we begin to sway, he tells me, “I’m here if you need me. Catherine asked me to watch over you tonight. I figured there’s a reason for it. So, if you need me, know I’ll be close.”

“Thank you, Vin.”

“Always.”

We finish our dance. I decide it’s time to talk with my mother, but before I can, Gabriel takes me back to the dance floor.

“Not yet, Avery, let mom work her magic. I’m not sure what she has planned, but you need to give her time. She will let you know when you’re needed.”

Before I can say anything, the song ends and I’m led to Fallon. She starts speaking, but the words are lost to me as I scan the room. Adam is hustling through the crowd. I try to keep up with his movements until my view is blocked by Zander.

“Avery, I believe it’s my turn for a spin. Excuse us, Fallon.”

Once on the dance floor, I look up to him and say, “Did Catherine put you all up to occupying my time with dancing?”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean. Since when do I need an excuse to dance with a beautiful woman?”

Zander looks down towards me and gives me his famous grin and wink combination.

“I guess when our song is finished it will be Liam’s turn, but then what?”

“Liam isn’t involved in this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Avery, none of us are sure about what’s going on. Mom just said to keep an eye out and keep you busy for a while. As far as Liam goes, she would never involve him in whatever this might be.”

“Why?”

“Because kid, he wouldn’t allow it. If he thought for a second you could be in danger, he would want to kill everyone.”

“I think you all give the idea of me and Liam too much thought. It’s not like that, I promise.”

“I think you don’t think about it enough. You’re a smart girl, Avery. Look at my brother, do you see him? He hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night.”

As Zander spins me around, I look to find Liam in the crowd. He’s standing off to the back of the room with a drink in his hand, and Zander’s right, it looks like he’s watching me. Our eyes meet, and for a brief second it takes my breath away. Our connection lets me forget about everyone else in the room until I feel Zander’s hold on me loosen. Our song is finished, and I’m rushed back to reality.

Zander leads me through the crowd on his arm. I begin to remember who I was born to be and begin to play my role of socialite to perfection. Something my mother failed to teach me. I think she thought I should’ve been a natural at it. Catherine taught me how to perfectly execute faking it with a smile and be as entertaining as I can be. Like expected people come to me in flocks to ask about my travels on my fabricated vacation. Lying has never come easily to me, but I need to in order to keep my secret. As I make my way through the crowd and to the bar, I notice our plan is starting to work. My mother looks upset as she speaks with some of our unsavory guests.

I’m in deep thought as the bartender asks what I would like to drink. I obviously don’t hear him because off to my side Zander orders for me. I turn to thank him and am startled it’s not Zander, but Theo. I haven’t seen him since my rescue.

“Oh my. I’m so sorry, Mr. Trahan. I thought you were Zander. It’s rare to have two such large men in the same room.”

“Ahh, yes. Zander does have my build, doesn’t he?”

I consider his meaning, but then Theo gets my attention, again by pointing and saying, “Heads up, Avery, it’s showtime.”

I look up, and my mother is storming away from someone. Theo smiles down to me then walks away. From behind, I can feel someone close, then I hear in my ear, “I don’t know what you’re up to, bitch, but it won’t work. I’ll find a way to get rid of you, just like I did your father.”

I gasp. My father? What he can’t mean… no? My father died of a heart attack. I’m still processing when Mom comes over to us and says, “Adam, I’d like to leave, now! Avery, you and I will have to talk tomorrow. Tonight, Adam and I have other pressing discussions.”

Stunned, I slowly nod my head as they leave me there. I start to panic. My breathing becomes irregular, and my heart rate accelerates. Fallon rushes to my side.

“Avery, Avery, are you okay? Breathe, honey. Look, come with me, I got you.”

She helps me out of the room and into Catherine’s office. She sits me on Catherine’s chair and gets me to take regular breaths.

“Calm down, Avery, just breathe. I don’t know what happened, but look, I’m going to go find Catherine and get you some water to drink. Will you be all right here if I leave you for a few minutes?”

I nod my head, and once she leaves, panic turns into anger and begins to take over. He mentioned my father, he insinuated he got rid of him. He should’ve never have mentioned my dad. Fuck him, I want and need answers. I plan on getting them one way or another. I start searching Catherine’s desk; I know she keeps her gun in here somewhere.

“Here it is.” I find exactly what I’m looking for, but she has a keypad lock on the case. It takes me a few tries, but I think for a second about what number combination I might know that would be important to her: Liam’s birthday. It unlocks, I take the gun out and load the clip. Now to get out of here without being seen. I slowly open the door and look out. When I see no one’s paying attention, I slowly make my way to the kitchen and grab a set of keys to one of the cars belonging to the family. I sneak out because I know Catherine would never allow me to do this.

As I drive towards home, I start remembering every bad memory of my time growing up. The death of my father, my mom’s depression, and then the entrance of Adam. All the verbal abuse I took from him and my mother. In fact, I can’t remember any good memories except for the ones that contain Liam in them. Until, of course, he broke my heart. The memories fall upon me in a tidal wave, feeding my anger. That’s when I decide, tonight it all ends. All of it, and if that means killing Adam, then so be it.

I park my car and exit. As I walk to the front door, I hear my mother’s raised voice. She’s yelling at Adam. I open the door and rush inside. I see them arguing in the living room. I stand there for a few minutes, listening to all the lies spilling from Adam’s mouth. Mom met some shady people tonight who know the real Adam quite well. He’s standing there trying to convince her none of their stories are true about him.

He turns and sees me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he shouts.

I hold the gun up and shoot his leg. He falls to the ground, cursing and screaming at me. My mother screams for me to stop.

“Avery! Oh my God, Avery! Don’t! It’s okay! He’s not worth it! Everything’s going to be fine!”

“Fine, Mother? Is that what you believe? You have no fucking idea, but you will.” With the gun still held on Adam, I walk in his direction. “Isn’t that right Adam?”

* * *

I watch as Avery makes her appearance on the stairs. She leaves me breathless. She’s wearing a red dress that fits her like a glove. It’s backless with a low plunging neckline that leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s something I would’ve never imagine her wearing, but it’s perfect. She’s the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I watch as she greets her parents, and the disgust she holds for them is written all over her face. Avery had such an awful childhood with them as her parents. I instantly want to jump to her rescue, but I can’t plus I know she wouldn’t want me to.

Once I turn my attention to the party, I start to notice some unseemly guests. Funny, I know my mother knows these people, but they are not the kind she would normally invite to a party like this. Then I notice my brothers and Vin are surrounding Avery. At every turn, they occupy her time. Something’s going on, but what? I swear if they are trying to pull some shit over my eyes when it comes to Avery, I’ll hurt all of them.

Suddenly, I see Avery’s parents storm out. I want to find Avery, but Theo jumps in to distract me from the situation. He leads me outside to the veranda. He talks to me about business matters, which is bullshit! Theo would only talk to my brother about this kind of shit. I realize it's a distraction, but before I can ask what he’s up to, Mom comes running out and asks us if we’ve seen Avery.

“No, Mom, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Tell me, I know all of you are up to something. I want to know what the fuck is going on, right now.”

Vin rushes out and whispers in my mother’s ear. Her face tells it all; she’s scared, and there was only one other time I ever heard of her being scared, and it involved Fallon. So now I get pissed.

“I swear to God, tell me where Avery is!”

Theo stands in front of my mother and says, “Tell him something, Catherine, anything. He deserves to know.”

She nods her head. “Liam, I don’t have time to tell you everything now, but I need you to go with Vin. Avery left, and she has my gun. I think she went after Adam.”

“Why would she do that, Mom? I mean, I know she doesn’t like him, but she wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“Son, just go! Liam, don’t let her go further down the rabbit hole. Please go before it’s too late.”

Without another word, I practically run out of the house with Vin on my side. Vin tells me according to the security team’s report, she took one of our cars and we shouldn’t be too far behind.

“Do you know what’s going on?” I ask.

“No, your mother just told me to watch close tonight, and I was until Avery’s parents were causing a scene in the driveway. I’m sorry, Liam, I should’ve never left her.”

He’s right, he shouldn't have, but I know he would lay his life down for any of us, and I have a feeling that includes Avery, too.

It feels like it’s taking forever but we finally make it to her parents’ house. Vin spots our car, he checks the hood and says it’s still hot. Now we know she hasn’t been here long. Suddenly, we both duck when we hear the sound of a gunshot. We both start running to the door, with our guns ready. When I enter, I hear Margaret screaming, then I see Avery standing over Adam with a raised gun in her hand. She shot him, he’s on the floor with blood coming from his leg.

Then I hear Avery say, “Fine! Mother, is that what you believe? You have no fucking idea, but you will. Isn’t that right Adam?”

I slowly enter the room and call out to her, “Avery, don’t do this. I don’t know what he did, but don’t.”

“Liam?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m here.”

She’s crying. “Liam, you have no idea what he did.”

“Then tell me, baby. Put the gun down and talk to me.”

She yells out, “No! Stop where you are, Liam! I don’t want to hurt you, but if you get in the middle of me and him—”

I don’t let her say what she was about to say because I know she doesn’t mean it and I couldn’t stand for her to say it.

I raise my arms in surrender. “Okay, I’ll stay right here, I promise. Just talk to me.”

Never taking her eyes off Adam, Avery starts to speak, but to her mother. “Mom, are you still there?”

“Yes, Avery, I’m here.”

“Where should we start? Do you want to tell her, Adam, about how you bankrupted my father’s practice? Oh, let’s tell her about your gambling debts. That’s why he was bitching about his allowance. He wanted access to all the money.”

“Fuck you, Avery!” Adam spits out at her.

Her mother shouts. “I know, Avery! I heard about the money tonight. That’s why we left.”

“Okay, Mom, well did you know about his many affairs? He has been cheating on you with prostitutes. Did you also know Dr. Adam Edwards is famous for illegally distributing prescription drugs?”

Margaret falls to her knees crying. “No, I didn’t know.”

“Well, Mother, that’s not all.”

Adam tries to stand as he yells at Avery, “Shut up, bitch! Your mother is going through enough without the rest of your fucking lies.”

I growl and start to move, ready to kill him for talking to her like that.

Avery yells at me. “Stop, Liam! I’m not done. I want the rest to come out.”

I immediately stop, deciding to let her finish this.

“Mom, you’re going to love this part of my story. Listen close. I haven’t been on a vacation, and I didn’t run away. Your husband wanted me gone he needed me to be out of the way so he could be the only heir to your money. He gave me to Senator Rollins to be his sex slave. I was never meant to return. He wanted me abused and dead.”

Margaret and I both shout at the same time, “What?” I run to get to him, but Avery points the gun my way and shakes her head no at me. “He’s mine!” she yells, and I slowly back off. She’s crying now. “That’s right, Mom. For a little over two months, I had been in a boarded-up house. They came for me while we all slept. I woke up alone and scared.”

Avery starts shaking and screaming through her tears. “They raped me, Mom! Over and over I was raped! At first it was just the senator, then the bodyguard started. I was raped and beaten so bad that I prayed he would kill me. Do you know what it’s like to pray to be killed?”

She’s shaking so bad now. I’m holding tight, but I’m ready to get her quick if she needs me.

“Did you know, Mother, that I was a virgin? The only one I ever allowed to touch me was Liam, but he never touched me like that.” She is beyond enraged now, shouting everything out. “You can’t begin to understand what they did to me or the ways they humiliated me! After a while I gave up, I refused to fight anymore. I prayed every day for that day to be my last? I wanted nothing more than to die, Mom!” Avery’s tears stop, and she calms herself. “Is that what you wanted, Adam!?” Then she pulls the trigger again, shooting him this time in the stomach. It’s not a kill shot, but she definitely gains his attention.

I stand there, stunned. I don’t try to make any sudden movements because I know this is something she has to do, and I can tell she’s not finished with him yet.

Adam screams in pain and starts shouting, “You stupid bitch, I should have killed you years ago! Fucking senator, I gave you to the him because you were never supposed to come back. He fucked up. I drugged your mother that night, I let them in the house and led them to your bedroom. That was supposed to be the last time I saw you. I should have known better and finished you just like I did your fucking father.”

Avery’s hand begins to tremble even more now. “What are you talking about, you bastard?”

“See, Avery, you don’t know everything, do you? I killed your father. Do you really think he died from a heart attack? He was in perfect health. And he was in the fucking way! I drugged him with a medication that would induce a heart attack, then I helped with the rest to assure his death. Once he was out the way, I married your mother and took you as my daughter. But your dumb as fuck mother put me on an allowance. I wanted and needed it all, so I played the loyal fucking husband to a woman I can’t stand. But after all these years, she still refused to allow me full access to the money or put me in the will. You were then the one standing in my way. You were going to collect on all my hard-fucking work! You had to go, and then your mother wouldn’t have anyone else but me. See, bitch, after you, then I could kill her and get everything. So, I planned the whole thing. I knew the senator had a sick way of treating girls. I knew because for years he’s been coming to me to supply him with the drugs to manage them and their birth control. Just like the one in your arm, not like he needed it. Because none of his girls have ever been seen again. That is, until now. How the fuck did you get away from him?”

Avery doesn’t answer him.

Adam starts laughing. “What are you going to do now? Huh, Avery?”

Avery shakes and says in a low voice, “I’m going to kill you.”

At this moment, I know she’s done, she means to kill him. I can’t let that happen; this is the rabbit hole mom was referring to. If she kills him, she won’t be able to forgive herself for that. No matter how much he deserves to die, she can’t be the one to do it, but I can.

I slowly walk up to her, and in a calming voice, I say, “Avery, give me the gun, baby. You don’t want to do this. Listen to me, you came through so much, Avery. Don’t let him take all that away from you. Please, I need you to be strong and hand me the gun.”

“No! Liam, he has to die! I need him to die. Don’t you see I can’t go on with him alive? He killed my father and destroyed my life.” She looks at me now and says, “He knows what they did to me. If I send him to prison, he’ll still discredit me on every step I make. You don’t understand, I don’t want anyone else knowing what they did. I can’t let anyone find out what happened to me, Liam, I can’t. He has to die.”

“Then let me do it.”

“What?”

“Avery, let me do it. I will kill him for you, I don’t want you to do it. Please, baby, let me help you. I love you, Avery. I always have and always will.”

She’s looking at me now, her tear-stained face shocked at what I said. I meant every word. I do love her, and I have and will kill for her again.

As we stare into each other’s eyes, I slowly reach for the gun, but then I hear a gunshot from behind me. I grab Avery and push her down with me over her. I look to see what’s happening and see Vin struggling with Margaret to get her gun out of her hand. I look back at Adam and see him lying there in a puddle of his own blood, dead.