Justin put his arm around Ava and pulled her close. “I’m sorry I put you in this situation. I forced you to put your differences aside and focus on the business prospects.”
“Her behavior is not your fault. You couldn’t have predicted this.”
“I’ve never seen Lindsey behave that way. You said she seemed drunk?”
“My guess she was high off some drug.”
“She pops pills every once in a while,” he said like it was a normal occurrence.
“You wanted to enter into a business partnership with someone who does drugs?”
“I didn’t say she was an addict. Just a recreational user. I’m sure after she sleeps it off, she won’t remember what happened.”
Ava cut her eyes at Justin. “Are you defending her?”
“No! She was completely out of line, and we’re done with her. When she calls to apologize, I won’t answer.”
“She threatened to call the police.”
He waved off the thought. “She’s bluffing.”
“What do you think she meant when she said the Harringtons, including myself, will get what’s coming to us?”
“That’s more posturing. Ignore everything she said. If I had one regret in my life, it was ever getting involved with her. It’s been nothing but misery.”
Chapter Sixteen
Lindsey kicked off her shoes the moment she entered the house. The fight with Ava was a blur and most of the comments she’d made she didn’t remember, thanks to the lines she snorted at lunch with a friend. She entered the kitchen and found Brandon guzzling a beer. He craned his neck towards her. His eyes bulged as his eyebrows lifted, and he placed his beer on the counter. “What in the hell happened to you?”
“That bitch happened!” She grabbed a glass from the cupboard.
“Who?”
She poured filtered water from the refrigerator into her glass. “Ava. I don’t understand why you’re obsessed with her. She’s an obnoxious know-it-all.”
Brandon moved closer to Lindsey. “What did you say to her?”
“I called her a pathetic little bitch, and she didn’t like it, so we fought.”
Brandon replaced his look of concern with a scowl. “You put your hands on her?! We agreed you would leave her out of your vendetta.”
“I tried, but she’s never let go of my past with Justin.” She finished her water and moved to place the empty glass into the sink. When she turned around, Brandon towered over her. “You should cut your losses because she doesn’t want you,” spat Lindsey. She tried to move past him, but he blocked her into a corner.
“I don’t give a damn what you have planned for Justin and his family. You stay away from Ava. Do we understand each other?”
Lindsey didn’t flinch as she shot him a venomous glare. “Do you understand she doesn’t want you? Why would she leave her handsome, rich soon-to-be husband for a criminal like you?”
“Shut up!” he screamed.
She scrunched her face in disgust. “You’re nothing but good money down the drain. Just think, you had the potential to give Justin the heartache he deserved. Instead, it’s been Ava this and Ava that,” she said in a mocking voice. “This partnership is over. I want you out of my house!” She placed her hand on his chest to push him out of the way, but he wouldn’t budge.
“I’m staying put until I get what I came for.”
“You won’t get it here. So, get the fuck out of my house!”
Before she could try another attempt to move him of out the way, he grabbed the collar of her shirt. He pulled her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Let me go, you bastard!” She spat into his eyes.
He released her. She ran out of the kitchen, while he stopped to wipe his eyes. She snatched her purse from off the living room floor. Only steps away from the front door, she made a beeline to get away from the psycho she invited into her home. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, she felt his hands wrap around her waist. He lifted her off the floor and threw her against the wall. His face was red, and his eyes were dark hollow wells of evil.
“You’re sick! If anything happens to me, they’ll find out. Someone knows you’re here.”
His lips curled upward. “I’m facing life behind bars with nothing to lose.” He gripped a fistful of her hair from the top of her head. Her eyes remained focused on him as he continuously beat her head against the wall. Sharp, electric shock like pains ran throughout her skull. After the third blow her vision blurred, and by her last conscious blow everything around her became black like the dark pits of hell.
Chapter Seventeen
Ava made one last stroke across her teeth, before spitting out her toothpaste. She followed up with mouthwash and returned to the bedroom. She slid underneath the covers beside Justin. His fingers were busy clacking away on his laptop.
“One sec, babe. I have one last email to send.”
Ava fluffed her pillow against the headboard and scrolled through her text messages. She’s worried she still hadn’t heard from Tess. One new text message had arrived from Meghan expressing her excitement over her upcoming move. She thanked Ava for her help with changing Chase’s mind. Ava smiled and placed her phone on its charger beside the bed.
“I’m all yours,” said Justin.
“I still haven’t heard from Tess. It’s unlike her to remain out of touch.”
“You said she and Scott were working out their problems.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Don’t worry. You’ll hear from her when she’s ready to talk.”
She shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”
“I am.”
Ava laughed. “It’s nice to have our home back to ourselves. I’m not saying your father was a problem. I just like our small routines.”
“I know what you mean. I hate I have to leave you and fly out in the morning.”
“Three days, right?”
“Yup, two days in Seattle to check on a property. Followed by a day trip to Vegas to give a final decision on a parcel of land.”
“Most CEOs have people in place who make those decisions.”
“True, but you know how hands-on I am.” He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her near him. “I like to inspect every nook and cranny.” He kissed her neck. “Come with me. You’ve never been to Vegas. We can extend the trip and hit up the casinos.” He moved her hair to the side and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She wore nothing but a black tank top and black panties.
“I can’t. You know I have my meeting with Elijah tomorrow.”
“What if we met afterward? You can fly to Seattle.”
She arched her back as his tongue trail from her neck down to her breasts. “No. I should get used to your trips away, and there’s no time like the present.”
He pulled away and met her gaze. “You’re right.”
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t leave you a parting gift.”
The corner of his mouth curled. “What sort of gift?”
Ava removed her tank top, exposing her perky breast. She straddled Justin’s lap and lured him into a deep, passionate kiss. His hands caressed her back as his cock hardened between her legs. He broke off their kiss to remove his clothes, while Ava slipped off her lace panties. She watched as he retreated underneath the covers and reached for her.
“Lay back,” she said. Ava leaned over him and covered his muscular chest with wet, tender kisses. Her tongue encircled his nipples before trailing down to his chiseled abs. She continued to move her lips south and pleasure him with the ease of her tongue. While her mouth bobbed up and down on his cock, he caressed her ass planted in his face.
“Love you,” she heard him murmured between grunts of pleasure. The deeper she took him into her mouth, the more turned on she became. Justin then inserted his fingers inside of her, sending her into overdrive. She panted and moaned with each stroke. After several additional strokes, he removed his fingers and flipped Ava onto her back. She gazed into his
eyes as she bit on her lower lip. He spread her legs and entered her. With her legs locked around his waist, she reveled in every tender motion. After one long sensual lovemaking session. Neither were satisfied and wanted more. They continued to make love until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Ava’s eyes flipped open early the following morning. She eyeballed the clock beside the bed. 7:00 am. Three hours before Justin’s flight. She slid out of bed and grabbed her robe. She watched the rise and fall of his bare chest as she made a tie around her waist. Her mind replayed the previous night’s events. She exited the room with a smile on her face and entered the kitchen. She turned on the coffeemaker and inserted two k-cups, one after the other. She returned to the bedroom with two mugs of piping hot coffee. She placed his mug on the bedside table and settled in a chair. The room needs more light. Ava lifted the remote and clicked the button that opened the curtains. She had white linen window panels placed over the doors to the balcony. The sunshine beamed into the room, causing Justin to stir. Moments later, he opened his eyes.
“Morning,” she said. She took a final sip from her mug and moved beside him on the bed.
He sat up and brought his brew to his lips. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s part of our morning ritual.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she smiled.
He placed his mug down and turned towards her. “I want so badly to make you my wife.” Justin stroked her finger that displayed her engagement ring.
“That’s not what I expected to hear first thing in the morning.”
“It’s something I often think of.”
“You don’t want to wait, do you?”
“If I had my way, we would marry right here, in our home, with our family and friends.”
“That sounds nice, but Paris is more of a fairytale.”
He expelled a heavy breath. “That takes time and lots of planning.”
“As do most weddings.” The disappointment on his face didn’t go unnoticed. “Where is this coming from? You agreed to wait, and now you’re changing your mind.”
“You’ve made me a better man, a better person, and changed how I move in life.” He brought her hand to his lips. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you, too.”
“I’m ready for us to move to the next phase of our life together. You know marriage and then kids.”
“Kids?” she frowned.
“Yes, kids”
Ava remained silent as her gaze fell.
Justin lifted her chin, and their eyes met. “Sweetheart, we’ve overcome many hurdles to be together. As a result, our love for each other has strengthened, we have fulfilling careers, and live a life most can only dream of. Why not enhance our lives with little versions of ourselves?”
“I don’t know, Justin. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“I never envisioned I would be with a woman who I wanted to marry and imagined kids with her. You did that for me.”
“And because I was a witness to my parent’s abusive marriage, I never thought I would accept a proposal. You are the first man who has given me unconditional love. I’m not saying I never want to have children with you. Just not now. I would like to travel, and enjoy our life as a couple, before we add kids to the mix.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I get it. I’ll continue to work on my lack of patience if you remain open to the idea.”
“That I can do.”
He moved closer to her and untied her robe. “I have an hour to spare before I leave.” He stroked her breast.
Ava closed her robe and laughed. “Is that all you think about?”
He smiled and nodded his head. “Yup.”
She slid beside him, causing him to lean closer to her face. “Love you,” she said.
He kissed her lips. “Love you more.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I don’t understand why Mr. Harrington couldn’t take this meeting,” said Elijah Norris.
Ava smiled politely at the sixty-something landlord. “As I explained many times before, I will handle any required lease negotiations.”
After Justin had left for Seattle, Ava prepared for her meeting. She’d asked Elijah to arrive at her office at one. He showed his first sign of disrespect by his two o’clock arrival. Her back-and-forth phone calls with him had already revealed his misogynistic attitude. Between his demands to verify everything with Justin, or how he gave Kasey or Paige a hard time when they refused to transfer his calls to who he deemed the man in charge, Ava knew she was in for a showdown.
“Can I at least request Mr. Harrington’s presence?” he asked.
“He’s out of town on business. Unless you’re willing to reschedule a month out, I suggest we get to why we’re here.”
He twisted his mouth in disapproval as he straightened his posture in the chair. “I read through your proposal, and I found several unfavorable terms?” he said.
Ava held direct eye contact as she sat across from him at the conference table. “Let’s take them one by one.”
“You want to lower your rent in exchange for occupying floors one through five. In addition to the floors you currently lease.”
“And the problem is?”
“That will give you one-hundred percent building occupancy. The suggested rent is thirty percent less than if I replaced the bottom floors with new tenants.”
Ava glanced towards Kasey who sat at the end of the table taking notes. She then turned her attention back to Elijah and slid two sheets of paper towards him. “If you review the prepared spreadsheets, it compares tenants who lease in the surrounding area. Those tenants pay significantly less than JTH Properties, some with sole occupancy and building signage.”
As his eyes scanned over the numbers, his lips tightened into a frown. He slid the spreadsheet aside. The wrinkles around his lips smoothed as he relaxed them into a thin smile. He stared at Ava like he was contemplating his next move. “Sweetie…”
She scoffed as her brows lifted. “Excuse me, that’s Miss Sinclair.”
He cleared his throat. “Miss Sinclair, what happened to Rich Jackson? With him, this process was more straightforward, and Mr. Harrington never had a single complaint about the terms of his lease.”
“Mr. Harrington is a busy man who requires others to do their job effectively. It’s my duty to make the best financial decisions for this company. If Mr. Jackson didn’t perform his job properly, that isn’t my problem. From this moment forward, as long as JTH leases this building, you will deal with me. What’s the next term you found unfavorable?”
Elijah frowned as his hand stroked underneath his chin. “We should discuss the tenant improvement allowance. If I lease the bottom floors to you, I assume you will need to remodel. Tear down walls, add lighting, etc. to suit your needs. I would like to request that I choose the contractor used for the project.”
“If you provide a list of contractors, we’ll contact them for an estimate. I will then forward the estimates to Mr. Harrington, who will make the ultimate decision on that aspect. How does that sound?”
His lips formed a smug smile. She’s sure it had more to do with her stating Justin would have final approval than the actual counteroffer.
After another hour of back and forth, she got him to agree to most of her terms. The agreed-upon rent wasn’t as low as she hoped, but it was still within the range of the current market. Ava texted Justin to let him know how her meeting went. It didn’t surprise her when he didn’t respond. She knew he was busy with work.
Ava turned towards Kasey. “If we fail to receive a list of contractors in five days, send him a formal request. If he doesn’t oblige, we will then move forward to find our own contractor.”
Kasey typed in her tablet. “Got it. I’ll also cc Mr. Harrington the notes from the meeting.”
“Great.”
“I can’t believe he called you sweetie,” said Kasey.<
br />
“He’s such a condescending jerk. That’s why I wasted no time putting him in his place.”
Kasey rose from her chair. “Is there anything else you need?”
Ava shook her head. “If you like, you can leave for the day.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll be here for another hour or so before taking off. Go out and enjoy the sunshine.”
She smiled. “Maybe I can get a last-minute appointment for a pedicure.”
“Give them a call, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Ava spent the next hour sorting through emails before calling it a day. She gathered her bags and proceeded to the elevator. Just as the doors opened, her phone rang. Her eyes lowered towards her screen.
Tess! “Where have you been? I’ve received one text since your call,” she said, stepping into the elevator and pressing the L button on the panel.
“Ava… must… out… careful.” Tess’ voice faded in and out.
She removed her phone from her ear and looked at the screen. One signal bar. “Tess, I can’t hear you. Hold on.”
“Ava… Ava.”
“Hold on.” She exited the elevator and the signal bars increased on her phone. “Tess, one second. I have to get past security.” Ava retrieved her work badge to activate the security clearance. Before she reached the doors, she placed her bluetooth earbud in her ear. “Tess, are you still in the mountains with Scott?”
“Ava, listen,” she said with clear panic in her voice causing Ava to halt her pace.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wished I’d reached you sooner, but Scott took my phone and refused to allow me to use it.”
“What?! That doesn’t sound like him.” Ava took slow steps towards her car.
“Forget about Scott, there’s something you must know. It’s Brandon.”
Ava froze. “What about him?”
“He’s out, Ava! And…”
A hand grabbed her waist, a needle stabbed her neck, and her eyes fluttered into darkness.
Conned by You Page 8
