Page 48 of Dust to Dust

"He's trying to protect her," Titan stated.

"From who?"

Titan clenched his jaw, "You don't know what she's been through. Dash wants to make sure she is never in that situation again."

There was a motion near the kitchen door as the doctor keeping Anton alive entered the room, "He'll be awake soon." An older man with black-rimmed glasses, grey hair, and green scrubs informed Titan.

The three of us headed to the room Anton was being held in. As Titan spoke with the doctor, Damian inched closer to me. "I know what you are doing?"

"You seem to think that a lot."

"You don't want Mila to suffer like you." Damian crossed his arms and watched me.

"No one can be like me," I sneered, "I broke the mold."

"There's a little psycho in you. You're a narcissist. Sometimes you lack empathy, you have a few OCDs I've seen, but I'm sure there's a lot more tucked into that crazy head of yours. You are impulsive to the point of stupid. Amazingly, you have managed to stay alive."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"You feel too much to give into your darkness. It's why you made little mistakes that tipped Titan off. Deep down, you never wanted to kill him. You were begging for him to save you." Damian grinned as he continued, "You might just be the strongest woman I have ever met, Nova. The brotherhood is lucky to have you. But we can't change people, and not everyone is reborn stronger. Some of us aren't reborn. We just die. We turn into ash and those ashes spread like dust in the wind. The dust scatters until all traces of who we once were have disappeared."

I could see the pain etched in his eyes. I wondered about his story and how he became the man standing before me.

"I've tried too many times to tell Dash that he would slowly kill Mila. His love is deadly. I never tried your approach because Mila is like a sister to Titan and I. Like Dash, we want to protect her. You, on the other hand, are willing to sacrifice her to get her to grow. It's a smart approach. The last one to take."

Mila wasn't the only one I was willing to sacrifice. Damian didn't know I was planning on sacrificing myself. "I'm a very wise woman." I grinned. But it was another mask covering what I truly felt.

If I died. No more Ghost or Nova.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, dead as a doornail.

I'd miss them all. I'd miss my banter with Dash, my deep conversations with Damian. My friendship and tutelage with Mila and, most of all, Titan. The only man who could silence all the voices in my head.

Chapter 36

Iwasn't sure what to expect when I turned the doorknob and entered Anton's room. I closed the book on who I was and why I was used as a pawn. It would take time for me to come to terms with that. I had to make sure my King was going to be safe now. I was going to protect Titan with everything I had.

The door opened with a slight creak, a haunting prelude to what Anton might confess. I wore my Louis Vuitton boots because I needed the boost of optimism for today. Once again, Prada was for kicking ass, Fendi for deceiving, Versace…I glanced at Titan and licked a taste of my lemon lipgloss. Versace was for when I wanted to get laid.

It's not the time for that now; Ghostsaid as she splashed a mental bucket of cold water on my head.

When I stepped into the room, the bed was empty. I looked over my shoulder at Titan. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed the gun from behind his back. In a swift movement, he reached his arm out and tucked me behind him. As Titan covered my front, Damian covered the rear. The doctor noted Anton was gone, and a look of fear paled over his older face.

Chaos broke out as Titan and Damian started shouting orders. I sidestepped Titan and walked to the empty bed. On top of the wrinkled bedsheet was a plain piece of paper. I picked it up and felt the thick cardstock between my fingers.

Kulka,

In case you all were second-guessing The Rites of Passage's power, allow me to let my escape be a fine example. As I said, we are everywhere. We protect those who work for us. Therefore we could not allow you to kill the messenger.

Fret not.

I won't allow you to suffer any longer. You don't need to be broken anymore. You have become a queen, but a queen must have a good rule, or she will be struck down. Only after Titan completes his task will he be able to protect you. We will come for you next if he fails to commit to his final rite. We will take any link that the brotherhood loves. All the men have been warned.

The clock is ticking.

Consider this my parting gift. Lucas King did not kill your parents. As I said, your father chose blood. Igor betrayed his brother out of jealousy. He reached out to our enemy, who gave the final order to kill your father. If you want justice, then help your husband because Franco Fontaine set your parents up, but Igor knew their death was coming and gave no warning. Igor was a man always desperate for more power, no matter what side he was on.

Before your father stepped down as Pakhan, he was beloved and respected by his men. Igor was not. But having you, the actual boss's daughter, by his side silenced the men. You can hate Lucas but remember, Lucas paid to have you protected all these years. He wanted his son to have what he never had—a strong woman by his side.

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