Page 78 of Filthy Few

“Touch her and I’ll fucking kill you, Vox, I swear it,” Ezekiel vows but we both ignore him as Vox steps into me. The heat radiating off him seeps into me and I fight my body’s reaction to having him this close. I hate that he can still bring this reaction out of me without even trying, even after everything he has done.

“I told you when you figured all of this shit out to be sure, you knew once you took the mask off that there would be no more blaming me for shit.” I balk up at him.

“That was before… before…” I can’t get the fucking words out and it’s pissing me off.

“Use your fucking words, witch. You want to argue and throw around your hate, then you need to speak.” His manipulation works and my vocal cords begin to work again.

“You got my best friend killed!” I scream. I hear the pain and anguish in my voice, I can’t find it within myself to care that they all have a front-row seat to my pain.

A shudder rolls through his eyes before he masks it. “I never meant for him to get hurt, Nova. I swear.” The truth in his words has my chest splitting open. I refuse to let go of my anger, it's the only thing getting me through this and if I let it go, I’ll be forced to face the pain head on and I’m not strong enough for that right now.

“Even if that was true, your actions still have consequences and Waylen paid the price for them. I can’t do this shit with you, Vox. Playing with my emotions before was different, I had no idea who you were and I let myself fall for a guy with a mask. I won’t make that mistake again.” His eyes widen at my declaration but I’m not done. “You and your friends need to go, you can’t be seen around me anymore. I’m going back to Nexus and Thomas and I won’t let the four of you fuck up my chances of getting my mom back.”

Before he can answer Nikoa speaks, “Actually, with what I have planned I am going to need them and they are going to need to play a part.”

I turn to my uncle and study him for a second, but the asshole is like a vault and gives nothing away. “What part?” I push.

Nikoa flicks his gaze to Vox as he answers. “The part where you keep your feelings forherin line and don’t fuck this up for all of us.”

“How am I going to do that?” Vox demands.

“You are returning to school and the four of you are going to get close to Nexus and help him make her life a living hell.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Vox

He has lost his goddamn mind! He has seriously gone crazy!

“If you think for a second I am going to let that little cunt touch my sister, you’re out of your fucking mind!” Ezekiel snaps as he shoves Archer and Hayze away from him.

“I’m not your?—”

Ez cuts Nova off before she can continue. “Deny it all you want but the truth is in our fucking DNA. I was a bastard to you and I am sorry for what I did Tay—Nova, I know my apology means nothing to you, but I swear I will make it up to you. If you want Taylor to die then so be it, but I won’t let Nova cut me out of her life. I lost you once and I can’t fucking do it again so don’t ask me to… please.” I stare at my best friend in shock, I’ve never heard him sound so vulnerable before.

“I can’t,” she murmurs. “My best friend died because of all of you and this bullshit brotherhood. He spent his last moments scratching4221 RUNinto that coffin lid.” The watery tone of her voice has guilt churning inside me for the loss she has suffered.

“We never meant for him to get hurt, I swear that to you, Nova,” Ez pleads.

“His last words, his last fucking moments were spent warningmeto run and telling me we would always be together to love one another. Don’t you get that? If I let you all back in, then his death was for fucking nothing! Those bastards took him from me. Waylen was innocent and his only crime was fucking loving me.” A strangled sob tears out of her. I step forward but she shoves me away. “Don’t.” That one word has me staying in place. It kills me that she won’t let me near her—I need to start learning how to wall my emotions off and not allow my feelings for her to cloud my judgment.

“They may know that you have helped her and turned against them but they still don’t know that it was me that you helped,” Nikoa says.

“How does that help us?” Archer asks.

“It means that they cannot outright go against you or even banish you or your families from The Brotherhood without alerting them to the fact they have killed an innocent and used their positions inside the Saints to boost their own wealth and power. Thomas is getting sloppy and I just need a bit more time to get my hands on the information we will need to take them down.”

“What information is that?” Hayze pushes.

“I need to find the eye witness that saw him run your father’s car off the road and put the bullet between his eyes.” A choked grunt escapes me at his words and I shoot a look at Ez who looks just as perplexed as I feel.

“The fuck do you mean a gunshot?” Ez snarls.

Nikoa looks between me and Ezekiel with a frown on his face. “Both of your fathers were shot after the accident.”

I shake my head trying to deny his claim, then drop my gaze to the ground and force myself to think back. I saw my father and I know for a fact there was not a fucking hole in the middle of his head.

“You’re wrong,” I whisper. I can feel everyone looking at me but I turn to my sister and the pitying look in her eyes that are mirrors of my own robs me of air. “Vivian?”

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