Page 63 of Filthy Few

“I get why you did it and I respect you wanting to protect my twin, but if you ever kiss another person or touch anyone else, I’ll kill them and snap your fucking neck.” I release her and brush past her as I make my way inside the diner, leaving her standing in the parking lot.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Nova

Last night was awkward to say the least!

Vox wouldn’t speak to me. When we arrived back at his house I expected him to send me home, but the second I took a step toward my house, he gripped my hand and dragged me inside. He was ravenous and couldn’t keep his hands off me all night but he still refused to speak to me. This morning I expected to wake up with him beside me but he wasn’t. I finally gathered the courage to make my way downstairs and ready to brave returning home but Vivian was waiting for me in the living room.

“Vivi?” I ask as I meander into the room. She smiles up at me and drops her phone to her lap.

“Come sit down, we need to chat.” Her ominous tone has me stiffening.

“Is everything okay?” I ask without moving a step.

She sighs and nods. “Yes and no. Can I trust you, Nova?”

Her question has me reeling back. “Of course!”

She eyes me warily for a beat before nodding. “What I am about to tell you stays between us, you can never tell Vox” I push my lips to the side debating how to answer. “I mean it, Nova, if you can’t agree to my terms then I can’t tell you.”

A whoosh of air escapes me as I nod and claim the seat beside her. “You have my word, I won’t tell Vox.”

“Good because if he ever found out about this he would not only kill me but his best friends. In case you haven’t noticed, my brother has bad trust issues.” I snort.

“Ya think?”

“Look, I know a lot more than Vox thinks. He always assumes because I sit here scrolling through my phone that I don’t listen to what he and the others are talking about, but I’m nosy so I can’t help it.”

“What do you think you know, Vi?” I ask. She rolls her lips a couple of times, clearly unsure about disclosing this information to me.

“Nova, the Saints can’t be stopped like Vox thinks they can.”

I flinch, that was not what I was expecting her to say. “How do you know this?”

“Edmund ruled that the next lord would be a female but he died before that could happen, plus his own daughter died when she was like one or something. None of the boys were of age to take over. Thomas tried to lead but because my dad was Edmund’s right hand he was made the new lord. I remember my dad acting sketchy and always worrying about us, more so me than Vox, but he would always tell us,a union between the two families is the only way to stop it.I didn’t understand why he would always say this until recently. The night before he died hetold me, when the time comes for Vox or the other’s to lead they can never become the lord of the Saints.”

“Why?”

She smiles sadly. “Because I am the only female of this generation, Nova. My brother has tried to protect me for years and so have the guys, but they had no idea that I have known about the Saints since we were kids.”

“I’m not following, Vivian,” I admit.

Her eyes fill with tears. “My brother can’t lead because of Edmund’s decree, none of them will be the new lord because I am the future of the Saints. I believe my father was trying to warn us that a marriage between me and Nexus was predicated.” I gape at her in horror.

“No.” I dart forward and grip her hands in mine. “I won’t let you marry that piece of shit.”

A watery smile crests on her beautiful face. “If it means Thomas won’t hurt my family, then I will marry him. I don’t see another way out for any of us.”

“There has to be something we can do,” I implore her.

“Vox, Ez, Arch and Hayze started theFilthy Fewto garner information from members and even years later they are still no closer to finding a solution. I hate that they had to become killers because they thought it was the only way to save me from my fate. They were wrong.”

“But why does it have to be you?”

“This is the part they haven’t figured out.” Something in her tone has dread pooling in my gut, knowing that this is the part I’m meant to keep from Vox. “In order to overturn the decree of a previous lord you must be from their bloodline. If Ezekiel’s sister lived, she would have the power to do that but she died, so therefore there is only one Tempest left and he isn’t in line to lead. I can’t change the ruling?—”

“But you could,” I rush to add as the idea hits me.

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