CHAPTER 63
Ava’s POV
The atmosphere inside The Pit slowly returned to normal after the federal agents finally drove away. The tension that had settled over everyone while the officers searched the building gradually dissolved into familiar conversations, clinking glasses, and the sounds of men moving in and out of the garage. It was strange how quickly life resumed inside these walls. A few minutes earlier, everyone had been prepared for the worst. Now it almost felt as though nothing had happened at all.
I stood behind the counter drying freshly washed glasses while Mara moved around the kitchen with her usual energy. Every now and then she would peek through the serving window just to grin at me before disappearing again.
When she emerged carrying a bowl of sliced vegetables, she sh
