Chapter 25
Fabio’s POV
It’s been a week since Ava agreed to my terms, and I’m still holed up in my office, days blurring into nights, sifting through any scrap of evidence that might lead to help her find justice. Though, the thought pauses: is there even such a thing as justice in this goddamn organization?
Two sharp knocks broke the silence. I glanced up from the glow of my laptop screen. “Come in.”
Daniel entered, a black report clutched in his hand. He passed it to me, and I took it with a weary sigh. “Is this all of it?” “Yes, sir.” he confirmed. “Including the files on the retired personnel who worked with the Romanovs.”
“Right,” I murmured, flipping open the document. Then, a sea of faces stared back at me.
I set the report down as my phone blared a sudden ring. I almost dismissed it, but the name that flashed on the screen made me freeze. I swallowed hard and answered without a second thought. “Yes?”
“I’m outside,” she said, her tone dangerously calm. “I’ve been waiting for our training grounds for thirty minutes.” I knew that calm meant she was steaming with annoyance at my tardiness.
My gaze darted back to the document, the faces within seeming to plead for attention. Later, I told myself. I slid the into my vault, the heavy door thudding shut as I secured it with my fingerprint.
“Hello? Are you… still there?” She looked worried.
report
I replied with a practiced calm, my usual steady tone. “Yes. Just a moment. I’ll be right there. Wait for me.” And with that, I ended the call.
“Sir.” Daniel began, a hint of curiosity in his voice. “Why do you always attend Miss Ava personally? It’s like you’re her bodyguard or her… training coach.”
I paused, my hand on the doorknob, and turned my head. “What makes you say that, Daniel?”
He cleared his throat, shifting slightly. “Well, sir, with your schedule. you could easily hire someone else for that, right? You’re clearly swamped, yet you still make time for her, and it seems the only time you can give her is your own free time.”
“Look, Daniel,” I said, opening the door slightly. “I don’t trust just anyone around her. And I made a promise to her father. I intend to keep her safe for as long as I’m alive”
“Even if you were to get married, sir?” he asked, following me into the hallway.
“Good question,” I replied quickly, stepping towards the elevator. “Something I don’t plan on doing.” The doors slid open, and I stepped inside, leaving Daniel standing in the hallway.
Stairs were out of the question. Right now, the elevator was the fastest way to see her.
Seeing her talking to my half–brothers, Dante and Diego, made my chest tighten with annoyance. Of all the people!
I walked over, and they greeted me with those knowing, playful smiles they always had. It meant trouble was brewing.
“Busy, big bro?” Diego asked, looking from Ava to me with a teasing grin. “Why not let us help out? We could train her. Right,
Ava?”
Ava looked thoughtful. “Actually,” she said, calm. “I don’t mind. A small smile touched her lips.
What was she thinking? Didn’t she realize I didn’t trust these two?
“Ava,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “We need to start. Come with me.” I tried to ignore the smug looks on my brothers‘
faces.
Dante chuckled softly. “Well then, we’ll just have to watch.”
“No,” I said firmly.
Chapter 25
Ava glanced at them, then back at me. “Actually, I don’t mind if they watch. It might even make it more interesting.” Diego’s smile widened. “See? She’s game. What’s the problem, big brother? Worried we’ll show you up?
+8 Pearls
Dante leaned in, speaking softly but loud enough to hear. “Or were you hoping for some private lessons? That’s a new move. 1 raised an eyebrow, giving them a silent warning to back off.
With matching, annoying grins, Dante and Diego strolled past us toward the training area. I sighed in frustration. Why did. they have to make everything so complicated?
My eyes lingered on Ava’s outfit as she stood there in a large white t–shirt that swallowed her frame, almost like a dress. I followed her as she finally stepped into the training ring
Then, to my surprise, she smoothly pulled the oversized shirt over her head. Beneath it, she wore short leggings and a sports bra that suddenly made it hard for me to draw a proper breath. Her figure was… distracting, to say the least.
Oh, shit. Focus, I can’t let Dante and Diego see Ava get the better of me because I’m too busy staring
I raised my fists, settling into my fighting stance, waiting for her to make the first move.
And when she attacked, it was the same relentless flurry as before. I met each punch and kick, blocking and deflecting, watching as the exertion began to show on her face, even in this early round stage.
“When you attack, it’s not just about throwing fists and feet, Ava, I instructed, demonstrating a swift series of blocks and a calculated sweep that brought her down with surprising ease. “You have to anticipate their every move, see the openings before they even appear. That’s how you bring them to their knees. Her eyes widened as she found herself suddenly pinned beneath me.
A gasp escaped her lips as she tried to shift, to find an escape. I shook my head gently, maintaining my hold. “That gasp? In a real fight, that’s a lifetime for your enemy. They won’t give you a moment to process. You have to think faster, react instinctively, because hesitation can get you killed. I softened my grip slightly, allowing her to feel the openness of the position. Feel this? This is the consequence of a predictable attack. We need to make you unpredictable.”
I slowly released her wrist. The second I was on my feet, her leg snaked out with surprising speed, and I found myself flat on my back, a groan escaping my lips. And a soft chuckle rippled from her.
“Do you want to break my spine? That’s not a good move,” I said, my voice bound with nuisance.
“You said you wanted me to be unpredictable, she replied with a flashing smile, “Well, that was certainly unpredictable.” Before I could even process that, she was straddling me, a look of almost childlike triumph on her face. Then, after I take the enemy down, she declared, her hands moving in a demonstrative motion around my neck, “Til strangle him so he can’t take another breath-”
Just then, Dante and Diego stood there, looking utterly aghast. “Ava, no, no-!” Dante blurted out, his usual smooth demeanor completely gone.
She turned her head, her expression genuinely innocent. “What?”
Diego, the man who rarely showed any emotion, was visibly flustered, his gaze darting between Ava’s position on me and our faces. “You can’t. you can’t strangle an enemy like that… not while… you can’t sit on his lap in that kind of position,” he stammered, clearly referring to her straddling me.
Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. “Oli, right, the position.” A blush crept up her neck. She started to shift, to move off me, but I stopped her, my hand closing firmly around her wrist. “Dante, Diego, leave, I commanded while trying to breathe properly
Both my half–brothers released sighs of relief and quickly retreated from the ring, the door clicking shut behind them.
The moment we were alone, I tightened my grip on her wrist and pulled her close, so she landed squarely on my chest, her breath catching in surprise. “You’re not on a mission to seduce your target, Ava, and then kill him. Is that the advanced combat training they’re teaching you?”
