Page 8 of Lost
Her eyes move around at all of the people, and my heart clenches. Fuck, if she doesn’t want to say, then it’s got to be bad.
“Nova, I need to know if we need to be looking at the auction and skin trade,” Cian says, leaning forward. “Is that what you were afraid of?”
“He was the only one who liked to hurt me that way,” she whispers.
I can hear the clenching of hands, the creak of electronics threatening to break, and the intakes of breath. I don’t know the stories of the people in this room, but it’s difficult not to imagine what Nova is speaking about.
“The last time he called me, he said it would be different and that I was too old for him now,” she adds softly.
Growls and the sound of walls being punched is loud and Nova flinches.
“Get it together,” Adira growls. “Whatever you feel about this, stuff it away. You can’t crash out over her story if we’re going to get anywhere. Nova, you’re safe here, and nothing you say will go beyond this space. I swear it.”
I can see her face from here, and how intense her presence is. There’s a tiny baby bump appearing in her dress, but it would be lethal to think that she’s at all soft. She means what she says and I incline my head in thanks.
“Adira is right,” Cian says. “The people in this room are trustworthy. No one has been invited that I don’t explicitly know can keep a secret.”
Nova nods, swallowing hard, lost in memories. “I hung up on him because I didn’t believe him. It’s not just broken fingers and bones. I’ve been dealing with those since before I can remember. It’s also the constant pressure to be the best reflection of him while still knowing that it’ll never be enough.”
Nova rubs the inside of her arm and my eyes narrow. I’ve never seen her not wearing something over her arms. Now, there are two bangles over her wrists. What secrets is she hiding?
“What do you mean?” Cian asks, his voice velvety and soft. Her body sways in his direction, and it’s almost as if her body is hypnotized by his voice.
“I can’t be perfect enough for them,” she rasps. “There’s always pain, and Louise refused to stop the way that he’d hurt me…I can’t say it.”
Warmth burns behind my eyes as I gaze down at the girl that was lost, but not forgotten, by those that mattered. Hollis almost refused to give us a chance because it meant that she might forget to be focused on finding her twin.
God, this is so fucked up.
“You don’t have to say it,” Cian murmurs. “Do you think that he was lying to you about your being too old?”
“I think that there are people out there that wouldn’t care about how old I am,” she whispers. “My father…I mean John, works for dangerous people, and his coworkers always stared for too long. He used to laugh and say that he didn’t share, especially around the time that I turned fifteen. I remember the way they’d pinch my ass when I walked past to play the piano for them, and how they’d tell him that they were willing to wait. So I ran instead.”
“You can stop running now,” Quinn says, her fingers moving over the keyboard. Her skin glows with health, her eyes intense and focused. “Cian, this is going to get a little messy. John’s real name is Turbis Franco, and he works for Pack Domino.”
“All of his assets are under an umbrella company,” Callum grunts. “Damn, baby. I didn’t find any of that yet.”
Quinn simpers at him, and I have to keep myself from chuckling. There’s definitely some healthy competition in their pack.
“Roberto Domino?” Nova asks. “He’s John’s employer. I think he’s worked for Mr. Domino for my entire life. Why would that be messy?”
“They allow the sex trafficking auctions to run rampant in Minnesota, and his niece is a cunt,” Cian grunts. “Emilia Richardson runs an organization that forces omegas to believe that they should only work in certain jobs and have a pack to take care of them. Domino is the reason I can’t kill her and it pisses me off.”
“She also is the reason Hollis was in that hospital bed,” I murmur.
“We’re still going after Hollis,” Cian says. “Messy or not, I’ll deal with the fallout.”
“What’s the fallout?” Nova asks.
“Possible war,” Quinn mutters, going back to her work.
“So many lies,” Nova sighs, shifting in Lars’ lap. “Mr. Domino has been a staple at my home since before I can remember. He ignored my broken bones, laughed when my father slapped me in front of him, and insisted on having a front row seat to whatever new hobby my father said I was doing. It’s how I was forced to learn how to play the piano and how to paint. Trial by fire and lessons that were very painful. What did you say was Mr. Domino’s niece’s name?”
“Emilia,” Cian bites out, his eyes trained on Nova. She says these things so matter of factly, while we all want to burn the world down for the things that she suffered.
“He calls her Emili,” she murmurs, her gaze unfocused as she thinks. “I’ve actually met her a couple of times. I remember not liking her. If he’s planning on staying nearby, then I don’t know where he’d have Hollis.”
“I’m going through properties,” Quinn says, brows pinched. “It’s going to take a little time.”
