Chapter 9
The west hallway finally fell completely silent. The bright, pristine light shone down on the shattered ceramic, the broken wood, and the dark, empty void of the service cavity. Ryan stood alone for a long moment, his chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the sharp lines of his artistic tattoos.
He had purged the rot from his home, but the psychological weight of what Ava had endured for six years pressed heavily against his heart.
He walked purposefully down the corridor, leaving the debris behind, and headed straight for his master office.
When he turned the heavy brass handle and pushed the doors open, he found a scene that finally broke the ice surrounding his soul.
Ava and Lily were sitting together on the large leather sofa in the center of the office. Emily had wrapped Ava in a thick, warm cashmere blanket, and the little girl was currently eating a fresh, warm sandwich from a silver tray. Lily sat beside her, proudly holding her hand, acting as a fierce, tiny protector.
When Ryan walked in, Ava stopped chewing. She looked up at him with those wide, striking blue eyes.
"Did she go away?" Ava asked softly.
"She went very far away," Ryan promised, walking over to the sofa and kneeling down on the plush rug. "She is never going to come back."
"Good," Lily declared firmly. "She was mean."
Ryan let out a soft, genuine exhale, a ghost of a smile touching his movie-star handsome face. He reached out and gently brushed a smudge of dirt from Ava's fair, rosy cheek.
"I am so sorry, Ava," Ryan murmured, his voice dropping its intimidating edge, leaving only the profound grief and love of a father. "I didn't know you were there. If I had known, I would have torn this entire house apart with my bare hands to find you."
Ava leaned forward, resting her head against his broad shoulder. "It's okay, Daddy. You found me now."
Emily wiped a tear from her eye, standing quietly in the corner of the office. "Mr. Carter. I have instructed the staff to prepare the main guest suite for Ava. It has its own bathroom and plenty of light."
"No," Ryan said, standing up and lifting Ava effortlessly into his arms, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around her. "She stays in my suite. Have a bed moved in there immediately. Both of them will stay with me until they are comfortable."
"Yes, sir," Emily nodded quickly. "I will have it done right away."
"Daddy, can we get Ava some new clothes tomorrow?" Lily asked, grabbing the edge of Ryan's tailored trousers. "Her sweater is dirty."
"We are going to get her everything she could ever want, Lily," Ryan said softly.
May you like
But as he held his daughters in the safety of his office, his encrypted phone vibrated heavily in his pocket. He pulled it out with his free hand, looking at the screen. It was a secure text message from his head of intelligence.
Boss. We intercepted a communication from Marco’s burner phone before you knocked him out. He sent a message to the Rossi family.
