Eli’s POV
Callum's hideout's stifling air was accompanied by lengthy, flickering shadows over the walls from the low light. The walls themselves seemed to be closing in, weighty with Callum's disclosure. Ava's father, her own blood, was behind the mess of anarchy that had caught us. Her face was clearly marked with incredulity and anguish. Watching it brought me great emotional resonance.
I moved toward her, hands extending out naturally. Ava...
She neither flicked aside nor looked at me either. Her eyes were unfocused, fixed on some spot some distance outside the room. She said, "All this time," her voice cracking. "He was behind it all?"
Though I knew better, I longed to draw her into my arms and protect her from the terrible reality. She needed room to digest this, and right now I w
