CHAPTER 279: CHAPTER 279 DESPERATE MEASURES

Joseph’s POV

I stared at my phone for what felt like the thousandth time this week, hoping to see Ava’s name light up the screen. Nothing. It was driving me insane.

"Pathetic," Dean growled in my mind. "We should just go to her."

"She doesn’t want to see us," I muttered.

My office door swung open and Antonio walked in without knocking. The kid had a habit of barging into places like he owned them—a Garcia family trait I couldn’t fault him for.

"Uncle Joseph, I saw Ava at the mall yesterday," he announced, dropping into the chair across from me.

I nearly knocked over my coffee reaching for him. "What? Where? How was she?"

"Whoa, desperate much?" Antonio smirked, leaning back. "I told her you’ve been moping around like someone stole your favorite wolf toy."

"You said WHAT? Antonio..."

"She looked sad," he continued, ignoring my distress. "Said you two were ’taking a break.’" He made air quotes with his fingers. "What did you do?"

I groaned. "I didn’t do anything. Those women—"

"Oh, so it’s the ’women throwing themselves at you’ excuse?" Antonio rolled his eyes. "Grandma wants to see her, by the way. She’s pretty mad at you for messing things up."

Perfect. Now my mother was involved. I had mentioned being interested in a woman when I was at my sister’s house last time, and my sister must have told my mom. What a hassle. As if Dean’s constant agitation toward me wasn’t punishment enough.

"Did she say anything else?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Antonio shrugged. "Just that she’d still help me with math homework." He stood up. "Fix it, Uncle Joseph. She’s cool, and you look miserable."

After Antonio left, I called Draven, hoping for some insight.

"Have you seen her?" I asked without preamble when he answered.

"Good afternoon to you too, Joseph," Draven replied. "Yes, she starts Monday as my executive assistant."

"So she took the job." That was something at least. "How is she?"

"Professional. Composed. Refusing to discuss you." Draven paused. "She doesn’t like me either. We really screwed up this time..."

"It was a misunderstanding! I......"

"Save it," Draven cut me off. "I’ve got my own problems with Caroline. Ryan suggested we plan something to win them back."

I straightened in my chair. "I’m listening."

Friday evening found the five of us gathered at Ryan’s apartment, drowning our sorrows in expensive whiskey. Draven, Ryan, Nate, Luke, and I sat around his living room in various states of frustration.

"This is pathetic," Luke grumbled. "Kyle has never given me this much grief before, and it’s all because you three can’t keep your act together."

"It was a misunderstanding," I insisted.

"Well, your ’misunderstanding’ is costing all of us," Nate snapped. "Eleanor told me it’s girls’ night tonight, which means I’m stuck with you losers instead."

"What if we surprised them?" Ryan suggested, eyes lighting up. "Show up wherever they are?"

"Brilliant plan, genius," Luke scoffed. "And do you happen to know where they are? Because Kyle isn’t exactly sharing her itinerary with me right now."

Ryan smiled mischievously. "You could find out..."

Luke’s eyes widened. "No way in hell, Ryan! Last time I tracked Kyle’s phone, she didn’t speak to me for two weeks. I promised I’d never do it again unless it was an emergency."

"Wait," Draven interjected. "You can track them?"

"Luke has some app linked to Kyle’s phone," Ryan explained, and we all turned to Luke with renewed hope.

"This IS an emergency," I pleaded. "I need to see her, Luke."

"Absolutely not, Joseph," Luke refused, crossing his arms.

"What if they’re with those guys again?" Nate said casually. "That Paul guy has been hanging around Kyle too much. We could just check if they’re okay."

"Damn it, Nate!" Luke growled, reaching for his phone. "Fine! But if this blows up in our faces, I’m blaming all of you."

Luke opened an app, typed something, and then cursed loudly.

"What?" Draven demanded.

"They’re at Dominic’s uncle’s restaurant," Luke said grimly. "I bet those guys are with them."

"Let’s go," I stood immediately, not even finishing my drink.

Dean snarled his approval in my mind. "About time we took action."

We drove separately, following Luke’s updates. Halfway there, he texted that they’d moved to a nightclub.

The place was packed when we arrived. I slipped the bouncer an extra hundred to let us in without waiting. The music pounded as we scanned the crowd.

"There!" Ryan pointed toward the bar where our women were laughing, looking far too happy without us.

Draven decided to try serenading Caroline, while the rest of us marched straight to the girls’ table. I zeroed in on Ava, who stiffened when she saw me approaching.

"We need to talk," I said.

"I have nothing to say to you," Ava replied coolly, taking another sip of her cocktail.

"Then just listen," I reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

"How did you even find us?" Eleanor demanded, glaring at Luke.

The question struck a nerve, and Luke’s guilty expression gave us away.

"You tracked us?" Kyle’s voice rose dangerously. "Luke, you promised!"

Things spiraled quickly after that. The girls refused to leave with us, and when Theo’s group arrived and invited us to join, the night became an exercise in torture. I had to watch Ava deliberately avoid my gaze while Theo hovered around her.

By closing time, the girls pointedly rejected rides home from all of us and took taxis instead.

"That went well," Ryan muttered as we watched them leave.

The next day, like some cosmic joke, we ran into them again at the Social Club—once more with Theo’s crew. Someone suggested blackjack, with kisses as stakes.

When Theo won and leaned toward Ava’s ear, something in me snapped. I was across the room in seconds, pulling her against me.

"That’s the last time you’ll ever touch her," I snarled at Theo. "We’re leaving. Now."

I guided Ava out firmly, ignoring her protests until we reached my car.

"Have you lost your mind, Joseph?" she demanded, eyes flashing with anger.

"Yes," I admitted, rubbing my face with both hands."I’m going crazy without you, Ava. I’m jealous and I’m desperate and I need you to let me explain."

"Is there anything to explain?" She crossed her arms defensively.

"Get in the car," I pleaded. "Please. Sophia means nothing. She never did. I hooked up with her a few times before I met you, that’s all."

I was rambling now, words tumbling out unfiltered. "It’s like Ella with Draven, she’s always chasing him. The difference is I made the mistake of giving Sophia attention before. But I swear to you, Ava, I haven’t been with anyone since I first saw you in that shop. Not a single woman."

Dean rumbled approvingly as I spoke the truth. My wolf knew how completely Ava had captivated me from the start.

Ava studied me for a long moment before uncrossing her arms and silently getting into my car. When I slid into the driver’s seat, she finally spoke.

"I hope I won’t regret this, Joseph."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "You won’t," I promised, taking her hand and pressing my lips to her palm. "Can I take you to my place?"