Rapture & Ruin by Julia Sykes
Chapter 17
Allie
Your escort has arrived. Isabel’s text was accompanied by a photo of Davis and Charlie, who were grinning and waving for me to join them.
My heart squeezed. My friends really were the best. When I’d messaged them to blow off some steam about Gavin, they’d all rallied and rearranged their schedules to meet me after work.
My phone vibrated with another text as I stepped onto the elevator that would take me down to the ground floor to meet them.
Davis says to invite Captain Douchebag. We dare him to show his face.
I released a sigh when the elevator doors closed, locking a barrier between me and my tormentor. Gavin had been especially unnerving today. He’d shown up to work wearing a cast and a sling—it turned out he had broken his elbow when he’d hit the pavement. His face was bruised from Max’s brutal punches, and I’d overheard him telling a senior colleague that he’d been mugged.
As though the bastard hadn’t been the one to commit a crime against me.
I didn’t breathe a word about what’d really happened. I didn’t want to draw any attention to Max.
Gavin hadn’t spoken a single cruel word to me all day, but his eyes burned with a new level of loathing I’d never seen before. His hateful gaze seemed to follow me everywhere I went, singeing my skin. His terrible glower promised retribution, and I was worried he might try to accost me again if he followed me home from work.
My besties had come to my rescue. They didn’t know anything about Gavin’s assault or Max’s involvement. They didn’t know about Max at all.
But I’d told them Gavin was making me anxious and uncomfortable, and that’d been enough to trigger their protective instincts. They would walk with me to our favorite nearby restaurant, and we would all have a martini and a decadent meal to unwind.
I exited the building and stepped into the flurry of supportive hugs from my besties. Immediately, the warmth of their love enveloped me, and I squeezed them back. Isabel slung a slender arm over my shoulder and tugged me close as she led me the short distance to the restaurant. Davis practically bounced at our side like a boxer preparing for a fight, issuing dark threats about what he would do to Gavin if I’d let him. Charlie whooped her agreement, my usually mellow friend growing fierce in my defense.
We were just outside the restaurant when my phone rang. For a moment, my heart leapt. What if Max had decided to call me?
I checked the contact details, and my small bloom of joy wilted. I didn’t recognize the number.
I held up one finger to my friends, indicating that I needed a minute to answer, just in case it was important or work-related.
“This is Allie Fitzgerald,” I answered in my most professional tone.
“Allie.” A deep, masculine voice said my name with shocking intimacy. This wasn’t a work call. “It’s Niko.”
My brain stalled out. Niko? As in…
“Nikolai Ivanov,” he clarified when I said nothing in response. “We met at your dad’s fundraiser on Saturday.”
“Oh. Yeah. Hi.” I clapped a hand to my forehead. Could I have sounded more awkward?
The last time I’d seen Niko, the impossibly gorgeous man had draped his deliciously man-scented jacket over my shoulders and asked me on a date. Just before Max had stormed out of the darkness and shoved him away.
“I got your number from your dad. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh.” My mind scrambled to catch up. Nikolai Ivanov was the last person I’d expected to hear from. I’d barely even thought about him since Max had gotten between us and snarled at him to leave me alone. “I don’t mind,” I said, automatically polite.
“Good.” I could practically hear his dazzling smile over the phone. “Because you never did give me an answer. Can I take you out to dinner sometime? It’s the least I can do. I’m pretty sure my dad planted that article. Sorry about that.”
“What article?” I could scarcely keep up. The very fact that Niko had called me was baffling. What he was saying made even less sense.
“In the Times. I guess you haven’t seen it yet.” He sighed. “My father isn’t very subtle. He definitely approves of you, and he wants to fix us up. Just one date. That’s all I’m asking for. If nothing else, it’ll get him off our backs. But don’t get me wrong,” he continued, filling my stunned silence. “I would’ve asked you out anyway. I’m sorry if he’s made things uncomfortable. I hope that doesn’t put you off, because I’d really like to see you again.”
“But you barely know me.” And why had that protest popped out of my mouth? I should be thrilled that a man as devastatingly handsome as Niko was interested in me.
“I’d like to get to know you,” he countered smoothly. “Are you free this Saturday?”
“Oh, um. Sure.” I was so flustered that my agreeable nature overwhelmed reason. This was far too jarring, and he’d caught me completely off guard.
And what was this whole article-thing about?
“Great. I’ll text you, and we can work out the details.”
“Okay,” I agreed, my mouth moving on autopilot.
He ended the call, and I stared at my phone for a second, stunned.
“Who was that?” Davis asked. “You look totally shook. Was it that douchebag?”
“No.” I blinked, trying to clear my head in the wake of the short, dizzying phone call. “It was Nikolai Ivanov. He asked me out.”
“Oh my god!” Isabel squealed. “Hot, billionaire heir Nikolai Ivanov? From the fundraiser?”
“Yeah.”
“Wait, I saw him talking to you,” Charlie chimed in. “He’s totally gorgeous. Why do you look sick? Don’t you want to go out with him?”
“No.” My refusal was firm and immediate, and for some reason, Max’s dark eyes flashed through my mind. “I mean, I don’t know. He said something about an article his dad planted in the Times. I got flustered and agreed to a date.”
“What article?” Davis already had his phone out, entering my and Niko’s names into search. “Ohmygod,” he said in a single exhalation. “Holy shit.”
“What is it?” Isabel demanded.
We all crowded around the small screen. My stomach dropped when I saw the picture of Niko and me at the fundraiser. His hand was on my arm, and I was staring up at him with a stupidly awed expression on my face. I saw the headline, and I wanted to sink into the pavement: New York’s Own Royal Romance?
Davis eyed me, a teasing smirk tilting his lips. “All hail Princess Allie!” He offered me a small bow. “Why didn’t you tell us you’re a royal?”
Charlie slapped his arm. “Read the vibe, Davis. Don’t tease her right now.” Her big blue eyes were wide with concern. “You okay?”
Isabel snatched the phone from Davis and hastily began reading the article. “I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes,” she promised. “Let’s get you a martini.”
“No,” I countered, even as they ushered me forward. “I’d so much rather hear about your audition. And Davis, you had one today too, right? I haven’t checked in with you guys since you gave your performances. We don’t need to talk about me.”
Isabel waved me off. “You’re white as a ghost. I know you’ll worry about this all night if we don’t deal with it right now.”
I’d so much rather erase the article’s existence from my mind. I turned to Charlie, desperation touching my voice. “Seriously, we’ve talked about me way too much lately. What about your internship with Vogue? I’m so proud of you for landing that, and I feel like we barely discuss it. You must be just as stressed by work as I am.”
Charlie shot me a sympathetic smile and shook her head. “Uh-uh. We are so talking about you for a little bit. This is too important to ignore.”
Isabel shushed me imperiously. “Hush and let me read. I’ll share the deets in just a few minutes.”
Somehow, my feet moved, and we were inside the restaurant. My friends urged me into our corner booth, and I dropped down onto the padded leather seat, finally allowing my shaky knees to give out.
I hated the public scrutiny that came along with being Ron Fitzgerald’s daughter. In the past, the press had mostly left me alone other than snapping photos with my dad at important events. It was bad enough that some of the most awkward years of my life were forever memorialized on the internet. Now, that mortifying image of me stupidly staring at Niko would be popping up on thousands of news alerts on people’s phones. Anyone who followed the social column of the Times would receive a notification, and even a passing glance would ensure that they saw the embarrassing photo.
And oh my god, the royalty thing. Gavin would make my life hell.
“So basically, it’s nothing,” Isabel declared, returning Davis’ phone before pushing my freshly-delivered martini toward me. “Just a fluff piece. It’ll fall into obscurity in no time.”
“But what does it say?” Davis prompted, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm, intent on getting more info.
“It just comments on what Allie was wearing—totally complimentary, by the way,” she hastened to clarify. “And says how good she and Nikolai look together. It’s total clickbait. News about the British royals is really hot right now, so they’re just trying to drive traffic based on that. Seriously, it’s only speculating that you and Nikolai might be dating. There’s no substance.”
“See, it’s not bad at all.” Charlie laid a comforting hand on my forearm. “You looked gorgeous in that gown. The photographer saw you sparkling and wanted to get a good shot. I know you don’t like the attention, but it’s a nice article.”
“But I’m not dating Niko,” I protested, running a hand through my hair. “And I look so stupid in that picture, ugh.”
“Honey, it sounds like you are going on a date with him,” Davis said carefully. “Didn’t you just agree to go out with him?”
I groaned and reached for my martini, taking a big gulp. The sudden rush of alcohol burned slightly, but I welcomed the small discomfort. Anything to make this awful moment disappear from my brain forever.
“It’s okay,” Charlie said. “He caught you by surprise. You can cancel the date.”
“But…” Isabel hesitated, eyeing me cautiously. “Are you sure you want to? He’s gorgeous, Allie. You deserve to have some fun. I know your dad basically scared off any guy who dared to approach you for your entire adult life. Why not go out with a handsome billionaire?”
I shook my head. “Because I like someone else.” The words left my mouth before I fully considered them.
“Okay, wait.” Davis held up a hand and glanced at Isabel and Charlie. “Who knew about this?”
My girlfriends shrugged, their full attention fixing on me.
“You like someone?” Isabel leaned toward me, intent on learning every detail. “Who? And why didn’t you tell us?”
My cheeks flamed, and I took another gulp of my martini. How the hell could I tell them about Max?
So, this guy kidnapped me and interrogated me in his basement. Then, he stalked me for a while. He wants to blackmail my dad. I’ve kissed him twice, and I can’t stop thinking about him.
Yeah, that would not go over well. I sounded crazy just thinking it to myself.
Charlie plucked the martini glass from my fingers and pulled it a few inches away from me. “Slow down there. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
“Yes, she does!” Davis said indignantly. “Spill, Allie.”
Mentally, I pushed aside all the reasons I shouldn’t like Max and focused on why I’d developed such strong feelings for him. If I thought about it, I’d started softening toward him that night he saved me for the first time.
I blew out a sigh. “Okay, don’t freak out, but a few weeks ago I was walking home after our cantina night. I was a little buzzed and didn’t pay enough attention to traffic when I was crossing the street. My ankle turned, and I fell. This man, Max, jumped in front of an oncoming car to pull me out of the road.”
“You almost got hit by a car, and you didn’t tell us?” Isabel’s voice was several octaves higher than usual. “That was almost three weeks ago.”
“Have you been dating this knight in shining armor for three weeks?” Davis demanded. “Why wouldn’t you share this with us? It sounds super romantic.”
Charlie’s brows rose. “You mean, other than the part where our best friend almost got flattened?”
Davis waved her off and focused on me. “So, have you been secretly dating him this whole time?”
“No.” I would have to gloss over the period of time when I’d spent sleepless nights researching his family’s crimes. I also couldn’t tell them about my awful encounter with his cruel sister, because that was too bound up in his vendetta. My friends couldn’t know anything about Max’s insane mission against my dad.
“I met up with him again after the fundraiser.” I skipped the part where he’d threatened Niko. That would be far too difficult to explain away. “We kissed.”
Charlie gasped, Isabel cheered, and Davis gave me a high-five. Sheepishly, I slapped my hand against his.
“But that was just a couple days ago,” Isabel pointed out. “It must have been some kiss if you like him enough to blow off Nikolai. It’s not like he’s your boyfriend, right?”
My stomach flipped at the word. No, Max wasn’t my boyfriend. He was… I didn’t really have a word for the wild, intense connection we shared.
“I saw him again last night.” I paused, debating telling them about Gavin. After a moment, I decided that it was safe to share that particular piece of information. Max’s protectiveness had intensified my forbidden feelings for him. If I was going to tell my friends about him, they should know what he’d done for me.
“Max came to my place to pick me up after I got home from my networking event.” I fudged the truth just a little. “But Gavin followed me home and…” A chill raced through me at the memory of his groping hands on my body. “Well, it turns out you were right, Davis,” I mumbled, staring intently at the polished wooden tabletop. “Gavin does want to fuck me.”
“What did he do?” Davis seethed. “I swear to god, I will punch that motherfucker right in his smarmy face.”
I swallowed hard and shook my head. “There’s no need. Max already punched him in the face. And broke his arm when he pulled Gavin off me.”
“I like this guy,” Isabel declared. “Why didn’t you tell us about him before? He sounds great.”
“He’s…” I took a moment to search for the right word. “Shy.” Well, that wasn’t the right word at all, but it would have to do. “He has this burn scar on his face. I get the feeling he doesn’t talk to many people because he’s self-conscious about it.”
Because his cruel sister called him ugly and made him feel like a monster.
My heart twisted just thinking about how terribly she must’ve treated him since the accident.
“Well, we want to meet him,” Charlie said firmly. “He does sound like a decent guy, but we need to vet him.”
I blew out a sigh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I could only imagine how Max would react to being grilled by my best friends. He’d probably feel judged and threatened, and he’d retreat behind his wall of rage to protect himself.
“Why not?” Davis demanded.
“Whatever this thing is between us is new,” I explained. “And like I said, I don’t think he’s used to talking to people. If he hadn’t saved me from getting hit by that car, I don’t think he would’ve approached me at all.”
I realized that much was true. He’d been watching me that night to make sure I didn’t go to the cops, but if I hadn’t recklessly confronted him, he probably would’ve disappeared from my life. Our relationship so far had been tumultuous to say the least, but I didn’t want to lose what we had.
“Is the scar that bad?” Isabel asked, her voice soft with sympathy. “He really doesn’t want to talk to people because of it?”
I nodded. “I’m not sure how or when he got it, but he tries to hide it as much as possible. Whatever happened must’ve been excruciating and traumatic. I wish he’d realize that I don’t care about it. I’m really attracted to him.” That was the understatement of the century. Our chemistry was combustible.
“Okay, honey. We’ll give you time,” Davis allowed. “But we want to meet him.”
“We approve of anyone who punches Gavin in the face,” Isabel announced.
“Definitely,” Charlie added.
I smiled and finally relaxed. My friends’ support meant everything to me, and I was glad I’d been able to tell them about Max. At least, the best parts of Max. The darker things that’d happened between us would never be fully erased, but I chose to focus on the good.
I pulled out my phone and sent him a message: Meet me at my place in 2 hours?
A notification popped up telling me that he’d read it almost immediately. But there was no reply. I put my phone away and decided to be present with my friends. Max would either be there when I got home or not. And if he was, this time, I was ready to invite him inside.