Page 41 of Broken

Liam

I showed the twins to their room, while Nova watched. They were side by side. I knew Nova wanted to scream at me and ask where her room was, but she'd wait till later. She already knew the answer to the question, but she wouldn't allow herself to think about it just then.

As I entered the kitchen, Valentin was already pouring us both a glass of clear liquor: vodka. Light reflected and bounced on the glass, making it look as though sparks were coming off of it. The minute the liquid touched my throat, I felt just a little better about what I had witnessed. Had I not been watching Nova to begin with, she would have been dead.

"I thought the hit had been taken care of...that word was placed that no one was to harm Nova?" I eyed Valentin.

"It was, but, Liam, you have to know that there is always someone willing to do the dirty work for the right amount." Valentin balanced his own glass in his hand before downing the liquid.

We heard footsteps behind us, and I knew Nova had entered the kitchen. She came over, arms folded, looking like a fierce warrior in her leather jacket.

Looking between us, she spoke, "Did either of you have something to do with what happened tonight?”

Val hesitated to say anything. Instead, he chose to quirk his eyebrow in my direction. A soft sigh escaped from my lips and I sat my glass down on the kitchen counter. Flashes of Nova in that white dress danced in my head; the way her skin had felt against my hands as I palmed her breast, wanting nothing more than to be inside of her body.

Stop,I told myself.

"Liam...?" She looked at me.

"No," I found myself saying. "Valentin nor myself had anything to do with you sister being attacked and you almost being shot."

"Fuck," Nova replied. "Can I?"

She was looking to Val and pointing to the vodka.

He fixed her a glass and slid it to her.

He waited until the liquid was gone before speaking.

"You don’t know who it was?"

"Why would I know that...Yara and I had a fight before this. She's seeing this much older guy, and she ran out before I could stop her."

Val and I eyed each other. He wanted me to tell her, but part of me didn't want to even bring it up. The less Nova knew, maybe the safer she would be. Well, she wasn't exactly safe, there was still the matter of her punishment. She cringed as the vodka slid down her throat.

"Tell her," Val remarked.

I groaned, "Shut up."

"Tell me what?"

"There's nothing to tell. More than likely whoever that was won't try again...I'm pretty sure I put a bullet in their shoulder."

Nova turned to me again. "Tell me what?"

"A few weeks ago...when I had Valentin acquire your identity...we found out that there was a hit on you...no one had picked up the contract just yet. No one was ever supposed to...I used my influence to make sure of it."

She smirked. "Your influence."

"I'm head of the Bratva, Nova. I wield real power in this city...you and your family are under my protection, I promise."

I watched Nova's expression and could tell what she was thinking as she eyed me. She was thinking I was the big bad wolf, and she was correct in her assumption. I was ready to Devour her whole.

Valentin touched her shoulder, and she looked to him. "You're safe here, Nova."

"I hope so because getting murdered in a park wasn't something I needed to happen today. And speaking of the park...what were you doing there?"

Her brown eyed gaze swung back to meet my green eyes. I think a growl escaped from my mouth before I spoke. "Doesn't matter."