MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Sixty-Six: The Hunt Begins
---
The days after the letter were dark.
The house was a fortress. Guards at every gate. Cameras on every wall. Freya walked the perimeter every hour, her face sharp, her hand on her gun. Erdix was with her, silent, steady. They didn't talk. They didn't need to. They were watching. Waiting.
Mica worked through the nights. Her laptop was always open. Her fingers never stopped. Calix was beside her, his hand on her chair, his voice low. They tracked Ava's money, her movements, her people. The trail led from Manila to Singapore, from Singapore to Hong Kong, from Hong Kong to Europe. She was running. She was hiding. She was waiting.
"She has people everywhere," Mica said. "Soldiers. Weapons. Money. She's been planning this for years."
Jay stood at the map. The pins and strings were back. Ava's face was at the center. Her blonde hair. Her blue eyes. Her white dress. The woman who had stood beside Keifer at the altar. The woman who had watched Lyra die. The woman who wanted to destroy them all.
"Where is she now?" Jay asked.
Mica's fingers moved. "She was in Singapore three days ago. Then Hong Kong. Then—" She stopped. Her face went pale.
"What?" Keifer asked.
Mica looked up. "She's here. In Manila. She landed this morning. She's been here for hours."
---
The meeting was called.
The living room was full. Percy stood by the window, his face hard, his hands empty. Aries was beside him, their hand in his. Ci N was on the sofa, his phone in his pocket, his face cold. Felix was beside him. Care was with Cole, her face calm, her hands steady. Grace was with Denzel. Kit was with Mayo. Freya was with Erdix. Rakki was with Ci N. Ella was in the chair by the window, her hands folded, her face soft.
Alex was in the corner. Lyra's corner. His hands were in his pockets. His face was blank. His eyes were on the window where she used to watch. He had been there for days. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just waited.
Jay stood at the center. Keifer was beside her.
"Ava is in Manila," Jay said. "She's been here for hours. She's been waiting. She's been planning. And now she's ready to move."
Percy's face was hard. "Where is she?"
Mica's voice was steady. "She's at the old Watson house. The one where Keifer was going to marry her. She's been there since she arrived. She's waiting."
Keifer's hand tightened on Jay's. "She's waiting for us."
Jay nodded. "She wants to finish what she started. She wants revenge. She wants blood."
Alex stepped out of the corner. His face was pale. His hands were fists. "Then let's give it to her."
---
The old Watson house was dark when they arrived.
The sun was setting. The sky was red. The garden where Keifer had almost married Ava was dead. The flowers were brown. The grass was dry. The arch where they had stood was falling apart. The chairs were stacked against the wall. The white ribbons were gray with dust.
Jay stood at the gate. Keifer was beside her. Freya was behind her. Rakki was at the front. Ci N was with her, his face pale, his hands steady. Mayo and Kit were at the back. Grace and Denzel were at the side. Care was at the van, her medical bag open, her hands ready. Cole was beside her.
Mica's voice was in Jay's ear. "She's inside. Alone. She's waiting for you."
Jay's hand went to her knife. "Then let's not keep her waiting."
She walked through the gate.
---
The house was empty.
The rooms were dark. The walls were bare. The floors were dusty. The place where Keifer had grown up, the place where his father had died, the place where he had almost married a woman he didn't love. It was a ghost house. A memory. A wound that would not close.
Jay walked to the study. The room where Keizer had sat. The room where Yuri had saved Keifer's life. The room where Ava had waited.
She was there.
Ava was sitting in Keizer's chair. Her hair was blonde. Her eyes were blue. Her dress was black. She was holding a glass of wine. She looked like a queen. She looked like a ghost. She looked like nothing.
She looked up when Jay walked in. Her face was calm. Her eyes were cold.
"Jasper Jean Mariano Watson," Ava said. "I've been waiting for you."
Jay walked to the desk. Her knife was in her hand. Her face was calm. "You killed Lyra."
Ava's face didn't change. "Kiko killed Lyra. I just watched."
Jay's hand tightened on her knife. "You were there. You watched her die. You didn't try to stop it. You didn't try to help. You watched."
Ava stood up. Her glass was empty. Her hands were empty. "I watched. I wanted her to die. I wanted all of you to die. I wanted Keifer to suffer. I wanted him to know what it felt like to lose everything."
Keifer stepped forward. His face was pale. His hands were fists. "Why? Why did you do this? What did we ever do to you?"
Ava laughed. It was a cold sound. "What did you do to me? You chose her. You chose a woman who left you. Who broke your heart. Who walked away. And when she came back, you ran to her. You kissed her in front of me. You made me feel like nothing."
She walked toward him. Her face was close. Her eyes were burning. "I was supposed to be your wife. I was supposed to be the one you loved. The one you chose. The one you protected. But you chose her. You always chose her."
Keifer didn't move. "I never chose you. I never wanted you. I never loved you."
Ava's face twisted. "I know. I know you never loved me. I know you never wanted me. I know I was nothing to you. Just a tool. Just a way to save your company. Just a way to save yourself."
She stepped back. Her hands were shaking. "But I was going to make you love me. I was going to make you forget her. I was going to make you mine. And then she came back. She came back and you ran to her. You kissed her. You chose her. And I was nothing again."
Jay stepped forward. Her knife was at her side. "You killed Lyra. You killed my sister. You killed the woman who saved my life. And you're going to pay for it."
Ava smiled. It was a cold smile. "I'm not going to pay for anything. I'm going to watch you suffer. I'm going to watch you lose everything. Just like I did."
She pulled out a gun.
---
The shot came from the window.
Jay heard it before she saw it. The crack of glass. The whistle of air. The sound of something moving too fast, too close. She moved. She was in front of Keifer before she could think. Her body was between him and the gun. Her arms were open. Her face was calm.
But Alex was faster.
He was there before Jay could move. His body was between her and the gun. His arms were open. His face was blank.
The bullet hit him in the shoulder.
He fell. Jay caught him. His body was heavy. His face was pale. The blood was red on his white shirt, spreading fast, blooming like a flower.
"Alex!" Jay screamed.
He looked at her. His face was pale. His lips were moving. "For Lyra."
His eyes closed. His hand went limp.
"Alex!" Jay screamed. "Alex!"
---
Care was there.
She pushed Jay aside. Her hands were on Alex's shoulder. Her face was calm. Her voice was steady. "He's alive. The bullet went through. It missed his heart. He's going to be okay."
She looked at Ava. At the gun in her hand. At the woman who had killed Lyra. Who had shot Alex. Who had tried to destroy them all.
"You're going to pay for this," Care said.
Ava raised the gun. Her face was calm. "I'm not going to pay for anything."
The gun fired.
Care moved. She was faster than the bullet. Her knife was in her hand. Her face was calm. She threw it. The blade flew through the air. It hit Ava in the chest.
Ava fell. The gun fell. The blood was red on her black dress, spreading fast, blooming like a flower. Her eyes were open. Her hands were empty.
"You killed her," Care said. "You killed my sister. You killed my friend. You killed the woman who saved my life."
She walked to Ava. She stood over her. Her face was calm. Her hands were steady.
Ava looked up. Her face was pale. Her lips were moving. "She was nothing. She was always nothing."
Care knelt beside her. Her face was close. Her voice was low. "She was everything. She was more than you will ever be. She was more than you could ever imagine. And you killed her. You killed her and now you're going to die."
She pulled the knife from Ava's chest. Ava's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened. Her hands went to the wound. The blood was warm. It was everywhere.
Care stood up. Her hands were red. Her face was calm.
"That's for Lyra," Care said.
Ava's eyes closed. Her hand fell. Her chest was still.
---
The night was quiet.
The house was empty. The garden was dead. The arch was falling. The chairs were stacked. The ribbons were gray. Ava was gone. Kiko was gone. Keizer was gone. Yuri was gone. The war was over.
Jay stood at the gate. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. Care was behind them, her hands still red, her face calm. Cole was beside her, his arm around her, his face pale.
Alex was on a stretcher. His face was pale. His eyes were closed. His shoulder was bandaged. Care had saved him. She had saved them all.
"She's gone," Jay said. "Ava is gone. Kiko is gone. Keizer is gone. Yuri is gone. It's over."
Keifer pulled her close. His arms were around her. "It's over."
She held him. Her hands were shaking. Her face was wet. "Lyra. She's still gone. She's still—"
He kissed her forehead. "She's not gone. She's here. In our hearts. In our memories. In the corner where she used to stand. She's always here."
Jay looked at the house. At the garden. At the place where Lyra had died. At the place where she had saved them all.
"She saved us," Jay said. "She saved all of us."
Keifer held her. "She saved us."
---
The sun was rising when they left the old Watson house.
The sky was gold. The garden was dead. The arch was falling. The chairs were stacked. The ribbons were gray. The house was empty. The war was over.
Alex was in the ambulance. His eyes were open. His face was pale. Care was beside him, her hands steady, her voice low. Cole was driving. The sirens were off. The lights were off. The city was quiet.
Jay sat in the car. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"It's over," she said.
He kissed her hand. "It's over."
She looked at the window. At the city. At the home that was waiting. "What happens now?"
He pulled her close. His arms were around her. "Now we live. Now we heal. Now we remember. For Lyra. For all of them."
She leaned against him. Her head was on his shoulder. "For Lyra."
He kissed her hair. "For Lyra."
---
END OF CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX