For Love and Vengeance (2 page)

Jason found the
road the hotel was located on without trouble. He was relatively sure he hadn't
been followed, however, he didn't know what to expect once he got inside.

Stopping at the
end of the street a few minutes later, he looked around to see if he could
detect anything amiss. He saw nothing or anybody that worried him. Sick of the
waiting game, he made his move. He had told Aviva he would come for her in
thirty minutes and his time was up. He was going in to get her.

Parking the bike
outside the hotel, he removed his helmet and strode up to the front door of the
rundown hotel. Ringing the bell, he waited for a response, all the while
conscious of his surroundings. The seemingly deserted street, the yellow glow
of the street lamps and the lack of other vehicles passing along the road.

Ringing the bell
the hotel door was opened by a middle aged woman who smiled politely at him.
Jason gave her his most charming smile as he informed her he was there to pick
up the lady in room five. The woman's expression remained blank as she opened
the door wider for him to come inside.

“Wait here,
please.” The older woman told him as she made her way up the shabby stairs to
alert Aviva of his arrival, or so he hoped. His senses, still on high alert,
could detect nothing out of the ordinary. Moments later, the sounds of
footsteps moving along the upper floor could be heard, followed closely by a
small figure coming into view.

Aviva stopped
halfway down the stairs, blinking rapidly as she took in Jason's presence.
There he stood, larger than life, in the dilapidated hallway, wearing a black
leather jacket and jeans. Aviva wanted to rush into his arms to feel his
reassuring embrace. But she didn't throw herself into his arms as she wanted to.
If she did, it would lead to questions that she wasn't ready to answer.

From her initial
reaction, Jason was sure she was pleased to see him, but in the passing of
seconds, something changed. Well, if she wouldn't come to him, he’d go to her. Where
she was concerned, his pride was nonexistent. Readying himself for movement, he
was stopped by her words.

“No! Wait, don't
come up. I'm coming down…we need to get out of here.”

“Angel, are you
okay? I missed you.”

“I'm fine, Jason.
I missed you too,” Aviva replied as she once more started walking down the stairs,
doing her best to ensure she kept her movements as smooth as possible.

“So can I get a
hug or a kiss or something? Anything?”

“Not now,
Jason...please, let’s just get out of here.”

“Do they know
you're here? Is that what’s wrong?” Jason immediately began looking around for
signs of possible danger he may have missed. All seemed quiet and his senses weren't
reacting to anything untoward. But her behavior told him something was very
wrong.

“Nobody knows I'm
here. I covered my tracks pretty well, I think.” Reaching the bottom of the
stairs, Jason stood blocking her path. She didn't want him to touch her, it
would hurt too much, but she could see from the expression on his face, if she
didn't take control of the situation he would. Standing on her toes, she
supported herself with one hand against his chest, and softly kissed his lips,
pulling back abruptly as his hands began moving towards her.

“Now can we
please get out of here?”

Although the
situation in which they found themselves was extremely bizarre, Jason felt as
though something else was wrong. Her reaction to his presence disturbed him. He
just didn’t know what that something was, but he could feel that it surrounded
them both.

“Okay, let’s go.
Put this on.”

Holding the
jacket at the ready to assist her, Jason waited for her to slip her arms into
the openings. Aviva eyed the garment, knowing that if she complied, it would
bring her into too close a proximity with him. Snatching the jacket from his
relaxed grip, she somehow managed to hold in her reactions to what the sudden
move had cost her. Turning her back to him, she bit down on her lower lip. Perspiration
dotted her forehead as she slipped into the protective clothing.

“Now can we go?” she
asked, her back still turned towards him, attempting to bring her breathing
back under control, while surreptitiously passing a hand over her brow to wipe
away all traces of her perspiration.

“Is the bill
taken care of, Aviva?”

“Yes…everything has
been taken care of. Please, let’s just get out of here!”

Jason walked to
the front door in silence. This wasn't how he had envisaged this meeting. She
was in pain and foolishly thought she could hide it from him. They had hurt her
and she didn't want him to know. But her pain had been evident from the moment
he saw her walking down the stairs.

“As you can see,
I’m riding a motorbike. Are you think you're going to be alright riding
pillion?” he asked as they both made their way outside.

“Of course...is
that it?” Aviva said, her gaze transfixed on the monster machine standing
before her. She’d never ridden on a motorbike before, and in all honesty, she
didn't really want to start now.

“You’re sure you
know how to drive this thing?”

“Are you calling
me a pussy who can't control a bike?” Jason was amused. She had just insulted
him and didn’t even realize it.

“What are you
talking about? I said no…” Whatever else she had to say faded away into mumbles
as Jason pushed the spare helmet over her head, and moved it around to ensure
it was secure. When he looked back at her face, she was in mid eye roll, so he
flipped down the visor, cutting her off. He was definitely pissed off, but was
unsure if it was at himself or her seeming lack of trust in him. It was quite
possibly a mixture of the two, however now was not the time to decipher which
feeling took prominence.

Flinging a long
leg over the bike, Jason told her to get on behind him. As she tentatively
positioned herself behind him, he used his cell to make the call Jake was
expecting. Disconnecting, Jason pulled on his own helmet and engaged the
ignition.

“Hold on to my
waist,” he instructed. Her hesitation riling him even further.

“Aviva, you need
to hold on to me if you don't want to fly off the end of this machine.”

Slowly, Jason
felt her arms move against the side of his body, sneaking around his waist. At
her earlier aversion to touching him, he was surprised when she didn't just
clasp his jacket, rather she pressed her chest against his back and took hold
of her wrists which she held clasped tightly against his chest.

What the hell was
going on with her? One minute she didn't want to touch him and the next she was
pressed up against him so tight he could feel the contours of her breasts even
through the thickness of both their jackets.

Switching his
mind back to getting her to safety, Jason looked up and down the street,
ensuring it was safe before pulling out into the road. He could feel her
shaking, and he didn't know why. So for the sake of his sanity, he decided it
was due to her nerves at being on the back of the powerful motorbike.

The London
traffic was a mess of black cabs, double-decker buses and a myriad of other
vehicles confined in a very small space, all driving on the wrong side of the
road. Even so, it didn't take them long to get back to the hotel. Jason noticed
a large truck nearing the turn he needed to get to the back of the hotel for
Aviva's drop off point. Increasing the throttle, weaving into the traffic, he
slipped behind the truck, which obscured them from anyone who might still be
watching the front of the hotel. Making a sharp left turn, he felt Aviva
tighten her grip, probably worried she’d be unseated.

As soon as he
turned the corner, he began to slow the bike, unsure of the exact location of
the door he needed. Jake stepped out of the shadows and Jason came to a halt
beside him, nodding his head in acknowledgment of Jake’s inquiring look. All
had gone to plan.

Aviva sat staring
at Jake. She was happy to see him but her helmet hid that fact. She was also
glad that Jason hadn't been alone while she was gone. He might not be willing
to admit it, but she was sure they had been of comfort and help to him.

“Go with Jake, Aviva.
I'll be up in a little while,” Jason said, flipping up his visor so she could
hear him.

Doing the same to
her own helmet, Aviva had no intention of following that instruction without
comment. “Why do I need to go with him? Where are you going? What are you going
to do?”

“Just go with
Jake. I'll be up in a little while.” Jason didn’t want to waste time with long,
drawn out explanations while they were exposed in a back alley.

Aviva started to
panic. Why was he being so evasive? Did he have some mad scheme of going after
the men who had held her captive? Well, Jake could get stuffed! She wasn't
going anywhere without Jason.

“No!”

“What?”

“I said, no.”
Aviva watched as Jason's head dropped forward at her monosyllabic response.
Well, he only had himself to blame, she thought. She’d learned this way of
answering from a master...him.

He immediately
recognized himself in her reply, but he didn't have the time or the privacy to
deal with it. She still clutched him tightly one hand, and her body was still
pressed so tightly against him he could feel that she’d begun to tremble again.
He also knew that if he wanted her to do as he asked without bodily picking her
up and placing her in Jake's arms, he would have to say something to allay her
fears. Jason didn't like this newfound lack of trust she was exhibiting but to
expedite the situation, he decided on the truth. After all, he had nothing to
hide.

“This is the plan
we agreed on before I came to get you. You get dropped off here, where it's
safe and I drive the bike through the front entrance of the garage, alone. If
someone's watching us, they'll be none the wiser that you're here.”

“Well, why didn’t
you say so from the beginning?!” Aviva said, releasing her death grip on
Jason's waist, shifting backwards in her seat until she was in a position to
gingerly swing her leg over the side of the bike to gain her footing.

Not wanting any
more delays in getting her to safety, Jason decided to agree with anything she
said. “I know, Angel, you're right. I should have just told you in the first
place.”

“You got that
right. That would have saved us from having this inane conversation,” Jake
muttered under his breath.

Reaching out for
her, Jake was shocked when she pulled violently away from his touch. “I didn't
mean to offend you with my words. I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you I'm glad
you're back.”

“You didn't,
offend me that is. Just, please don't touch me.”

“Okay, whatever
you want. This way, please.” Hurt reflected in his eyes by her words, Jake held
out his hand, indicating the open door. With a nod of her head, Aviva gave
Jason one last glance before she disappeared inside with Jake following behind.

Jason wasted no
time turning the motorcycle and heading back towards the road. He wasn't
interested in who, if anyone, was watching him. Aviva was safely inside the
hotel and all that was left for him to do was to follow through with their ruse
and get back to her. He had questions that needed answers. Then he had business
to conduct.

Aviva insisted on waiting for Jason’s arrival in the garage, so they
all made their way back to the suite together. Jason opened the door, Aviva
passed through and all three brothers followed her into the room. Looking
around at her surroundings, she saw the type of expensive décor she had started
associating with these men of wealth.

It was a beautiful, high-ceilinged room, wallpapered in a soft grey-blue
hue with white, clean moldings. The large curtained windows nearly took up a
whole wall. Large sofas sat on either side of the space in a deeper shade of
the color that adorned the walls. Gold framed mirrors and paintings of the
English countryside hung on the walls, adding to the room’s opulence. The surprising
color for Aviva was the accent color. The lampshades and a few scattered
cushions were a dusky pink, and it worked beautifully.

Jake was the first to break the silence, knowing the couple had much
to discuss, and while he was curious as to what had happened to her, he knew
they needed to be alone, to begin the healing process. He couldn't begin to
understand what she had been through as they had worked ceaselessly to locate
her. He was sure, no matter his imaginings, the reality was ten times worse.

Looking over at his younger brother, he inclined his head towards the
door, indicating that they should leave, and give the couple time alone.
Without hesitation, Josh reached for the door handle to lead the way out.

“We're going to leave you two alone,” Jake spoke softly, acutely aware
of the tension being emitted from Jason and Aviva. “Aviva, it’s good to have
you back.”

“I'll second that. I missed you, and I'm glad you're back with
us…where you belong,” Josh said with a smile.

Looking over at the men standing by the door, Aviva felt the need to
say something to them that would express how she felt about what they had done
for her. What they had done for Jason. Yet somehow the words wouldn't come.
They stayed locked inside her, emotion shining in her eyes. Soon, very soon, she
would find the words to let them know how much she appreciated them. Only she
couldn't do it now. There were still too many emotions coursing through her.

A new thought ran through Aviva’s mind at how she had gotten so lucky
to have these strong men care so much about her. It was overwhelming and at the
same time humbling. That line of thought increased her level of emotional
turmoil. She wanted to at least smile to reassure them, to thank them without
words, but she was unable to carry out even so simple an act.

Pulling away from the stripped back emotions in her eyes, Josh looked
at his older brother but Jason's attention was solely directed on Aviva.
Bidding them goodnight, Josh and Jake exited the room unnoticed by the other
two occupants.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aviva had Jason's complete attention. It had been over a week since he
had last put her into the taxi to go shopping. He remembered the feeling of
disquiet lingering over him. His reluctance to say goodbye. Unaware that at the
end of the day he would be involved in a desperate race against time to trace her
location.

Looking at the face he never doubted he would see again, he couldn't
help but register the changes. One of the things that had attracted him to her almost
from the moment of their meeting was her vitality for life. It had shone out of
her, capturing his attention. Now in the space of eight days that zest for life
appeared to have been extinguished.

The missing spark broke Jason's heart and he felt tremendous guilt for
the part he had inadvertently played in her kidnapping. He knew they had hurt
her, and for that they would pay. But in that moment, all he wanted was a way
to get through to his woman…the same one he knew a little over a week ago. He
realized it would take time and he would gladly give it, whatever she needed to
heal, as long as it was within his power, it was hers. Jason acknowledged that probably
the greatest gift he could probably give her was rest in the assurance that she
was safe.

“What do you need, Angel?”

Aviva didn't look across at Jason as her barely audible response
gently brushed his hearing. “I need a shower, and then I just want to sleep.”

Jason walked towards her, his steps unhurried, unwilling to spook her.
Coming to a stop at her side, he held out his hand and waited for her to take
it, but the contact never came. Her hands remained hanging at her sides, balled
into small fists, as her body swayed from side to side.

Jason moved to take her in his arms, needing to offer what support he
could. But she moved away from his reach, avoiding contact.

Extending his arm, he indicated the way to the bedroom he had been
using, his gaze sharp should she need his help. “The bedroom is this way.”

Gradually her head rose, following the direction of his extended hand.
One dragging step at a time, Aviva made slow progress towards the bedroom,
followed closely by a watchful Jason. She needed to reach the confines of the
room quickly. She needed to get away from him before she fell apart.

Aviva knew with a certainty that if she allowed Jason to coddle her,
she would lose the control she was only managing to hold on to by will alone.
All it would take was one touch for her to fall apart and begin bawling like a
baby. She needed to hold onto her dignity for as long as she could. She knew
that if she gave in to her emotions, her crying would turn into a hysterical
breakdown.

With tears pooling her eyes, Aviva kept moving towards the bedroom
with an ever increasing feeling of urgency. Reaching for the handle of the
door, she turned it, pushed it open and stepped inside, acutely aware of
Jason's proximity.

Turning towards a waiting Jason, a rush of words at the ready, Aviva
saw that he remained immobile. He hadn't taken even a step to accompany her
inside the bedroom. The words froze in her throat. Lowering her eyes, she was
unable to meet his gaze.

“It's okay, Angel. You go on and do whatever you need to do. If you
need me, call me. I'll be right here. I won't leave you alone. I'll never leave
you.”

Aviva felt shame at her inability to reach out to this compassionate
man. Her mind kept returning to the nightmarish days and nights she had spent
in captivity, wishing for just this moment. People had lost their lives right
before her eyes, people she had come to know, only to suffer at their betrayal.
Yet something prevented her from allowing him near.

“I'm sorry...I just need some time. I just need to be alone for...a
while.”

“It's okay, Angel. I understand. I'll be right here when you need me,”
Jason assured her, looking down at her bent head as she still refused to meet
his eyes. “Go on, and do what you need to do to feel better.”

Taking hesitant steps backwards, Aviva moved further into the confines
of the room. She could still feel the penetration of Jason's eyes, willing her
to look up at him, but she couldn't do it. So she closed her eyes, much like a
child who believed that if they couldn't see someone, the other person also
couldn't see them. With her eyes still closed, she finally heard the bedroom
door shut as Jason withdrew to give her the privacy she'd requested.

Lifting her head at last, Aviva took in her surroundings. The room was
unlike any hotel room she had ever stayed in. After all the darkness that had
been her constant companion for the past eight days; all the bright colors of
the décor should have been a relief, yet it grated on her nerves. It was so
impersonal that she longed for the familiar. Her studio in New York or Jason's
bedroom that she had begun to think of as home.

Even in her emotionally exhausted state, Aviva could appreciate her
surroundings on a peripheral level, but the opulence, only contributed to her
disquiet.

In their dreams of love and romance, little girls nearly always
imagined that the man they would fall in love with would be able to furnish
them with all that was currently displayed before her. But at what price? They
never thought that there might be a price to pay. She was the proof that
everything came with a price.

He may love you, he may be willing to shower you with all that she
desired, but in the end, what was the actual price you might be asked to pay.
Could it be your integrity or could it be your sanity? Maybe even both. Aviva
was no longer certain.

Her only certainty at that moment was she would have to live with what
had been done to her. The degradation she had suffered at the hands of
unscrupulous men. Her mind traveled back to her uncertainty of weeks ago. Back
when she wondered whether she could ever fully reconcile what Jason had done to
those who had wronged him and those he loved. She could, she understood that now.

The bedroom contained many identical doors. Aviva was unsure which one
would lead to the bathroom. All she really wanted was to cleanse herself and sleep.
Hopefully, oblivion would give her some respite from the constant horrors
rushing around her head.

Opening the first door she came to, she was confronted by a display of
men’s clothing, obviously Jason's closet. Reaching in, she buried her nose into
the hanging garments to take in his scent. Inhaling, she allowed the familiar
to wash over her. She had missed the smell of him. She had tried to conjure up
its familiarity to give her comfort when she needed it most, but she could
never quite get it right.

Selecting a shirt, Aviva withdrew it from the closet and held it
against her nose as she closed her eyes and inhaled again. Satisfied, she
opened her eyes and moved on. Opening another door, she found what she was
looking for, the bathroom.

Dropping the shirt on a nearby chair, she discarded her garments one
at a time, pain shooting through her body with each movement. Standing before
the large gilt framed mirror, she slowly raised her eyes to take in her image.
She hardly recognized the reflection that stared back at her. The body was
familiar, only thinner. The great thighs of China still remained but they too
had been diminished.

The most telling change, however, were her eyes. They were now hollow,
empty and afraid. If all this was so apparent to her, what had Jason and his
brothers detected? Lacking the energy to process her thoughts further, Aviva
moved across the expanse of marbled flooring toward the huge shower. Stepping
in, she adjusted the dials until the temperature gauge was set to her liking.
Hot, as hot as her body could take it, subconsciously associating the heat as a
means of washing away her degradation.

As the hot water cascaded down her body, Aviva suddenly lost the
ability to support her own weight. Sinking to her knees, she allowed the
overheated water to flow over her. But it wasn't enough. Reaching up, she
adjusted the flow. She needed a torrent. Plopping down on her backside, she
bowed her head, her hands in her lap. Only then did she permit the tears to
come. She was safe. Jason was on the other side of the door. Even though she
had shut him out, refusing to give him access to her overabundance of emotions,
she could still feel his presence. She needed this time alone. Tomorrow would
be soon enough to have to cope with all the questions that were reflected in
his eyes. At last she was safe, so she allowed the terror she had endured to
surface and pour out – he was on the other side of the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jason waited until he heard the sound of the water within the shower
before he ventured into the bedroom, unable to remain outside. If ever someone
needed him, it was his angel. But he knew he had to respect her wishes by
giving her the space she thought she needed. She had a very big lesson in
store, one that he would make sure she learned and never forgot. There was
nothing she needed to be ashamed of with him, nor hide or keep secret.

He had survived some of the most traumatic experiences any human being
could endure. Yet here he was, and when he had admitted them out loud, his
beginnings and his crime, she had still given him her love. How could he do
anything less?

Giving her his love was his greatest pleasure. He was amongst the
lucky few to find the total acceptance he had unknowingly been searching for
all his life and somehow, in his undeserving existence, it had been granted to
him. He had found his angel.

How could he do anything other than fight for her, cherish her no
matter the odds? So Jason watched Aviva, unobserved through the mist covered
enclosure of the shower, as she sat under the spray of the water. He gave her
solitude yet was ready to step in if he was needed.

Jason lost track of time while he stood as sentinel, listening to her
cry out her anguish until he saw her reach for the dial of the shower and the
deluge began to dissipate a little at a time. That was his cue to withdraw lest
she became aware of his presence. Moving away from his post, he retreated on
silent feet, back into the sitting area, hovering near the door that separated
them.

He heard all her movements. In his mind’s eye, he could see her step
from the stall, reach for one of the fluffy white Kingdom monogrammed towels
and wrap it around her body. A body that he longed to enfold in his arms as he
had imagined doing every hour of every day that she had been away from him. He
heard her squeeze out lotion from the selection he had made sure was provided
for her, never doubting that she would be using it. He saw her hands gliding
over her chocolate-colored skin, up and down, around and around as he had
watched her do every night that they had been together. Jason also imagined he
heard the fabric of the shirt, his shirt that was laying on a chair in
readiness, settle against her skin, his scent surrounding her, wishing he were
in its place.