Twenty-Four

Flynn

Ava knew the truth about me, or at least some of it. She knew I’d lied to her, something that for many women, would have been a deal breaker. Or at least the beginning of the end. Breaking a woman’s trust was the worst thing a man could do. And yet, there she was, still in my arms. So forgiving, so sweet—I knew from the beginning that she wasn’t like most women, and she was proving me right. Most women would have run for the hills by now—not that I could blame them—but Ava was still with me. And despite everything that had happened, and all of the danger she’d been in, she still told me she loved me.

That was what surprised me the most, given everything that had happened. Of course, she didn’t know the whole truth—what I did within the syndicate. She knew I was an O’Brien, but Ava wasn’t a Chicago native, so obviously she hadn’t caught wind of all the murders, the violence, the crime. Or perhaps, she was naïve and didn’t want to see the deviant monster I was. It was an ugly part of me. A part of me that kept me alive and kept my family alive, but it wasn’t something I was proud of. Especially with Ava. And though I felt guilty about keeping secrets from her—she couldn’t know everything about me.

Not yet.

Ava made me yearn for something better, something I didn’t know I could have.

And she was there, showing me that yes, it was possible to have those things. That I could have a better life and be a better man. As long as we could get through all of this and I could clear my name, maybe I could also fix some of the past mistakes I’d made. Maybe, with her influence and example, I could take the syndicate in a new direction. Maybe not go completely legit, of course, because that’s not how we work and the guys would revolt. But maybe, we could be more careful about things. Do things a little differently and stop some of the violence we were so famous for.

Hell, maybe I could even step down one day and could go legit on my own. I couldn’t take the syndicate in that direction, but maybe I could eventually take myself there. Once there was someone capable and willing to take over the syndicate, maybe I could let them slip into my chair. That wasn’t something I’d ever dreamed about before. Hell, it wasn’t even something I’d ever considered before. But now—with a woman like Ava at my side—I felt like anything was possible.

After our shower, I tossed her a pair of my boxers and an old shirt, which was way too big on her. It hung off her shoulder and went to her knees, but it would work for now. And she looked incredibly fuckin’ sexy. But then, she could’ve worn a potato sack and I would have found her sexy as hell.

“Don’t leave the hotel room, ya hear?” I told her. “Not for any bloody reason whatsoever. I don’t want you putting yourself in any danger while I’m gone.”

“Think I’m going to be walking around town dressed like this?” she asked, pointing at her getup. “I have standards, Flynn.”

I shook my head and smiled. “Just trying to be safe by covering all the bases,” I said. “I’ll try to be back within the hour.”

“And what if you’re not?” she asked me.

“I will be.”

She bit her lip and sat down on the bed, I could tell she wasn’t as certain about things as I was. Not that I could blame her. She had no idea what was going on and was probably afraid of getting kidnapped again. I couldn’t blame her for that, either. This was all new to her, and I would’ve been worried if she hadn’t been at least a little bit fearful. When she looked into my eyes, I saw that some of her worry had been reserved for me. She had no fucking clue who Colin was, what he was capable of—or if could she trust him.

I walked over to where she sat, tilted her chin up so she’d be looking me in the eye. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I made a promise,” I said. “And I keep my promises. I’m coming back and I’m going to keep you safe, got it?”

“Got it,” she said.

I couldn’t help but smile at the spattering of freckles that dotted her nose. I knew my Ava wasn’t a child—she was pretty badass, all things considered. But sometimes, when looking at her pale complexion, freckled cheeks, and bright green eyes, it was hard to imagine she was anything but an innocent girl. She was someone I had to protect.

But she wasn’t a child. She was a woman. A damn fine woman at that. And with her build, you could tell she worked out and could probably handle herself pretty well. Bet she could kick my ass if I’d had a bit too much Guinness. Maybe she could have even done it sober, I didn’t know.

I gave her a small smile, and when I turned to walk out of the room again, she grabbed my hand, forcing me to turn back around. She leaned against me, standing on the tips of her toes and kissed me. Her soft lips against mine. As she pulled away, she looked me in the eye and I could see her worry hadn’t abated at all.

“Please be careful, Flynn,” she said softly. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I love you, my sweet Ava,” I said.

“I love you, too, Flynn.”

Hearing her say my name—my real name, not the alias I used before—was nice. It was a shock, sure, especially since she’d picked up on it so quickly. But I would never grow tired of hearing my name coming from her sweet lips. Never in a million years. In a way, I was glad that the cat was out of the bag and she knew who I was. Knew my real name.

“An hour,” she said, standing at the door as I opened it, ready to leave.

“An hour,” I said, nodding.

I was leaving the car there and had given her the keys. I didn’t want to leave her with no way to escape, just in case something did go horribly wrong. Maybe the Russians had followed Colin or something. I gave her one last smile, I stepped out into the hall and let the door close behind me. A moment later, the deadbolt on the hotel door clicked into place and I smiled, thinking to myself, “Good girl.”

No matter what, I had to make sure Ava got out alive and unharmed. That was my first priority. And I would literally die to make sure it happened.