Page 29 of Broken Saint

11

Nova

"What?!" That one word echoed amongst all three women staring at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head.

Now what? I wanted to kill Ronin, that's what. But first, I had to say something to explain. Unfortunately, my brain couldn't unscramble and find words fast enough. I was still stuck on being introduced to my lover for the first time.

"My parents, they arranged it." I blurted out the words before I could think them through and immediately regretted it. I was about to dig myself into a very deep hole that I would have no chance in hell of getting back out of if I wasn't careful.

"For real?" Nina and Zia looked perplexed, but there was something in Izzy's expression I couldn't read. She suddenly looked wary, and for good reason. Her father, before his death and my father had occasionally done business together. She had to know what an arranged marriage meant.

"I know. It's old-fashioned," Ronin spoke up for me. "But it is still traditional in some cultures, and our families have wanted us together for some time now. So I have come to Vegas to get to know Nova and see if she is amenable."

He was talking out of the side of his mouth now and I desperately wanted him to shut up already. Rock looked ready to explode, Houston and Izzy looked suspicious and the rest of them looked as shellshocked as I felt.

"Wow. I don't know what to say. Uhm… Congratulations?" I understood Nina’s hesitation. I’d given none of them any warning about this because I didn't know how to broach this kind of thing with my friends. Telling people you cared about that your entire existence was built on a lie just doesn't roll from the tongue like you might expect.

I wanted to tell them all that Ronin was full of shit, but he might not be. If he and I didn't come to some sort of agreement, we'd end up husband and wife. My father, and probably his too, would accept nothing less.

"We're feeling it out." I offered with a smile that I hoped didn't look as weak as it felt.

"Well, let's get a round of drinks and celebrate properly." Izzy took over when I failed to say any more. I wanted to hug her for coming to the rescue, but I chose to remain silent. She was already suspicious enough. I didn't need to let on that this wasn't a happy affair. And then there was the fact my lover was still glowering at my fake fiancé in between angry glances directed at me. And I could see the way the amusement danced in Ronin's eyes that there was something going on there. Had he recognized Rock from yesterday morning?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I'd known him tagging along was a bad idea. But he refused to take no for an answer and I was trying to stay on his good side until we could get through our negotiations. Before I could sink too deep into misery, several waiters rushed over with trays of chilled glasses and several bottles of opened champagne. As they went through the motions of making sure each guest had a glass it gave me enough time to catch my breath. I may not be an actress by trade, but today I would give the best performance of my life.

"Did you forget to tell me something, beautiful?"

Those words were whispered in my ear in a tone that made it clear he was not in the mood for my bullshit. He wanted answers, and he wanted them right now.

"I-uhh."

"Yeah. Exactly. An arranged marriage is exactly the kind of thing you should have told me about. Fuck, Nova. What were you thinking?"

I was thinking about all the orgasms he gave me, and not much else if I was completely honest, although I doubted that's what he wanted to hear.

"You said no strings. No commitments. Hell, until yesterday I thought we were on a no name basis as well. That hardly screams tell you my life story, Rock Reed."

"I don't want your fucking life story," he growled menacingly low. "At least not yet. But knowing whether I am fucking someone else's woman is goddamned important."

"I'm not his—"

"He just introduced himself as your fiancé, and you did not object. That gives everyone the impression that you are his."

The word his came out on such a vicious snarl that it caused me to take a step back. Only yesterday he'd declared I belonged to him.

"I'm not his," I protested. He advanced on my position, and I took another step away. Whatever was going through his head, I really didn't want to create more of a scene here at the party.

"Damn right, you're not. You. Are. Mine. And in case you need a reminder why, I'll be by to show you later tonight. In the meantime, get rid of him. And keep his fucking hands off you, or I'm going to rip them from his arms."

"But I—" Before I could finish, I turned to find him gone as silently as he'd arrived. Despite his disappearance, I could still feel his anger pulsing around me as palpable as the man himself. I don't know how I had expected this to go, but this wasn't it. I was supposed to cut him off, not somehow encourage his possessiveness.Things were falling apart faster than I could fix them.

And the threat of violence. What was I supposed to think about that? Clearly there were many facets to Rock Reed that I did not yet understand.

I sighed. A lot had happened in the last forty-eight hours, and my brain wasn't happy. I needed a drink. Preferably something stronger than this champagne.

I headed toward the kitchen and hoped I'd find something there. I pushed through the door and admired the silent space. Every work surface gleamed, and nothing at all looked out of place. Zia ran a tight kitchen and it showed. I just hoped somewhere in one of these plethora of cabinets I would find some liquor. I didn't want to go out to the bar and face any more people quite yet.

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