Page 138 of Ink Deep Devotion

I never want Titan or Dash to resemble that.

Titan runs his tongue over his teeth.“I don’t care if he does or doesn’t; I will walk out of that office today as a married man. Nova wanted to play, so this is the game board.” Stern eyes pivot towards me.“Checkmate. She’s mine.”

My lips part, wanting to tell Titan about that odd conversation I had with Marcus. I watch as Titan turns and opens the door. My lips snap shut. It’s not the right time. He’s focused on Nova today.

I’ll find the right time to tell him. Eventually.

???

We did it.

It was a shit show; Nova pulled a gun out and aimed it at every single one of us. I had no idea who she would shoot. Instead of Titan walking away with his new wife and answers, Titan left with more questions.

Nova’s mentor, a guy named Anton, showed up and dropped bomb after bomb of information. The facts so far are that my familyisbeing controlled by someone else, a group that makes my uncle Lucas scared. Lucas and my dad are ruthless, heartless monsters; knowing that someone has control and power over them scares me.

I keep looking at my cousins, praying that I don’t have to watch one of them die. How do I save them and Isabella?

My heart feels like it’s pumping double time, but there’s still not enough oxygen for my brain to think clearly.

“You’re telling me Nova is Elsa! Elsa, the girl Titan has whined and pined over, is alive.” Dash drops his chin, eyes narrowed like a hawk swooping down against the winds as it dives for its prey.

“Dash.” I stand and square my shoulders to him, aware of Cillian sitting silently in the corner. If Dash fights me, I’ll let him land a few punches before Cillian steps in to pull us apart.

“Don’t.” My voice is firm, but the plea beneath it is clear.Please stop pestering Titan. Hate me if you need to—I can handle it.

Titan is already too consumed with Nova's shattered state; he doesn't need Dash's anger on top of it. Nova thought she was free for years, but it turns out others have orchestrated her entire life. Every move she thought was hers had been a reaction to the decisions made by the men in her life.

Nova’s never been free. Her cage was so vast that she mistook it for freedom. She ran within the walls until she finally reached the edge. When she did, the cold bars pressed against her body, halting her and reminding her that she’d never had control of her life.

“Titan has been through enough,” Cillian adds, crossing his arms and widening his legs.

“Don’t?” The vein in Dash’s neck pulses.“Don’t question why my brothers, my fucking flesh and blood cousins, lied to me!”

Yeah, we fucked up.

I let my next breath hurt my lungs. How the fuck will I tell him about that last meeting I had with his dad? He’s never going to trust me again. I don’t like keeping secrets from my brothers, but…I think I have to.

“You let some psycho who was plotting revenge against us share the dorm with Mila!”

“Mila was never Nova’s target. Nova used Mila to get closer to Titan.”

“You didn’t know that!” Dash is in my face, eyes narrowing into fissures that want to grab me by the ankles and force me over the abyss.

“I know you’re pissed.”

“Pissed off doesn’t begin to describe what I feel. You played with Mila’s life!”

“And you haven’t!” I shove him back into the wall of computers.“I know what you did, and it was low even for you.” I look up, knowing that two floors above us, Mila is locked away in his room, and Nova is down the hall with Titan. He’s isolating Mila more and more. Day by day, I watch the light in her hazel eyes dim. I won’t watch it be snuffed out.

Dash’s eye twitches.

“Blaze was her friend.” He took that away from Mila when he ordered Blaze to make a move to ruin their friendship.

“I was teaching her a lesson.”

“What was that?” I grab him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him so we’re chin to chin. Cillian shifts in his chair.

“Did you regret the pictures? Let me guess, you want to fuck Mila again, she’s your drug, and it’s been a few weeks since the wedding now, and you’re trying to decide how to weasel your way into her bed again even when new pictures are planned to hit the press again next week.”

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