Tank
I’m waiting for her to wake up. I’m sitting in the corner of the room, admittedly nervous for what is about to go down. Ava knows that I’m in a MC. She knows we’re not completely above the law, but is she going to think I’m evil when she sees what I’ve done? I don’t want her to, but I also know that I can’t just let go of everything that she’s been through.
Finally, Ava stretches in the bed, lifting her arms over her head, pulling the sheets from her body. Her breasts are on full display, and I would love nothing more than to climb into bed and save what’s about to happen for another day.
But I can’t. I know I can’t. Obviously, she needs some kind of closure. Hopefully, it’s the kind of closure she wants because I’m not going to be able to let that man leave here. He doesn’t deserve to be on this earth after what he’s done to her and other women.
Ava peels her eyes open and looks right at me. I smile, but she must see something on my face because she lifts up on her elbows. “What’s wrong?”
I put my shoes on. “I need you to get dressed, honey.”
She looks at me quizzically. “Why?”
I offer her a small smile. “We need to go over to the ranch for a little while.”
She shakes her head. “You’re scaring me, Tank.”
I stand up and move to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. I push a piece of hair off her face. “Do you trust me?”
She rolls her eyes. “You know I do.”
I nod because she’s right. I know she trusts me, and I would never do anything to break that trust. “Okay, well, get dressed. We won’t be gone long.”
She does as I ask, and I walk out of the room because I know if I sit there and watch her get dressed, we’ll never get out of here.
Once she’s ready, she walks out to the porch to meet me. “Is this a motorcycle or a truck kind of ride?”
I think about it. “Truck.”
She takes a deep breath and nods.
We walk over to the detached garage, and I help her in before pulling in the driveway. The whole way, I’m trying to figure out what and how I need to tell her. I know this isn’t something you just spring on someone, but I never do figure it out. We pull onto the ranch, and I park outside the barn. Maverick is standing outside, and Ava says hi to him.
Her chipper mood has him looking at me in confusion. I shrug my shoulders. “I haven’t told her yet.”
He nods and points his thumb at the barn doors. “Uh, okay, well, I’ll be inside for when you’re ready.”
I nod and watch him go as Ava walks toward me. She’s confused, and I can’t say I blame her.
“Tank, what’s going on... you’re really freaking me out now.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and look into her eyes. “I know. So listen.” I nod with my head to the barn. “Inside the barn is Beau.”
She tries to pull from me, but I don’t let her. The fear on her face is real, and I swear I’m going to make sure he pays for every tear, every scared feeling she’s ever felt at his hand. “He can’t get to you, Ava. We won’t let that happen.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out and then does it again. When she nods her head, I continue. “You have a choice. You can go in there and say whatever you want to say to him, or you can walk away right now. It’s completely up to you, and no one—I mean absolutely fuckin’ no one will judge you for whatever you decide.”
Her eyes are wide as she stares back at me. “Tank, you don’t understand. His family has power. They will come for you.”
I shake my head in amazement. I imagined this conversation every which way, but I never expected that. “You’re worried about me?”
She nods, reaching for me, tugging me toward the truck. “Yes, Tank, when they find out what you’ve done, they are going to come for you. Send him back to wherever you got him.”
I shake my head at her, and that makes her even more worried, “Tank, please... I can’t lose you.”
I hug her. I hug her tightly against me and let her calm down. I start to talk, knowing she needs to hear this. “His family turned him over to us, sweetie. Ruin and the others found out a lot about him. He’s hurt lots of women. He’s raped them, beaten them. For years, his family covered up everything he’s done. We’ve told them that it would be sent to every newspaper and media source unless they turned him over to us.”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “He’s raped—”