Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-five

Nova

The pain of Waylen’s death coupled with the fact I am forced to serve and obey my fucked-up stepbrother’s demands daily is becoming too much. I have no escape from him. Every day after school I am forced to stay behind and clean until five. The torment doesn’t end there, by the time I leave the school there are no buses so I have to walk home, but my shame doesn’t end there. The football team finishes practice around the same time and every single one of them follows their captain's lead and hurls insults at me or boxes me in, grabbing their junk and telling me to suck their cocks. The first two times Hayze tried to stop it and help me, but when I ignored him and refused to take his offer of a ride home he got the hint.

It’s Friday and the school is buzzing with the weekend mere minutes away. Everyone is counting down the time for last period to end so they can race home and glam themselves up for the bonfire at the beach. Vox and Nexus organized it, saying since the team had a bye this week they were going to celebrate. I hate Vox, I hate him so fucking much and I can see his best friends are starting to dislike him as well.

He has treated his friends like shit and joined in on making my life hell, he even helped Nexus come up with ways to torture me. I was forced to kneel next to their lunch table as they joked about throwing a Halloween party and making the main attraction of their party a coffin with a body in it.

“We could even have the lid askew and make it look like the fucker was clawing his way out.” Vox’s cruel words pierced me right in the heart and I couldn’t hold the tears back as I knelt crying silently as he and Nexus made cruel jokes about my best friend. When the bell sounds, everyone cheers and rushes from the room but I can’t find the excitement inside me. I’ll be forced to spend two whole days at home with Nexus. The bastard won’t even let me close the door when I shower. This morning he had the audacity to climb in the shower with me. I tried to shove him out but all that earned me was a back hand and a split lip.

Tonight I plan to ask Thomas to allow me to see my mom or at least speak to her so I know the video feed isn’t looped and she is actually alive. I ignore everyone around me as I head toward my locker to drop my books off before going to the office to collect the supplies I need to scrub gum from under the desks.

As I open my locker, my eyes widen at the sight of a black envelope. I dart my gaze around to make sure no one is watching as I grab it and quickly stuff it in my pocket. I shove my bag inside and turn to head toward the office, but smack straight into a rock-hard chest. I stumble backward but the collar around my neck is gripped and keeps me from falling to my ass. I flick my gaze up to see it’s Vox. I smack his hand away and quickly right myself.

“Huh, I guess that collar did come in handy for something,” he taunts. Rather than engage with this fucker like he wants me to, I try to step around him but he blocks my path. “Where are you off to, piggy?” Hearing that name from Nexus and everyone else means nothing to me, they mean nothing to me, but hearing Vox use the vile fucking name always cuts me deep.

“I got shit to do, let me pass,” I snap as I keep my head down, not wanting to even look at him. I feel him creep in closer and I still, my breaths turning ragged when he leans down and I feel his hot breath against my ear.

“Stay away from that party, witch.”

I snort. “Like I could even fucking go if I wanted to.”

“What’s coming is going to test you, push and potentially break you. Don’t let it, little witch.”

“Don’t play games with me, Vox,” I grit out.

“That's all I got left, witch. I’ll see you later but just remember I always chose the winning side from the start.” He pulls and stalks off down the corridor. I glare at his retreating back, hating that the tattooed bastard can still turn my own body against me. I’m pulled from my inner turmoil when I’m shoved into the lockers by a group of assholes who all laugh and point at me. I hang my head in shame as I walk away.

By the time I hand the supplies back into the office I am bone tired and just want to go home, curl up into a ball and cry. Every day bleeds into nightfall and along with it a part of me disintegrates, my will to fight lessens daily as Nexus continues to strip away pieces of my self-respect and dignity. I am forced to eat and drink from dog bowls here and at home. Home isn’t the word I want to use for the place I am forced to sleep at each night. I stop by my locker to grab my bag and it's then that I remember the letter in my pocket. I look around to make sure I am alone before pulling it out. The sight of the T for the Tempest seal has a knot inside my chest loosening.

Nikoa hasn’t forgotten about me .

I tear it open and pull the letter out.

Nova Scotia

I’m aware of the troubles you face daily and it sickens me!

I am pushing my informant for the information I need so I can get you out of there.

I have a team searching for your mother.

Things are going to take a turn for the worst, I need you to trust me when I tell you that nothing is as it seems and everything has been planned out.

I can’t risk saying more in case this letter is discovered.

N x

I slam my eyes closed and want my emotions to remain in check. I thought I could do this alone but it turns out knowing I have Nikoa trying to help me, and my friends as well as their parents, seems to be the only thing keeping me going. I return the letter to the envelope and shove it inside one of my books that I leave in my locker. I can’t risk carrying that letter with me and Nexus or worse, Thomas discovering it. The sooner Nikoa can get my mom the sooner I can kill both of them. Thomas warned me if I tried to kill him, he has a failsafe in place and the people holding my mom would kill her if they didn't hear from him at a certain time every day.

I push through the doors of the school and come to a stop at the sight of Vivian standing beside Archer’s car. If this was any other day I would ignore her and walk home but the devastated look on her face is what has me moving toward her.

“He’s gone,” she whispers when I stand before her.

My brows draw in. “Who?”

“Ezekiel. He was supposed to meet us at the diner after school yesterday but he never showed up. We went looking for him today. Arch tracked his car's GPS and it led us to the cemetery.” I suck in a sharp breath as panic begins to bloom inside me.

“What did you find?” My tone is firm.

Tears cloud her eyes as she stares at me. “A note.” She reaches into her pocket and hands me the letter.

4221 sister…

My breaths turn ragged and I begin to sway on my feet as a haze of grief slams into me. I reach out and place my hand on the hood of the car to stop myself from toppling over. Vivian is speaking but I can’t hear a word she says over the blood rushing in my ears. I start to feel faint and then before I know what is happening, my whole world tilts on its axis and I black out.

I gasp and snap my eyes open in a panic. I look around and furrow my brow when I realize I’m in a car. No, not just any car, I’m in his fucking car and in my driveway! Alarm bells blare inside me, if he brought me back here then Nexus is going to lose his mind. A whimper escapes me as I shove the door open and dart out of the car. I race through the front door and race around the house looking for Nexus so I can explain but I come up short when I hear the sound of Ezekiel’s voice.

I creep down the hallway toward Thomas' office, the door is open and Thomas stands there with… Vox. Both their backs are to me as they stare up at the flat screen TV on the wall. I cover my mouth with my hand to keep the horrid sounds from escaping at the sight of the video playing.

“You don’t have to do this, brother,” Ez pleads on the screen and tears build in my eyes at the sight of him on his knees in the cemetery, with his hands bound behind his back. The look of betrayal and fear in his eyes will haunt me. His face is battered and bruised, I can see a cut above his brow and his cheek is split, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. I don’t understand why Vox is here with Thomas and not out looking for whoever the fuck did this with his friends… unless, did Thomas do this to Ez? Was Nexus a part of this?

“You chose the wrong side.” My jaw unhinges and my eyes widen at the sound of Vox’s voice on the TV. I shake my head, wanting to deny what I heard but I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.

“No, you chose wrong by forgetting who you are and where you came from.” Ezekiel’s tone drips with venom but I hear the hint of fear and see it in his eyes. Tears trek silently down my cheeks as I stare into the eyes of the brother I never knew I had or even wanted. The resignation I see in those gray-blue eyes shreds me internally—Ez knows his best friend is about to kill him and still won’t yield and plead for his life.

“I always win, I will always get what I want,” Vox says as he comes into view of the camera. I expect to see him wearing his mask but he isn’t. I want to announce myself and scream that Vox is the leader of the Filthy Few and blow Vox’s world apart, but if I do that I risk Hayze and Archer being discovered and I can’t do that.

Ez spits on the ground by Vox’s feet and glares up at him. “That son of a bitch murdered our fathers and forced our sisters to live lives they never should have, and yet you choose to help him, why?”

“Because that little witch you call sister needs to be taken down a peg and shown she is beneath us.” Before Ezekiel can respond, Vox pulls a gun from his waistband. The sight alone has me frozen in time and my breath hitching as I pray to anyone who is listening to let this be a trick but then Vox’s finger squeezes the trigger and Ezekiel is sent falling backward to the hard earth. “4221, motherfucker,” Vox snarls. It's the sound of those numbers coming out of his mouth that breaks through my haze and has me falling to my knees as sobs claw their way out of me. I bury my face in my hands and allow all the guilt and shame I feel wash over me. I pushed Ezekiel away and told him I never wanted anything to do with him because I was angry and hurt.

He died thinking I hated him!

My own fucking brother died and the last thing he did was leave a note for me using the code Waylen and I shared to tell each other that we would always be together to love one another. I sense more than seeing him crouch down in front of me, I don’t even have the energy to lift my head. The grief is swallowing me whole and I am beyond fighting against it so I give in and allow the pain to consume me.

“You shouldn’t have seen that, witch,” Vox whispers low enough for only me to hear. “Let me get rid of her then we can talk,” he says to Thomas, then gathers me in his arms and lifts me off the ground. I don’t even fight against him as he strolls away from the office. I allow his warmth to soak into me and nuzzle in closer to him. I fool myself into believing that this is my two horns, the guy who took what he wanted but always made sure I was safe. I let my weakness take control and wrap my arms around his neck and burrow my face into his shoulder as sobs rock my body.

Before I can get too lost in the comfort his hard body and presence affords me, he places me on my feet. I keep my head down and refuse to untangle my arms from him. I expect him to push me away and be cruel but in a move so bold it robs me of air he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me flush against his hard chest. This boy just killed my brother and was the cause of my best friend's death and yet here I am finding comfort in the wrong place, not being strong enough to push him away or even let go because somehow two horns became my safe haven and then Vox came along and ruined everything.

“I told you not to let it break you and I meant it. I chose the winning side from the start and I stand by my vow, witch,” he murmurs into my hair.

“Why did you have to ruin everything by being you, why couldn’t you just be him ,” I choke out. Vox untangles himself from me and shifts back, but cups my face between his hands.

“I’ve always been both those people, little witch, you just never wanted to see the truth.”

“Then show me,” I plead as tears continue to trek down my cheeks.

“Too little too late, witch. The game has begun and there is nothing you can do to stop it.” He releases me and stalks out of the room, leaving me standing here in confusion. I frown when I realize he didn’t bring me to Nexus’ room, he brought me back to my room. I drop down onto the edge of the bed and pull my knees up to my chest, burying my face in the top of them. I feel like a fraud sitting here mourning the loss of my brother.

My brother.

Just thinking about Ezekiel Tempest as my brother and not the guy who was mean to me is strange, but then I think back to the day in the cafeteria when he was the one who told Vox he wouldn’t stand by and watch Nexus bully me. Or the day when he told me to keep my head up and walked out of school with me. He had no idea I was his sister then and yet he still showed me kindness when he didn’t have to. I shift and reach into the drawer of my side table and pull out the phone Ezekiel gave me. I stashed it in here the other night. I scroll through the contact list, there are four numbers: Vox, Ezekiel, Hayze and Archer.

I click on Archer’s name and bring the phone to my ear. I wait for him to answer and try to remind myself that they need to know the truth. When he finally answers after the sixth ring I begin to clam up.

“Who is this?” The deep gravelly tone of his voice does nothing to ease my anxiety over being the one to share this horrible news with him.

“It’s Nova,” I whisper.

“Are you okay?” The fact that is his first question has the vice squeezing my chest loosening and my apprehension about calling him dwindles slightly.

“Archer, I have to tell you something.”

“Why do you sound like you’re crying?”

I close my eyes and try not to let his concern for my safety sway me from sharing this news. “Are you with Hayze and Vivi?” I ask instead of answering.

“Yeah, why?”

“Can you put me on speakerphone?”

He’s silent for a second, then Vivian’s voice comes through the phone. “We’re here Nova.”

“What I have to tell you is going to?—-”

Vivian cuts me off before I can finish. “You know what happened to Ez don’t you?” I remain silent trying to think of how to tell them. But I don’t get a chance to say more when a shadow appears in my doorway. I end the call quickly and try to act like I wasn’t just on the phone but when he steps inside my room a part of me is glad to see it’s Vox and not Thomas or Nexus, but another part of me is disgusted by the sight of him.

“I’m assuming Ezekiel made sure you had a burner before you walked your ass back in here?” he says as he closes my door then locks it. My breathing turns ragged, I can feel the phone in my hand vibrating but I ignore it as I continue to watch Vox stalk toward me. When he stands before me, he reaches out and pries the phone from my hand and tosses it inside the drawer. “You won’t be needing that.” I swallow audibly, as fear slowly unfurls inside me.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I mutter. I dart my gaze toward the door expecting Thomas to break through it any second.

“No one is coming to save you, witch, it’s just you and me.” I dart my gaze back to him and gape up at him. “Nexus is going to be out all night and Thomas has a meeting with the Saints so he can announce the death of a member.” The mention of death has me springing to my feet and shoving Vox out of the way so I can escape. He doesn’t try to stop me as I unlock the door and run. His laughter follows me down the hallway. I race down the stairs and just as I hit the landing the lights cut out and I’m bathed in darkness. My fear amps up and I dart my gaze around to see enough in the dark so I don’t bump into anything and give away my position. “You wanted him to come back and now he has, run as fast as you can, witch, because two horns is hunting and there is nothing you can do to escape us. The cameras are looped and all the locks on the doors have been fitted with a fingerprint scanner so you are locked in here with me.” The fact his voice is distorted tells me he is wearing his mask.

My fear turns to anger. “Come get me, bitch,” I snarl into the darkness as I take off and pray I don’t fucking smack into a wall or something.

I’m sick in the head. He killed my brother and is part of the reason my best friend is dead, but my body is excited and getting turned on by the fact I am being hunted by two horns.