Chapter 32 Ava
AVA
This breakup was ten times worse than the first one.
But wait… We hadn’t really broken up, had we? Lincoln just allowed me to escape without argument. Somehow, that made things worse because I felt guilty as all hell. He texted me after I ran. He hadn’t demanded answers, hadn’t sent angry words. He simply asked if I was okay.
Once I had checked into a hotel, I responded. His next question had really driven the nail of guilt into my chest.
Are you safe?
I told him where I was, so he wouldn’t worry, and then I cried harder.
Even after I turned down his proposal, Lincoln remained concerned about me.
He was such an amazing guy. I wanted to marry him.
Every fiber of my being had screamed yes when he got down on one knee with that ring.
But I couldn’t say yes. Not with Derek’s threat hanging over us like a dark cloud.
Not when my ambition threatened his name, his business, everything he’d built.
I had to protect him from me. From this obsessive need I had to prove myself as a journalist. Yet, everything in me was telling me to go home to Lincoln. Right now.
Groaning, I flopped back onto the bed. I’d been holed up in this room for two days trying to think, as I’d told Lincoln I needed time to do.
But I was getting nowhere. I still had no answers, still couldn’t come to any decision.
Maybe I needed to get outside the four walls—take a walk… do anything but torture myself.
I rolled off the bed, shoved my feet into my sneakers, and pulled on a hoodie.
They were among the few things I’d grabbed before my hectic dash from Lincoln’s place.
I decided to throw on my sunglasses too because there was still a chance Derek, the menace, was watching me. That thought made me shudder.
Once I was outside, I took a much-needed gulp of fresh air.
The neighborhood was quiet and upscale. It was a far cry from the first hotel I’d stayed in when I first came to LA—where I’d clutched my purse with my pepper spray like a lifeline and triple-locked the door every night.
Here, I felt safer. Not completely safe, but safe enough to walk without constantly checking over my shoulder.
I ducked into a corner café and ordered the strongest coffee they had. Sleep had eluded me for two nights straight. The first few sips hit me with a jolt of clarity. I needed to figure things out. I couldn’t leave Lincoln hanging like this. He didn’t deserve it.
I wandered, sipping my coffee, watching the world move around me. Joggers ran past, a kid zoomed by on a scooter, a lady yapped on her phone as she walked her dog… The world kept spinning, but I felt distant from it. Lost.
That was when I spotted something in my periphery that didn’t fit in with everything else. A tinted SUV crawling a few feet behind. I felt that prickling sensation at the back of my neck, too. The one where you knew you were being watched.
My heart started to hammer. I wasn’t sure what to do—run or scream bloody murder to get other people’s attention.
It could be Derek or someone else sent by that evil music executive.
I slowed my pace to casually glance into a shop window, hoping to catch the driver’s reflection.
He had the window down, so I got a look at him.
Wait a minute… I stopped walking and spun around.
It was one of Lincoln’s guys. As someone with billions who also had a level of fame, of course he had security.
But they didn’t follow him around and form human barricades like you saw with other celebrities.
These guys were more subtle. Whenever they accompanied Lincoln anywhere, you didn’t see them much.
Sometimes I’d even forget they were there.
I peered at the guy, whose face I knew well because he was one of Lincoln’s most trusted. In fact, he was the owner of a security firm Lincoln had on retainer. They were friends. He grinned at me, and I bet his eyes gleamed with amusement behind his sunglasses.
“Charlie, right?” I asked when I stepped closer to the SUV.
“Hello, Miss Montgomery.”
“How long have you been following me?”
“I’ve been parked outside your hotel since the night you checked in.”
My heart jolted. Lincoln sent him as soon as I told him where I was. I lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be… I don’t know… more inconspicuous.”
His smile broadened. “I wasn’t trying to hide.”
I tucked my chin into my chest and chuckled.
Lincoln. That incredible man. I had hurt him, and he still ensured my protection.
God, I loved him. That was the moment of clarity I needed.
I had to see him and explain why I ran off.
He deserved the truth. With a determined sigh, I opened the passenger door.
“Can you take me to him, please?”
Charlie nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”
The elevator ride to Lincoln’s office felt longer than usual. My heart thudded harder with every passing second, and my nerves tangled with guilt. Charlie had walked me in, ensuring I was delivered right to Sienna.
Lincoln’s assistant greeted me warmly. “Hey, Ava. Go on right in.”
I blinked. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t you call him? See if he’s busy.”
She chuckled. “There’s no one in there with him, and he gave strict orders. If it’s Ava, send her right in. No questions.”
My heart softened to the point of liquid yet again. “Thanks, Sienna.”
I opened the door and stepped into Lincoln’s office tentatively.
He had his cell pressed to his ear and was facing the window. The soft click of the door closing made him spin his chair around.
His eyes locked with mine. “Gotta go, Jamie. Talk to you later.” He hung up and rose slowly. “Ava.”
“Hey…”
His expression was… curious. No anger. No surprise.
“You’re not surprised to see me,” I noted.
He shook his head. “I knew you’d come talk when you were ready.”
I stepped closer, the weight of my guilt pressing down on me. “Thanks for the security detail.”
His lips twisted wryly, and he shrugged.
“I’m sorry,” I said, eyes dropping to the floor. “I ran out on you. I didn’t explain. I didn’t even give you a chance to understand.”
“I understand,” he said softly.
My eyes flew back up to meet his. “You do…?”
With a soft release of breath, he came around the side of his desk. Leaning against it, he folded his arms and watched me with an intensity that made me want to look away.
“After you left, I thought about the way you behaved. It wasn’t you. I figured something had to have happened, but I couldn’t guess what. Then last night, I got an interesting call.”
My heart skipped a beat. Had Derek gotten his number and called to threaten him? Sick to my stomach, I took a step closer. “From who?”
“My old pal, Silas Rourke.”
The hint of disdain lacing his words confused me. “So… you’re really friends…?”
“No, Ava. Silas and I did business a while back. But I hadn’t heard from him in years.”
Frustration got the best of me. “Damn it, Lincoln. Why didn’t you tell me you were involved with the man? I saw your reaction when you found out he’s who Alex and I linked Vauxhall to. You said nothing.”
“If I had, would you have gone ahead with your exposé?”
I shoved my fingers through my hair. “I… no… I don’t know…”
“Exactly,” he said. “That’s why I said nothing. You didn’t put me in the same category as him because I’m acquainted with him, did you?”
“Of course not.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Good. Because I’m nothing like him.
When I got signed as a pro back in the day, Silas wasn’t focused on music.
He had his hands in all kinds of things.
Through him, I got a few advertisements and endorsement deals.
I’ve always been grateful to him for that.
He saw my potential. We’ve never been best buds, but we’ve always been cordial with each other.
He’s the one who recommended a few of my current clients to me, Jaden included.
He has a lot of reach. Because our dealings were business and nothing more, I didn’t know he was involved in all the shit you discovered. ”
He dragged his palm down his face. “Look, Ava, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I knew Silas.
I held my tongue because I didn’t want to influence your investigation.
You said you were looking for the truth.
I stayed out of your way and allowed you to find it.
I’d never want you to hold back because of me. ”
“What did he say to you?” I asked.
“The same thing he sent that prick Derek to tell you. He let me in on how he plucked your ex from obscurity and sent him after you when he discovered you were sticking your nose into his business. That so-called bodyguard always hanging around his biggest investment, Phoenix Sky, had been giving him updates.”
I shook my head. I figured that was how Silas was alerted to my meddling. “I need to get her away from them,” I murmured.
“We will.”
“We?”
“Yes, Ava, we. Because I’ve got your back.
I’m not going to lie to you. When Silas directly threatened you, my reputation, and my business, a part of me was tempted to do as he suggested—get you to back off.
” He scoffed. “I spent half the night agonizing about whether your ambition was worth all the trouble. When everything comes out, that bastard might use our past business dealings to make me look guilty, too.”
“I know,” I said miserably. “That’s why I’m thinking about forgetting the whole thing.”
“And what kind of jerk would I be to allow that, Montgomery?” he shot back.
I frowned at him.
He straightened. “Like I said, I weighed the situation, my options, the threats, the possible outcomes. You know what I decided?”
“What?”
“That I’d be just like Silas and Vauxhall for trying to silence you.
What you’re doing is the right thing. They deserve to be exposed.
You might make things a lot safer for others like Nyla.
You’re strong and courageous. If I cower at a few threats, then I wouldn’t deserve a woman like you, Ava.
And Goddammit, I’m the man for you. I won’t stop until you see that. ”
My heart soared. The weight I’d been carrying—the fear, the guilt, the doubt—lifted all at once. Before I could think twice, I crossed the space between us and threw myself into Lincoln’s arms.
He caught me without hesitation, wrapping me up in an embrace that made me feel as if I’d come home. His arms were strong and steady. My anchor.
“I know you’re the man for me,” I whispered against his chest.
“We’ll deal with whatever comes,” he murmured into my hair. “Together. Keep going, Ava. I believe in you.”
I sniffed, fighting back tears. But they were tears of gratitude and overwhelming love. “Thank you.” I pulled back to look at him. “I’m so sorry I ruined your proposal.”
He wiped his thumb across my cheek, dashing away the tear that had escaped. “You didn’t ruin anything. You just postponed it.”
Laughing softly, I wound my arms around his shoulders and kissed him. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have him.