For Love and Vengeance (3 page)

All was silent. He could no longer hear what she was doing. He didn't
care if he was caught as he pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear
her every movement, but he heard nothing but silence.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aviva needed sleep and made her way to the bed with light treads. The
maid had already folded back the covers in readiness for occupation. Lifting
the edges, she slipped under the covers and allowed the weight of the heavy
comforter to press down on her. The feeling of the Egyptian cotton sheets and
the comforter soothed her as she attempted to empty her mind and find peace in
the oblivion of sleep.

As sleep pulled Aviva deeper, her thoughts fragmented into a jumble of
disjointed dreams. Shadows surrounded her. Sinister figures pulled at her
clothing, touching her body, keeping her from her destination. Keeping her from
returning to Jason. Didn't he hear her? Didn't he understand? She needed him.
They were hurting her. Why couldn't he see her, she could see him. Maybe he
didn’t want to see her, maybe he no longer cared. Maybe the shadows of this
existence were now her reality. The grasping hands that pulled her down, that
hurt her body was her reality. Her mind in turmoil, Aviva’s sleeping body
remained perfectly still in her disquieting subconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jason waited until the silence in the bedroom became too much for him.
Stealing quietly inside, he observed Aviva's still form, wondering if she were
dreaming, and if so, what thoughts were running through her mind. As he mused,
he started to remove his clothing. When all that remained were his pants, he
stopped. She had asked him for time to be alone, but he needed her. He needed
to be close to the woman he loved. He wanted to respect her wishes but an
overriding need assailed him. Knowing it was selfish, but unwilling to stay
away for another moment, he justified his actions with the thought that he
would stay only until she stirred. He would make sure she was never aware of
his presence; that he had spent the night watching over her. He freely admitted
to himself and to anyone who cared to inquire, it had been too long. He needed
to be close to her. If her slumber was the only way that could happen, then so
be it. He would take it.

His momentary hesitation over, Jason slowly eased under the covers and
settled beside Aviva's still form. Breathing deeply, he surrounded himself with
her essence, and for the first time in days he relaxed.

With all that had transpired, sleep eluded him. So he listened to her
breathing until seconds stretched into minutes, into hours, and still he remained
awake. In his guilt, his mind conjured up ways of how he could make it up to
her. To show her how sorry he was that she had endured even a moment of
suffering because of him. Not wanting to disturb her slumber, Jason felt he had
to give voice to the thoughts running through hm. He had to say the words aloud.

“I missed you, my Angel. Never for one moment did I doubt that you’d
be exactly where you are now. You don't ever have to worry again. I'll take
better care of you from now on, I promise.”

As Jason's heartfelt words drifted into the ether, Aviva stirred,
pulling closer to him although still lost in slumber, as though hearing his vow
of affirmation and accepting it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aviva's eyes opened to semi darkness. For a moment, she was unsure of
her surroundings. The setting in which she found herself was unfamiliar, she
didn't know this place. Expecting the restraints that had so recently bound
her, she thrashed against them. A heavy weight pressed against her arm, however
the feeling was different from what she had so quickly become used to. But she
still she needed to get away.

She was a fighter, had always been a fighter. She had been taught that
no matter the odds, you fight. The dictates of a lifetime kicked in. This wasn’t
how she was going out. She still had things to accomplish. She was only thirty
years old and she intended to survive to live her life to its fullest. She
still had things to do, people to grow better acquainted with, children to
birth and raise – so she fought.

Opening her eyes, she was confronted by what looked like black orbs in
the dim light staring back at her. She knew those eyes.

“What are you doing, Jason?”

“Watching over you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I lost you once. It won't happen again.”

“You can't watch me all the time. And for the record, it's kinda
creepy, watching someone while they sleep.”

“So?”

“So – I just said it’s creepy!” Aviva said again, pushing away the
memories that attempted to surface.

“How can it be creepy? It's me. I love you. I want you safe.”

Somehow managing to maneuver an arm free, Aviva reached up and gently
ran her hand along the stubble of Jason's stubborn jaw. “You can't watch me all
the time and definitely not while I’m sleeping. When are you going to get your
rest?”

“Don't worry about me…it's not your job to worry about me.”

“Don't be daft. Of course, I worry about you.”

“What are you worrying for? You think I'm some kinda wuss who can't
take care of himself?”

The singular raised eyebrow accompanied by the look of manly offense
was so familiar, it made Aviva smile. She didn't dare voice it again, but yes,
she worried about him, constantly and probably always would. “Aren't you
tired?”

“No. You rest, Angel. I'm fine.”

“Jason...”

Lifting a long finger, he pressed it against Aviva's lips, silencing
her. “Have you seen the size of me – dumb question, I know you have,” Jason
drawled, giving her a suggestive look. His double entendre not lost on her for
a moment as he knew it wouldn't be. “Rest. I'm doing exactly what I want – no,
need to be doing.”

“Jason...I need to say something.”

“Shh, we'll talk later. For now, just rest.”

After all these weeks, Aviva knew Jason well enough to know when to
give up. So she gave him a small smile and closed her eyes, thinking sleep
would elude her. She was wrong. Almost immediately, a peaceful slumber pulled
her under.

Later that morning, Jason came out of his bedroom to see his brothers
already gathered in the living room. All the men were dressed similarly in dark
tailored pants and sweaters to combat the damp, British weather. Jason wasted
no time getting to the point, anxious for news.

“What have you found out?” Jason threw out.

“Alexander turned up at his house last night for the first time in
weeks,” Jake replied.

“Where is he now?”

“My man tracked him to a warehouse in the East End of London,” Jake
continued.

Before he could expand further, Jason jumped in, firing off another
question, his impatience causing the tension in the room to grow.

“What else?”

“If you give me the chance, I'll fill you in on all that I know,” Jake
fired back.

“Well, hurry the hell up!”

Jake stared at his twin, his own irritation showing. “Jason, you need
to settle down.”

“Just answer my question, Jake. Better yet, just tell me
everything
you know, that way I won't have to keep prompting you to, get – on – with –
it!”

“I've told you before, man, do not speak to me like that!”

“Or what, what you gonna do about it, son?”

“I'll show you what I'm gonna do about it, you arrogant piece of
shit!”

Seeing the situation was on its way to hell, Josh jumped between the
men who were now facing off, ready to defuse the situation before it got out of
hand.

“You both need to
settle
down and remember Aviva is asleep in
the other room.” Josh chose his words with deliberation, knowing Jason was the
more volatile of the two, and he was just looking for a way to release some of
his pent up frustrations. He also knew that the mere mention of Aviva's name
would be enough for Jason to back off. He was right. Jason's head spun around
to glance at the closed bedroom door.

While his attention was averted, Josh used his distraction to drive
home his point. “Jason, the more you interrupt, the longer it will take for you
to get the answers you want?”

Looking between both men, Jason moved to the middle of the sitting
room and folded his arms, silently waiting for Jake to continue.

Jake knew better than to expect an apology from Jason. Shaking his
head, he walked back to the couch and took a seat, leaning back to get
comfortable before continuing with his report.

“As I was saying before you interrupted me,” Jake couldn’t help making
the dig, “Alexander is holding up in a warehouse in the East End. We have the
exact location but...”

“But what?”

Jake sighed in exasperation. Deciding the best way forward was to
ignore Jason's outburst and just continue with what he had to say, he again
started to speak. “We know where he is and we know he has protection. What we
are uncertain of, however, is how many men he has around him.”

“How many does your report say?”

“They've seen four. But there’s no way I'm taking that as fact.
Cowards like Alexander usually surround themselves with much more protection
than that,” Jake added.

Jason started pacing, coming to a stop before the large windows of the
sitting area. He agreed with everything Jake had just said. He also knew the
importance of accurate information. His frustration wasn't really directed at
his twin, he knew his brother was doing his best to be thorough. The last thing
they needed to do was to rush headlong into a situation unprepared, only to
find the odds stacked against them.

This situation called for patience, and he had to dig deep in order to
pull it to the surface. He was gripped by an almost overwhelming feeling of
urgency to deal with Alexander before Aviva had the chance to tell him what had
happened to her while she was held captive. Whenever his mind touched on the
myriad possibilities of what she might have gone through, his rage intensified.

“I hear you. When can we expect an update?”

“I have some guys working on it even as we speak. They'll report back
to me when they have something.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate all you're doing,” Jason told his brother,
his earlier hostility forgotten.

“There's no need for thanks. You're our brother, and this is what
being a part of this family means.”

“Yeah, I know. You guys keep telling me that.”

“So how long's it going to take before you believe it?”

“When I know, all of you will be the first people I tell. How’s that?”
Jason replied sarcastically but his voice was devoid of its usual heat. Jason
edged to the side of the window he had been looking out of, and surreptitiously
moved the heavy drapes aside, in order to get a clearer view of what was going
on in the street below.

It was one of those typical late fall days in London. It was raining,
and the view from the window overlooked Hyde Park; a sprawling vista of open
land that both tourist and Londoners enjoy year round. This late in the fall,
the park's fauna was shrouded in varying shades of green, crimson and gold. It
would have been a glorious sight if the rain ever stopped falling. But by the
looks of the angry sky, it had no intentions of complying.

People scurried along the sidewalk outside, bent on reaching their
destination as quickly as possible to get out of the deluge. Many umbrellas
were in evidence, so much so that they almost formed one huge canopy under
which everyone sheltered. Most of the umbrellas were black which only added to
the gloomy outlook. The people who had no such protection had their heads bent
and upturned collars, an attempt to keep out the relentless fall of the rain.
Some huddled under bus stops awaiting their bus and others just for shelter.

There was only one person who seemed out of place, without purpose. It
was this man who captured Jason's attention. This was the third time he had
seen him since he had been looking out the window.

The man walked aimlessly up and down the street, attempting to blend
into his surroundings. While some people caught in the rain scurried along in
their haste for shelter, this man kept disappearing, only to reappear minutes
later. His surreptitious looks at the hotel a sure sign he was on the look-out
for something or someone.

Jason glanced behind himself to see that Josh had taken a seat and was
flicking through a magazine, while Jake was busy texting on his phone.

“Is that idiot with rain dripping off his nose one of yours?” Jason
asked as he turned back to watch the man who now used the crease of his elbow
to wipe at his face.

“If he was one of ours, you wouldn't be asking me that question. Josh,
why don’t you go check that out.” Before the request had completely left his
mouth, Josh was on the move.

“I'm on it. What's he wearing?”

Jake slipped his
cell into the pocket of his pants and joined Jason at the
opposite side of the window, taking
precautions not to be seen by their watcher as he too pulled back the side of
the drape and stared out.

As he had already had an image of the drenched fool firmly stamped in
his mind, Jason rattled off his description as Josh headed for the door.

The brothers remained at the window in silence, watching as the man
again disappeared from sight. Minutes later, Josh appeared dressed in a long
raincoat and a black fedora hat pulled low over his eyes. He calmly walked up
to the crossing, waited for the signal to turn green before strolling across
the road, in the direction of the watcher, who was once again coming into view.
As the men passed each other face to face, Josh did an abrupt turn and grabbed
hold of the man's neck. To anyone who might have observed the move, it appeared
that they were acquaintances. Whatever he said to the man he held by the nape
of the neck was enough for him to walk as though glued to Josh's side.

Without taking his eyes from the pair now standing by the crossing,
Jason could see Josh chatting away as though to a long lost friend. The
stranger looked more and more like a terrified, waterlogged rat with each
passing second. The brothers watched the two men closely until they disappeared
from sight.

“Where's he taking him?” Jason asked, curious as to where Josh could
take the inept lookout for questioning. He knew without having to voice it that
he was not being brought to the suite.

“He's taking him to the
cell
.”

“Where might that be, if you don't mind me asking?”

“It's a little place Josh and I have at each hotel where we can take
anyone who needs a bit of a talking to. You'd be surprised at how much use that
room gets.”

Jason snorted in response to Jake's summation. He had long ago
realized that the trapping of wealth didn't negate baser human traits. “Would I
now? By the way, does your father know what you two get up to?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The
cell
...”

“We told you before, our father knows exactly what he needs to know,
and right now, you should be thanking God that we're doing what we do.”

“Yeah, and you're not about to let me forget, right?”

“That's not what I meant and you know it. Why do you twist the things I
say?

“You know you sound like a whining bitch, right?” Jason told him with
scorn in his eyes.

Jake realized what was going on with Jason. Walking back to the couch,
Jake retook his seat and stared at his brother as he began to pace, a scowl
marring his ruggedly handsome face.

“You couldn't help what happened, Jason.”

“What?”

“I said you had no way of preventing what happened in New York.”

“Didn't I? I'm the one who was so busy making plans for the future
with the woman I love that I very nearly allowed there to be no future. No more
Aviva.

“I know what those men are capable of. I knew they were out there,
waiting, always waiting for an opportunity to get to me before I got to them. I
was so close yet I allowed myself to get distracted.” As he spoke, Jason kept
running his hands through his short hair, dragging his palms across the stubble
of his chin, prowling, becoming more and more agitated.

“Take it easy, Jason.”

Jake sat up straighter in his seat, ready to counteract Jason's next
move. He had come to realize that when his brother was like this, he could do
anything. He could also move very quickly, and Jake wasn't about to bear the
brunt of his frustrations if he decided that he needed a punching bag. At
Jake's word, Jason stopped in his tracks, turned and started walking towards
him, scowl still in place. Jake tensed, muscles hardening, ready for an
onslaught. It never came.

Jason walked over to the sofa on which Jake sat and dropped down
beside him. Resting his elbows on his splayed knees he clasped his hands, and
bowed his head, staring down at the carpeted floor.

“I'm scared, Jake. Scared that she'll never forgive me for what I
allowed to happen to her. What if they hurt her so badly that she never gets
over it? What if they...what if they raped her, Jake? What do I do then? How
will I make them pay? How will I make them suffer enough to be sorry their
whore of a mother ever gave birth to their rancid existence?” By the end of his
tirade, Jason’s knuckles were white and sweat had broken out on his forehead.
Jake could also see how the huge muscles in his arms trembled as he fought to
suppress his rage.

“We don't know what they did to her, and until we do, we need to
believe that they only held her captive. We need to believe that they didn't
hurt her.”

“Don't patronize me. I'm not a child. I was never a child! You saw her
last night. Is that the same women you remember? If it is, we saw something
very different, and God help me I almost don't want to know what she went
through. I don't know how to deal with what she went through because of me!”

Jake could feel the pain flowing from his twin, pulling him into his
distress. His nature was such that he wanted to lessen Jason's hurt, but he
didn't know how. All he knew was he had to try, so he began speaking in a low
placating voice.

“I know you're hurting. I probably can't even begin to imagine how
much, but you need to keep calm. Whatever happened to Aviva while she was with
those men, and I pray it’s nothing close to what's running through your mind, but
you still need to remain calm. Jason, even if your deepest musing become a
reality; she's going to need your strength to get through this.”

“I know, but how do
I
get through this, knowing I'm to blame.
If she had never met me, she wouldn't be laying in that room having gone
through what she has.” Jason told his brother with unshed tears in his dark
green eyes.

“You get through this second by second, minute by minute. You get
through this with the love and support of your family.”

“You also get through this with a promise from me,” Josh said from
inside the closed door.

Neither Jason nor Jake had heard him enter which gave testament to how
absorbed they had been in their conversation.