Chapter 27
AVA
The late afternoon sun spilled across the terrace of Lincoln’s penthouse.
I sat cross-legged on one of the cushioned lounge chairs with my laptop balanced on my thighs.
I scrolled through the newest batch of files Alex had sent me.
There were names, time-stamped texts, flight records, and party guest lists.
They all pointed to Silas Rourke, who was Dorian Vauxhall’s link to a huge chunk of Hollywood.
Those two were the real culprits, not a scared and sad pop star or athletes who were going down the wrong path.
I pulled up another tab that had a photo of him arm-in-arm with Phoenix Sky, that fabulous pop star.
But I could clearly see Nyla Monro, the sweet girl who wanted to be saved, beneath the mask. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
I zoomed in on another document. It was a bank transaction to a shell company registered under one of the names I’d seen in Nyla’s contact.
She had contacted me and was willing to share the document.
I still hadn’t told her what I was doing, just that I had connections that might get her out of the bullshit contract she’d been suckered into signing.
I rubbed my forehead. My brain was near ready to explode with the ton of information I had to sift through, and the connections I had to make.
“Goodness, how deep does this thing go?” I sighed.
“That bad?”
My head jerked up and toward the door. Lincoln leaned against it, watching me.
“Hey, you’re home early.” I smiled as he walked over.
“Hmm, that sounds good.”
“Me telling you’re home early…?”
“Hearing your voice as soon as I get home. Seeing you. Having you here.”
I grinned like a fool as I shuffled in the chair to give him space.
We’d been back from his island for a few days now, and we’d gotten even closer.
I didn’t even contemplate the idea of another hotel.
I liked being this close to him, seeing his face first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed.
Maybe we were moving too fast… or maybe not, because we had a history. It all felt natural.
I put my laptop on the table beside the lounge, and he scooped up my legs to place them over his thighs. Lincoln’s hand slid gently along my calf, his thumb tracing slow, comforting circles.
“You looked stressed,” he said, voice low and concerned.
I exhaled, leaning back into the cushions. “A little. Without the backing of The Springfield Sentinel, there’s no room for mistakes. One error, one misstep, and I’m done. No second chances in this industry—especially not for someone who’s already been told she’s reaching too high.”
His brows drew together, but he didn’t interrupt.
“I’m more determined than ever to go ahead with the project,” I continued.
“I have enough to build something real. But I need to wrap up my current job first. The feature on Jaden is coming to an end. Once that’s done…
” I paused, my voice sharpening with resolve.
“I’m going for Silas Rourke’s and Dorian Vauxhall’s necks. ”
Lincoln tensed beneath me. His hand stilled.
“Did you say Silas Rourke?”
My gaze zeroed in on his face when I heard the shift in his tone. “Yeah. I forgot to mention the name of the link Alex found, didn’t I? We were too busy having such a great time on your island. Do you know him?”
He didn’t answer right away. His jaw flexed, eyes narrowing slightly as if he were sorting through his thoughts. “I do,” he finally said. “I’m curious to know what you’ve found.”
His tone and expression were a tad concerning. “Is something wrong, Lincoln? Are you still worried about my safety?”
“I’m always worried about your safety.” He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and gently set my feet back down. “I’m going to whip something up for dinner. As you’ve learned, I’m a pretty decent cook.”
I smiled. He was indeed, and I was pleasantly surprised. “No, I’ll do that. You’ve been at the office all day.”
“Investigating shady people is hard work. You look exhausted.”
I truly was. Who knew diving into the underground of criminal organisations could be so draining? Honestly, I didn’t know how Alex did it. He’d gone pretty much to the pit of hell to get me information.
“It’s up to me to feed my woman,” he drawled.
“Ugh, you are freaking perfect.”
The smug smirk that lit up his face made me chuckle.
As I watched him disappear back inside, I couldn’t help thinking: so this is what a healthy relationship looks like?
I had never experienced this with the man I almost married.
Who knew I’d find this contentment with my ex-boyfriend?
I smiled and shook my head at the irony.
My steps were slow and reluctant as I walked toward my rental. I’d shown up at the stadium to watch one of Jaden’s training sessions and to say a temporary goodbye. I’d be back in LA whether my boss approved my pitch or not—I’d try to convince him one more time.
Plus, I’d promised Jaden and the entire team that I’d be at their first game of the Super Bowl season.
Still, it had tugged at my heartstrings to leave.
I never imagined I’d get so emotionally invested in Jaden Cole, a rising NFL star.
Jaden wasn’t just a story anymore. After spending so much time with him, he was family.
Plus, he held a special place in my heart for being my first real journalistic piece with the Sentinel.
Lincoln had shown up midway through the practice to give Jaden some news. I hadn’t asked what. But I left him inside because I wanted to get back to his place early to put the finishing touches on the feature.
I was just reaching my car when a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Ava.”
As usual, the sound of it made my pulse spike and the hairs on my arms stand up. What the hell was he still doing here? I had assumed Derek had left LA when I ghosted him for that dinner date and ignored all his calls.
“Goes to show you can’t just ignore your problems and have them go away,” I muttered.
I turned slowly to see my psycho ex-fiancé marching toward me. His movements were jerky, his face was flushed, and his lips curled into a snarl.
Oh God.
“Be cool, be cool.” I eyed the stadium doors with longing, knowing there was no way I’d reach them even if I ran. That was what seeing Derek’s presence did to me—made me want to run like hell, because the crazy look in his eyes was terrifying. I didn't know what he’d do.
“Derek, what are you doing here?” I asked, already bracing myself… For what, I wasn’t sure.
He came closer. His energy was so menacing that I instinctively took a step back.
“You blew me off,” he said.
Guilty as charged. So, I had no idea what to say. Taking another step toward my car, I told him the truth. “Well, you showed up out of nowhere. I was uncomfortable. You really need to leave me alone, Derek. This is getting to be too much.”
“What’s too much is you ghosting me, only to pop up on blogs wrapped around some other guy.”
After deciding that we were beyond faking a relationship, I’d felt comfortable attending a function the other day as Lincoln’s date. I never imagined we’d make the blogs. I kept forgetting that he was famous now.
“Who I’m wrapped around is none of your business,” I snapped, temper on the rise. “You know what, Derek? I am so sick of your bullshit. Stop behaving like a deranged stalker and leave me the hell alone!”
His eyes narrowed. “You played me, and I’m the bad guy?”
He gawked at him. He was delusional. Once again, he tried to manipulate a situation to play the victim. “You played yourself.”
He kept inching closer. I had nowhere to go but my car. If I could somehow dash and get inside… I did calculations in my mind, and it didn’t work out. Still, I took another retreating step.
“I came all the way to LA to make amends, and you keep dodging me.”
I stopped. My naturally suspicious side that always had to find logical answers—the side Lincoln said made me a great journalist—stepped forward.
“That’s the thing, Derek. I think it’s a load of crap that you came all the way here to make amends.
You’re too selfish to go to that length just to talk to me.
You would have waited until I returned home.
” I glared at him hard, as if I could somehow see through his bullshit.
“How did you even know where I was? Because I know damn well no one who knows told you.” I had faith in my parents, Melody, and hell, even Allan.
Derek’s hesitation and failure to spit out a name made my suspicion mount.
“Did you just call me selfish?” he snarled.
I rolled my eyes. That was all he got from this conversation?
Scoffing in disgust, I shook my head. “You know what? I’m done with this conversation and with you.
I’m warning you, Derek. If I see you near me again, I will call the police.
” With that, I wheeled around and marched the rest of the way to my car.
Though I was still shaken and my heart pounded, I kept my back straight.
Maybe my false confidence would make him back off.
I barely made it to the driver’s side when I felt a hand clamp down on my arm with bruising force.
A scream escaped me immediately because it was as I’d feared for some time now—him getting physical.
Derek spun me around and slammed me against the side of the car.
The impact was jarring. It cut off my next shout for help. I gasped, stunned as I stared at him.
His face was inches from mine, twisted with fury. His eyes were wild and unhinged, as if something had snapped. “You think you can speak to me like that? Humiliate me? I’ll teach you—”
Derek was suddenly ripped away from me. I stumbled forward, breaths ragged and knees weak. I turned to see who my savior was. Initially, I thought it was one of the security guys from inside, but it was Lincoln standing between me and my insane ex.
He turned to give me a quick assessment. “You okay?”
I nodded, even though I really wasn’t. I’d been scared shitless and still hadn’t recovered.
He turned back to Derek, who was staggering to his feet.
“Ava, who is this?” Lincoln asked.
“He’s—”
“I’m her fiancé, you prick!” Derek spat.
“Jesus Christ. You’re my ex, you psycho! Let me go!” I wailed. My voice cracked, the exasperation of dealing with him for months taking effect. I’d reached my breaking point.
Lincoln studied Derek with cold disdain. “You heard her. Let her go. Leave.” That one word came out with a dangerous edge, a warning.
My pulse spiked. I didn’t want things to get any nastier. Before I could beg Derek to leave again, he pulled something out of his waist. The glint of a blade caught the sun.
“Lincoln,” I gasped just as Derek lunged.
Lincoln moved too fast for me to track. He sidestepped the attack, grabbed Derek’s wrist, and twisted it. The knife clattered to the pavement.
“Are you insane?” Lincoln growled, shoving Derek back with a force that sent him stumbling several feet. “Don’t make me put you down,” he said with deadly calm as he pointed at Derek.
But because Derek was, in fact, insane, as Lincoln had questioned, he charged again.
Lincoln sighed loudly enough for me to hear. I guess he hadn’t wanted to do serious damage to the other man. Just as Derek reached him, Lincoln gave him one punch.
There was a cracking sound before Derek dropped. That was it—one punch, and he was down. I stood frozen. Lincoln approached, his eyes soft when they met mine, as if he hadn’t just put down a guy.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
I gawked at him. “No, I’m not okay. I think you killed him, Lincoln.
You can’t go to prison because of my mess,” I wailed.
I glanced at the unmoving Derek again and started sobbing.
Suddenly, I was in a pair of strong arms with my face pressed against a hard chest. I heard his grunt of amusement and stopped crying long enough to glare at him. “How is any of this funny?”
“Because he’s not dead, Ava.”
I sniffed. “Oh…”
To confirm, Derek groaned as he lifted a hand to his face.
“I’m going to call the police, and then I’m taking you home,” Lincoln said.
He was so calm and reassuring that I let him take care of everything, of me, which was so un-Ava-like.