Softly laughing, Ava meets my eyes. They’re crinkled with a smile, yet a hint of pain lingers in the light of her gorgeous mahogany gaze. She clears her throat. “Actually, I’m sure big brother and little sister require a bit of bonding time. I’ll be leaving for home tomorrow.”
I come behind my little bird and grip her shoulders, pressing my lips against her ear. Since Kiera’s watching us affectionately, I play the doting mate. Dipping my head, I whisper, “Little bird, I’ve patiently waited, yet you’ve neglected to provide an address.”
I don’t know why I goad Ava. Before Marty’s untimely demise, he’d weaseled in how nobody’s searching for Ava, most of all her ex-husband. Though my hand caresses her shoulders, my thumb digs into the soft flesh at her shoulder blade. There’s a delicate tension in Ava’s body as I growl, “Where do you live?”
She reins in her emotions, joking, “Los Angeles, silly.” Much lower, Ava adds, “Here’s a better question for you, why hasn’tlittle birddisclosed to sweet, little Kiera the type of man you are, hmmm?”
Caught off guard, I block a cough with the side of my fist.
Kiera drops her salad fork, clapping her hands. “Kier, fly us to LA! Let’s take a holiday.”
“Before I knew anythingelseabout your brother, he offered me a freeround-tripflight,” Ava says. She glares at me, muttering under her breath, “Also, the short answer of why I’m not snitching is I feel sorry for your sister.”
Jaw clenched, I back up from Ava’s chair and reply, “No, Kiera. You’ve an education to attend to.”
“Pearla homeschools me.”
I pull out the heavy, carved wood chair next to Ava, adopting a fake frown. “I doubt your caretakers can stomach me for an entire trip. I read somewhere that an environment needs to be conducive to learning. Meaning, soon enough, you must go hom—”
Ava cuts in. “Kier, grown-upsagree to disagreefor the sake of sibling bonding time.”
Bloody brilliant. The first time Ava questions me about anything but leaving. My hand dominates her thigh underneath the table, suspending her retreat.
“We don’t!” Kiera’s cheeks puff in annoyance, and she grabs the bottle of wine on the table. “We hardly see each other.”
“Can ya see me,now?” I growl, reaching across the table to snatch the alcohol from her hands.
“Eh, let’s not count this instance,” Ava counters, jerking her leg. I hurry to settle back down next to her, hand digging tighter into her supple thigh. Narrowing her eyes, Ava verbally retaliates. “Your little sister sort of forced your hand.”
“Marry her,” Kiera says.
My eyebrow lifts.
“Heh.” Kiera chuckles. “Nobody mouths off to my brother. Ava, you’re future goals.”
“Hey, I’mholdinghim accountable. The only way I can.”
As they carry on their conversation and laugh, Kiera pushes out her chair. “I’ll give the two of you some alone ti—”
“Ki—” I start to call out to her at the same time Bertha walks past with a glass bowl. Tiny green peas dive toward Bertha’s bosom. The crystal bowl crashes to the ground. At my side, Ava tenses, the honey glow blanching her smooth, bonny skin.
24
Ava
Things weren’tall badbetween Adnan and me once he showed his true colors. With most control-hungry people, surrendering to their command helps. Some call it viewing the glass half full or looking on the bright side. While attempting to be optimistic, I chalked up his behavior as a characteristic for all American men. It didn’t stick. My anger got the better of me. I recalled how patient and kind my male teachers were. So, I further conceptualized that Adnan was the norm for American malesbehindclosed doors.
I was a naïve newlywed, allowing my mouth to run away with me. When Adnan became physical, it took a while to train my tongue. It didn’t stop me from begging to return to college, which he reluctantly allowed. After the physical abuse, the sexual abuse started. My stomach still twists into knots at all the kinky three-way shit I suffered through for his approval.
It was finals week, and I had busted my ass for the professor from hell. All the while, Adnan had his own work stressors. I thanked God he had minutes to review from an old case. In our luxury apartment overlooking the city, I curled up in the sleek, all-gray bedroom. I was armed with a rainbow of highlighters. For the most part, classes in my field of child development were right up my alley. I’d color coordinated a good chunk of the textbook already. And with the smoggy, cloud-covered stars as my view, I planned to dig in on the second part.
But I heard Andon’s house shoes dragging across the marble.
Oye, Dios. I offered You half a prayer.I ruffled a hand into my hair, which I hadn’t straightened in weeks. Would this be a problem? I searched myself over. Straightening up in bed, I knew my cotton pajamas pantswould bea problem.
As he entered the primary suite, Adnan fisted a glass of his favorite bourbon. I smiled up at him. It was a stiff attempt at peace. My heart battered my chest. Amber liquid spilled over the side of his glass, sprinkling my textbook while he hauled me off the high-partitioned bed.
“Last night, you were distracted.” His spicy breath battered my face. With the shove of his hand, I fell to the ground on my knees.