REAPER'S KISS by Jaxson Kidman Page B

saw Ava
standing there, her phone in her hand. She had tears in her eyes. She looked
shaken up. I put up a finger and turned around.
    “Prez, what do you think is
happening right now?”
    “It’s time to press Ava some more,”
Sid said. “I’m sorry. One of my guys told me that her father and Frank were
together. Recently. Now Frank is dead and Jake is missing. And the other name
in this… Glen… shit, Jace, I don’t even want to go down that road.”
    “One thing at a time then,” I said,
not sure if I wasn’t talking to Sid or myself.
    “First thing, get your ass here.
Bring Ava too. We need more answers. By any means necessary.”
    Sid hung up on me. I felt my body
filling with rage.
    Slowly, I turned, not wanting to
face Ava, but I had no choice.
    “Sweetie,” I whispered. “Listen to
me…”
    “Jace,” she cut in. She wiped a
tear off her cheek. “My father is in the hospital … he had a heart
attack …”
     

 
    chapter twenty-four
     
    (ava)
     
    *NOW*
     
    I held my father’s hand. Machines
beeped. Nurses were checking vitals. Jace stood behind me, giving me space, but
still honoring his word to protect me. He told me that Uncle Frank had been
shot and killed. I felt like everything I knew was completely falling apart. I
felt empty and worse yet, when Dad turned his head and looked at me with his
weak eyes, I knew more was about to get dumped on me.
    His lips quivered. “Ava…”
    “What happened?” I asked him.
    “I’ll leave you be,” the nurse
said. “If you need anything, Jake, you press that button there.” The nurse
pointed, smiled, and left the room.
    “Where were your heart pills?” I
asked.
    He shook his head. “Oh, Ava. There were
never any heart pills.”
    “What?”
    “The pills did this to me.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Drugs. That’s what was in the
bottle. I had different kinds of drugs, Ava. Frank got me hooked a long time
ago. I’m so sorry. I let your mother down with it all. She tried for years to
clean me up but I couldn’t do it. It was my relief. I could take breaks though,
Ava, and I did. I took breaks. That’s how Frank pulled me into it all. The
drugs. The gambling. It was the only way to keep my debts satisfied and try to
save the store. I wanted to keep it all for your mother and you. But it never
worked out. Frank had me… he had me on a leash…”
    Dad started to break down.
    I took my hand from his.
    Behind me, I felt Jace touch my back.
His lips then at my ear. “I’ll leave the room.”
    “No,” I said. “You’re staying,
Jace. We’re all in this.”
    I felt a surge go through me. I was
going to stand tall and take control of my life.
    Right here. Right now.
    “He had you on a leash?” I asked
Dad.
    “Yes. Me and several other people.
It was what he did best. Luring us in and keeping us hooked and happy. I’m so
sorry, Ava.”
    “Frank was murdered,” I said. “Did
you do it?”
    “No,” Dad said. “No… I didn’t… I
would never…”
    “You knew about it?” I asked.
    “Yeah. I saw it happen. I was
hiding. I was in a warehouse just outside Bishop. That’s where Frank wanted me
to meet him. He was planning another attack.” Dad looked at Jace. “He wanted
revenge on you guys bad. You did something to him. He tried to blame me. That
time at the store… he was high and trying to collect from everyone he
controlled. I had nothing to give him though except the cash in the register.”
    “I can’t speak for my club,” Jace
said. “Speak to your daughter.”
    “Dad, who killed Frank?” I asked. “If
you were there… you could help Jace’s club. We could stop this.”
    “He knows what he wants,” Dad said.
    “What does he want?” I asked.
    Dad lifted a weak finger. He
pointed at me. “Ava, he wants you dead. ”
     
     
     
     
    “Who wants me dead?” I asked.
    Dad shook his head. He started to
breakdown again.
    This time, Jace wasn’t having it.
    Pushing me aside, Jace stepped
forward and stared down