Page 51 of Secrets & Desires
“No, I’m not okay,” Morry yelled suddenly, making Livia jump. “Jesus, every time I get a phone call, I think it’s the police telling meyou’redead.”
“Dude, you arewayoverreacting.”
“No, I’m not. Someone shot your boyfriend, attacked you in a freaking hospital, butchered a young girl to send Nox a message. ‘Everyone you love’?Jesus.Liv…”
Morry was trembling, but she backed away when Livia tried to hug her. “I had no idea you feltthisway.”
“You are my family,” Moriko said fiercely, “My sister. I’mscared,Liv.”
This time she let Livia hug her. “It’s okay, Morry, really. Look at the hulking slab of beef I have outside the door. Actually, that’s mean, Jason is very nice and he’sprotectingme.”
“Don’t you see how messed up it is that you have a bodyguard?” Morry clearly wasn’t going to let this go, Livia thought indismay.
“Look, I get it, I do. But it’s only until they catch the guy, Morry. Nox is a powerful man, he’s bound to attract weirdos.” Even to Livia’s ears that sounded like a feeble way to describe what they were goingthrough.
Moriko looked at her with cold eyes for a long minute, then stood and went into her bedroom. Livia heard her moving around, then she re-emerged carrying a stuffed manila folder. She flung it at Livia. “Just aweirdo,huh?”
Livia caught the folder, papers scattering everywhere. She slid down to the carpet to spread them out. Old police reports, clippings from newspapers. Livia saw the photographs of a young Nox, dressed in an exquisite suit being comforted by his mother as a medical examiner and his team removed Ariel’s body from the cemetery. The photos of the funeral, the intrusion even into this most private of days jarring and sickening. All of the photos accompanied by sensationalist press, condemning the young man before Ariel’s body was even cold. The blood on thegravestone.
Then later, Nox alone at a funeral service, standing in front of the caskets of his mother and his brother. The look in his eyes was searing, and Livia couldn’t help the sob that escaped her. Moriko didn’t attempt to comfort her. Again, the press eviscerated Nox, the only survivor. Had he been in it with his father? He was the only heir now,afterall…
“Moriko, if you believe any of these lies about Nox…I don’t see how we can continue to befriends.”
She looked up to see Morry’s eyes soften. “Of course, I don’t. The press is, and were, scum. I want to kill them for what they did to that poor boy. But, Liv, you have to see… Darkness follows Nox. He couldn’t have a more appropriate name,couldhe?”
“I can’t leave him. I love him so much. He really is a good man. What kind of person would I be to leavehimnow?”
“A person who stays alive.” The coldnesswasback.
Livia closed her eyes and rubbed her face with her hands. To say she felt as if her equilibrium was smashed was an understatement. Moriko was the balls-out one of them, the ride-or-die girl, and now she was telling Livia to cutandrun.
No.Livia stood, gathering the folder to her. “Can I keep this for awhile?”
“Sure.”
A long silence, then Livia sighed. “Ibettergo.”
“Okay.”
Moriko didn’t follow her to the door, and Livia felt her heart falter as she turned to look at herfriend. “Soon?”
Moriko gave a stiff nod. “Staysafe,babe.”
Livia madeit back into Nox’s town car before she burst intotears.
Nox was actually findingsuccess in putting everything to the back of his mind, although not for the greatest reason. Sandor had come to him that morning and said two words that made him sit up and takenotice.
“Hostiletakeover.”
Nox looked up sharply as Sandor came into the room. “What didyousay?”
“You heard, Nox.” Sandor sat down heavily. “I can’t believe we didn’tseethis.”
“Woah, back up. What are you talkingabout?”
“I’m talking about Roderick LeFevre and his gang ofmerrymen.”
“So? They only have thirty percent share in thecompany.”
