Page 36 of In Death, Love Survives

TWENTY-ONE

Wolfe

“I can’t get ahold of her,” I shout.

Pacing around my house, I stare at my cell phone, praying for a call from Nova. Everyone around me looks scared for their lives.

“Find that little shit Toby. He knew Sam was going to get out. He fucking knew it and didn’t tell us. That snake.”

“The brothers are out looking for him,” Caleb says.

I dial Nova’s number again, like I have been for the past hour, ever since news broke that prisoners escaped from Roper State.

It’s all that’s been running on the news, and word quickly spread within the inner workings of Montana.

Caleb’s phone rings, and he takes it in the other room.

“Fuck,” I mutter.

Where are you, Nova?

I head into our bedroom and look around for any sign that Nova left me a message or something. Whether it’s to tell me goodbye or where she was going to be all day.

I know this has all been a lot for her, but I just wish if she was leaving me for good that she would have talked to me about it.

Slumping down onto my bed, I run a hand through my hair.

“Fucking hell.”

Too much going on these days with the businesses, and I haven’t been as focused on my Nova girl.

Caleb comes into the room, looking startled.

“What is it?”

“It was Ted. He found Toby. Got him down at our location off Bowman Lane.”

“Go. You go, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Leave her a note. We’ll keep trying to find out where she is.”

“A note,” I say slowly.

Jolting up, I look around the desk, bed, anywhere for a note. I thought I had checked everywhere, but I’m just now processing that maybe I wasn’t as focused on it.

“What’s going on?”

“Look around the floor. I know Nova would have communicated with me if she had left. Either way. For good or for whatever reason.”

Caleb steps fully into the room and starts scanning along the length of the floor for any sign of a note.

We both come up empty.

Caleb slaps his hand on my back.

“Wolfe. Let’s get out of here. Talk to Toby. Get a drink. Whatever you want. We’ll get it handled.”

I sigh and nod.

“Let’s go.”

In the basement of our tattoo shop, Toby’s sitting with his hands bound together. We watch him through the two-way glass, struggling to get out of them.

A basement doesn’t exactly scream pleasantries, but I’m just trying to scare him to get the truth. We don’t actually have plans to hurt him, unless he doesn’t talk.

“He’s crying,” Ted comments.

“What’d you find out so far?” Caleb asks.

“He’s still claiming he didn’t know.”

“Do you believe him?” I interject.

I cross my arms over my chest as I lean against the cold cement wall.

“Does it matter?” Ted asks.

“Of course it does. We’re not monsters.”

Caleb scoffs.

“We’re businessmen.”

Caleb looks at me plainly.

“Do what you need to do, and then make sure he fucking understands his place,” I say.

“Will do, pres,” Ted says.

He moves over to his working table and starts pulling out various supplies.

“We’ll find out,” Caleb says.

“Call me when you do.”

I head back upstairs, not a step closer to the truth and all the more stressed that everything is falling apart.

As I get upstairs, I see Adam setting up shop.

“Got an appointment coming in?” I ask.

“Yeah, man.”

Adam looks over at me, then to the basement, and back up.

“It’ll be loud. It’s fine,” he says.

Adam’s a tattoo artist, by appointment only.

“What time are they coming in?”

He glances at his watch and then back at me.

“In thirty. If they’re on time.”

That’s when I get an idea to commemorate my feelings for Nova. No matter what’s going on, my love for Nova is forever.

“Can you do one now?”

Adam looks a bit surprised. I’m not covered in tattoos like him and many of the other brothers.

“Yeah. What do you want?”

“A saying, put on my chest.”

“Alright, lie down, and I’ll get situated. Give me five.”

I walk over to his chair, take off my shirt, and fold it on top of a nearby table. As I settle into the chair, I feel somewhat relaxed.

I’m not, but knowing the slight sting of pain is coming is oddly relaxing.

Adam finishes setting up and rolls over to me in his small chair.

“What do you want?”

“Right here,” I say, pointing to the skin over my heart. “Etiam in morte, superest amor.”

“What’s that mean?”

“In death, love survives.”

Adam looks at me stoically.

“You really love this girl.”

“More than anything. And she’s missing.”

“What do you mean missing?”

“Just that. No fucking idea where she is.”

“Do you think the Vipers took her?”

“No, I don’t.” I sigh.

“She’ll come back.”

“I sure as fuck hope so.”

Adam gets to work prepping, and soon enough, a needle is pricking through my skin, putting the only saying that fits my love for Nova on my skin permanently.

I love Nova more than anything. More than I ever thought possible—and that love is transcending. It’ll be there in death too.

Time comes to a standstill as Adam finishes up. My mind continues to race on all things Nova. So much so that I don’t even realize Adam is done until the doorbell rings, and the other customer comes in.

“Wolfe,” Adam says.

“Sorry, man.”

“Head home.”

“Yeah. I better.”

Adam is cleaning up his station as I get off the chair. Tossing my shirt back on, I feel like I’m in a haze with how everything has been going as of late.

I hop off my motorcycle and take a deep breath. I’m about to enter my house, which was beginning to feel like a home. With Nova no longer here, I don’t know if I can stay.

I pull out my house key and start the short walk up to wait. I probably should be at the clubhouse, but I’ve been spending so much time there, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on.

As I take the final step, the front door swings open. Standing before me is my girl.

“Nova?” I say, shocked.

“Wolfe! Where have you been?” she shrieks.

Nova jumps up, and I catch her automatically. She wraps her legs and arms around my body and places her lips to mine. She kisses me the same way I’m kissing her, like it can’t be real.

I stumble forward into the house and continue to kiss my girl who’s back. I pull away, out of breath from not taking a break.

“Nova.”

“Wolfe.”

“I thought you left me.”

“What?” She gasps.

“Yeah, baby. I’ve been trying to reach you all fucking day. Why weren’t you answering my calls? Where have you been?” I stress.

In our bedroom, I set Nova down, and she takes a few staggering steps back.

“Oh my god, I’ve been trying to reach you. I left you a note and tried texting you that my friend Daisy was taking me to clear out my apartment.”

I fall back on the bed.

“You cleared out your apartment?”

“Yes.” She sits down next to me, tucks one leg underneath her ass, and takes my hands in hers.

“I would have helped you do that.”

“You’ve been so stressed out that I didn’t want to add this to your plate because I know you would have taken it on. I got everything arranged, but I needed to go today in order to get out the stuff I actually want to keep.”

“You’re staying?”

“Of course I’m staying.”

I let out a long, deep breath.

“You really thought I would just disappear?”

“Yeah, angel,” I admit.

“Wolfe,” she croaks.

“You’re not meant for me. I saw you and took you as my own. You’re everything good and right with this world. Baby, I knew there was a chance you’d decide not to stay. That you’d realize this life isn’t right for you.”

“Wolfe Walker. You listen to what I’m about to say, and you listen real good.”

I smirk.

“I love every part of you and always will. You and me? We’re forever.”

“I love you too. Fuck. I love you so much it hurts.”

“Hopefully it doesn’t hurt that much,” she teases.

“You know I’d do anything for you, right? I’d burn this entire fucking world down if it means I get to keep you, and you’re safe.”

“Then show me.”

“Show you?”

“Yeah, show me how much you love me.”

I sit upright as Nova inches closer to me.

“Come here,” I rasp.

I pull at her waist, and she yelps as she holds onto my shoulders to brace herself. She settles into my lap with her arms around my neck.

“I’ll do anything for you,” I repeat.

She leans down, and her soft, warm lips connect with mine. My tongue demands entry, which she gladly grants. As I consume her mouth, I can tell this kiss between us is different. It’s powerful, as if both of us are making the same declaration of our love to one another.

Before Nova, I’d never truly been in love. This feeling of wanting to connect with her in every way imaginable is overwhelming, but I know it’s how we’re meant to be.

A connection with the woman I love should be everything, and that’s what this is—my whole world wrapped up in this package. In this moment, I know that she’s actually going to stay for good.

I believe every word she’s telling me. Not because she’s scared about where to go or of change, or hell, even what’s to come. It’s because we’ve finally found each other.

Nova breaks away and rests her forehead to mine. She’s trying to catch her breath or say something, so I take a few moments before going back in.

“You’re my person, Wolfe,” she whispers.

“And you’re mine.”

“Thank you for being it for me.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

A small laugh escapes her lips.

I know the feeling. This is raw and real, something neither of us expected to happen in our lives. Nova and I may have different pasts, but our future is now intertwined.

She sits back on my lap so she can fully see me.

The feeling of her fingers playing with the ends of my shirt distracts me momentarily. Whenever her fingers trace along my skin, I instantly revel in the touch.

“What are you doing there, baby?”

“Touching my love.”

“I like it.”

Our eyes connect as she continues to trace her fingers further up my lower abdomen.

Nova brings both of her hands to the edge of my shirt and slowly tries to lift it over my head. Inch by inch it goes, and I let her keep control of our pace.

I know she’s going to notice my new artwork any moment.

As the shirt goes over my chest, she stills. The tattoo is covered by a bandage. I’ll be able to remove it and shower after this, but I need to wait the right amount of time to do so.

“What happened?” she says.

“It’s just a tattoo, angel.”

She lifts the shirt higher and eventually tosses it onto the bed. As soon as it’s gone, one of her hands is right on the bandage, lightly stroking it in disbelief.

“Why did you get a tattoo today?”

“I needed to feel something.”

There’s a short pause until her hand stills. Nova looks up at me.

“Because of me.”

“Because of me .”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanted something to remember this love by. That even if you left me for good, I knew that what I experienced with you wasn’t in my imagination.”

Her gaze never leaves mine as she swallows. I watch as her throat gulps again.

“Can I see it?”

“Yeah, we just have to be careful and then put the bandage back.”

“I can do that.”

Nova focuses on the bandage as she lifts one corner and peels it off my skin. Then she does the lower end of the same side before she’s able to fully see it with the bandage pulled back.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers.

There, in script writing, is the saying that reminds me so much of her, of us.

“What’s it mean?”

Her fingers trail over it slightly, not enough to hurt in any way.

“It says ‘Etiam in morte, superest amor.’ Which means ‘In death, love survives.’ It’s how I feel about us.”

“Even beyond this life, our love will last.” Her hand stills as she looks back at me.

“That’s how I feel about this love.”

She smiles widely.

“I never saw you coming.”

“I’m glad you opened yourself up to me.”

“Thank you for loving me the way you do, Wolfe. I’ll always be grateful for you taking the chance on me as well.”

“You’re the one who had to come to the dark,” I tease.

“I’ll gladly stay here in this lifetime and the next if it means we’re together.”

“Forever.”

She closes up the bandage as gently as possible.

“Lean back,” she commands.

I lie down on the bed while she still straddles my hips. Putting my hands behind my head, I wait for what she wants to do next.

One thing I’ve learned is that Nova needs control, both in learning to trust me during our dynamics and whenever she’s trying to take charge. I want her to feel safe and secure always, in whatever way that needs to happen.

Nova starts to caress my chest, all around the bandage. She’s being careful not to touch it, always caring about my well-being.

She glances over to the door and then back to me with a grin. For a moment, she pops off me and quickly discards her clothes first before pulling off my shoes, pants, and boxers. We’re both naked and on display for each other.

Nova crawls back onto me and hovers over my erect cock.

“Always hard for me,” she murmurs.

“How could I not be? When I get this gorgeous angel.”

She blushes into her shoulder before adjusting her hips.

Slowly, she braces herself on my chest and lowers herself onto my cock. The warmth and tightness will never get old. As she tries to sink fully onto it, she winces as she adjusts.

“Take your time, angel.”

Nova moans as she shuts her eyes and fully sits on top of my cock. It takes her a few moments before she begins gently rocking.

“That’s it, beautiful.”

Her tits begin bouncing as she finds a steady rhythm. My hands go to her hips to help her ride. With each thrust she gives me, I pull at her, and it’s the perfect pace.

We’re fucking connecting like we’re both secure in our relationship.

“Wolfe, I love the way you feel inside of me,” she says breathily.

“Don’t get me started on how your pussy is strangling my cock, baby. I’m going to come any second now.”

“Not yet. I’m already so close. Take your time with me.”

No fucking problem here. I’ll pinch it off as much as I have to if she’s enjoying this.

Thrust by thrust, she’s letting out breathy moans as she stays lost in her world. I feel her pussy clenching as she gets closer to coming.

“Eyes on me, angel. I want to watch you come.”

Her eyes snap open and down to me as she screams in pleasure. As she comes, I thrust a few more times and start to seep into her as well.

Making love is new for us both but something we’ll never grow tired of.