Chapter 40

 

Ava

 

 

I HAD A hard time sleeping. I kept expecting someone to come pounding at my door, especially now that Jayce had my full name.

And where in the hell had he gotten it anyway?

If they found out my identity, they could trace it back to my birthmother, and eventually learn that Andrew and I were related.

This was definitely bad.

After tossing and turning for the better part of the night, I got up early, made a pot of coffee, and then proceeded to call the St. Paul Police Department.

“Hello, I was wondering who I could speak to regarding a murder?” I asked the person who answered the phone.

“Ma’am, did you see someone get killed?” the man replied.

“No, but I know someone was. I also know who did it.” I began telling the guy about the Gold Vipers and he immediately transferred me to a unit that apparently handled street gangs.

“Detective Olson,” a man answered briskly.

I cleared my throat and asked to speak to someone about the Gold Vipers.

“You can talk to me,” he replied, sounding a little more enthusiastic. “What did you say your name was?”

I was about to tell him, but suddenly my paranoia kicked in.

What if he Gold Vipers were paying off some of the police?

I wouldn’t know until it was too late.

“I’d prefer not to tell you. I do have some information on a murder that occurred last year.”

“Which one is that?” he asked.

I told him about the one involving a guy named Blade. 

“Andrew Bordellini…. Oh, yeah. That case was closed,” he replied. “We know who shot the assailant. It was done in self-defense.”

“Andrew was actually the victim,” I said, trying to remain calm. “He was framed and then murdered by Dominic Savage, otherwise known as Tarot. In fact, I have it on tape that he killed Andrew Bordellini.”

“Wait a second, he admitted it?”

“No. But, one of his club mates told me he killed him.”

“So, you have him on tape?”

“Yes.”

The man sighed. “First of all, the tape would probably be inadmissible in court, especially since it’s not a confession. Second of all, the woman’s neighbor, who admitted to the shooting, is a retired cop. He confessed to killing Bordellini.”

“He lied.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but unless you get Tarot to admit that he killed Andrew Bordellini on tape or video, we can’t help you.”

“So, Tarot is going to get away with murder?” I replied angrily.

“Let’s be frank here. Andrew Bordellini was by no means a choir boy. He had a rap sheet a mile long.”

“For what kind of charges?” I asked, feeling a lump in my throat.

“I don’t rightly remember. Let’s just say that he wasn’t a stand-up guy.”

“Maybe not, but he didn’t deserve what he got.”

“I don’t know. Some would say he did,” he said, a smile in his voice. “The world is always a better place when a criminal gets his wings. Or in this case, his horns.”

Clenching my teeth, I growled, hung up on the asshole, and threw my phone onto the bed. No wonder the Gold Vipers got away with murder. The police treated them like vigilantes.

Knowing that I wasn’t going to get any help legally, I thought about going to the press with my information. It might force the police into taking action. But, I knew that doing something like that would not only put me in danger, but also Millie. I couldn’t risk it.

Sighing, I knew that there was no other choice. I’d have to do what I came out there to do—avenge Andrew’s death by myself.

I took a shower and put on a pair of black shorts and a gray long-sleeved T-shirt. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and grabbed a baseball cap. After finishing up in the bathroom, I packed up my belongings and was about to check out of the motel, when there was a knock on the door. I checked the peephole and saw that it was a delivery man holding flowers. I opened the door.

“Ava Rhodes?”

I nodded.

He smiled and handed me a stunning arrangement of multicolored flowers. “These are for you.”

“Thank you,” I said, staring at them in confusion.

After the delivery guy left, I looked at the card.

 

Ava,

 

Like these flowers, your beauty is radiant and stems from within, regardless of anything else. I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight and I hope you feel the same. 

 

Jayce

 

 

 

They were beautiful and I would have melted had I not known what I now did. If anything, the flowers depressed me and made me feel empty inside. It figured that the one guy I’d started to have real feelings for was an accomplice to murder. Instead of putting them in water, I threw them in the garbage and checked out of the motel.

As I started the engine of my car, I still wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do. After blindly driving around for twenty minutes, I pointed the Malibu toward Tarot and Peyton’s place. I needed to get this over with. There was no point in wasting any more time or money.

I drove down their street, and it appeared they were both home. I parked farther up the block and shut off my car. After sitting quietly for several minutes, I managed to find the nerve to call Peyton and get things rolling. She answered on the second ring.

“Hi, it’s… me. I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to show me those houses yesterday,” I said, biting my nail nervously.

“No problem. Did you want to look at any more?” she asked, a smile in her voice.

“Actually, I really liked the last one and was wondering if we could check it out again?” I replied, an idea forming in my head.

“Sure. I could call the realtor and ask if we could do it today?”

“That would be great.”

I would wait for her to leave and then shoot her bastard of a fiancé. Afterward, I would meet her at the other house as quickly as possible, my alibi set. Besides, I was quite certain Tarot had plenty of enemies. His murder would look like some kind of retribution. Which, it really was.

“I was just about to take Ruby to her dance lesson. It will have to be later in the afternoon, though.”

“No problem. I’ll be free.”

Shit.

I closed my eyes. How could I have forgotten about Ruby? She was just an innocent child, about to lose her father. By my hand.

Didn’t that make me just as bad as the Gold Vipers?

But again, if he raised her, what kind of person would she grow up to be?  

“Okay. I’ll call you back and let you know what I find out.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.”

My plan was changing. If there was one thing I knew, I couldn’t kill Tarot in front of Ruby. It would have to be now, while he was home alone.

“No problem,” I said, eyeing my purse.

We hung up and I waited for Peyton to leave with the little girl. When I saw their car pull out of the driveway, I moved mine over to the next block. Then, I shut off the engine, grabbed my purse, and quickly walked back to their house with my baseball cap pulled down. Trembling, I unzipped my purse, put my hand on the gun, and knocked on the door.