Chapter 18
AVA
Asharp rattling, like marbles spilling across the floor, followed by a muffled thud jerked Ava from sleep. Her heart thudded in her ears, mirroring the disturbances as she lay frozen, straining to hear more over her pounding pulse.
Gizmo let out a small yip.
“Shh, Gizmo, quiet.”
Despite shushing him, the little dog’s quiet bark signaled to her that he, too, had heard something.
With him tucked under one arm, she raced to the closet and opened the safe, tugging out a gun. She flicked the safety off and loaded a round into the chamber.
The tiny dog in her arms jumped at the sound.
“It’s okay, Gizmo.” With the gun in hand, she pulled a hoodie around her and zipped it, sticking the small dog inside. “Stay in there.”
With her hands freer, she crept from the closet, gun first, and inched to the bedroom door.
After a second of listening, she detected light footsteps. Her heart ramped up to a new speed as she slowly opened the door and peered into the hall.
On her tiptoes, she moved forward noiselessly, peering over the railing as she passed it.
Her eyes fell on the alarm system, the screen now green indicating it had been disabled.
Her pulse sped as heat washed over her.
Someone was in the house.
Each step creaked under her cautious weight as she descended, the familiar staircase now a battleground.
A hushed curse came from the kitchen. Ava snapped her eyes in that direction, narrowing them at the opening.
Clutching the gun, Ava edged forward, her body taut with anticipation as she spotted someone crouched near the sink. “Don’t move. I have a gun.”
“Whoa,” Alex’s voice answered as he raised his hands in the air and slowly spun to face her. “Don’t shoot, Avs.”
Ava’s features twisted with disbelief as she dropped the weapon to her side. “Alex?”
“Hey, babe, surprise.”
She huffed out a sigh, shaking her head as she tossed the gun on the counter and shuffled toward him. “Surprise is right. Alex, I almost shot you.”
“Yeah, I see that,” he said, wrinkling his nose at the gun as she wrapped her arms around him.
Gizmo fidgeted in her hoodie, and she leaned back to pull him out.
“Hey, Giz,” Alex said before he slid his arms around Ava’s waist.
She offered him a kiss before she embraced him again. “Welcome home. Why didn’t you text me?”
“I didn’t want to wake you. I left this morning, and I figured you had enough going on that you may need some rest. I was going to tell you whenever you texted me.”
“Sorry, I was asleep. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
Alex offered her a penitent glance as he tightened his grip on her. “Want to bring me up to speed while I make you breakfast?”
She grinned at him, happy to have him back to tackle the issues here. “Yes.”
“Oh, before you do, be prepared to be proud of me.” He lifted his chin with a grin.
She settled onto a stool at the counter. “I assume you solved Julia’s issue?”
“Yes, she’s all squared away but I also secured her help. She’s talking to the Grantster, and they should be heading up to the old homestead soon.” He waved his phone in the air. “I expect a text later today, actually.”
Ava let her chin fall into her palm as she offered him a satisfied smile. “Good job, Ace. Did you tell her anything about our issue yet?”
“No, I figured we could do that together since apparently, there have been several more developments on your end?”
She nodded as the doorbell rang. Gizmo raced toward it with a bark.
Alex glanced after him, his forehead creasing. “Expecting someone.”
Ava slid off the stool. “That would be the painting I bought.”
“You bought a painting?” He followed her from the kitchen into the foyer, his features still pinched.
“I did. And I’m sorry, but it cost ten grand more than normal. I had to make an impression.” Ava scooped up the dog, then tugged the door open to find two men wrangling the wrapped painting between them.
“Good morning, Ms. Collins, we’re from the–”
“Yep,” she said with a nod. “Just put in the living room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” one said with a nod as they heaved it up and carried it through the door into the living room, leaning it against the fireplace.
Ava showed them out, then returned to find Alex’s confused features staring at the oil painting.
“Why did you buy this? Not that I mind.”
She slid her arm around his waist. “I like the two ships in the stormy sea. It reminds me of us.”
“Oh,” he answered as he studied it.
“And I had to make an impression on Vivienne Bancroft. Notice the artist.”
Alex leaned forward, squinting at the signature. “Sebastian Bancroft? Is that–”
“Her son, yep. Nothing says invite me into your inner circle like buying her kid’s painting and paying ten grand more than asking.” She leaned her head against his shoulder as they admired the painting.
“I’m not sure I want this hanging over my fireplace when the Bancrofts supposedly had a hand in robbing StoneCorp of millions and then almost killed you.”
“We’ll burn it after we expose them as crooks,” she promised. “Now, how about that breakfast?”
“Only if you promise to tell me how you stumbled upon this lead.”
“Raven—how else? He texted me in the middle of everything else going on about a charity benefit. And then he demanded I go and get into Vivienne’s inner circle.
Which is why getting the Harringtons here sooner rather than later is imperative.
” She plopped onto the stool again as he whipped up waffle batter.
“I really, really don’t like Raven, babe. After the whole kidnapping thing–”
“Kind of kidnapping. I mean…it wasn’t really a straightforward case of it.”
“How can you be this cavalier, Sparky? He could have hurt you or worse.” Alex poured the batter into the waffle iron and closed the lid.
She heaved a sigh. “I know, but he didn’t. I’m more worried about The Board, to be honest. Raven’s stupid tricks aren’t at the top of my priority list.”
“Stupid tricks?” Alex asked, his face incredulous. “Ava, this wasn’t a stupid trick. And by the way, when did this happen?”
“Day before yesterday, why?”
“Because I keep a constant track on your phone, and it never showed you at any odd locations.”
“Oh, he left my phone in my car at StoneCorp. And also, I have the address of the building he took me to, so maybe we can use that to track some information.”
Alex heaved a sigh, delivering a hot waffle to her along with syrup. “I doubt it. Why is Raven so difficult to track? Seriously. I mean, he saw that embedded program coming from a mile away.”
Alex’s features pinched as he stared at the marbled countertop.
She poked a fork at the waffle maker. “Go make your waffle so we can eat together.”
“Right, and then you can tell me the rest of what’s been going on.”
“You probably don’t want to know.” Ava drizzled syrup onto another wedge of her waffle before she cut it into pieces.
“That bad?” Alex’s voice carried a weight of concern.
Ava paused, her eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. “It’s not good.”
She shoved another piece of waffle into her mouth before she took a sip of the coffee he passed to her.
“So, Crossbeam Chris showed up on our doorstep and asked you to come back, huh?”
“And then some,” she answered as he sat down next to her, knife and fork in hand as he stared down at the waffle. “I turned him down, Alex.”
“Yeah, but…” He sighed. “Did you…never mind.”
“Did I what? Tell him we were together? Yes.”
“Turn him down out of loyalty only?” Alex asked, his eyes never leaving his plate.
“No,” she said. “I turned him down for a lot of reasons. One of them was loyalty.”
He bobbed his head without saying much.
“That didn’t stop him from coming back the next morning after he insisted I ‘sleep on it.’”
“That’s when you called me?”
“Yes,” she answered as she poured syrup over her last wedge of waffle before she poured some onto his and poked him. “Eat, babe.”
“I suddenly don’t feel very hungry.”
She offered him an unimpressed stare before she cut a piece of his waffle and stabbed it with a fork, holding it up to his mouth. He slowly took it off the fork. “That’s better. I turned him down the second time, too, but that may lead to a small problem.”
“What problem?” Alex asked.
Ava wrinkled her nose as she recalled the ridiculous conversation she’d had with her former fiancé. Annoyance roiled inside her again, tightening her grip on her fork as her nostrils flared. She sucked in a deep breath. “According to Chris, if I don’t leave you for him… he’ll ruin you.”
“He’ll ruin me?” Alex snorted a laugh. “That’s a little dramatic.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too, but he was awfully cocky. I just…think we need to watch our backs.”
“No kidding, Avs. We have more enemies than a king in a game of thrones.”
Ava recalled the taunting look that had danced in her ex’s eyes as he’d issued the threat, along with the icy words that had followed.
“I actually care about you, Ava, and ruining him…well, it’ll ruin you, too. But I’m giving you a chance to escape all of that. Tell him you’re leaving him, come back to me, and I’ll protect you.”
She’d frowned at him, completely disgusted by the play. But as he’d reached to caress her cheek, she’d spotted something that had stopped her heart.
“Unfortunately, he may have an in.”
Alex’s brows knitted. “What in?”
Ava slid her eyes closed as she sucked in a deep breath. “Chris has a new tattoo. A knight…”
She tapped the inside of her wrist. “Right here.”
Alex’s eyes went wide. “What? He’s Board now?”
Ava’s mind floated back to the moment she’d spotted the ink. She’d grabbed his wrist, tugging his sleeve up to reveal the full tattoo. “Seriously? You’re with them now?”
He shrugged. “They made me an offer. I wasn’t stupid enough to turn them down like your good buddy, Alex.”
“Alex wasn’t stupid,” she answered with a shake of her head. “At least he didn’t sell out to the highest bidder. Get out of here.”
“Ava,” Chris answered, his voice thick with a haughty tone that she hated, “you should really think carefully. I can give you a wonderful life. I’ll have plenty of opportunities with The Board. And you’ll benefit from all of them.”
He cupped her face in his hands, lifting her chin until their eyes met. “You loved me once. Can’t you find it in your heart to try again?”
“Get. Out.”
He huffed out a sigh and shook his head as he let go of her and strode to the door. “You’re making a huge mistake. Again. This offer isn’t going to last forever, Ava. So, I’d give it some serious thought before you throw it away like you did with our relationship.”
The slamming door as he left startled her more than she’d expected along with the information about his new allegiance. Chris has been a nuisance before, but now he was downright dangerous.
Her mind snapped back to the present as she nodded. “That’s what he claims.”
“And they knighted him?” Alex scoffed. “Seriously?”
“And made him such a good offer that he can give me a wonderful life.”
“What the hell?” Alex said, his voice incredulous. “I had to leave you to get into The Board. The angry architect gets to keep you.”
“Hey, I’m not a pawn here,” Ava said with a shake of her head.
“Sorry,” he answered. “I just…”
“Chris is an asset to them because of his proximity to you. He won’t be for long.”
Alex blew out a long breath as he sank his head into his hands.
Ava grabbed one, tugging it away from his hairline as she squeezed it. “We’ll get through this. It’s no different than it was before.”
“It’s somewhat different since your ex has reappeared with his fancy new affiliation with The Board.”
She read the pained expression on his face as one of worry. “That only makes him less attractive to me, and he was already looking pretty bad there toward the end. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I dated him.”
Alex threaded his fingers through hers. “You weren’t. Because he’s an idiot.”
“I know,” she answered. “Anyone who would sell their soul to these people who clearly don’t have any morals since they stole millions from you probably for some nefarious purpose is just…there are no words.”
Silence stretched between them before Ava collected the dishes to dump them in the dishwasher. “We need to get ready for the Harringtons.”
“Oh, I said they could stay here with us.”
“Of course,” Ava said.
“Oh, and also, the kids may come.”
“I’ll take all the help I can get,” she answered as her phone rang.
She reached into her pocket and withdrew it, her forehead creasing as she spotted a number she didn’t recognize. “This better not be Chris or Raven. I’ve had enough of both of them.”
She swiped to answer the call, pressing the phone to her ear. “Ava Collins.”
“Well, Ms. Collins, how fortunate I am that you picked up.”
Ava’s muscles stiffened as she recognized the voice of Vivienne Bancroft. She snapped her gaze to Alex who shrugged in a silent question of who had called.
Ava quickly toggled on her speakerphone. “Vivienne, what a surprise.”
“What was a surprise was your purchase at the benefit yesterday, though I can’t think of a better choice of paintings to grace what I’m certain is a lovely beachside home.”
Alex arched his eyebrows high as he shot Ava a glance.
“We plan to hang it over our fireplace,” she answered.
“Well, I’m not certain if you were observant enough to notice, but that painting was done by none other than my own son, Sebastian.”
Ava rolled her eyes at Alex as she shook her head. “Oh, I hadn’t even looked at the artist. I was just so taken by the scene and the skilled technique.”
Alex placed his hands around his neck and let his tongue loll out of his mouth. She shrugged, batting at him.
“Well, I certainly don’t disagree,” Vivienne answered. “Sebastian will be thrilled to hear his work is appreciated. You know, he’d love to discuss his work with someone who appreciates it as you do. Perhaps you could join us for lunch this weekend at our estate?”
The question hung in the air between them as Ava’s lips curled into a smile. It looked like she had her in. She’d be stepping into the lion’s den, but at least they’d be making some progress.