THE CONTRACT (The Chosen Series #2)

EVEN DOVES CRY

"Superwoman or not, I know you've spent years searching for them, and to finally learn that they are..." Ava trails off, sensing my discomfort.

Brushing aside those unsettling thoughts, I sit up and gently move out of her embrace. Standing up and straightening my clothes, I turn to Shay and wink, "Did I hear you mention something about arranging for someone to meet me when we get back to the Spur, someone that will help me with," tapping my temple twice.

"You heard right, Tiger. I call her Red, but Morgan's her name, and she's a friend of the family. She owes us one, or a few," Shay replies, his typically playful face carrying a hint of nostalgia as he leans against the wall.

"Great, so with that sorted, who's hungry?" I pivot towards the kitchen, grabbing the bags of food. Staying occupied helps keep those sappy feelings at bay.

"Erin," Ava starts, concern written on her face as she walks over to me. Anticipating her desire to delve into my feelings, I raise a hand to halt her.

"Let me process, Ava," I interject, reaching into the bag and retrieving several sandwich variations. Settling on a Reuben, I unwrap it and take a hearty bite of the rye goodness, effectively silencing any potential conversation.

Can't talk with my mouth full, right? That thought could be taken in so many directions. Distracting myself is key, and talking about a man's anatomy usually does the trick. It's a perfect way to dodge small talk. One, my mouth is full. Two, the man usually attached to said object tends to be incoherent.

As if sensing my need for a distraction, Shay joins me, grabbing a fried chicken club from the counter. With a mischievous smile, he unwraps the sandwich and devours almost half of it, winking at me conspiratorially while licking the sauce from his lips.

Chewing and swallowing the corned beef and sauerkraut, I glance back at the others, their eyes fixed on me, maybe anticipating an explosion. I exhale, breaking the silence.

"Seriously, guys, I'm okay. Let's eat lunch first, and we can discuss more once our bellies are full."

Ava relents, ushering Isla and Griffin, my newfound siblings, into the kitchen. Those words still feel odd. She knows I'm stubborn enough to maintain this facade, shielding my emotions until I'm ready to face them, preferably in solitude.

Ava bites into her sandwich with a delighted groan, drawing my attention to the small bump forming on her stomach.

Noticing my gaze, she grins, rubbing her stomach teasingly. "What? The little peanut likes food."

Returning her smile, I watch the others dig into their food, the quiet allowing my mind to sift through the whirlwind of new information.

Beneath the table, my hand taps against my thigh, a release of tension. I let the energy flow to my fingertips, dissipating slowly without drawing attention. As much as I should be panicking right now, I've spent years honing my emotions, shielding them from others, including Alexei, and I won't let myself react any differently.

I'm royally screwed, and not in a good way. Swallowing another bite, a lump forms in my throat as I recall what Ava told me. Griffin's father was killed by Viktor. He then took Aisling, along with a much younger Griffin, holding them both captive. Ava also mentioned another child, likely me, who was sent away with their memories wiped. Me.

Knowing all these details, and that we all share the same scar, and fuck, fuck, fuck... Isla and I have the same-colored goddamn eyes. I exhale through my nose.

I turn towards Griffin, knowing he has been silently watching me the whole time, and ask the one thing that I know will put the nail in the coffin.

Clearing my throat and running my tongue over the top of my teeth, I inquire, "You said that I was separated from the two of you, sent away, and that Viktor did something so I wouldn't remember."