Ava's Revenge: (Salvation Series Book 2) Read online

  Copyright © 2015 by Jaime Whitley

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form of by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes, if done so constitutes a copyright violation.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

  Edited by: Esperanza Durate with Second Gaze Editing.

  Formatted by: Brenda Wright with Formatting Done Wright.

  Book Cover Designed by: Kellie Dennis with Book Cover by Design

  Thank you to my beta readers: F.L. Jacob, Tracy McKay, Lheanne Spicer, Ashley Blakenship & Elizabeth Gunnell. You ladies are amazing and help me make sure I’m putting the best story out there for my readers.

  Thank you, Kellie Dennis of Book Cover, by Design for the amazing cover you created for me. I always give you a vague idea of to work with, and you turn vague into stunning, always creating me a beautiful cover.

  A special thanks to the photographer behind the cover photo, Lance Jones. Another cherry popped for you, but I have to say, you’re a natural.

  Tiffany, I don’t even know where to start. Thank you for the badass picture and totally pulling off what I was looking for. You’re so beautiful inside and out, and I couldn’t ask for a better cover model! You bring Ava to life each time, and I’m forever grateful to you for that. I punch love you hard woman!

  To Devan Sullivan, Thank you for creating the beautiful image of boob for the dedication.

  To Freddie Bonaire, Thank you for doing my final read through. I appreciate it more than you know.

  Thank you to my PA and number one stalker, Tiffany Holcomb, for always being there for me and helping me with my crazy busy schedule. You are always there for me when I need you the most and never drop the ball on anything. You have been a tremendous help through deployments holding down the fort while I disappear to take care of my family.

  Esperanza Duarte of Second Gaze Editing, I can never thank you enough for the hard work you put into fixing my horrible grammar. I’m sure you want to beat me with a comma stick by the end of the day, but you’re always there for me when I need you so thank you.

  Brenda Wright with Formatting Done Wright, You are the best formatter I’ve had the pleasure of working with and I could never imagine using anyone else. Your work is impeccable, and you always deliver in a timely manner. Thank you for all your hard work you put into formatting my stories.

  To my circle, Ferris Hamman, Tyf Snyder, Skye Turner, Michelle Witt, Stacey Bentley, Gabbie Duran, Heidi Bellus, Kathy Coopmans & Jess Berthelot…. The support you ladies give me every day is unbelievable. I’m so lucky to be able to experience this journey with you ladies and am honored to call you bitches my friends! I love all the crazy shenanigans we get into whenever we’re together, and I miss you guys dearly every day! I wish we lived closer but then again….that would probably be very bad for society. I love you girls and thank you for all your encouragement and support.

  To all the wonderful readers and bloggers out there, without you guys none of what I do would be possible. Without your support, no one would even know about my books and the characters I loved writing about. I promise to keep my stories coming and never to rush them so you have the best possible stories delivered to you. Thank you for being patient with my set back with this book due to my husband’s deployment. The last thing I wanted to do was just rush writing this book just go get it out and it not live up to what I wanted it to be. I have a lot more coming so stay tuned!

  To my beloved husband Scott, I don’t even know what I can say that hasn’t already been said to you. You have always been my rock and supported me 100 percent on this journey. Your words of encouragement while you were deployed help brighten the worst of days. I have literally hit the jackpot with you and will never lose sight of just how amazing of a man you are. You’re a wonderful father to our two beautiful children and the best husband a wife could ask for. I don’t know what the future holds but I know with you by my side, we will conquer it together. I love you to the moon and back.

  To my beautiful children, Aiden and Peyton, You both bring so much joy to my life and mommy loves you to the moon and back. Never stop dreaming.

  “Turn around and get on your knees,” Salvatore’s words penetrate my ears, and his voice carries throughout the empty warehouse. I stand frozen in my spot waiting for the inevitable to come. Death.

  “Fuck you. If you’re going to kill me, you will have to look me in the eyes.” Dante struggles to get free from the two guys holding him.

  “Oh, you’re going to die alright but by the hand of whom, I wonder?” Angelo says, tapping his finger on his chin, his other hand holding the gun. He starts walking back and forth between the six of us that are lined up. As usual, I’m the only woman in the room, and I pray he doesn’t choose me. Yeah, I’ve killed people before but it was always in self-defense, either them or me. I’ve never had to get someone else’s blood on my hands. Angelo stops pacing and faces me and my heart immediately starts pounding against my chest. No, no, no. Not me, anyone else but me.

  “Ava,” holding the gun out to me he continues, “Would you do the honors?”

  I lock eyes with Dante and try to steady my breathing. This can’t be happening. I can’t shoot my fiancé. He closes his eyes for a brief moment and when he opens them he nods his head in approval. WHAT. THE. FUCK? He’s lost his damn mind if he thinks I’m going to kill him. Not happening.

  “We’re waiting.” Angelo is still holding the gun out for me to take as he looks to Dante. I know my words are going to cause me a spot right next to Dante, but I have to speak them.

  “No.” All attention now lands on me.

  “No? I’m sorry but I could have sworn you said no.” You can hear the annoyance in Angelo’s tone and he points the gun in my face, causing my body to stiffen. “When I give you an order, you follow through with it. You know,” He pauses and I twitch as he cocks his gun. “I’ve always thought there was something going on between you two.” I take a quick glance at Dante whose eyes are wide, as he shakes his head no.

  Standing my ground I repeat my answer. “No, I will not do your dirty work for you. I’m your gun supplier, not your hitman. And for the last time, there is nothing going on between us. If you want him dead, do it yourself.” Angelo gets a smirk on his face. I hear a clicking noise as he removes the safety off the gun. I stare him intently in the eyes and wait for him to pull the trigger.

  “Lower your gun,” A loud demanding voice comes from behind. Angelo grits his teeth. “I said lower it!” He lowers it and I let out a sigh of relief. Everyone turns around to see Salvatore walking towards us. While everyone else’s attention is on him, I urge my shaking hands to calm themselves. I don’t want to look like I’m scared, even though on the inside I’m freaking the fuck out. My hands are shaking and I’m desperately trying to get them under control. Placing my palms on my legs, I rub them up and down hoping it will help. I don’t know what to do or how to get Dante out of the mess he’s in. “If anyone is going to kill my rat, it’s going to be me.” Salvatore steps up to me and touches my cheek. “You’re a fighter. I like it, but next time Angelo gives you an order, you foll
ow it. Understand?” I nod my head and watch as he walks over to Dante.

  “The police thought they were so smart placing a mole in my organization. Tell you what, why don’t you tell me if anyone else is working with you then you really come work with me. Throw your bosses some false information and point them in the other direction. I could always use more people on the inside. Agree to this and I’ll spare your life.” His voice is calm and I know that he is actually considering that this could work in his benefit.

  Oh thank God! Agree to this and we will figure a way to get you out of this. Come on Dante, don’t be stupid. I look over to Dante and plead to him with my eyes. I can’t lose him. He glances quickly at me and my stomach turns. His glance is filled with sorrow and he doesn’t need to elaborate any further. His eyes say it all and I know his answer.

  “Go to hell.” Dante spits on Salvatore’s shoes. My heart is racing and my palms are starting to get clammy.

  Laughing, Salvatore pulls a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wipes the spit off his shoes. Quickly reaching his arm out, he grabs the gun from one of his guys’ holster and points it at Dante. “Have it your way.” Nodding at the men, they quickly let go of their hold on Dante as Sal fires three shots to his chest. My heart plummets to my stomach and I fight the tears that want to surface with everything in me.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  My body jumps with each shot that’s fired. Dante’s body falls to the ground and it takes everything in me not to run by his side and try to save his life. A tear manages to escape my eye and rolls down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away with a scratching motion to make it look like I have an itch.

  The gun goes quiet and I have to close my eyes or I’ll be sick. Killian actually puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side. I try not to cry, to keep the pain inside me, but the small squeak that escapes me is inevitable. Thankfully, Killian pulls me off into a side room before I can see the lifeless body of my love on the floor. Everyone has already scattered. Looking up to his eyes, they show sorrow. “I’m sorry Ava, I really am. I know you two had gotten close and there’s no way you couldn’t have known. He had everyone fooled.” With that, he turns on his heels and leaves me. I sink to the ground and fall apart. I want nothing more than to run to Dante’s side and save him but I know I can’t. I pull out my phone and text Riggs the address followed by 911 and delete the text quickly.

  “Let’s pack up and move out. We will have to find somewhere else to conduct business.” Salvatore says as I see him turning and walking away from the room I’m in.

  “What about the body?” Another guy asks.

  “Leave it. Let the cops will come and pick up their rat.”

  Everyone is walking out and I have no choice but to follow. I don’t want them to suspect that anything was going on between Dante and me. If they found out, they would think I knew he was a mole and I would suffer the same fate as him. Making sure I’m the last one out of the building, I take one last glance back to my fiancé’s body lying on the floor. I can’t allow the grief to show, so instead I allow the rage to fill me inside and make a silent promise to take down every single one of these assholes.

  I wake up in a cold sweat and look around frantically. Once again I’m reliving the worst day of my life; my own personal nightmare that continues to haunt me even when I’m awake. Looking at my clock, I see I have a few more hours before I have a run to make. Knowing I won’t be able to go back to bed, I go to the gym in my basement and work out the pain that’s coursing through me.

  Walking down the dark alley, I scan the street to make sure I’m not being followed. I’ve worked too damn hard, lost way too much and have too much on the line to have this deal go south. I’ve become the best at what I do and one little slip up will show I’m replaceable and I can’t have that. Confident that no one has followed me, I make a sharp right and walk into the empty warehouse where I see Angelo waiting for me. He’s wearing his usual attire, which consists of a sharp-looking, well-fitted suit with dress shoes. He’s looking down, texting on his phone, causing his long greasy-looking hair to cover his face.

  I hate warehouses. Ever since Dante’s death I find myself incredibly anxious whenever walking through one. I always have to remind myself to look at the bigger picture and remember what I’m doing here and who I’m doing it for. After Dante’s death, things went right back to normal for everyone except me. It sickens me to have to be surrounded by people who can kill a man in cold blood and go about their day like it’s just any other. The sound of my heels tapping against the floor echoes around the warehouse, announcing my presence. It’s the same old song and dance with Angelo. He ignores me until he’s ready to speak with me. Asshole. As soon as I’m close enough, I reach forward and grab the cell phone out of his hands. Snapping his head up, a smirk appears on his face.

  “You know, it’s rude to keep someone waiting, Ava.” He says, reaching out to grab his phone back. I playfully move the phone behind my back and lean in so our lips are inches apart. It disgusts me to be this close to him but I know how it kills him to not be able to have the one thing he wants: me. My fingers graze the knife that rests in the back of my pants and I would love nothing more than to cut his fucking tongue out.

  “I’m right on time. If you don’t feel like waiting…hold up, since when do you come early?” Licking my lips, I smile at Angelo and pull away, handing him his phone as a groan escapes from him.

  “Just one night, Ava. Let me have you for one night and I swear you will never want to leave my side.” He traces his finger down my arm stopping at my hand. Clasping his hand in mine, he brings it up to his lips to kiss it. I guess since Dante is no longer around he doesn’t feel the need to leave me alone anymore. He does nothing to hide the fact that he wants me and he never gets tired of me turning him down. At this point, I couldn’t care less. I have big plans for him, he just doesn’t know it yet.

  “Like I’ve told you before, I don’t mix business with pleasure,” snatching my hand out of his grip, I raise an eyebrow at him, “now, let’s hurry up and get this over with. I have a hot date in an hour,” I tease, walking over to the containers with Angelo following. Trying to hide the sickening feeling in my stomach from his touch, I avoid eye contact and keep my eyes on the product.

  “One day you’re going to cave,” he says, picking up the crow bar sitting next to the containers. He pops one open, leans forward and checks out the contents inside. Picking up one of the AK47s, he inspects it closely. What he thinks it would be missing is lost upon me but I wait and watch him double check my shipment. He does this with everyone that comes in and each time he does it, I get pissed off more. Yes, I may have a vagina, but I know how to do my damn job and I know my way around an AK47.

  “Are you done?” My tone is laced with annoyance as I glare at him.

  Angelo lets out a laugh and places the gun back into the container. “I’ll never understand why Salvatore keeps you around. I know it’s not for your looks since he hasn’t made a move on you and I know it’s not because of what you do. I don’t like your attitude and remember, anyone can do your job. Look how quickly we replaced that rat.” He threatens and starts to walk towards the exit. My blood boils as he calls the father of my child a rat. There is only one rodent in this room and I’m watching his smug ass walk away.

  “You’re right.” My words cause him to stop mid-step and turn to face me. I take a couple steps toward him and cross my arms. He raises an eyebrow, so I continue, “Anyone can do my job. But you and I both know, and Salvatore knows as well, that I’m the only one who can get the quantity you want with his unrealistic demands. So unless you know someone else who has my mass production reach and quick turnaround time, then please enlighten me. I’ll be happy to take my attitude elsewhere. Who knows, I may even get a better payout and get to deal with someone who’s nicer to look at.” Angelo makes a tsking noise and turns on his heels to leave the warehouse.

  Heading back over to the container, I
put the top back on and place the blanket over it. It’s not much in the way of security, but Angelo and I are the only ones with the keys to the place and only we know where the guns are held. Salvatore likes it that way. It’s easier to find the mole if there ever is one again. With the thought of moles, my mind races to a place I hate for it to go. Thoughts of Dante start circling around my head and I quickly push them out. I never allow myself to make friends in this business but I couldn’t help myself when it came to Dante. He was like a snake that slithered his way under my skin. He had these huge barriers built around him, ones that I happily tore down. A warm tear falls along my cheek; I lift my hand and wipe it away. I don’t know the details of the events that led to his death, but eventually I will find out and whoever is to blame will get what’s coming to them. After locking up the warehouse, I walk to my car and drive home.

  The drive home goes quickly as I am lost in my thoughts of Dante. No matter how hard I try to push them out, they remain a permanent fixture in my head. I find myself asking again, was there something more I could have done? My answer is the same as always, there were so many things I could have done. I could have grabbed the gun and turned it on Angelo, blown my cover and ratted out Michael. But I didn’t, I just stood there frozen in place and I’ll never forgive myself for it. I watched the events play out right in front of me, the images haunting me every night but it’s just something I will have to live with for the rest of my life. As I pull into the driveway of my house, I see a couple packages sitting at the door. After getting out of the car, I grab the brown boxes before heading into the house. The name on the boxes say Ava, and I immediately recognize the handwriting, knowing they’re from my mother. I open the box and read the note.

  Mia figlia preferita Ava,

  I hope you are doing well and staying safe. I found these in the house today and thought you should have them. I hope they bring you comfort and not pain, and helps to begin healing your heart. Please come home and visit soon.