Page 143 of Inked Adonis

But there’s no such thing with Nova. She’s blurred all the lines, unwritten all the rules I’ve always followed. She refuses to be tamed.

And I love her for it.

Which is why there’s every chance she is betraying me and I was to blind to see it. There’s every chance I’ll find her, only to be forced to make the decision to kill her for betraying me.

I just slaughtered five men in the other room without a second of hesitation. I won’t lose any sleep over their rotting bodies.

Why should I lose sleep over hers?

Then I imagine Nova’s golden-brown eyes looking into mine as I press a gun to her head.

It’s what my men expect of me.

It’s what my brother would do. What my father would do. What Katerina would do.

But would I?

“Thanks, Dmitri.” Myles hangs up and turns to me. “Hope Levy just rented a car fifteen minutes ago and drove out of the city. She’s headed our way.”

The image of Nova at the end of my gun disappears. But the sickness it inspired lingers.

I clear my throat. “You have eyes on her?”

“Two men tailing her as we speak,” he confirms.

“Good,” I grit out. “Wherever she goes, that’s where we’ll find Nova.”

And then I’ll discover if I’m strong enough to do what needs to be done, or if loving her has made me weak after all.

50

NOVA

Nothing has ever been more beautiful than the sight of my bleary-eyed best friend in a beat-up rental car.

The second Hope pulls the car into the lot of this godforsaken gas station, I come limping out from my hiding place behind the gas station. It’s been hours of standing and waiting, pressing my back against the bricks and hoping no one from the dealership has come looking for me.

The cuts from the rope around my wrists throb in time with my pulse. Every heartbeat sends fresh waves of agony through my mangled ankle, and the gouges from the dog attack feel like they’re on fire. The lingering effects of whatever drugs Ilya pumped into my system have my head spinning, my vision blurring at the edges.

But I force myself forward anyway.

Hope always swore she’d help me bury a dead body, no questions asked. I finally believe her.

Hope climbs out of the car, and the instant she sees me, her face goes ghost-white. “Holy fuck, NoNo. What in the hell happened to you?”

I throw myself at her, not caring about the stabbing pain or how I probably reek of fear and forest floor and dried blood. My best friend catches me as my legs give out, holding me up when I can’t hold myself. “I’m fine,” I manage through chattering teeth.

“Bullshit. You look awful.”

A watery laugh bubbles out of me. “I know. But I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

“Should we sit down or—” She looks around the gas station. “I can buy you a Little Debbie snack or something. Have you eaten?”

No. Not in hours. Days, maybe. But I shake my head. “There’s no time.” I grab her wrist, tugging her toward the car with what little strength I have left. Even that small movement makes black spots dance in my vision. “We need to leave. Now.”

The trees at the edge of the lot seem to be watching us. Any moment, Ilya’s men could emerge from those shadows. Any moment, Samuil could appear to finish what his brother started.

“Was anyone following you out of the city?” I ask as we stumble along.

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