by Sarah Bailey
“Christ, you really are a fucking little feisty cunt, aren’t you? I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”
I screamed against his hand. He could call me all the names under the sun. I didn’t give a fuck. All I wanted was to be away from him. I hated the feeling of his body pressed against mine. Hated everything about him. I was so focused on trying to get away from him, I barely heard the bathroom door open.
Tristan was ripped away from me and slammed up against the wall opposite the door. I gulped down oxygen into my lungs, feeling disorientated and confused. I gripped the counter, holding myself up.
When I looked over at the two men by the door, my heart did a backflip in my chest. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Aiden.
He had Tristan by the throat, his fingers digging in.
“I don’t think Miss Daniels appreciates being manhandled, do you, Tristan?” Aiden said, his voice brimming with barely concealed rage.
Tristan glared at him.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Aiden?”
“Visiting our good friend, Chuck. Now, are you going to apologise to Miss Daniels for your behaviour?”
Tristan was silent for a moment before he nodded. Aiden let him go, taking a step back. He didn’t look at me. I didn’t know what the hell to make of what just happened. All I knew is I couldn’t let on that we knew each other.
Tristan straightened his suit, trying to maintain his composure. He looked between us.
“Do you know your saviour here?”
He pointed at Aiden. I shook my head. He stepped around Aiden and walked over to me.
“I’m sure he can make those introductions himself. My apologies, Avery. I’ll be on my way now.”
I didn’t say anything. The disdain dripping from his voice put this in the top ten least genuine apologies of all time. His eyes told me so. He hated me with every inch of his being. And if I was ever alone with him again, he’d punish me for this.
Aiden’s reaction to the whole thing confused me. He hadn’t ripped Tristan a new one nor had he even glanced at me. I couldn’t see his face and it really bothered me. I thought he’d be so pissed off, he wouldn’t be able to control his anger.
Tristan left the bathroom. I took a steadying breath. The tension in the air didn’t dissipate. If anything, it ramped up a notch. What could I say? I’d been stupid enough to think Tristan wouldn’t follow me into the bathroom. I blamed myself for this situation even though it wasn’t strictly my fault. I didn’t ask for it.
“Are you okay?” he asked finally.
“No.”
He didn’t turn around and I couldn’t move.
“I’m not okay at all.”
He paced over to the cubicles and opened one of the doors. He waited outside it with his hand on the door. I took a shaky step towards it and then another. I didn’t trust myself or my legs. My movements were jerky as I stepped through the doorway. He walked in behind me, shut the door and locked it.
I turned around and looked up at him in the confined space. Aiden’s grey eyes were dark with anger. And there was something else in his expression which chilled me to my very bones. Helplessness.
I let out a small sob before bundling myself up into his arms and crying into his chest. He rested his cheek against my hair, stroking my back.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” he whispered.
“How did you know?” I sobbed.
“I heard your scream when I was walking to Chuck’s office. I know that scream anywhere.”
I didn’t know whether to feel comforted by that fact or not.
“Princess, I have to go or it will look suspicious. Okay?”
I pulled away from him.
“Okay,” I sniffled.
He leant down and kissed my forehead, wiping under my eyes with his thumb. He unlocked the cubicle door and let himself out. I heard the bathroom door slam behind him.
Everything happened so suddenly, I barely had time to process any of it. I put the toilet lid down and sat, kicking the door shut. I pulled out some toilet paper and dabbed my eyes. I probably looked like a complete fucking mess.
The reality of what occurred crashed down on me. If Aiden hadn’t come in when he did, Tristan would’ve raped me. I was sure of it. Raped me in my own fucking building. He would’ve been cruel and made it hurt. It wouldn’t hurt in the good way either. Not the way Aiden fucked me so brutally, it blurred the lines between pleasure and pain. The difference? I wanted Aiden and I most definitely did not want Tristan. The whole thing was completely batshit crazy on so many levels.
I couldn’t stay hiding in a toilet cubicle all day. I stood, smoothing down my skirt and walked out. I went to the sinks and sorted out my messy face. My eyes were bloodshot, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. Chucking the tissues in the bin, I washed my hands and left.
Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone on the way to my office. I breathed a sigh of relief when I strode in and shut the door behind me. Except my office wasn’t empty. Uncle Charlie was sitting on one of the chairs in front of my desk and Aiden was leant up against one of the bookshelves. I blinked rapidly, trying to compose myself all over again.
Uncle Charlie turned and smiled at me, although it didn’t meet his eyes.
“There you are. How did the board meeting go?” he said.
I stared at him before realising he’d asked me a question. I shook myself and began walking around my desk, trying to ignore the fact that Aiden was right there.
“Fine. The paperwork is complete which means the company is officially mine. They agreed with Ed’s appointment. Clara can speak to HR.”
I sat down, facing my uncle. His eyes flicked over to Aiden for a moment.
“I’m pleased to hear it. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He waved at my boyfriend. “This is Aiden Lockhart. He looks after the company security amongst other things.”
I sent a cursory glance his way.
“Nice to meet you, Mr Lockhart.”
“Miss Daniels,” he replied.
I wondered why my uncle was introducing me to Aiden. My skin prickled. This felt wrong. Was he trying to test us? Did he know we already knew each other? I had too many questions.
“I heard there was an altercation between you and Tristan Shaw,” my uncle said.
And there it was. My heart sank. I didn’t really want to talk about what happened in the toilets. Why had Aiden mentioned it to my uncle?
“It was a simple misunderstanding.”
Uncle Charlie pressed his fingers together.
“Even so, I worry about you, Avery. You’re still young and people might take advantage of that fact.”
What is his point?
“I think you should have someone with you for your own protection.”
I stared at him. Was he seriously suggesting I should have a bodyguard? I didn’t need babysitting.
“Is that what he’s here for?” I asked before I could stop myself.
My uncle looked at Aiden again, frowning.
“No… Although, perhaps…”
I sat up straighter. Uncle Charlie was out of his mind. I wasn’t going to let him put Aiden in charge of looking after me. That was a sure fire way to fuck everything up completely. How could we keep our relationship a secret and how on earth could Aiden work from behind the scenes if he was stuck with me twenty-four seven?
“I don’t need protection, Uncle Charlie. What happened with Tristan won’t happen again.”
Except I knew it would. He wasn’t going to stop now he’d made his intentions clear. I’d have to deal with that outside of the office.
“What about the paparazzi camped outside the office and all the rumours circulating about your involvement in your parents’ deaths?”
I rubbed my forehead. I had seen those and ignored them. It was just idiotic speculation and would die down when the next celebrity scandal broke. It was part and parce
l of being in the public eye.
“What about them? I’ve been having Davis drive me to and from work each day. I’m not scared of a bunch of conspiracy theorists making up crap about me from behind their computer screens.”
I didn’t dare look at Aiden. What did he even think about all this? It’s not like I could come out and ask him. I really wished he wasn’t in the room right now. This conversation wasn’t going the way I wanted it to.
“These things can escalate.”
I rolled my eyes, folding my arms across my chest. My uncle was full of shit. He just wanted to keep tabs on me.
“What happened to Mum and Dad has nothing to do with me. If there’s something you’re not telling me then I’m all ears, otherwise, I don’t need a bodyguard.”
My uncle eyed Aiden again. I was getting nervous now. My skin was sticking to my blouse.
“I disagree.”
I sighed, leaning forward and placing my hands on the desk.
“I appreciate your concern for my safety. I will think about it.”
My uncle nodded slowly. I thought the conversation might be over, but he didn’t move to get up. I waited, tapping my foot against the floor.
“Aiden has some proposed changes to our security systems. I thought he could speak to you about them.”
I looked over at Aiden then. He seemed nonplussed by my uncle’s announcement.
“To me? Why? Isn’t that your department?”
“Don’t you want to get to know the company better?”
Now I was sure my uncle was testing me. Prick. Fine, I would play his games. I smiled at him.
“Well yes, I do. Is now acceptable? I’ve got to speak to Ed, but it can wait.”
Aiden shoved off the bookcase and walked over to my desk. He placed a tablet down on it and looked at my uncle.
“Are you staying?” he asked.
Uncle Charlie bounced his hands on the chair and stood up. His smile made my skin crawl.
“No, no, I have things to do. I’m sure Avery can approve these if she wishes.”
He strolled out of the room without another word, leaving my office door open.
“What the fuck is going on?” I hissed at Aiden.
“Fuck knows,” he whispered back.
If Aiden didn’t know what was happening then this was really fucked up.
“Do you want to sit?” I said, louder.
I got up from the desk, walked over to my office door and shut it. I leant against it, staring at my boyfriend with wide eyes. He indicated with his head that I should come back over.
When I sat back down, he leant over the desk and started showing me the new security system he was thinking of having installed.
“Chuck asked me to look into the latest technology, which I’ve done. It’s an expensive bit of kit, but it will make my job easier and give you and the company peace of mind.”
I looked down at what he was showing me. I wasn’t quite sure what exactly I was looking at, but I was sure he’d explain it to me. I scrolled down at the financials. Expensive, but if Aiden thought this would help, then I was all for it.
He went through the whole proposal with me. Neither of us mentioned the elephant in the room. There were cameras in here so we couldn’t exactly talk about anything other than company business.
“You’re very meticulous,” I said, sitting back.
He raised an eyebrow at me, a small smile playing on his lips as if to say, ‘did you really expect anything else from me?’, to which I shrugged. Of course I didn’t. Aiden could be very regimented in the way he dealt with things like work. I knew he’d have gone over every detail and left nothing out.
“There are other less expensive options, but Chuck usually insists on the best and leaves the details to me.”
“Do I need to sign off on anything to get this approved?”
He took the tablet and scrolled through it before handing it to me. There was a box for my signature. I swiped over the screen, signing the necessary documentation digitally.
“Is that everything?” I asked.
He nodded, taking the tablet and standing.
“Thank you for your time, Miss Daniels.”
I really fucking wished I could do more than just smile at him. Aiden and I had too much to discuss. I was itching for the day to be over. We’d decided to split our time between our respective places. During the week, it’d be my flat and his at the weekends. I hated being at mine, but until we got my uncle off our backs, it was necessary.
“I’m sure I will see you around,” I replied.
He nodded at me once before turning and leaving. Barely thirty seconds after he was out the door, my phone buzzed.
AIDEN: I love you princess.
My heart flipped in my chest. Even though we’d been through a whole bunch of crap today, he still managed to make everything okay. And I loved him all the more for it. Aiden might be a little unhinged and did questionable things at times, but he gave me something no one else had. Freedom to be myself.
ME: Today sucks.
AIDEN: Tristan is a dead man walking.
ME: And here I thought you were old friends.
AIDEN: Ha fucking ha. I’ll talk to you later.
I smiled, leaning back in my chair and remembering there was someone else I needed to speak to. I scrolled through my contacts and hit dial.
“Hi Ed, you got time to talk?”
Chapter Twelve
Aiden
What the fuck was Chuck’s game? I couldn’t work it out. I’d only mentioned there’d been some kind of altercation between Avery and Tristan because he’d questioned why I’d been late. I was too worked up about it not to say anything. That fucking worthless piece of shit was on thin ice. Son of a fucking bitch. I almost lost my mind when I found him pinning my fucking woman to the sinks.
Tristan Shaw was a dead man walking.
I was going to enjoy the moment the bullet pierced his skull, snuffing the life out of the sick motherfucking cunt.
First things first, I had to find out what the fuck his father had on Daniels Holdings. Rocking the boat was a bad idea, so I couldn’t off Frazier’s son quite yet. It would only arouse suspicion, especially after what happened today.
I’d got to her at the right time, but now I couldn’t feign innocence and say I’d never met Avery. We’d been officially introduced and there was no fucking taking that shit back. I needed to find out what Chuck was playing at and fast. Whatever he suspected needed to be nipped in the bud.
I rubbed the back of my neck, slamming my hand down on the steering wheel as I sat in traffic. This whole thing frustrated me no end. Not having Avery right there with me. Not being able to protect her at all times drove me insane.
I’d been seriously perturbed about being called into the office in the first place, but now I was fucking glad Chuck insisted on me coming in person to go over the new security equipment. He’d tasked me with this at the beginning of the month, but it had taken me a while to do all the necessary research. Especially dealing with the fact that my girlfriend had to go back out into the real world.
My phone rang. I hit the button on the steering wheel to answer it.
“Did she approve the new plans?” Chuck asked without preamble.
Why was he ringing now?
“Yes. You didn’t mention you wanted me to drop in and let you know.”
“No, no. I didn’t need you to. So… Aiden, I heard the police questioned you regarding an anonymous tip they had back when my niece was missing.”
And there it was. He had been fucking testing us. He’d obviously found out from his informant on the force. Why it had taken so long, I had no idea, but this didn’t sit well with me at all.
“Yes. It was bullshit though.”
“So today really was your first introduction to Avery.”
“Yes, why would you think otherwise?”
“I don’t, but you ca
n see how suspicious it looked when someone says they saw you with her.”
The traffic started to move, which I was fucking glad about, but I wanted to get off the phone. This conversation was dangerous.
“My friend’s wife looks a little like her. Mistaken identity. Did Ethan tell you about this?”
“Ethan? No, he’s been reassigned to another case now Avery is back. Anyway, I have some more work for you. I’ll send you the details.”
He hung up without letting me respond. What the fuck? If he didn’t get the information from Ethan, then who the hell else would know? He didn’t have any other informants on the force. It made absolutely no sense.
Unless…
Who was the anonymous tip? My skin prickled. Had Chuck got someone to follow me around? He’d been acting suspiciously when he’d come over that time, asking questions about if I knew who’d killed Mitchell and Kathleen. I couldn’t shake the feeling now I thought about it. There was only one person Chuck would get to fucking follow me.
John.
I needed a word and I knew exactly where I’d find him. I turned off at the next junction and made my way across the city. Thankfully there was less traffic. I parked up a couple of streets over and walked the rest of the way. Dusk had already fallen and it was close to the time she’d be on her way home, so if he was here, then now would be the best time to ambush him.
I found his car parked a little way down from Avery’s house. Rapping on the window, John looked up at me, eyes wide. He was in his late forties, bald head with a shit ton of tattoos. John wasn’t a man you messed with, but he wouldn’t fuck with me either.
I opened the passenger door and got in.
“Aiden, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“Chuck had you follow me around for a while, did he not?”
John had the decency to look away, his green eyes darkening.
“He should know better than to keep shit from you,” he muttered.
“Were you the anonymous tip?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you press the police further about it when I provided them with a plausible explanation?”