My Bad Boy's Secret: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (193 page)

The man leading us was dressed all in black, and he was completely silent. This agency was not the FBI, or the CIA. In fact, it wasn't a government agency at all. It was a privately owned spy agency that worked under the radar. Only people in the know, knew of its existence. It didn't even have a name, it was only known as the agency. Ava's father was one of the longest and most elite standing spies the agency had. That is all I knew about him, and that he had abandon his daughter to continue working. He was not a good man. I knew why Ava despised him so.

The man in black took out a key card and scanned it on the wall. Then the wall slid open like a sliding door, even though it looked like there was no opening to begin with. Behind the wall was an elevator. He opened it with another key card and we stepped in. He pushed a few buttons in a synchronized emotion that looked like a code.

Then he looked at Ava and said, "I am a big fan of your fathers. He is a well respected agent. It is my honor to work for him, and be here with his daughter."

Ava looked startled, then she smiled politely and said, "thank you. That is very kind of you, sir."

I could tell by the tenseness in his voice, that her father was a revered hero around here. When he clearly was not a hero to her. The elevator ride down seemed to take forever. It was obvious to me that we were going well below the building, possibly five or six floors underground. I looked over at Ava constantly, realizing that with every floor she was becoming more and more nervous. It was a struggle for me to not reach out and hold her, to calm her. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and tell her that everything would be ok. But in this situation I could not. It was too risky. So all I could do was give her the looks of love with my eyes. Her soft smile let me know that she understood what I meant. I was glad that I was at least here with her when she had to endure this. This was unlike anything she had ever been through, and I knew she was strong enough. Though she was also delicate, and she had been through so much that I knew there would eventually be a breaking point. I hoped that it would not come to that, but everyone has a breaking point, don't they? After everything that she had been through, hers couldn’t be too far off.

Finally the doors open into a stark white glossy hallway. "Follow me," the man said.

We followed close behind him down the white hallway that was so silent our heels echoed on the floor. His key card open yet another sliding door and we walked through. Then Ava and I both stopped in our tracks at what we saw before us. It was an astonishing sight and not one that we were expecting. I wasn't even expecting it in all of my training. As a Navy Seal I had seen some things, some very impressive things. However nothing as large, nor as complicated as this. I was not aware that this existed so far below ground. I had no words. The man in black looked at us arching his eyebrows, expecting us to say something about how impressive it was. I was about to say something when someone else said…

"Like what you see? Pretty impressive isn't it?" a voice said from behind us. We both turned around to see the elite man himself standing before us.

“Father…” Ava said.

PART 5

AVA

Everything that had ever happened to me was leading up to this point in my life. Since I was ten years old and my life had become intertwined with the biggest villain I could have ever imagined. I knew that some day I would have to face him. He was like the scary villain out of a story book when I was a child. And now that I was an older woman, I still saw him that way. I could see his face if I closed my eyes and thought about it. He had haunted my dreams for so long, and just like a villain in a story book, he was out to get me. Then, just as a princess has a knight, I was given my own protector. It all felt very surreal to me. The fact that Zak Flynn was in my life, at all, and that I had fallen for him, was too much to comprehend. It had all escalated and now, it was something that I would have to face. I would have to face my father, and I would have to face the villain that hunted me. Now was the time. It had all made me feel hopelessly out of control. I stood there with all of this roaming through my mind. I could not believe that I was here. I had spent all my life staying away from this city, my past, and my father. Now I had returned, and I did not know how to react to the situation. Not only were our surroundings something out of a movie, but my father was standing in front of me in the flesh. It was hard to take it all in. Just when I was responding to one thing, another outrageous thing happened.

So much has happened in the last few weeks, that it felt like I had watched someone else's life unfold. When I thought back on the first day that I met Zak and how I pushed him away, it seemed it was a lifetime ago. The way he risked his life to save me through my window, when the men that were after me were downstairs in my apartment. The way he was ready with a small motor boat as a means of escape and hiding, it was brilliant. Then we had our adventure on the deserted island, something I thought I would never experience, especially not with a man as gorgeous and strong as he was, my protector. How overtime, I came to see him not only as my protector, but as my lover, as a friend, and now… my love. It had all happened in a way that I did not expect it to. In a way, if I had not been through all the tragedy that I had been running from, then I never would have met Zak. It is true what they say, that everything happens for a reason. Even if those things that happen are tragic, it could be the means or path to something great. Don't stress over bad things that happen, you never know what's going to happen as a result of it. It could be great.

Now, standing in the hallway of the privately owned spy agency that my father worked for, it was hard to take it all in. At least I had Zak Flynn at my side. Even though we had to hide our emotions for each other, having him here while I had to endure this was everything to me. I looked at my father in disbelief as he took a few steps towards me with his arms outstretched, ready to give me a hug. I kept my arms down at my side as he hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"So what do you think?" he said as he motioned toward the glass wall in front of us.

Zak and I turned toward the wall and looked at the astonishing sight below. It was the size of an airplane hanger and it was filled with all kinds of spy toys. There were cars, small planes, motorcycles, and many people sitting behind computer screens. Not to mention tables and shelves full of many gadgets that I could not explain. The ones that did look familiar to me such as umbrellas, bottles, and clothes, no doubt had some sort of special function inside of them. It was very impressive, and this is what my father had left me for.

"It is a very impressive view father. I am glad all this stuff makes you feel happy… fulfilled," I said with tears welling up in my eyes.

Zak instinctively put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me in my distress. The smile fell from my father's face, as my words soaked in, "Ava, it's not what you think."

Then he looked at the way Zak was looking at me tenderly, and did not look pleased with that either. "Come with me. This way to my office," he said as he walked ahead of us. He looked at the agent that had escorted us and dismissed the man with a nod of his head.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Ava,” the agent said as he walked away. There was something unnerving about him. Maybe it was the way he praised my father in the elevator that made me dislike him instantly. I pushed that thought away as the agent walked away.

We followed behind my father who was silent. I pushed thoughts of the abandonment during my childhood aside. I wanted to get this over with. The more that I had my own wits about me, the faster we could get through this. Hopefully, it would all be over soon.

We sat down on the grey sofa in his office, as my father sat behind his desk. He didn't beat around the bush as he suddenly said, "Donica is back."

I took in a shark breath of air. I had not spoken or heard his name out loud for so long, and it penetrated right through me. It was the equivalent of saying the boogie man was back. Donica was the man that wanted me dead, ever since I was a kid because of what I saw. I started coughing violently and choking on the sharp breath of air that I had inhaled so suddenly. Zak patted me on the back and then got up quickly to grab a glass of water from the bar. He handed it to me as he said, "here, drink this. Take your time."

He looked at my father and said, "this man Donica, he is the one?"

"He is. He is the one that has been after Ava since she was 10. Because of what happened, because of what I let happen. Ava, you have to know… and I've said it 1 million times, I am so sorry for taking you with me that day. It was foolish."

"You will have to fill me in because Ava has told me nothing. I want to help, but I need to know," Zak said.

My father looked at me as though asking permission to speak my dark secret. I only nodded yes at him, because there was no way that I would be able to put it into words. Not after all this time, I had done a good job at suppressing it.

"When Ava was 10 years old I was driving her home from school one morning when I saw him... Donica Lane, the man I had been hunting for months. He was a known criminal, but no one could ever catch him in the act. The agency had known that something was going down any day, something big. But we weren't able to track him. When I saw him, I knew I had to follow him. That was my mistake, I shouldn't have with Ava in the car, but my spy responsibilities and sense of duty took me over. I followed them to the docks, where a criminal showdown took place. Though I wasn't to know that is what would happen. I parked the car, far enough away, and told Ava to hide as I went inside the gated warehouse lot. I don't know exactly what happened, but when I came out, Donica was in the process of shooting four men only a few yards away from my car. Ava saw the whole thing and she screamed out for me, getting Donica's attention. He clearly saw her. I ran towards them, guns blazing which caused Donica to jump in a waiting car and drive away. But not before he clearly saw Ava and I. He's been after both of us ever sense. We are the only witnesses."

I started to cry uncontrollably as my father narrated the past. It was still as awful in my mind as it had been that day. I could see it all happening in front of me all over again; the massacre. I would never get over it. Zak once again came to my side rubbing my back as I cried and leaned against him.

"It will be ok, you will get through this I promise,” Zak whispered softly to me.

"So why now? After all this time… Why is he coming after Ava with everything he's got?" Zak asked my father.

"Because until now no one has ever been able to find the man, or arrest him. Once he is arrested, then I and Ava could come out with our testimony. He has recently been charged with embezzlement, and his whereabouts is known. He has been out on bail for the last six months. He is closely watched and is not able to leave the country. Once he is sent to trial we could nail him for this past offenses, and he knows it. That is why he has been trying to get rid of the only witnesses, Ava and I. The trial is now one week away. I am protected here at the agency, and Ava had been able to allude him because he wasn't searching as hard as he could until now and he found her quite easily. Which is why I sent you to get her and bring her here. This is the safest place until this is all over," my father said.

"I just want it all to finally be over,” I cried into Zak's arms.

"Sarah, will you come in and get Ava? Take her to get some tea,” My father said as he pushed on the phone intercom.

"Yes sir, I will be right in,” a soft voice said from the other line.

"Ava, go with my secretary, she will get you some hot tea and take you to my private apartment to rest," my father said.

I knew what this meant. This meant that he wanted to talk to Zak alone. No doubt the cat had been let out of the bag. The way Zak was touching me and consoling me was more than what was expected of him in treating a client’s asset.

"Very well, "I said. After all I could use some tea and time away from my father, even if it was only for a few minutes while I gathered my composure. I gave Zak a knowing look, one that said don't leave me… don't you dare! Then the secretary, an older matronly woman named Sarah, grabbed my hand and led me out the door.

I walked down the hall a few doors down where Sarah unlocked the door to a small apartment. This is where my father stayed when he wasn’t able to go home and was working long nights. I remember he often never came home when I was a child and I would be left to be watched by the neighbors. Sarah made me some hot tea as I went to the bathroom to wipe up my mascara tears and fix myself up. I wondered what he was telling Zak? There would be no way that I would allow him to send Zak away. I would make that clear to him. He did not control me, I was here for protection and nothing else. I was a grown woman.