Chapter 6: A Warning from Home.
833 Words
Chapter 6: A Warning from Home
The rest of the afternoon passed in uneasy silence.
After learning that one of the attackers had been found dead, Ava could no longer convince herself that this situation would simply disappear if she ignored it.
Someone had wanted that man silenced.
Someone powerful enough to find him before Ethan's men could.
And that thought refused to leave her mind.
Unable to concentrate, Ava paced around her room for nearly an hour before finally grabbing her phone.
She needed to hear her grandfather's voice.
The call connected after only two rings.
"Ava."
Relief immediately flooded her chest.
"Hi, Grandpa."
"Are you alright?"
The concern in his voice made her feel guilty.
"I should be asking you that."
A brief silence followed.
Something felt off.
Ava frowned.
"Grandpa?"
"I'm fine," he answered quickly.
Too quickly.
Ava stopped pacing.
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened."
"Grandpa."
Another silence.
This one longer.
Then he sighed.
The sound instantly confirmed her fears.
Something had happened.
"A man came by this morning."
Ava's heart skipped a beat.
"What?"
"He knocked on the door and asked questions about you."
The blood drained from her face.
Questions?
"What kind of questions?"
"He wanted to know where you were."
Ava sat down slowly on the edge of the bed.
"What did you tell him?"
"Nothing."
Her grandfather's voice hardened.
"I may be old, Ava, but I'm not foolish."
A wave of relief washed through her.
Still, the information was terrifying.
"Did you know him?"
"No."
"Have you ever seen him before?"
"No."
Ava tightened her grip on the phone.
"What did he look like?"
Her grandfather described the stranger.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Scar above his left eyebrow.
Dressed in black.
The description immediately sent a chill down her spine.
This wasn't random.
Someone was looking for her.
And they had already found her home.
"Ava."
She forced herself to answer.
"Yes?"
"Tell me the truth."
Her eyes closed.
"What truth?"
"Who exactly is Ethan Blackwood?"
The question caught her off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Nobody sends strangers looking for an ordinary businessman."
Ava swallowed.
The problem was she didn't know how to answer.
Because she wasn't entirely sure who Ethan Blackwood really was.
After ending the call, she sat motionless for several minutes.
Then she stood up and marched out of her room.
She needed answers.
And she knew exactly where to get them.
Ava found Ethan in his office once again.
The man practically lived there.
Without bothering to knock, she pushed open the door.
Ethan looked up.
"You should really start knocking."
"You should really start explaining."
His expression didn't change.
"Explaining what?"
"My grandfather."
That got his attention.
Ava walked toward the desk.
"A stranger showed up at his apartment asking questions about me."
The atmosphere in the room immediately changed.
Ethan's eyes darkened.
"When?"
"This morning."
A muscle tightened in his jaw.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he picked up his phone.
"Lucas."
His voice was cold.
Dangerously cold.
"Get in here. Now."
Less than a minute later, Lucas entered.
One look at Ethan's face and his smile disappeared.
"What happened?"
Ethan stood.
"A man approached Ava's grandfather."
Lucas cursed under his breath.
Not a good sign.
Not a good sign at all.
"What does that mean?" Ava demanded.
Neither man answered immediately.
That annoyed her.
"Can someone please stop acting like I'm a child?"
Lucas exchanged a look with Ethan.
Finally, Ethan spoke.
"It means they found your home sooner than expected."
Ava's stomach twisted.
"So what now?"
Ethan's gaze remained fixed on her.
"Now your grandfather gets moved."
"What?"
"Temporarily."
"No."
"It isn't negotiable."
"Yes, it is."
Ethan stepped around the desk.
"No, Ava. It isn't."
For the first time since they met, there was no irritation in his voice.
No sarcasm.
No arrogance.
Only seriousness.
And somehow that scared her more.
"They know where he lives."
His words landed heavily.
"If they can't reach you, they'll use him."
The room fell silent.
Because deep down, Ava knew he was right.
Her grandfather was vulnerable.
And whoever these people were, they clearly weren't playing games.
Ethan's phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID made his expression darken instantly.
Lucas noticed.
"So they finally called."
Ava looked between them.
"Who?"
Ethan answered the call.
For several seconds, he remained silent, listening.
Then his eyes narrowed.
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
The kind of smile that didn't belong on any decent human being.
"I was wondering when you'd grow brave enough to contact me."
The voice on the other end said something.
Ethan's expression became colder.
"If you touch the girl, I'll make sure you regret it."
Ava froze.
The girl.
They meant her.
The call ended.
Silence filled the office.
Slowly, Ethan lowered the phone.
"What happened?" Ava whispered.
For a moment, he simply looked at her.
Then he delivered the worst possible answer.
"They know you're here."
And suddenly, the mansion no longer felt safe at all.
- Writer
