Chapter 5 - NO ONE TOUCHES THE BABY
Crowe aimed directly at Ava.
Marcus fired first.
The bullet struck the wall beside Crowe’s shoulder.
Crowe ducked and fired back.
Ava screamed and dropped behind the table with Noah.
Victor overturned a chair.
Daniel tackled Crowe.
The gun slid across the floor.
Crowe punched Daniel twice.
Marcus grabbed Crowe from behind.
Victor kicked the weapon away.
Ava crawled toward the corner, shielding Noah with her body.
The baby screamed.
Crowe broke free.
He lunged toward Ava.
Victor stepped between them.
Crowe stopped.
Victor’s voice was almost calm.
“Try it.”
Crowe stared at him.
“You don’t know what she is.”
“She’s a waitress holding a baby.”
“She’s leverage.”
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“Wrong answer.”
Crowe suddenly reached inside his coat.
Marcus slammed him against the wall.
Daniel grabbed Crowe’s wrist.
A small knife fell.
Victor stared at the blade.
Then at the man who had worked for him for fourteen years.
“You brought a knife into my dining room.”
Crowe laughed.
“You really think this is about you?”
Victor punched him.
Crowe collapsed.
Marcus cuffed his wrists.
Ava remained on the floor.
Daniel approached slowly.
“Is Noah hurt?”
“Don’t come closer.”
He stopped.
Ava checked Noah’s arms, head, face.
No blood.
No injury.
She kissed his forehead.
“You’re okay. Mommy’s here.”
Victor crouched several feet away.
“You both need to leave the city.”
Ava looked at him.
“I have nowhere to go.”
“You do now.”
She laughed once.
“You think I’m moving in with strangers because we have matching jewelry?”
Victor accepted the insult.
“There are people willing to shoot inside my restaurant to reach you.”
Ava looked toward Crowe.
He smiled from the floor.
That smile terrified her more than the gun.
“You still don’t understand,” Crowe said.
Marcus tightened the cuffs.
“Shut up.”
Crowe ignored him.
“Ava, ask your father why he really disappeared.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
Crowe laughed.
“Ask him who started the fire.”
Ava looked at Daniel.
Daniel didn’t answer.
“Dad?”
It was the first time she had called him that.
Everyone noticed.
Especially Daniel.
Ava’s voice dropped.
“Did you start that fire?”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“Yes.”
Victor lunged at him.
Marcus caught Victor.
Ava stared.
Three people had died.
Her mother had spent her life hiding.
Her childhood had been built on fear.
Daniel looked at her.
“I started the fire.”
Ava’s face went numb.
May you like
Then Daniel added the part that changed everything.
“But they were supposed to be dead before I lit it.”
