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.”
