Chapter 8
906 Words
CHAPTER 8
The blood on Nathan's sleeve stayed in Ava's mind all weekend.
She told herself it was none of her business.
Then she spent two straight days thinking about it anyway.
By Monday afternoon, she was standing on a ladder painting a mural in the art district.
Painting usually helped, but today it wasn't working.
Every brushstroke somehow led back to Nathan.
Nathan and his annoying confidence.
Nathan and his impossible son.
Nathan and the blood he refused to explain.
"You're distracted."
Ava nearly dropped her paintbrush.
She looked down.
Nathan stood below the ladder with one hand in his pocket.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"Do you enjoy shortening my lifespan?"
"Occasionally."
She rolled her eyes.
"Normal people call first."
"I'm not normal."
"At least you're self-aware."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You've mentioned that before."
Unfortunately, he remembered everything as usual.
Ava climbed down from the ladder.
"What are you doing here?"
"I had a meeting nearby."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No."
At least he was honest.
Again.
A black SUV pulled up beside the sidewalk.
Nathan glanced at it briefly.
His expression changed slightly.
Not enough for most people to notice.
Enough for Ava.
"You have somewhere to be?"
"Unfortunately."
She frowned.
For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something else.
Instead, he simply nodded.
"I'll call you later."
The words surprised her, not because he said them but because they sounded normal.
Like something ordinary people said.
Before she could respond, he got into the SUV and drove away.
Ava watched the vehicle disappear.
Then, shook her head and returned to work.
...
Three hours later, she finally packed up her supplies.
The sun had already begun setting.
The streets were quieter now.
Most artists had gone home.
She was carrying a box of paint to hail a taxi when she heard shouting.
Male voices.
Angry.
Coming from the alley behind one of the abandoned warehouses.
Normally, she would've ignored it.
Normally.
But curiosity had always been one of her worst habits.
Ava set down her supplies and walked closer.
Just enough to peek around the corner.
And immediately wished she hadn't.
A man was on his knees.
Bleeding.
Two large men stood behind him.
Security.
Bodyguards.
Something.
Ava's heart began pounding.
Then she saw who stood in front of them.
Nathan.
Her breath caught.
Gone was the relaxed father she met in the park.
Gone was the man who teased her about flowers.
Gone was the man who listened patiently to Alex talk about dinosaurs.
This Nathan looked different.
Cold.
Terrifyingly calm.
The man on the ground was begging.
Actually begging.
"I swear I didn't know..."
Nathan raised a hand.
The man immediately stopped talking.
Silence filled the alley.
Nathan crouched slightly until they were eye level.
"What was our agreement?"
His voice wasn't loud.
That somehow made it worse.
The man swallowed hard.
"I—I made a mistake."
"You did."
Nathan nodded.
Almost thoughtfully.
Like they were discussing the weather.
Then he stood again.
"Unfortunately, mistakes have consequences."
The man looked terrified.
Ava felt frozen.
She should leave.
Right now.
Instead, she kept watching.
Nathan took a step back.
One of the men beside him moved forward.
A punch landed.
Hard.
The sound echoed through the alley.
Ava flinched.
The injured man collapsed sideways.
Nathan didn't react.
Didn't blink.
Didn't even look surprised.
Like this was normal.
Like he'd seen it a thousand times before.
The realization sent chills down her spine.
This wasn't anger.
This wasn't a loss of control.
This was routine.
The man groaned.
Nathan finally spoke again.
"Next time, there won't be a warning."
The message was clear.
The man nodded frantically.
Nathan turned.
And that's when he saw her.
Everything stopped.
Ava's stomach dropped.
For one long second, neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
The bodyguards immediately noticed her.
One stepped forward.
Nathan raised his hand.
The man stopped instantly.
Still watching her, Nathan dismissed everyone else.
"Leave."
Nobody argued.
Within seconds, the alley was empty except for the two of them.
Ava couldn't move.
Nathan slowly walked toward her.
Not rushing.
Not angry.
Which somehow made it worse.
When he stopped in front of her, she finally found her voice.
"What was that?"
Nathan looked at her quietly.
"A conversation."
Her jaw dropped.
"A conversation?"
"A short one."
"That man was bleeding."
"He was."
Ava stared at him.
Waiting.
Hoping he'd explain.
He didn't.
The silence stretched between them.
"You lied."
Something flickered in his eyes.
"When?"
"When I asked about the blood."
Nathan looked away briefly.
Then back at her.
"I didn't lie."
"You hid the truth."
"There's a difference."
Ava laughed once.
Disbelieving.
"That's your defense?"
"No."
For the first time since she'd met him, he looked tired.
Not cold.
Not amused.
Tired.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
The honesty caught her off guard.
Ava folded her arms.
"What exactly are you involved in, Nathan?"
His gaze held hers.
Long.
Steady.
Dangerously unreadable.
Then a phone rang.
One of the bodyguards rushed back into the alley.
The man's face looked pale and urgent.
"Nathan."
Nathan immediately knew something was wrong.
Ava saw it happen.
The shift.
The tension.
The bodyguard spoke quietly.
But she still heard the words.
"Alex is missing."
The world stopped.
Nathan went completely still.
And for the first time, she saw genuine fear in his eyes.
- Writer
