Chapter 30
AVA
Some days, I felt as if I were drifting on a raft at sea after quitting my job. I had no compass to guide me—just floating in the unknown. But then there was Lincoln. My support system. I’d been in LA for months after upending my stable life, and he didn’t make me regret it for a minute.
He was my anchor when I needed it. A strong voice of reason when I was about to freak out. The man continuously showed up with caffeine for my late-night sessions, connections I could only have dreamed about, and quiet faith in me when I started doubting myself.
I glanced at him now, straightening his tie, getting ready to head to the office.
“Lincoln?”
He glanced at me as he shrugged on his jacket.
“You’re my hero,” I said.
He paused and stared at me. “Really? Okay… That’s…” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not having one of those freak-out moments, are you?”
I chuckled. “No.”
He grinned. “In that case. I love being your hero.”
I put my laptop aside and shuffled off the bed to walk over to him. “I mean it. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
“You would have started your own thing eventually, Ava.”
“Maybe, but you gave me the encouragement and resources I needed to get started earlier.” He gave me a place to stay.
He knew how to make things happen in this world because apparently, money and status spoke volumes.
“You gave me the push that I needed.” I fiddle with his tie. “Thank you for all your help.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured, peering down at me.
“You are a girlfriend’s dream come true. You don’t complain about me eating all your snacks…”
He chuckled. “You snack a lot, woman. But it’s my pleasure to feed you.”
My grin got wider. “You don’t complain about me taking up your closet space or cluttering your bathroom with all my stuff, and you roll with it like a trooper when I sleep like a starfish and take up all the bed space…”
His low purr of laughter made my stomach flutter. It was so smooth and sexy. “Baby, you have no idea how happy I am to have you take up all my space. I wanted this. Living in your chaos is my dream come true.”
My laughter floated around us. “See? You’re perfect.
” I tugged on his tie, and he leaned in for a kiss.
His lips met mine leisurely, as if we had all the time in the world.
My hands slid over his chest and up to his shoulders, so our bodies were pressed closer.
The deeper he kissed me, the hotter I got.
His mouth moved with more urgency, making me weak in the knees. He was intoxicating.
He groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me. Then he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.
“If we keep going,” he murmured, “I’m never making it to the office.”
I pouted. “So don’t go.”
He chuckled, brushing his thumb across my cheek. “Tempting. But don’t you have someone to meet?”
I blinked, then groaned. “Nyla.”
He nodded, stepping back with visible effort. “Right.”
“She’s finally agreed to meet in person. I can’t stand her up.”
He straightened his jacket and gave me a playful smack on the ass that made me gasp.
“Go get her, Montgomery.”
I snorted. “I’m not one of your former teammates.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’ve never smacked any of my former teammates on the ass, gorgeous."
I laughed when he winked and walked out with, “Good luck and be careful."
The upscale cafe where I was meeting Nyla was nestled between a gallery and a boutique. I stepped inside, my sneakers thudding on the marble floor. I felt underdressed, even for a cafe in Hollywood.
I spotted Nyla in a corner booth wearing sunglasses that concealed half her face. I approached slowly, heart thudding. She looked up and smiled when she saw me.
“You came,” I said, sliding into the seat across from her.
“I almost didn’t.”
We sat in silence for a beat, the hum of espresso machines and quiet conversation filling the space between us. Then Nyla reached into her bag and pulled out a slim folder. “I brought everything,” she said. “The transfers, the customers, the texts…”
My breath caught. “And you’re really ready to talk?”
Nyla’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m ready to be free.”
We held each other’s gaze for a while.
“Thank you for trusting me, Nyla,” I finally said.
“I wish you hadn’t lied to me in the beginning."
I inhaled sharply. “I couldn't tell you I was a journalist. I didn’t know if I could trust you. Surely, you understand. You trust me now, right?” I pressed.
While I had all the information I needed, Nyla agreed to share the dirty details that couldn’t be found in a deep web search.
She’d had personal contact with both Rourke and Vauxhall.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “You can even name me as your source, Ava. I don’t care anymore.”
I shook my head. “That will put you in danger.”
“More danger that being a fucking drug mule?” She hissed. She then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated.”
“I get it.”
“You can protect me.”
My eyes widened. “Me? No, Nyla…”
“Your boyfriend, Lincoln. He has a lot of pull with some big names. I saw all those important people at his party, non-celebrities. I bet he can get me away from my manager after this thing blows open.”
With a resigned sigh, I said, “I’ll see what I can do.” Lincoln might kill me for this… or not. Someone needing protection wasn’t something he’d balk at.
Nyla stared at me for a moment, so intently, I knew she was searching for something. Whatever it was, she found it because she nodded. “I’ll tell you everything.”
I sat, riveted, while she recounted how her music career got sidetracked. She’d encountered all the wrong people—sharks looking to take advantage of a young girl who had no experience and no strong support system.
“They started with promises,” she said. “Studio time, exposure, a spot on a tour. I was eighteen and desperate. I didn’t know what I was signing.
I didn’t know who I was blindly trusting.
Then came the favors. ‘Hold this package for a friend.’ ‘Take this envelope to a producer.’ I didn’t ask questions.
I didn’t want to know. But eventually, they stopped pretending.
They told me what I was moving—cocaine, fentanyl, pills I couldn’t even pronounce. ”
I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting with sympathy and fury on her behalf.
“It’s a distribution ring,” she continued. “It runs through everything—music, sports, film. Celebrities, agents, managers. People with power and reach. I was just a pawn. When I tried to back out, they threatened me. They said they’d leak photos, ruin my career, hurt the people I care about.”
Her eyes met mine, glassy and defiant. “I started using it. Not because I wanted to. Because I couldn’t sleep or breathe. I was drowning.”
I reached across the table to put my hand over her fidgety one.
“I want to get clean,” she whispered. “I want out. I want to do music for real.”
“You will,” I said. “But listen to me, Nyla. I’m not putting your name out there.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re thinking—that using your name will get more attention.
That’s true, but the media will tear you apart.
They’ll use your addiction to discredit you.
They’ll say you’re unstable, unreliable, maybe even complicit.
I’ve seen it happen. I won’t let it happen to you, especially not when you’ll be focused on getting clean and getting your life together. ”
Her lips trembled, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes. “You really think I can?”
“You will. I’ll be there for you in any way I can. I promise.”
Nyla nodded slowly, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Thank you.”
Nyla and I parted ways after I promised her I’d talk with Lincoln about getting her away from the people hurting her. This was his area of expertise. He knew how to get these things done. I just knew how to use my words to get justice…
While I hated pulling him any deeper into this mess, I didn’t know where else to turn. Getting out of my car, I checked Lincoln’s reserved parking spot. It was empty. I hoped he would be home early today, so we could talk. Before I made the trek to the apartment building, I called him.
He answered on the first ring, and I smiled.
“Hey,” he greeted. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You weren’t waiting for my call with your phone in hand, were you?” I joked. However, his silence said he was.
He sighed. “I was a little on edge about you meeting Nyla on your own. You should have let me provide security.”
“I know you really wanted to, but I didn’t want to spook her, Lincoln.” It was a risk meeting up with her alone, considering she could have changed her mind and alerted the people managing her to my investigation. “The meeting went well. She’s still on board. Speaking of security… I need a favor.”
“Consider it done.”
I nibbled my bottom lip. “You don’t even know what it is. And it’s not so much for me…”
“Hey, what did I tell you back in Springfield? I’ve got your back one hundred percent.”
I softened, almost melted like hot butter on the pavement. “I love you,” I breathed, because I just couldn’t keep the words in.
He inhaled as if soaking up the words. “I love you, too.”
“I’m back at your place. Hurry home.”
“Hurry, huh? You got something for me?”
“Guess you’ll have to come home to find that out…” I purred in the sexiest, most suggestive tone I could muster.
His hum of pleasure made me smile. “I will most certainly hurry.”
Even after I hung up, I couldn’t wipe the big, silly grin off my face. Fetching my handbag, I headed toward the building. Before I reached the door, I froze. My next breath escaped in a whoosh of terror. Derek stood by the door, staring at me.
“No, not again,” I groaned. I thought after he got his ass handed to him, he had given up. But here he was… clearly still hellbent on tormenting me. The worst part was that he knew where Lincoln lived.
He pushed off the wall and took a step toward me.
I searched for an escape. If I could get inside, security would handle the rest. But there was no getting around Derek. Instead, I took a retreating step as he advanced.
“Ava, we need to talk.”
“I don’t think we do,” I said, keeping my voice steady even as my pulse spiked.
His eyes narrowed. “I’m just here to deliver a message.”
I clutched my forehead, wondering what I had done to deserve someone like Derek in my life. He was like an insect, annoying and refusing to go away.
“I don’t want to hear it. I just want you to go away.”
He scoffed. “I’m not here to win you back, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m done with that, with you.”
“Thank God,” I hissed. “So, why am I still looking at you?”
“Because I want my money. The people who don’t want your little writing project to see the light of day sent me.”
I stared at him, stunned. When my brain unfroze, it raced, trying to put Derek into the equation. The People? Had Nyla betrayed me as I’d feared? Maybe she’d lost her nerve… or maybe her dogged bodyguard had caught on to what we’d been up to and told Silas Rourke…
I’d been careful, but when you dug into powerful people, asked too many questions, the risk of someone noticing was always present. I processed and put that information aside. “How the hell do you factor into any of this?”
“So you don’t deny it?” He grunted. “Figured you’d get into some mess. You’ve always been too curious for your own good.”
I lifted my chin. “You mentioned money. Who’s paying you?”
His eyebrows dipped. “Fuck if I know, and I don’t care. Some guy came to me in Springfield and offered to pay me to come here and scare you into going home.”
My jaw slackened. I knew it! The bastard was too selfish to travel so far just to talk.
Clearly someone was investigating me as I’d been investigating them…
because why choose Derek? I’d made a couple of police reports but never filed a restraining order, so someone knew enough to use my ex as a weapon.
“That didn’t work,” Derek said. “So I got offered more money to make you stop.” He smirked, that evil twist at the corner of his mouth. “I’m not going home until the job is done. Stop the stupid article, or things will get nasty.”
“Fuck you, Derek. I’m not afraid of you or whoever is paying you.”
“Oh, yeah?” He took a step closer. “Who said anything about you? Drop the article, or your new man goes down.”
My defiancé slipped. “You’re full of shit.”
“Some guy named Rourke will tie everything back to Lincoln Ford, and his clients.”
“That’s impossible. Lincoln’s hands are clean.”
“You sure about that, Ava?”
I took a deep breath. “I’d put my head on the block.” I knew the man I loved, knew who he was and who he’d always been.
Derek snarled as if pissed he didn’t succeed in making me doubt my relationship. Then he shrugged. “From what I’ve learned, Ford and Rourke are acquaintances. They’ve done business together. Things can be… manipulated.”
My heart dropped into my ass at the threat. If I went ahead with my expose, Lincoln and his entire empire would be thrown into the guilty pool.
“Make your choice, Ava. Your story or your man?”
When I didn’t respond, he grinned and walked away, leaving me standing there with my mind and emotions in shambles.
A memory unlocked — a few months ago, when I revealed to Lincoln the link to Dorian Vauxhall.
He obviously knew Rourke; he knew many Hollywood executives.
But I’d seen a flicker of worry in his eyes, too.
It had disappeared so fast I wondered if I’d imagined it.
Would Rourke threaten Lincoln like that if he didn't have some kind of proof of their connection? I felt sick. My dream career or Lincoln. Tough choice. Every instinct screamed at me to protect the man I loved. I could always find another big story.
But would I back down like this in the face of every threat?
That would make me weak and not cut out for this job.
My shoulders dropped. My relationship meant the world to me.
Things between Lincoln and me were so good.
Better than ever. But moving forward, every story I pursued might put everything he’d built at risk.
He was part of the world I was going after.
What should I do?