Page 20 of Broken

Forty-five minutes later she exited the building looking less tense than when she had gone in. I wondered had it been for a quickie. Had she been with a man? Whoever it was, I would kill them for taking pleasure from her body. Nova didn't know it yet, but her body was only for my pleasure now.

I followed along to her next destination, watching as she yet again stepped off the bus, the hoodie pulled low. Her body was unmistakable even beneath the baggy fabric she wore to turn herself invisible. Even in a crowd, I would have been able to pick her out. I had spent days obsessing over her. She had tortured me enough.

Very soon, I would relieve myself of the nightmare I was living in.

Snapped from my daydream by my cellphone ringing, I grumbled. It was Valentin calling. I decided not to answer, not in the mood for his questions. I was still uncomfortably hard from simply watching my little thief walk into the boutique. It was taking everything in my willpower not to go inside and drag her into a dressing room and fuck her without her consent.

Valentin was relentless. The phone call ended, and he called back, so this time I answered.

"What?" I snapped.

"Nathaniel just called me," he replied, his tone seemingly off putting.

"And?"

He took a breath, "My father might be released soon."

My mood began to turn dark. The last thing I needed was Viktor out just now. It was possible he might try a power grab.

"Did Nathaniel say when?"

"No, there are plans to have a hearing within a week or so. It's possible that he may be home within a week or two."

"Fuck," I said. "Your father is a loose cannon. We don't need the police breathing down our necks anytime soon."

"I know," Valentin said.

"I'll be home in the next twenty minutes," I said.

"Wait," Valentin said almost in a whisper.

"Remember, you had me track down the name of your little cat burglar?"

How could I forget?I thought as I watched Nova roam near the front of the store’s front window. She disappeared within a moment and went elsewhere within the store.

"Yes," I acknowledged.

"A hit was placed on her..."

My veins began to run cold. Someone wanted my little thief dead? Who could want to have her killed? Was it someone else that she had stolen from?

"Who?"

"Unsure yet, but it was possibly the same person that wanted the gemstone," Val said. "It came down the pipeline, but I refused it. Its possible Bratva related because of the channels it came through."

"You did right, cousin," I breathed. "Don't worry, we will find out what is going on, soon."

We said goodbye in Russian before ending the call. I sat for a little while longer watching, waiting for Nova to finally exit. No one was going to get near my thief, not before I had the chance to punish her and find out exactly why she had stolen from me.