Chapter Eighteen| Ava
"Oh shit." I whisper under my breath when I see Raymond standing outside.
"What the fuck do you want?" Kaden growls out and squares up to him.
"I want my niece." Raymond demands.
"Fuck sake!" Luciano throws his hands up in the air and goes to stand next to his brother. "She's my niece, not yours. I'm her favourite Uncle, so I suggest you turn around before I shoot you right here, right now." My eyes widen at the seriousness in Luciano's voice.
Damn.
Raymond scoffs and glares at Luciano. "Fuck off, you piece of shit." I gasp when Luciano pulls out his gun and holds it against Raymond's temple.
"Say that one more fucking time." Luciano growls out.
Raymond's eyes then land on me and a chilling smirk is etched onto his face. Kaden realises and wraps his arm around my waist.
"See you've still got your bitch, Kaden." I roll my eyes at the guys comment. However I stare in shock when Kaden pulls out a gun from the back of his trousers. He storms over to Raymond and places the gun on the other side of his temple.
"Don't you ever call her out of her name, you hear me and don't get my woman involved in your petty bullshit!" He shouts, the veins in his neck sticking out. "Now I suggest you fucking leave because my brother is not the only person wanting to put a bullet through your skull."
Raymond smirks and takes a step back, nodding his head. "I'll leave. Jamie says hi by the way, sweetheart." He winks at me and my blood runs cold.
I flinch when Kaden raises his gun and shoots Raymond in the leg, he cries in pain and falls to the concrete floor. "Kaden!" I shout, completely in shock.
My first thought is Lily so I take a step back and rush into the house.
"Avey." Lily whispers, her eyes watery. "I heard a loud noise and it scared me." She whimpers and reaches out for me.
"It's okay sweetie." Picking Lily up, I rub her back and walk up to her room.
My heart is still racing at what I just witnessed.
"Is daddy okay?" She whispers, looking up at me with her big brown eyes.
"He's fine." I try to give her my best reassuring smile.
"Okay. Stay?" She tilts her head and I nod, stroking her hair.
After about fifteen she falls asleep. I stand up and walk out of her bedroom.
Now I can call Charlie.
It's as if this whole mafia situation has finally hit me and it's in this moment that I realise I need time to myself to comprehend it. I've been so preoccupied with looking after Lily and being with Kaden that I haven't had my own time.
Three rings later and he picks up. "You alright, Ava?" He questions down the phone.
"Can you come and get me?" I whisper.
"Why? What's happened?" I can hear him shuffling around and a set of keys.
"I just want to stay with you for a while, haven't seen you in ages." I release a shaky breath.
"Okay I'll be about fifteen minutes." He says.
"Okay." I whisper and hang up.
I make my way to our bedroom and grab some of my belongings.
"Ava!" I hear Kaden yell from downstairs. "Baby?!"
I quickly tie my shoelaces and throw on a coat. I can hear his loud footsteps coming up the stairs and making their way to our room
"Where are you going?" Kaden panics, taking my bag from me and placing it back on the bed.
"I'm just going to Charlie's for a while. I need some time on my own, please understand. I'm not running away, I promise I'll be back." I give a tight lipped smile but Kaden furrows his eyebrows his eyes swirling with hurt and worry.
"You're not going to come back if I let you walk out that front door. Baby you're going to overthink to a point where you won't want to come back."
"Kaden, listen, I'm not leaving you or Lily, I just need time to think."
"Think about what?!" He stands up and looks down at me. "Please stay here, Ava."
"Charlie's already on his way." I redo my shoe lace and then stand up.
"Baby, please." Kaden begs, following me out.
"You scared Lily, she nearly saw what you did out there. If I hadn't come inside she would have seen and been traumatised." I frown at him.
"Is she okay?" He questions.
"She's fine now. What has happened to Raymond?" I tilt my head at him.
"Matvey and Ardian have taken care of it. Baby the shit he said to you made me so angry."
"You do realise he wants to take Lily away and now you've shot him in the leg and probably made things fucking worse!" I whisper yell at him.
"Ava, watch your language!" I roll my eyes at the man. Is that all he's bothered about? My language.
"How does he know Jamie?" I question.
"I don't know, baby. I'm going to sort this out, I promise. You don't have to leave, I'll sleep in the spare bedroom." He pleads.
"Kaden just stop. Just a couple nights by myself okay." I whisper gently.
He looks anywhere but me and gives a quick nod.
***
"Ava, there's a weird man standing next to a black car outside." Charlie says. I walk over to the window and roll my eyes when I see Matvey, he looks up and winks at me.
"Fucking Kaden." I mutter under my breath. I storm outside and walk up to Matvey, who has a smirk on his face.
He runs his fingers through his black hair and licks his lips. "Mrs Morello." He simply nods.
"I'm not married! What are you doing here?!" I poke him in the chest.
"Boss says it's for your protection, sweet thing." He smiles.
"So you're still going to be out here, even when I'm asleep?" I frown at him.
"Yep."
Fuck sake.
I storm back in the house, slamming the door behind me.
"What did he say?" Charlie frowns.
"He's waiting for a friend." I try to reassure him, so he doesn't get suspicious. "So how's Harley?" I ask, while I switch the tv on.
"She amazing, she makes me really happy." He smiles so bright and that only makes me smile as well.
I'm glad he's found someone.
My phone rings and I check the caller ID, seeing it's Kaden.
It's been a couple hours.
"What?!"
"Ava, I need your help." He sound stressed.
"I want Avey!" I hear Lily cry in the background.
"She's been crying since she woke up about an hour ago. Baby, she won't stop." I sigh.
"Put her on the phone."
"Baby girl, Avey is on the phone." I hear him tell her with a gentle voice.
I hear her sniffling. "Avey-" She whimpers. "-why did you go?"
"Sweetie, don't cry. I'm coming back soon." I reasoned.
"Please come home, I want cuddles." She whispers and my heart clenches. "Please Avey." She pleads.
This girl.
Kaden
"Was that good, daddy?" Lily smiles brightly at me, wiping away her fake tears.
That's my girl.
"That was great, baby girl. You want some chocolate cake?" She nods eagerly and so I carry her to the kitchen.
"Did you have an argument?" Lily tilts her head, whilst playing with my hair.
"Just a disagreement, baby girl." I kiss her cheek and place her on a chair.
I cut her and myself a slice of cake.
I need Ava with me. The fact that she ran to Charlie annoyed me.
"Daddy?" Lily asks.
"Hmm."
"I want a boyfriend." I choke on my cake.
"No!" I objected.
"Can I have a brother or sister?"
"Not yet." I sigh.
Her eyes began to water and her lips began to tremble.
"Baby, no sibling yet and you can have a boy as a friend but not a boyfriend, okay." I grit out.
I don't even want her to have a boy friend.
"Boss?" I look up and see Ardian. "My ex wife is a bitch." He sighs. I take a look at him and he looks stressed
He never gets stressed.
"Bad word, Ardy!" Lily scolds and he smiles at her.
"Sorry, little one."
"What's wrong?" I question him.
"She's abandoned our son, she doesn't want anything to do with him." He runs his hands down his face.
"How old is he?" I feel bad for the guy, he's tried to keep his family away from this life and now he has to raise his son.
"He's six."
"Boyfriend?" Lily beams.
"No!" I object again and she rolls her eyes.
Ardian chuckles. "We'll help you out, don't worry." I tell him and he smiles and walks over to me.
"Thanks, brother." He pats my back and steals my cake.
My phone rings and I see that it's Matvey. "What?"
"Boss, it's Ava."
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