Ugly Beast pressed the remote, and this was the camera inside the bank. It showed Ava waiting in line and then taking a brown envelope from the woman behind the desk.
“Ava’s not Creed’s accomplice,” Ugly Beast. “I don’t know who took those pictures, but it wasn’t her.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Raven said. “We can see it.”
“No!” Ugly Beast said. “Ava’s not like that. My wife made me realize it, which is why I decided to go to the source. Ava’s innocent, Smokey. She’s not an accomplice. Creed’s messing with your head, and looking at the way he worked her, he did this on purpose so you’d hurt her.”
“Fuck, I left those bitches alone with her.” Raven turned to leave, but Smokey was on his feet, charging out of the room and rushing toward the basement.
He was too late. The undeniable sound of bones breaking filled his ears.
He got to the basement. They’d pulled Ava from the chair. Two of the women held her down while the other brought the hammer down on her hand. Her hand was broken. The hammer was raised again.
“Stop!” His voice echoed around the room. The ramifications of what he’d done rushed through him.
“Get away from her,” he said.
The moment they were away, Ava curled up into a ball.
Smokey knew the club was at his back. Running a hand down his face, he couldn’t believe what he’d done. He went to her side, and as he tried to pull her into his arms, she screamed, trying to get away from him.
She was soaked with blood. “Don’t you touch me.”
“Ava, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s a trick. Leave me alone.”
He had no idea what to say.
“I want to go home. I won’t ever come near you again. I promise. I just want to go home. It’s safe there.”
His heart broke.
The woman with the sweet smile was gone. He’d broken the only good thing in his world.
Chapter Ten
Ava couldn’t recall exactly how she got out of hell, only that she somehow did. She couldn’t stop crying even as Hanson drove her to the hospital. He was the only one who hadn’t been close to her.
She had asked for Abriana, but she was still taking driving lessons.
Hanson looked nervous, and she ignored it, preferring to stare out the window. He’d been with her when she’d walked into the emergency room reception. Doctors and nurses had tried to separate them to get her to talk. She lied, blatantly. Falling down the stairs, and a bowling ball had fallen on her hand.
“How are you?” Hanson asked.
She turned her head to look at him. One eye was completely swollen shut. She had a hand crushed, a couple of bruised lips, a split lip, along with a stab wound in her thigh. Not to mention several cuts to her arms and back. When Raven had left, the club whores had really gone to town on her.
Ava had a feeling Raven had been holding back, but the woman could punch.
“Stupid question.”
“Just take me home.”
“Smokey didn’t mean it.”
“Don’t.” The last thing she wanted to hear was his name right now. He hadn’t lifted a single finger, but what he’d said had hurt in ways she didn’t think was possible. She knew he was a monster. Had accepted him for it, but she didn’t realize the level he’d go to. He hadn’t once considered her innocence. All he’d seen was her guilt, but she hadn’t had anything to do with any Creed.
“I know you’re hurting right now.”
“Hanson,” she said, pressing her lips together to try to contain her sobs. “We don’t know each other that well, but I’d really appreciate it if you were quiet. I was dragged from my bakery, hit, beaten, tied up, stabbed, and I just … no. Okay? Just no.”
Tears leaked down her face, and she swiped at her cheek. The one that was still good. The other had a giant bandage over it to help heal her other eye.
She took a deep breath, counting in her head. She wouldn’t break. Not in front of him.
It felt like a lifetime before he pulled up outside of her house, but not a whole lot of time had passed. It was dark now. Raven, Kinky, and Brick had gotten her during a lull. The moment Hanson parked, she climbed out of his car. She heard him park and leave the vehicle.
“You don’t have to do anything more,” she said. “I’m perfectly fine. Thank you.”
“Please, Smokey asked me to take care of you.”
“I don’t want you to take care of me. I don’t want any of you or your club near me again. Get out, or I will call the police.”
She reached into her jeans pocket and retrieved her key. Sliding it into the lock, she closed the door with a slam and flicked the lock right back into place.