Chapter 182: I'm in..

Avery's POV

I was quiet for a bit letting his words roll over in my head and before I could help it, a laugh tore out of my throat and the harder I tried to stop laughing, the more the laugh came. It didn't escape my notice how everyone, including Dario, looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn't care because at this point, Dario was the one being crazy.

“I'm sorry Dario,” I said after I was able to catch a breath, “...but I have to disappoint you. They hurt one of mine, everything they do is either directly affecting me or indirectly affecting me, but either way, it's still affecting me. So this is my war now, and I demand you include me. I don't care if you like the idea, Dario. You'll have to just accept it for what it is.”

“Avery please.” He said in a very pained tone that had all his men turning to look at him. “I don't want it to be like this. Please, Avery.”

I almost gave up at that point, just so that I wouldn't be hurting Dario, but like I said — almost.

“Dario, you know I can do this. You know I can defend myself. Besides, I'm the one they want.” I tried reasoning with him. “Yes, they're doing it all to hurt you. I know that. But the truth is that they'd always try to go through me. Think about what Matteo and Abby said. Isn't it obvious enough that I'm the one they want? Dario please, just let me join you. Besides, I already told Matteo that I was going to the bunker this week.”

Dario's eyes widened in shock at that confession. “What?! Why would you tell him that? When did you tell him that? We were taking you there for your own safety and protection.”

“I know.” I said and folded my arms across my chest. “And that's why I told Matteo. When we were still — or I was still trying to figure out if he really was the mole, I took the chance and I told him. I told him the exact day and time we would be going, because I knew that if he was the mole, he was going to pass on the information. Now, we can use that as a trap because I know for sure that they will come.”

Dario stood in silence for a long while, obviously thinking about everything I had just said.

Finally, he heaved a deep sigh. “Fine. I'll let you join us.”

I smiled widely, excited that he finally let me do it. “Yay. Thank you.”

“You really do have psychopathic tendencies. Because who on earth gets excited about war?”

I chuckled as I moved to where he was standing beside the map they were all crowded around.

“You're great at planning, so maybe we should leave that part to you.” Dario muttered. “But don't you dare complain when I'm fussing over you, because that's all part of what you just signed up for.”

“Mhmm.” I nodded with a slight smile.

I didn't care what this was coming with, I got it.

Dario's POV

I sat in the war room, watching Avery do her thing and unable to believe that I had just let her in this…in this mess. There really was nothing I could do about it though. No matter how hard I tried to avoid or deny it, the fact still stood that I could not shield her from this fire. The only thing I could do at this point was to walk with her into it, and try to shield her from the burn.

I was only here because if there was one thing I noticed about Avery since we came here, it was that she could make rash decisions. Maybe not everyone would call it rash decisions, but I'd call it that because it put her at risk. And ninety percent of the time, her plans involve putting herself in the middle of the danger, and I wasn't about to let her do that when that was all they wanted.

“Dario, did you hear me?” Avery's voice came like a wind scattering my thoughts in every direction.

“What?!” I blinked staring at her.

No. I hadn't heard her. Not a single word she said had passed through to me.

She looked at me like I was some little kid that failed again after being taught a million times. So much disappointment. And somehow, it caused me to start feeling….. a bit sorry, like I'd done something wrong.

She sighed. “I was saying that I would rather none of you come with me to the bunker, because it would be of no use. You get what I'm saying?”

“What the fuck!” I said and moved forward in shock. “No. Hell no, I don't get what you're saying.”

I was mad and she knew it. I knew she knew with the way her expression changed and she seemed more unsure.

“But,..” her voice softened causing my stupid heart to melt away like a stick of butter in front of a fiery furnace. “Dario, think about it. The bunker isn't big enough for all of the men to hide in and protect me. I mean, it is big enough, but if push comes to shove there won't be enough fighting space. And outside is open. They're not chameleons that you'll say they can blend in. They can't hide in the open.”

She started walking towards me, the saddest look on her face, and just as if it was planned, they all parted ways for her. And she knew that I couldn't resist that face. That's why she was doing what she was doing. Well, she was in for the shock of her life.

“No.”

One word. That was all it took. If this wasn't a serious situation, I'm sure I would have burst out laughing with the way her mouth and eyes fell open in utter shock.