Chapter 20 #2
“You,” he says accusingly, marching in her direction. He points at her. “You. You’re the girl from the club. The one who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“What?” flies out of my mouth.
His head flips in my direction, his finger still aimed at her. “She came on to me. Saturday night. She grabbed me and I said no, but she wasn’t liking that answer.”
Oh crap. Fear grips my heart, making my muscles twitch.
That’s why she’s standing like that. She came on to him and he rejected her.
Just like Tod and her mother. I don’t know what to do.
No doubt she’ll blame me for this too. I breathe carefully through my nose, trying to calm the riotous panic swimming through me so I can think.
“Kaplan, you need to go,” I say, my voice low and deliberate. “Please go.”
He’s wrought with fury. “Like hell I am. Who is she and what is she doing here?”
“Yes, Bunny. Won’t you introduce me to your new boss? His timing could not be any more perfect,” she purrs.
“Bunny?”
A deep, sharp pang slices through my gut. I swallow thickly and stare at him, my face draining of color. I sit on the edge of my desk before I collapse, my legs about to give out on me.
“I was going to tell you. That’s why I texted you. I tried to yesterday, but…” My already weak voice cuts out on me.
“Bunny,” he repeats, only this time it’s not a question. His eyes are all over me, a million different emotions flickering across him. “All this time you knew who I was, and you never told me who you were?”
“Kaplan… I—”
“Wait?” Ava cuts in. “He didn’t know who you were?
” Now she starts laughing. “Man, that’s rich.
Speaking of, I want two million dollars.
From each of you now that he’s here. Or I’ll go to the press about your relationship with an underaged child.
The proof is all over her computer. I’ll ruin both your lives,” she promises, grinning evilly at him while twirling a lock of her stringy hair around one of her red talons.
“The fuck you will, little girl,” Kaplan snarls at her. “You have no idea who you’re trying to mess with.”
I hold up my hand, stopping him. This ends now. I won’t let her do this.
“Ava, you can do that,” I start, standing up again, taking space-swallowing strides until I’m on the other side of the desk from her, my hands pressing onto the wood, my body angled in.
“You can go to the press because neither Kaplan nor I will ever pay you a dime. But do you really want to go up against Mitchell? He’ll make it his life’s mission to destroy yours and I know you know that.
He’s ruthless and tenacious when provoked.
Not to mention, you don’t have proof in your possession.
You’re the woman who betrayed me with my fiancé.
You’re the one who will look bad. Not us.
” I pause here, letting that sink in for a moment.
“You need help, and this is not the way to get it.”
Ava staggers back, teetering on her heels, tears now dripping from her eyes like a faucet.
“Why does everyone always pick you over me?” she wails.
“I just wanted Tod to love me back. He said he did, but the second you walked away, he told me it was all a lie to keep me quiet. I love him so much and he can’t stand me.
Now my mom won’t speak to me. She’s left me with nothing.
I have nothing. I have no home. No money. No Tod.”
Kaplan pivots, one leg crossing over the other as he side-steps in my direction, attempting to put himself as a barrier between us, but I move around the other side of the desk, closer to her.
He reaches out for me, trying to grab me, but I skirt around him and go to her, wrapping my arms around her frail form.
Her face hits my shoulder, and she absolutely loses it.
“Tod didn’t love me either, Ava. He wanted my money.
That was all. He’s not a good man, and you deserve someone better.
” I run my hand down the back of her head and twist to find Kaplan over my shoulder.
“Go,” I mouth, but he just stares at me.
His features locked down. I have no idea what’s going through his mind.
“I hate you.” Ava pushes against me, the movement so unexpected that I stagger back a step, falling into Kaplan who catches me, only to release me immediately as if my skin is made of acid.
She bolts for the door, racing down the stairs, nearly tripping as she goes.
I run after her, but by the time I reach the second-floor landing, she’s already at the bottom, sprinting toward the front door and out onto the street.
Dammit. I make it outside seconds later, my arms wrapping around myself to stave off the cold, but she’s nowhere to be seen. I don’t even know which way she went, and she could have gone anywhere.
Pulse racing, I run back inside and up the three flights, panting as I fly through the office, past Kaplan who hasn’t moved since I fell into him, and over to my desk.
Picking up my phone, I dial my aunt first, who doesn’t pick up and then my mother, who does.
I explain to her everything that happened with Ava—with the exception of Kaplan and the blackmail—and tell her that she and my aunt need to figure this out.
I could chase after Ava, but I don’t know how helpful for her that will be.
I’m worried about her though.
My mother tells me she’ll call the Boston police and my aunt and get it all taken care of. She says she thinks my aunt knows where she’s staying, which is a relief. I had no clue she was even in town again or if she never left after the failed wedding.
After I’m done and all that is settled, I set my phone down. Take a deep breath and then look up at Kaplan. Time to face the music.