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“Sure thing, Mrs A,” he told her. 

Ava could hear laughter as she stepped out of the car in front of the mansion. It made her smile and she followed the sound around the house into the back gardens. On one of the perfectly manicured lawn, Zane and Jax were teaching Luka how to throw a ball. All three were smiling and laughing. Ava stood watching them for a moment. She let the stress and uneasiness drain from her. Zane looked up and saw her standing there and his smile got even bigger as he walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. Ava melted into him and let the feeling of his closeness wash away the last of the unpleasantries from the visit. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked as the kiss ended. 

“Nothing,” she said. He looked at her and took a hold of her chin.

“Don’t lie to me, angel. You know what happens to liers,” he said in that dark voice, which always went straight to her core. 

“I will tell you later, when we don’t have an audience,” she promised him.

“I will allow it. You’re okay?” he asked.

“I am now that I have got a dose of you,” she told him and smiled at him. He nodded and put his arm around her as they walked to Jax and Luka. 

“Are you having fun, Luka?” Ava asked. 

“Yes, so much fun!” he told her and ran up to her and told her all about what he had been doing from the moment he had left her in the dining room up until that moment. “And uncle Jax tells me I’m really good at throwing the ball,” he proudly told her. Ava could see his reservation about Jax had gone away.

“Is that so? Uncle Jax?” she asked, looking at Jax. 

“The kid is a natural,” Jax told her. 

“How about we eat the snacks Anna gave you and then Zane and Jax can work and you and me can find something to do?” Ava suggested. 

“Okay,” Luka said. Zane read her, like he always did, and made sure to keep her close. When they sat down on the lawn to eat cookies and drink lemonade, he had her sit between his legs, leaning back against him. The two of them sat and watched Luka explain the entire plot to ‘Finding Nemo’ to Jax. Jax was being amazing, listening to every word and asking questions along the way. Luka loved the attention he got. When the cookies had been eaten, they all walked back to the mansion. 

“What do you like doing?” Ava asked Luka as they were in the kitchen. The men had headed for their offices. 

“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. 

“I have put together a basket of some things that can be fun,” Anna said, handing Ava a basket full of crayons, pens, papers, colouring books, and a big box of legos. 

“Thank you, Anna. You are a magician and a lifesaver all rolled into one,” Ava told her.

“Don’t mention it, Mrs Ava.” Ava and Luka walked into the livingroom and made themselves comfortable on the floor. Luka went for the box of legos and Ava leaned back against the couch and took out her crochet project she had in the livingroom. 

“What are you building?” she asked Luka after a while. 

“A car,” he said. The chunk of legos he had put together did resemble a car. She hummed approvingly and they continued with their own projects. “Ava?” he asked after a while.

“Yes Luka?”

“What’s going to happen to me? Am I going back to Jonas?” he asked. Ava put the half finished tiger to the side and patted the floor next to her. Luka came and sat down next to her, still holding what looked like a car made out of legos. 

“No, you are never going back to Jonas. Zane, Jax and me would never let that happen,” she told him. He looked into her eyes and nodded.

“Will I stay here?” he asked.

“I would like that. You are an amazing little boy. But I think you would be happier with you mom,” Ava said. At the mention of his mother, he brightened. 

“Do you know where my mom is?” he asked.

“No, sweetheart, I don’t. But I’m trying my best to find her. And until I do, you will stay here with us, okay?” 

“Okay,” he agreed. “I like it here.”

“You do?” she asked. He nodded.

“There is lots of food and I can eat as much ass I want. Everyone is nice, even the scarry looking ones, and you and uncle Zane and uncle Jax are fun to be with. And Anna makes really good cookies,” he told her. 

“She makes the best cookies,” Ava agreed. “I’m happy you like it here. If you ever need something or want something, you just let me know, okay?” He nodded and went back to his legos. Ava watched him for a while before picking up her crocheting again. It would be hard letting go of him. She had known him for less than a day and she already had bonded with him. Maybe it was her pregnancy hormones making themself known. But she would let him go in a heartbeat if it meant he could have a good life with his mother. Ava trusted Fatima to make sure Luka’s mother was stable enough to take care of him. They ate lunch in the kitchen with Anna and the maids. Everyone in the mansion was spoiling Luka and made sure he got cookies, fruit and a lot of attention. Even the men and the women that hung around seemed to adore him. It gave Ava an idea of how it would be when her child was born. She realised they needed to take precautions not to end up with the most spoiled child in the universe. After lunch, Luka and Ava snuggled up on the couch and watched ‘Finding Nemo’. After the movie they had gone out in the gardens and Luka was in the middle of trying to find where a wild rabbit they had spotted had gone, when Zane found them. 

“Having a good day?” he asked Ava as he wrapped his arms around her. She returned the gesture and leaned her head on his chest and watched Luka. 

“I am. How about you?”

“I like the first part better than the rest,” he said. She laughed and saw how Luka had got close enough to the rabbit’s hiding place that it sprinted across the garden. Luka was about to set after it.

“Luka, no. Let the rabbit be. We don’t chase after animals that are scarred,” she called out. Luka stopped and turned to her. Ava saw his searching eyes, and she realised he was scarred he had made her mad. “It’s okay, sweetheart, you did good,” she told him and held out her arm. He trotted up to her and let her pull him into a sideways hug. 

“Well done listening to Ava, sport,” Zane told him and ruffled his hair. Luka relaxed against Ava’s leg. 

“Hey, what are you guys up to?” Ava heard Linda call. She was walking toward them. 

“Hey, Linda, come and meet Luka,” Ava called to her. Luka had taken a firm grip on Ava’s hand. “Luka, this is Linda. She’s uncle Jax’s girlfriend,” Ava said. 

“Hi there, Luka,” Linda said with a little wave. Luka waved back. “Uncle Jax?” Linda than asked Ava. 

“I’ll tell you all about it,” Ava promised with a smile. Linda and Jax joined them for dinner and it was a fun time. After dinner, Zane asked Luka to show Linda and Jax his legos. Ava had a feeling of what was happening and when he took her to his office and closed the door, she knew he wanted to know about the morning.

“I think I have been patient enough, angel,” he said, leaning back against his desk with crossed arms. There was no use in trying to hold out. Ava knew if she tried, she would end up with a punishment. As much as she liked those, well mostly, she didn’t think it would be a good idea with Luka in the house. If he heard, or saw, something, he might think Zane was really hurting her. He had seen enough things like that. Ava sighed and told Zane everything. Well, almost everything. She did skip over why she believed Luka’s mother was at the shelter.

“I never liked that woman,” Zane growled and walked up to Ava to put a hand on her belly. “What if she had done something to you? What if she hates me enough to take it out on the baby?” he said. Ava placed one hand over his on her belly and the other on his cheek to make him look at her. 

“I don’t think she would do anything like that. She is my friend and she knows how much it would hurt me. But I won’t see her alone for now,” she said. She really doubted that Fatima would do something, but she needed to protect not only herself, but her child. She couldn’t afford to take a chance. 

“That makes me feel a little better. Do you think she can find Luka’s mother?” he asked. 

“I think so.”

“I will be sorry to see him go. But we will do what we can to make sure he has anything he needs,” Zane told her. She nodded.
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