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Ava looks so fucking pretty with my knife in her hand.

She stares down at it, her fingers instinctively gripping the handle.

Jesus, who could blame me for my plan when they look at a sight like that?

Thisis the second half. Help Ava to embrace the dark, beautiful thing living inside her soul. I saw it theveryfirst day I met her, and now I want her to let it out.

Together, we can achieve beautiful things. But I needherto accept herself for that to be possible. She needs to love every dark inch of her past,her present, hersoul, just like I do.

I can see the recognition on her face as soon as she sees the man. It's been acouple ofyears, but he has the same sagging features and matted hair.

"It's him. How the hell did you do this?"

He's the perp from the case we've been working on at home. He killed his much younger girlfriend and got away with it. Now he's here, tied up like a gift for my girl.

I grin. "Just because I have a new toy to play with doesn't mean I don't have time for my old habits. I knew you'd recognizehim."

She sighs. "Of course I do. When a case goes wrong, you never forget a face."

Rage flickers in her eyes as she looks at his pathetic form. The forest clearing is quiet except for the man's laboredbreathingwhere he kneels, his beady eyes staring us down.

"We knew he was guilty. But the victim recanted her statement. I asked her why. She'd reported him before, but it hadn't gone anywhere, and she was terrified. A week later, she was dead."

"This is your second chance. Make it right. Do what your badge couldn't."

She turns to stare at me accusatorily. "You're trying to corrupt me. Handing me a weapon and serving me up a victim to kill."

"I'm trying to unleash the power inside you. As a cop, you couldn't do anything to stop this man. But here with me, with a knife in your hand, you have all the power in the world."

She shakes her head, but her voice doesn't soundcertain. Like she's trying to talk herself out of it. "If you keep killingpeopleyou're going to get caught, Jackson. This is the 21st century. One dayyou'llslip upandit'll come back to haunt you. I don't want to be part of it when it happens."

I shrug. "I've had my vengeance. The names are crossed off my list. NowIjustwant you to accept who you truly are."

She bites her lip. Her eyes don't leave the man's face, and her grip on the knife doesn't loosen.

"Tell me you don't want to do itandwe can go home," I murmur. "I'll cut these ropes and lethimrun."

She says nothing. Just like I knew she would.

Slowly, I draw her tight to me, wrapping my arms around her. My hand closes around hers. I gently raise her hand, guiding the blade forward until it's against the bastard's collarbone.

He groans in fear through the cloth gagging his mouth. I hear Ava's breath catch at the sound and feel her heart racingthrough her body. The physiological reactions of a predator, closing in on the kill.

Together, our hands raise the blade.