“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I glare at her, and I can see she’s desperate to know what the fuck’s gotten into me. I motion to my bathroom. “I’m busy, Sarah.”

Her eyes drift across to the door, where I suspect Ava is beyond having a full-blown meltdown, full of regret. But why? And why the fuck did Sarah have to interrupt and give Ava that time to backpedal?

“Oh, I see.” Sarah smiles. She thinks I’ve got one of the ladies of The Manor in there. Good. “See you later.” She closes the door, and my head goes straight back into my hands.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

My body heavy, I drag my feet to the bathroom. I can turn this around. Talk to her. Ask her what’s going through her mind. Reassure her. Get her back to where we both want to be. I feel my body reheating with that unfathomable rage.

Because of Sarah.

Fucking hell, Ward, keep your cool. Approach carefully.

I swallow and knock on the door. “Ava?” My voice is gruff, sounding a bit impatient. So, not surprisingly, she doesn’t answer. I close my eyes and try to reset, try to find some calm.

And then I hear the door lock click, and my hands are out before I’ve even registered they’ve moved, shoving the door open, my body naturally filling the doorway. Instinct.

She glances past me, probably checking the coast is clear, as I wonder where the fuck she got the willpower to abandon that moment because I couldn’t have, not for anything. Her pretty face looks at me in contempt, and I’m absolutely stunned by it. She pushes past me aggressively, and my body turns, following her path.

“Where the hell are you going?” I blurt without thought.

She ignores me, snatching up her bag and hurrying out of my suite. What the fuck? Nothing? No explanation? No words at all? After all that, she’s really going to leave without talking about this? My face must be expressing the incredulity I’m feeling, my forehead heavy as fuck from my confused frown. “Fuck,” I yell, snatching up my T-shirt, shoving my feet in my shoes, and grabbing the file she’s left, going after her. Not a fucking chance, lady. She doesn’t get to take me to heaven and then send me to hell. “Ava!” I bellow, flying out of the suite, wrestling with my T-shirt as I do.

I see her reach the bottom of the stairs, going into the bar. I’m down the steps in a few reckless leaps, wide-eyed members everywhere stopping and staring as I go.

I land in the bar, out of breath and disheveled, my fear escalating when I find Sarah crowding Ava near the bar. For fuck’s sake, didn’t she have someone to whip?