110
Ava didn’t even bother going inside the mansion as she got home, she headed straight for the back garden and found two men and a boy sitting on the blanket, building what looked like a huge garage with different cars. She stood in the shade of a tree and watched them. It didn’t take Zane long to sense her presence and he looked up at her with a smile. The look on her face must have given her feeling away because he frowned. Ava had become more skilled in hiding her emotions, but Zane could still read her like a book. She usually didn’t mind. He handed his half-finished vehicle over to Jax and walked over to Ava.
“The meeting didn’t go well?” he asked after he had kissed her.
“No, it did,” she said.
“Oh. Right.” He looked over his shoulder towards Luka. “Jax, I need to talk to my wife. Why don’t you and Luka stay out here for half an hour longer and then we can sit down inside and have a snack,” he called over.
“I like that plan. Hi, Ava,” Jax said. Luka looked up, he smiled and waved at Ava. Ava waved back.
“Hi, Jax. We’ll see you two in a while,” she said and walked with Zane back to the house. They walked up to his office and sat down on the couch. Zane put one arm around her and placed a hand on her stomach.
“Tell me,” he said. So she did. “I’m happy she is able to look after Luka, he deserves a mother,” Zane said.
“He does, he will be so happy when we tell him,” Ava agreed, and tried to focus on the positives.
“But he will be missed,” Zane added.
“The house will be empty without him. It has been nice to have him here. But I’m happy for him,” she said and felt a tear run down her cheek.
“Don’t cry, angel,” Zane told her. She had to smile at the desperation in his voice. He always hated when she cried.
“It’s okay, honey. It’s okay to be sad. I’m happy as well. Lots of emotions all at once,” she told him.
“What can I do to make you happy? Do you want Luka and his mother to live here? I can arrange that,” he offered. Ava laughed and kissed him.
“That is sweet of you, but I think they will be better of creating their own lives.”
“I don’t care, if it makes you happy, I will do it,” he insisted.
“No. I think I will be happier knowing they are happy. Wherever they are. And you and me need to start thinking about what to do for our little one,” she told him, trying to get him to refocus before he decided to kidnap Luka’s mother. He grunted and wiped the tears from her face. A while later, Jax came walking into the office with Luka. Jax was carrying a tray with fruits, cookies and milk on.
“I need to run an errand, I will see you later Luka,” Jax said.
“Will you be back before dinner?” Ava asked him. He looked at her with surprise. She never asked about details of the meetings and errands he and Zane had.
“Not likely,” he answered, shooting a look at Zane.
“Can you be half an hour late?” she then asked.
“Sure. I have some paperwork I can do,” he agreed.
“Thank you,” she said. Ava wanted him to get the chance to say goodbye to Luka. The two had grown close and both would be better off if they got a chance to get closure. As Jax walked out of the office, Zane helped Luka up on the couch to sit between him and Ava. Ava let him choose some sliced fruit and when he had eaten it, she offered him a cookie. When he had finished and washed it all down with milk, he told Ava all about his day. She smiled and listened to him.
“Sounds like a good day,” she told him. He nodded enthusiastically. “I have had an exciting day as well,” she told him.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“I met a friend of mine, she’s a nice lady that helps people that need it,” Ava told him.
“Like you,” Luka said. Ava smiled at him.
“In a way. But she has a big house where women and children can come and live if they need,” Ava explained.
“Like you,” Luka insisted.
“Well, kind of. My friend meets a lot more people than I do. So I asked her if she had met your mom,” Ava told him. At the mention of his mother, Luka sat up straight and Ava had his undivided attention. “My friend told me that your mom had come to live with my friend so she brought her to meet me. She is doing good, but she misses you like crazy,” Ava told him.
“You met my mom?” Luka asked.
“I did. And we decided that it would be best if you went to live with her again. Is that okay with you?” she asked him. He looked excited, but then he hesitated. He looked between her and Zane.
“It’s okay, you can tell us,” Zane encouraged him.
“Will Jonas be there?” Luka asked.
“No, sweetheart. Jonas will not be there. He won’t come back again. Both you and your mom will be safe,” Ava promised.
“We will make sure he never comes around you, ever again,” Zane added. His voice had become dark and menacing. Ava was worried for a moment that it would scare Luka. But the boy just looked at him and nodded.
“I would like to go to my mom then,” he told them.
“I’m happy to hear that. We will let you say goodbye to Jax and Anna and then pack your things. I have arranged for us to meet up in the park in a while,” Ava said.
“Okay.” Zane and Ava took each of his hands and they took him on a tour through the mansion so he could say goodbye to the people he had got close to. Anna hugged Luka and promised him she would pack him snacks that he could share with his mother. Jax even gave the boy a hug. As Ava and Zane packed everything they had got him into two bags, Luka sat on the bed with his pink bunny.
“Will I come back and see you?” he asked Zane.
“No, sport. I think you and your mother will be moving to a new place. But Ava has made sure that your mother knows how to reach us if you ever want to,” Zane told him. Luka looked sad, but nodded. Zane left to get the practical things in order and Ava texted Fatima to let her know they were ready. “Ready to go?” Zane asked when he returned.
“We are, but you need to change,” Ava told him. He looked down on his suit, it was one of his regular ones.
“What’s wrong with my suit? I thought you liked this one,” he asked.
“I do, and it’s great when you want to look like a scary mafia boss,” she started.
“Angel, I am a scary mafia boss,” he told her.
“I know, honey. But we know that there is more to it than that. Don’t we, Luka?” she said. Luka giggled. “So as you are to look less intimidating, it’s jeans and a t-shirt for you,” she told him. Zane looked at her for a while.
“Fine,” he agreed and walked out of the room.
“I don’t think he is scary!” Luka announced.
“Neither do I,” Ava confessed, and they giggled. Zane came back wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Ava would definitely ask him to wear that again, but for now it wouldn’t do. “Nope. You look like a sexy tug from a Hollywood movie.”
“Come on, angel. This is what I have. I don’t do colourful floral shirts and shi… stuff like that,” he told her.
“Wait here,” she told him and she walked into their bedroom and into the closet. She found his stack of t-shirts with gaming characters and a grey hoodie with a zipper. “Here you go,” she said as she got back to him and Luka. Zane sighed and changed.
“I don’t feel like myself,” he said.
“I’m sorry. But it’s just for a while,” Ava promised him. She reached out her hand for Luka to grab and Zane took the bags. Ana waited downstairs with a lunchbox she had packed full with snacks. Zane put the bags in the trunk, there was already two large suitcases in there. Then he buckled Luka into the car seat that someone had installed into the car. Ava and he got in on each side of the boy. Ryder was driving and Annabeth was riding shotgun. No one spoke as they drove to the park by the hospital. Zane and Ava took Luka to the swings while they waited for Fatima and Grace.
“Ava,” Fatima called as the two women came walking.
“Luka, it’s time,” Ava said. Luka got down from the swing and when he saw his mother he started running at her. Grace ran to meet him and picked him up and hugged him to her. Zane had walked up to Ava and placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked up to Fatima.
“Zane,” she greeted him.
“Fatima,” he responded. Ava felt like rolling her eyes at the two of them. But she turned her attention to the happy reunion. Luka was crying but was also trying to tell his mother everything he had done since he had got to Zane’s and Ava’s place.
“And they have this lady, Anna, all she does is make food and give you snacks,” he told her.
“Wow, that sounds amazing,” Grace told him.
“It was awesome. She has packed a snack bag for us,” he told his mother. Ava was happy the reunion was going so well.
“We should get going,” Fatima said.
“We have the things in the trunk of the car and we have a car seat you can have,” Ava told them.
“Thank you,” Grace said and looked at Ava for the first time. She glanced at Zane, and Ava saw her shrink a little.
“Were are you parked? I can pull up next to you to make the transfer easier,” Fatima offered. Zane went with her to show her the way and Ava walked back to the car with Grace and Luka.
“I can’t thank you enough for all of this,” Grace said.
“I’m happy to help. And please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need help,” Ava reminded her as they got to the car. Grace nodded and they stayed a little back to let Zane finish putting the car seat in Fatima’s car. Grace was weary around him and Ava didn’t blame her. Not even her down dressing him could hide how powerful he was. When he was done with the seat and had loaded the bags over to Fatima’s car, he turned to Ava, Grace and Luka.
“All done,” he said. Luka let go of his mother’s hand and ran up to Zane. Zane picked him up and gave him a hug. Grace looked on in surprise.
“I have never seen him act like that with a man” she told Ava.
“They have become close,” Ava said and walked up to her husband and Luka. “I know you’ll be a good boy for your mom and listen to what she tells you. I wish you all the best, my friend,” she told the boy and gave him a kiss on his hair and a hug. Luka leaned away from Zane so he could hug her back.
“I will miss you, Ava,” he told her.
“I will miss you too.” Zane put him down and Luka walked over to his mother. She put him in the car and then gave Ava a quick hug before getting in the car herself. As they drove away, Luka waved. Zane placed his arm around Ava.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he wiped away the tears that ran down her face.
“I’ll be fine. I just need a moment,” she told him.
“Take as many as you need, angel.”