Tragic Beauty (Beauty & The Darkness #1)(40)

I rush up to Buck and grab his arm. “Stop this.”

“If any man’s got this coming, Ava, it’s Shayne. Let him—”

“No—no, you don’t understand!”

I watch Shayne stagger and fall out of Gavin’s grip to the ground. Gavin sways, hands on his knees, and wipes at a cut near his eyebrow, the blood dripping down his face.

By the way Gavin takes a step back, I think maybe he’s getting ready to walk away, but he closes in on Shayne again, grabs him by the collar and yanks him to his knees. Gavin lines him up and closes his fist. And then I know what’s coming. One perfect shot to the nose and bone would splinter into Shayne’s brain. My life would be free again, but Gavin’s would be over.

I rush between them, blocking Gavin’s way.

“Move, Ava!”

“No! I won’t let you do this! It’s your life, Gavin! He’s not worth it.” I grip his sweatshirt, the words tearing my throat up, tearing me up. “Gavin! Look at me! Look at me, please!” His wild eyes finally settle on mine. “He’s not worth it.”

Gavin staggers, his face suddenly weary. “No, Ava. He’s not worth it. But you are.”

“Gavin,” I choke, and the tears start pouring down my face.

His expression softens, to one of longing and despair.

Slowly, I reach back and uncurl Gavin’s bloodied fingers from Shayne’s collar. Instantly, Shayne’s body falls to the ground, and his guys rush over to him. I pull Gavin off to the side while quiet murmurs ripple through the crowd.

I reach up and dab at the bloody cut on his eyebrow with the sleeve of my dress, knowing this is all my fault. If I hadn’t gone out searching that night—if I hadn’t broken the deal…

Gavin takes my hand from his face, gently avoiding my wrists, and presses my fingers against his bruised lips. “Come back with me, Ava.”

I have to look away. I can’t see the pleading in his eyes.

“I can’t. Please—”

“You can! All you have to do is leave with me now. We can get your marriage annulled. We can send him to jail. All we have to do is show a judge your…wrists.” His voice cracks on the last word and he reaches up and strokes my cheek. “Please. Let me take care of you. I’ll do whatever it takes. Look, I know we just barely met, but I’ve never felt this way for anyone before. Do you hear me? Not even close. I want you in my life, somehow, some way. Please, Ava.”

There’s a path I see before me through the haze. One where I leave with him, let him take me away from the hell that threatens to break me. But the hell won’t stay behind. It’ll come find us. Shayne would come after me, after him. Even if he did go to jail, he’d get out eventually. And he would do whatever it took to destroy Gavin, and everything Gavin holds dear. His family. His career. His life. Not only that, there are three precious horses that would suffer. And then there’s Ben. I have no doubt Shayne would hold true to all his threats he made earlier today in front of the chapel.

But by the look in Gavin’s eyes right now, he won’t hear any of it. He’ll only see the now, see the black and white of the chaos around us. And no matter how much I plead with him, he’ll only push harder. So I have to do something else. Something that will hurt a thousand times worse then what Shayne put me through earlier.

I swallow hard, then pull myself from Gavin’s grip and step back. “No,” I say, coldly.

He blinks. “What do you mean, no?” His face twists with rage. “You’re going to stay with this fuck?”

“I’m his wife,” I reply, the words turning my stomach.

“Don’t give me that crap!” he shouts, pointing a finger at me. “You have a choice, here and now, Ava, and you’re going to pick him over me?”

There’s a lump in my throat as I nod my head.

Gavin shifts on his feet, as though needing to find balance. Off to the side, I see Shayne coming around and staggering to his feet with the help of his guys. He looks over my way, his face covered in blood, looking strangely vulnerable. The crowd still surrounds us, staring as though we’re the main attraction now. I hear the click of cell phones taking pictures and cringe when I think of all the media hell Gavin’s going to suffer through.

“Ava.” Gavin’s voice turns soft and he steps in close.

I shake my head and try to step back, but his bloody hands glide up and cradle my face, keeping me in place. “What does he have over you? It can’t be just about paying a debt, can it?”

I try to look away, but he won’t let me.

“Tell me,” he whispers.

I swallow down the scratches in my throat, giving myself time to search for words. I want to tell him everything, but he won’t get it. He’ll think there’s an easy way out of this, when there isn’t. Maybe we’ll steal some time and be happy, but just when we think we’re in the clear, Shayne will come and shatter everything.

Everything.

And so I gather up all the words I can, and lie.

“I don’t want you,” I hiss, yanking back from his touch, feeling my heart crack wide open as he staggers on his feet, like I’ve punched him. “It was one night. One night! I was supposed to be a fling, remember? Why can’t you leave it that?” I’m yelling now, hoarsely, with rage and fury and despair, not at him, but at my life, at all the fucked up things that have led me to have to put this poor, beautiful man through this. “Why’d you have to come here? Why can’t you leave me alone? Just go! Just go and never come back!”