Chapter 19 THE GHOST
Ava's POV
The cab I took dropped me off right in front of the coffee shop at 11:55 AM.
I paid the driver and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, trying to calm my racing heart. This was stupid and Dominic would be furious if he knew I was here.
But I had to know.
The bell above the door chimed as I walked in. I'd been coming to this place for years, back when my biggest worry was whether I could afford the extra shot of espresso.
"The usual?" The barista called out when she saw me.
"Yeah. Thanks, Jenny." I forced a smile and moved to my corner booth by the window where I could watch the door.
My phone said 12:00 PM exactly and I just waited.
People came and went around me, ordering their drinks and chatting on their phones but none of them approached me as I kept looking at anyone that came through the door
When it was 12:15 PM, I pulled out my phone and typed a message to the person:
"I'm here. Where are you?"
I watched the screen, waiting for those three little dots that meant someone was typing back, but there was othing.
"More coffee, hon?" Jenny appeared with the pot.
"No, I'm good. Thanks." I wrapped my hands around my cup even though it had gone cold
When it was 12:30, I checked my phone for the hundredth time but it was still nothing. Maybe this was a prank and maybe someone was messing with me.
I should just probably leave. When my phone rang, I nearly dropped it, only for me to check and it turned out to be Maya.
"Hey," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Girl, where are you? You sound weird." Maya had a sixth sense for when something was wrong.
"I'm at the coffee shop. You know, the one on Fifth."
"The one you always go to? Why? I thought you were staying at Dominic's place."
I glanced around to make sure no one was listening before I lowered my voice.
"I got these messages last night. From someone who says they know something about Dominic. They told me to meet them here at noon."
"Are you insane?" Maya's voice shot up. "Ava, that's how people get murdered! You need to tell Dominic right now and get out of there!" She shouted from the other end of the phone.
"I can't tell him. Not until I know what this person wants to say." I replied her
"This is dangerous and you know it." She was using her serious voice now.
"Promise me if anything feels wrong, you'll leave immediately."
"I promise." I told her.
"I'm serious, Ava. Your gut is there for a reason. Listen to it." She said
We talked for a few more minutes while I kept watching the door, but no one suspicious came in. Finally Maya had to go back to work and made me promise again to be careful.
It was now 1:00 PM and i'd been sitting here for over an hour and whoever sent those messages wasn't coming.
I was about to give up and leave when Jenny walked over with a small white envelope in her hand.
"Someone left this for you earlier." She set it down on the table in front of me and my stomach dropped.
"Who? When?" I grabbed the envelope but didn't open it yet.
"Some woman came in right when we opened this morning. Asked me to give it to the girl in the corner booth with dark hair who always orders caramel lattes. Said you'd be here at noon." Jenny shrugged like this was perfectly normal.
"What did she look like?" I asked her
"Older, maybe late forties? Dark hair going gray. She looked nervous, kept looking over her shoulder. Is everything okay?" She asked
"Yeah, fine. Thanks, Jenny."
She walked away and I stared at the envelope with my name was written on the front in neat handwriting.
I tore it open and inside was a single piece of paper with just a few lines written in the same handwriting:
"They're watching me. Can't meet. The number will go dead after this but trust no one close to him. Especially not Adrian. Be careful, Ava. You're in more danger than you know. -L"
My hands started shaking so badly the paper rattled.
Who was L? Why were they being watched? And what did they mean about Adrian? My phone rang again and this time Dominic's name flashed on the screen.
I shoved the note into my bag and took a breath before answering.
"Hey."
"Where are you?" His voice was sharp. "Adrian said you went to get clothes from your apartment over an hour ago."
Shit. He's back.
"Yeah, I'm still here. Just got caught up going through some stuff and I lost track of time." I lied
"You've been there for over an hour?" He asked and I could sense anger in his voice
"You know how it is. Started cleaning and couldn't stop." I forced a laugh that sounded fake even to my own ears.
There was a pause on the other end and I could practically feel him deciding whether or not to believe me.
"I'm sending Adrian to pick you up. Don't leave your apartment until he gets there."
"Dominic, I can take a cab..." I argues but he cut me short.
"Adrian will be there in ten minutes. Wait for him." He hung up before I could argue.
I sat there staring at my phone.
Ten minutes meant Adrian was already on his way. Which meant I needed to get out of here now before he showed up and realized I'd lied.
I grabbed my bag and practically ran out of the coffee shop.
The street was busy with lunch hour traffic and I tried to blend in with the crowd while I walked quickly in the direction of my apartment. If I could just get there before Adrian arrived, maybe I could pretend I'd been there the whole time.
I made it half a block before I saw the black car pull up to the curb ahead of me. It was Arian's car.
My heart sank mad as he got out of the driver's seat and I watched him scan the street. When his eyes landed on me, I saw his expression shift from concern to something I couldn't quite read.
But then the passenger door opened and a woman also stepped out.
She was tall, blonde, and absolutely stunning in a way that made me immediately aware of my jeans and old sweater. She walked around the car to stand next to Adrian, and when she looked at me, she just smiled.
"So you're the human he's obsessed with." She said.