to say it out loud, but I already cared about Tyler in a way that I hadn't about another man. Ever.
He grabbed my arm again. “Get in the house.”
The commanding tone in his voice would usually have gotten my hackles up, and I’d have told him exactly what I thought of him. But in this case, I found myself doing as he said.
I left my bags in the car and went back into his house.
I deserved whatever he had to say to me.
Chapter Fourteen
Tyler
As feisty as she was, I was a little shocked that Ava had listened when I’d told her to get back in the house. After I’d talked to my friend in Chicago, and my contact at the FBI, I was fairly certain that Christopher and Carl were still in Chicago, but that didn’t mean I wanted Ava out here unprotected.
I couldn’t imagine where she’d have gone from here. Back to Chicago, where she’d get caught by those two pieces of scum? Or would she go on the run again, and go farther south, trying to put some distance between her and her father’s thugs as possible?
Ava was going to be the death of me. I’d fucking told her to stay put, and what had she done? She’d snuck out of the house. Snuck was a generous word, and there was no way that she would ever have gotten past me.
First off, she had to type in the alarm code, and I had a security panel in my room that alerted me anytime a door or window was opened, even if the alarm wasn’t triggered. There was no way anyone was leaving this house without me knowing it.
Even if I didn't have an alarm, Sadie stood up and whined the instant Ava opened the front door. My dog had gotten pretty attached to her in the last seven days. In fact, I was pretty sure she liked Ava much better than me.
And even without the security system and the dog, I fucking never slept. I was always going to be awake right after going to bed. This was the first time I was glad to have insomnia, because I’d been afraid Ava would do something stupid. She blamed herself for everything. It was true that I wanted her to take some responsibility, but she took way more responsibility than was necessary.
Those thugs were not her fault.
And part of this was my fault. I’d known something was off about her. It was clear that she'd never cleaned a house before, even though she was actually really good at it. All the videos about how to mop and how to wash dishes made sense now. I hadn't had time to think about it earlier, but she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She’d always had staff members to do her chores.
However, I admired her grit and determination. Instead of accepting the riches as her due, and becoming entitled to a lavish lifestyle, she made herself aware of the injustice in the world. She was determined to do something about it.
How many young women with that kind of inherited wealth took the time and energy to expose the seedy underworld in their city?
I knew the answer to that -- not many at all. I couldn't help but be impressed at her commitment. Although the thought of her dressing up and pretending to be a drug addict scared the shit out of me. I couldn't bear to think of what could have happened to her if she’d encountered someone who wanted to hurt her.
As I herded her back inside, Ava paused on the first step of the stairs that led up to my front porch.
“What is it now?” I asked. I sighed, but I tried to keep the bulk of my frustration hidden. “Ava, you realize I was a Navy SEAL. I don’t want to brag, but I’m not sure if you’re aware of what it’s like to qualify, or to serve under those conditions. I promise I can handle your father’s partners if they show up here.”
“What about your sister? I should have never spoken to her.”
“I've already thought of that. I called Barrett and got him up to speed. Then I called her and told her what's going on. She’s going to stay with Barrett until this is over.”
“What about your mother?” she asked.
I was touched that she was thinking about my mother, who she’d never even met. “I took care of her too. Don’t worry.”
She gripped