101

Ava wasn’t surprised when Zane decided to follow her when she left the office to check on Gabriel and Ryder. She knocked on the door to her former room.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“It’s rude to just barge inside,” she told him.
“Why are they in the guestroom?”
“Gabriel and I had our talk there?” she said as she got a reply to come in. She was about to open the door when Zane leaned his hand on it and towered over it.
“Why?”
“Because unlike you, I don’t have an office here and some things I don’t want to use our bedroom to discuss and even though it’s rare someone is in the library, it happens. So the best solution is to use the guest room,” she explained. Zane looked dumbstruck for a moment. Then he bent down and kissed her.
“An oversight on my part,” he told her and took his hand of the door.
“What?”
“Nothing, don’t keep them waiting, angel.”
“I’m not the one who stopped me from opening the door,” she pointed out.
“Now you are just stalling.” Zane placed his hand over hers on the doorknob and helped her open the door. Ava glared at him over her shoulder as she walked inside. Ryder was sitting on the bed with Gabriel securely tucked into his lap. The image made ava smile even though it was clear Gabriel had been crying.
“Everything okay?” she asked. Ryder nodded with a hard look in his eyes.
“We have sorted things out. there will be some… consequences for lying later. But we are good,” he said. Ava had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing as Gabriel blushed furiously. Zane, on the other hand, had no such scruples and chuckled. Earning himself a glare from Ava. He just smiled and kissed her on her head.
“I have arranged for Jonas to be brought in, the child as well if there is one. The child will stay in one of the guestrooms until we can figure out that situation. Jonas will get a room in the basement,” Ava explained. From the corner of her eye she saw Zane grin like a proud father at her. Gabriel on the other hand, just looked at her.
“The basement?” he asked.
“It’s where people like him belong,” she said. Ryder nodded and looked like he was about to say something. “No, you can’t be part of the team that bring him in,” she told him.
“Why not?”
“Because my angel wants him alive, and we all know that the chance of that happening will be strongly reduced if you are a part of the team,” Zane said. Ryder didn’t object, he just grunted.
“I don’t know when they will find him and bring him in,” Ava started.
“He’ll be here within the hour,” Zane interrupted her after looking at his phone. then he realised what he had done. “Sorry, angel, please go on,” he said and kissed her cheek.
“Well, that was fast. I wanted to check with you Gabriel, do you want to join me when we confront him?” Ava asked.
“No, he isn’t going anywhere near that man,” Ryder said.
“That is not up to you,” Ava told him. A giggle escaped from Gabriel.
“Look at you, babe. You are acting like a real mob boss,” he told Ava. Ava smiled.
“Someone i rubbing off on me,” she said, smiling up at Zane.
“It’s a good look on you,” Gabriel told her in a more serious tone. “Do you think I can do it?”
“Yes. You won’t be alone. I meant it when I said you weren’t lone anymore, Gabriel. And it’s not just me, Zane, and Ryder either. It’s everyone. You are a part of the family, the organisation. So the organisation will be there for you.” Gabriel looked at her, she could see the wheels spinning in his head. Finally he nodded.
“Okay, I will join you.”
“Gabriel,” Ryder objected.
“No. I think I need to do this. You will be there, so I know I’m safe,” he told his boyfriend.
“Of course I will be there. If that magot so much as looks at you the wrong way, he is done,” Ryder huffed.
“I love you too,” Gabriel told him.
“Maybe add a couple of more guards than usual, to keep an eye on Ryder?” Ava whispered to Zane. He smiled and nodded. Ava suggested they go and get some lunch downstairs. She wanted to make sure they all had plenty of energy and minimum of crankiness when Jonas arrived. It also distracted them while they waited. Jax had gone with the retrieval team and Linda was working, so it was just he four of them. Time seemed to stand still. They were all engrossed in their own thoughts and the conversation was nonexistent. then they heard cars and everyone around the table tensed up.
“We’ll wait for Jax,” Zane said. Everyone nodded. It didn’t take long for Jax to walk into the dining room.
“The target is locked in the basement and the child is in a guest room together with Laya and Katharina,” he reported, addressing Ava.
“How is the child?” she asked.
“He looks a little thin and he doesn’t seem to have any energy. But he has taken this whole ordeal in stride,” Jax told her. She nodded.
“When is Linda back from the hospital?” she asked Jax.
“She is doing a double shift, so nut until morning. I can ask if she can get a way for an hour,” he offered.
“No, it’s okay. We can use the doctor. Right?” she asked Zane.
“Of course,” he said and took out his phone and sent a message. “He’ll be here in an hour,” he told her. Ava smiled at him.
“Then I think we can go downstairs and see what to do about this mess,” she said and stood up. “If you want, you can have some lunch,” she added and looked at Jax.
“And miss this wonderful thing, what ever it is? Not going to happen,” he declared with a joyful expression.
“Ready?” she asked Gabriel. He took a deep breath, looked at Ryder. Ryder stood up and held out his hand. Gabriel took it and smiled.
“I’m ready,” he told Ava.
“Follow me,” Jax said. He snatched up an apple from the bowl of fruit that always stood on the serving table and lead the way toward the basement.
“Shouldn’t we look in on the boy first?” Gabriel asked. Ava could hear how nervous he was.
“No, he’s been through enough for the time being. Let him get settled before we intrude on him,” she said. He nodded. Ryder had placed his arm around Gabriel and Ava took his hand as they walked. She remembered how nervous she had been when she had confronted her aunt and uncle. It had been hard, but it had given her so much back. They walked down the stairs and Jax led them to a room with one of their men standing outside the door. Zane placed his hand on the small of her back. His amused expression was gone, he was all mafia boss. Ava couldn’t help but to find it hot. Instead of telling him that, Ava focused on summoning her own inner mafia boss.
“Boss, Mrs A,” the man outside the door said and opened the door. Jax stood to the side and let Zane and Ava be the first ones to walk into the room. In the middle of the white room there was a chair. The man sitting on the chair had his arms bound to the armrests. He was not what Ava had expected. In her mind Jonas had become a super villain. some dark figure with exorbitant power. What she saw was not that. Jonas was a fine limbed man. He looked lean to the point of almost looking frail. He was well dressed, his brown hair looked to have been neatly combed back at one point but was now tousled. After being surrounded for so long by men that extruded power, Zane, Jax, Ryder and most of the men that entered the mansion, this man looked like a bad wannabe. That as until Ava met his pale blue eyes. They were cold, calculating and there was cruelty shining in them.
“What is all of this? Why am I here?” he asked in an angry voice.
“Jonas, you don’t know me. But it feels like I know you. Our men brought you here because I asked them,” Ava said. Those cold eyes focused on her. Ava could see them calculating, trying to identify her, figuring out how their paths had crossed. Is sent a shiver down her spine, he was an unpleasant person. How Gabriel had fallen in love with him, Ava didn’t know.
“And who are you?” Jonas asked when he couldn’t place her.