Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine

Nova

I’m appalled at myself for allowing him to get under my skin and having sex with him. Last week I could play it off as him being two horns and not Vox but today, I can’t. Shame washes over me, he may not have killed Waylen but I know for a fact that he did kill my brother and here I am whoring myself out for answers.

“It was the only thing I had left of you when my world fell apart,” I admit quietly.

Vox remains silent a while digesting my words. “I need you to hate me, Nova.”

Nova.

Not witch.

I slowly turn back to face him and find his gaze already focused on me. I search his gaze and when all I see is resolution I sigh. “Then you need to stay away from me.”

“I’m trying,” he admits.

“Even at school, I need you to stay away from me.”

He scrunches his face. “I’m a cunt to you at school.”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what, witch?”

I shake my head and will my tears to remain at bay. “No matter how badly you treat me, it doesn’t erase the fact that I have your attention on me. I want to hate you more than anything, I want to blame you for everything, but I can’t!” I shout the last part as tears begin to flow down my cheeks. “Any attention you give me is better than not having you. You want me to hate you, then I need you to act like I don’t exist and stay as far away from me as you can. I won’t come to any games with Nexus, I see you and I’ll go the other way but I need you to do the same.”

He’s grinding his teeth so hard I swear he’s going to break some. In a move that surprises me, he snaps his arm out, grips the back of my head and yanks me forward until our foreheads touch. Having him this close confuses me and has my heart beating so fast I fear it may leap out of my chest and land in his.

“When I was little, I wished that I would find a way to save my sister from taking over the Saints. I swore I would never let anyone come between me and that goal.” I take a shuddering breath and nod.

“I understand?—”

“No, you don’t, because you have come between me and that goal.” My eyes widen in shock. “I can’t save you both and here I am trying to find the will to sacrifice you for her and I can’t do it ,so I am going against everything I believe to save you both.”

My mouth pops open. “What?”

He releases me and slumps back in his seat. “Everything is a ploy, nothing you think you know is real. Everything is a plan and I am so fucking close. So close. I just need some more time and I have until Halloween to get it done or I fail.”

“What are you doing, Vox?”

He lulls his head to the side and stares at me with a distraught look on his face. “Trying not to lose my twin or the witch who cast a fucking spell on me I can’t seem to break.”

His words fill me with warmth, they’re like a balm to my battered heart. “I didn’t tell her that it was… you… in the video,” I admit.

A whoosh of air escapes him. “I know.”

“How?” I push.

He keeps his gaze focused ahead but I can see that what he is about to say is angering him. “Vivian thinks I have no idea that she has feelings for Ezekiel…” I gasp. He faces me and the burning embers in his eyes have my breath hitching. “ And Archer and Hayze. If she knew what I did, she wouldn’t have spoken to me.”

She has feelings for all three of them!

“You knew how she felt and you still…” I let my sentence trail off, unable to finish.

“The anger you feel for me right now, hold onto that, witch, because that is what is going to keep you alive.” He ends the conversation by starting the car and pulling back onto the deserted road, while I sit here reeling. I feel more confused now than I did before I climbed into his car. I expect him to continue on his mission he was sent on but instead he drives me home. He doesn’t pull into the driveway, which I am grateful for because I don’t have the energy to deal with Thomas right now. I reach for the handle but his words stop me. “What’s the debt I owe, witch?”

I peer over my shoulder at him. “Huh?”

“You said a favor asked is a debt owed. You fuck me and I give you something in return, what do you want?”

You.

I don’t say that aloud, instead I force my feelings for him back into the box I have been hiding them in and ask, “Who is Elenor Denver ?”

“The girl Nexus raped and killed when he was sixteen.” My face slackens.

“What?” I squawk.

“Nexus has an asphyxiation kink. He went too far with her and killed the wrong girl.”

“Was there a right one?” I snap back.

His eyes narrow in warning. “Anyone would have been better than Alexander Denver’s sister.” The name rings a bell and I rack my brain trying to put the name to a face. “You probably know him better as The Butcher .” A shiver of dread rushes down my spine.

“The serial killer?” I shout.

“ Alleged serial killer.”

“How do you know that and how do you know Nexus killed his sister?”

“Nikoa.” My uncle unearthed a secret so huge that it’s sent Nexus into a tailspin since the night the Filthy Few came to my bedroom.

“Why did you offer him a favor?”

“When he comes to ask for the proof of how we found out, he will owe us a favor and that favor will be him helping us destroy his father or we turn him over to Alexander.”

“Do you even know Alexander?”

“No, but he doesn’t know that.”

“Has Nexus come to you?”

A cocky glint enters his eyes. “He’s tried every night since we left the card.”

It hits me then. “You didn’t come to me that night, you knew he would be watching and come in. You were there for him.”

Vox nods. “Yes, now you need to stay away from me, witch. Nikoa digging up the information he did on Elenor has attracted the attention of Alexander himself.”

“What does that have to do with Thomas and the Saints though?”

“We believe Thomas and the Saints helped Nexus hide the truth of her death and if we can prove it, Thomas is out. I have his trust now and I can get closer to him because of that. I just need him to slip up once and then we have him.”

Bitterness sours my mood as I push the door open. “It just took you slaying your best friend to earn that trust,” I spit as I slam the door and march toward the house. I can feel his gaze on me the entire way until I slam the front door closed behind me and sigh.

Home sweet prison.

I trudge up the stairs to my room, ready to shower and then climb into bed and call it a night, but the sight of Nexus standing in my room blows those plans to hell. I don’t close the door behind me, I drop my bag by the dresser and move further into the room but keeping enough space between us as I run my gaze over him. He looks like shit, black circles rim his soulless eyes. He looks pale and like he has lost weight.

“You will take me to them tonight.” I scoff.

“That’s not going to—” The words die on my tongue when he raises a gun. Fear holds me in a chokehold as I stare down the barrel of that gun.

“Take me to them and I’ll tell you where your mother is.”

I suck in a sharp inhale. “Don’t fuck with me?—”

“Take me to those masked freaks and you get the whore back, fuck me over and I’ll kill both of you.”

“Kill me and you will never be the lord,” I snap back.

“We’ll find another way, I mean there is always the trashy twin next door?—”

“Stay the fuck away from Vivian!”

“Do as you're told and I'll consider leaving the frigid bitch alone.” I grind my teeth to keep from lashing out at him and nod.

Nexus pulls his car into the parking lot of the cemetery and instantly I begin shivering as memories of the last time I was here assault me. I close my eyes and try taking some calming breaths but it does nothing to calm the sorrow inside me. Pain lances my chest as an image of Waylen’s terrified face flashes through my mind, making a choked whimper escape me.

“Why the fuck are you crying?” I snap my head to the side and shoot the son of a bitch a frosty fucking glare that I hope chills him right to the fucking bone.

“How the fuck could you forget what you did here?” I snap.

His features contort for a second before a smile graces his hideous face. “Yeah, I forgot about that. Lucky Vox cleaned that mess up for me, huh?” I gape at the fucker in shock as he climbs out of the car and smacks the roof twice, telling me to hurry my ass up.

“I fucking hate you,” I snarl as I climb out and stare at him over the roof of the car.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just find these fuckers so I can bury this shit.”

“I pray to anyone who fucking listens that your past comes back to butcher you.” Nexus’ jaw unhinges but I stalk off toward the grave that is illuminated by the lanterns. The closer I get the slower my steps become. I feel like I am literally spitting on Waylen’s grave by bringing the son of bitch who ended his beautiful life here. Just as I reach the first lantern, I freeze, my feet remain rooted to the spot, unable to move as I stare at the headstone where Waylen is buried beneath. “Move, piggy,” Nexus grits out and then shoves me forward. I stumble and catch myself before I can fall.

“Touch her again and you join the rest of the souls here.” I snap my head to see the Filthy Few walking toward us, the darkness that surrounds them adds an eerie quality to their appearance. It still stings to see only three of them and not four.

“She isn’t important, I want the information you have and I’m not fucking leaving until you give me what I want!” Nexus is a fucking fool. I look at each of the guys and notice they have gone all out and Vox is back to wearing his gloves and hoodie that covers his neck tattoos.

“ She is the only reason we are here,” no horns says, earning a snort from Nexus who clearly believes that I am nothing but a piece of shit under his boot. I remain silent with my gaze fixed on the headstone with the numbers carved into it.

4221…

Those numbers used to hold so much love and meant everything to me but now they are tainted with a horrible memory. The tattoo on my ribs pulses, reminding me of the loss I have suffered and how I am now braided with the memory of him not only in my heart and mind but on my skin.

Forever together to love another…

We will never be together again.

I feel sick.

I’m a fraud for being here and feeling so broken when I stand beside the man who murdered my best friend and standing across from me is the man who unintentionally helped kill not only him, but he definitely killed my brother. I ignore all of them as I head over to the mound of dirt and kneel down beside it. I place my hand atop the dirt and bow my head, I can feel all their gazes on me but I don’t pay them any mind as I speak.

“You were my first friend, the first boy I ever loved and you always had my back. You never wanted anything from me or expected anything in return when you did something for me. You kept me safe and never made me wonder what it was like to be loved by you. I always knew you loved me from the moment we met and I will always love you for that, Waylen.” I feel the tears building and try to blink them away but they fall regardless and I do nothing to stop them. “We will always be together forever, to love one another no matter how much time or space is between us because without you there is no me.”

“But there is a you without him now.” I lift my head and shock ripples through me at the sight of two horns kneeling before me. I may not be able to see his face but his eyes, they shine with remorse and this time instead of anger flaring to life inside me all I feel is this crushing pain in my chest that robs me of air.

“How touching, now can we get back to business now, the piggy will get over it.” The emotion in Vox’s eyes vanishes and is replaced by unfiltered rage. He pushes off the ground and stands tall as he turns to face Nexus. I look at my stepbrother and fight not to growl. The dumbass stands there looking smug, like the world owes him a debt but in a few minutes he will learn that the favor he is asking will incur a debt from him.