“How does she look at you?”
A huge, satisfied grin lit up his face. “Like I’m her hero.”
I let out an amused huff, but a fist squeezed around my heart. I wanted Ava to look at me like that.
“That’s great, but how do you cope until it all ends?” I asked. Could my heart take watching Ava go toe to toe with dangerous people?
Alex smirked. “I let Olivia fight her battles because she’s fully capable. But I stand behind my woman, offering advice, resources, and ready to burn down the entire goddamn city to keep her safe—that’s how.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m crazy about my wife. I support and protect Linc.”
“Support and protect, huh?”
“Nothing more to it,” Alex drawled. “You said you still love Ava.”
“I do.”
“Then I know you’ll burn down all of Hollywood for her if you have to.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. I sure as hell would let the city burn to keep her safe, whether she still loved me or not.Now, I just had to get my head in the game, keep my worry under control, and… support and protect.
19
AVA
I paced the tiny balcony of my hotel like a caged woman. Fury still burned in my chest when I thought about Lincoln demanding I give up on my story. What gave him the right? Granted, I knew it was risky moving forward, but did he have to be so… unsupportive?
It annoyed me to be this bothered in the first place. My ex’s lack of faith in me shouldn’t affect me this much. Letting out an aggravated growl, I braced my arms on the metal railing and looked out.
The view was terrible—just the parking lot, a side wall of the adjacent building, and a rusty fire escape that groaned whenever the wind kicked up. A fitting backdrop for the mood I was in. It was fitting for the price of the hotel, too.
My heavy sigh fluttered on the night breeze. Was Lincoln right? Should I give up? Maybe I’d never be good enough to move beyond writing puff-pieces like who wore what at the Emmys, anyway.
I could see my hope of a Pulitzer one day vanishing in the distance…
My shoulders hunched, and my mood plummeted some more. Riding my wave of depression, I groaned when I heard a knock on my door. The only person who would come here was Lincoln. He was the last person I wanted to see.
I ignored the knocking, but it persisted. Rolling my eyes, I went back inside and aimed for the door. If he wanted more of my anger, fine. I had plenty more heated words for him. I didn’t even look through the peephole, just yanked the door open, tongue ready to deliver a lashing.
The words died in my throat when I came face to face with Derek, the ex-fiancé from hell. For a moment, my breath caught and my body locked up. He stood there, wearing the predatory smile that made my stomach twist. Icy, calculating blue eyes pinned me to the spot.
“Hey, Ava,” he said casually, as if he hadn’t followed me all the way across the country and found my hotel room… like a stalker.
Buthow?
I couldn’t respond. My heart was pounding too hard, distracting my brain from putting together a sentence. I pulled in a breath.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” That was all I could manage in a tight voice.
He shrugged. “I was in town.”
Gathering a little of my wits that had scattered, I studied him. Of course, I didn’t believe he was here by coincidence. The minute I got an assignment in another state, he just so happened to be visiting the same area? Bullshit.
I was officially scared…terrified. Derek’s stalking was escalating. My mind ran wild with headlines like:
Ava Montgomery, Springfield journalist, missing.
