Chapter Fourteen
Leena’s narrow stare ping-ponged between him and Avily. “What are you doing with your dirty paws all over my baby sis?”
Before he could reply, Avi snapped out of her spell of shock and valiantly jumped into the tense fray. “Mind your tongue, Leena.”
The elder Donahoe’s features tightened with a harshness that added several hard years to her looks. “Seems I’m not the only one who should be minding the placement of her tongue these days, sister. Is this what you’ve been doing in my absence, making chummy with my fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé,” Jerrick bit out. “In case it’s slipped your memory, you cheated on me and miscarried another man’s child. Way I see it, you’re entitled to no opinion on my relationship with Avi.”
“Oh my gods, you are fucking her,” Leena screeched.
Avi’s cheeks flamed a scarlet hue. He wasn’t sure if it was triggered by fury or embarrassment at the attention her sister’s crude outburst generated amongst the nearby diners. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around Leena’s scrawny neck. “You’ve done your damage here, Leena. I suggest you hike your ass back to your table before I do it for you.”
Glaring, Leena stubbornly stayed planted in place. “You don’t tell me what to do.”
He slowly unfolded his frame from the bench seat, earning a mutinous scowl from Leena. She stacked her arms over her chest, refusing to back down. “Is this what you do now? Intimidate defenseless women?”
“I’m not going to lay a hand on you. But I will have you tossed out if you don’t step away from this table.”
Leena flicked her ratty braid over her shoulder. “I was about to leave anyway. The element in this dive leaves a lot to be desired.” She speared Avily with an incinerating look. “We’ll discuss this further when I stop by in a few days.” Without uttering another word, she pivoted and walked rigidly to the exit.
The moment her sister was out of sight, Avily crumpled against the seat back, her body shaking. His anger with Leena renewed, Jerrick slid next to Avily and took her into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
She peered at him, her eyes tear-logged. “You have nothing to apologize for. She had no right to insinuate what she did.”
He brushed a lock of hair from her face and smoothed it behind her ear. Removing his hand would have been wise, considering how much he loved stroking her. Too bad he didn’t possess the willpower. “Leena’s petty grievances mean nothing to me, Avi. Let her think what she wants. That glass house she’s living in won’t withstand all those rocks she’s throwing.”
A fraction of Avily’s tension ebbed from her body, but her expression remained pensive.
He took her hand and laced their fingers. “What did she mean about seeing you in a few days? I didn’t realize she’d returned to Tul’dea, much less was in contact with you.”
“She only showed up this week. I was as surprised to see her as you were.” Avi bit her bottom lip, her fingers fidgeting beneath his. “She wants money.”
He snuffed a growl. “I hope you’re bloody well not going to give it to her.”
“She’s my family. I can’t turn my back on her.”
Even though Leena turned her back on me? And you? And everyone else she professed to love? Although it about killed him, he kept the words to himself. It wasn’t his place to come between Avi and her sister. Even though deep inside he knew Leena would ruthlessly use Avi and then blithely disappear off the face of Aurion for another fifteen years—or until Leena needed something more from her family.
He gave Avi’s shoulder a final squeeze. “Let’s get out of here.”
She obeyed the request without a fuss. Leaving enough merca to cover the drink he hadn’t had the pleasure of partaking in, he escorted her outside and frowned as she immediately dug in her coin purse. “What are you doing?”
“I have to call a transit cab.”
“Avi, I’ll take you home.”
Rather than her usual arguing maneuver, she peered up at him with gratefulness shining in her eyes. “Thanks. I really don’t want to be alone right now.”
He hadn’t planned on staying. With her in this vulnerable state, he didn’t trust having the necessary control to keep his hands to himself. He wisely refrained from filling her in on that bit of news while he led her to the Air Racer.
The remaining dregs of her melancholy dispersed to the wind the instant she spotted the vehicle. “This can’t be the same ole hunk of junk you used to tool around in.”
“One and only. She’s in considerably better shape than the last time you saw her.” Restoring the vintage cruiser had given him a more productive outlet than getting himself into trouble he didn’t need. He waited for Avi to plop down into the passenger seat before shutting her door and striding to the driver’s side.
While he buckled himself behind the wheel, she stroked the fine leather grain of the dashboard. “I’ve always had a serious crush on this Racer.”
“So I notice.” And truth be told, he was getting a little jealous of the loving pets she was lavishing on his vehicle. Damn lucky hunk of junk.
The engine started with a rumbling purr that vibrated through the interior. Hell yeah. That was how a real vehicle sounded, not those sorry modern monstrosities that made no peep and couldn’t even keep up with a grandma on a racetrack.
Avily remained quiet for the first leg of their journey into downtown Tul’dea. Just when he figured she’d fallen asleep with her eyes open, she peeked at him. “Are there times when you wish things could have been different? That you might have a different life?”
His thoughts immediately traveled to his recent private musings. Leave it to Avi to somehow zone in on the same thread. “How do you mean?” he asked cautiously.
“What if Leena hadn’t turned out to be so self-centered? You could be married to her right now. Maybe even have a rug rat or two.”
No matter how hard he tried to visualize it, the picture wouldn’t take shape. It wasn’t until he superimposed Avi’s face with Leena’s that the image became vibrant and clear. He immediately shook it off. “No, I don’t waste my energy on what-could-have-beens.”
She must have picked up on the flatness in his tone because she darted another look in his direction, her expression sad. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”
“It’s in the past, Avi.”
“Is it?”
He tore his attention from the road and glanced at her. “Why would you ask that? I’m not hung up on Leena, if that’s what you’re trying to get at.”
“Not necessarily. But you’re also not with anyone. Far as I know, there hasn’t been anyone since her.”
“I’m not a damn monk. There’ve been women.”
A pink glow crept across her cheeks. “Sex doesn’t always equate with love.”
“And thank the gods for it. I’ve tried the love angle, and we know how fucking fantastic that turned out for me.”
A tense silence enveloped them again after that surly, albeit brutally honest retort from him. It remained an unbudging presence right up until he parked in the alley behind her shop. Pocketing his keys, he trailed her to The Fairest Rose’s rear doorway. Avi started to reach for the knob, but he stalled her the instant he noticed the door was already slightly ajar. He inspected the lock, adrenaline revving into high gear when he took note of the thin scratches etched into the metal. A sloppy pick job. “Get back in the Racer and lock yourself inside.”
“But—”