Page 40 of Made in Malice

“Fuck, look at her chin,” the one from behind me says, then glares over at the other Lucian.

“What the heck?” I whisper while wondering if I’ve finally lost my mind.

“You really don’t know anything do you, nightingale?”

“Stop calling me that and Charity. My name is Nova.”

“I will call you whatever I like, little lamb.” Lucian looks positively pleased with himself as he peers down at me, or maybe he just likes pissing me off.

“May I?” The other steps up with his hand poised near my face.

“Do what?” I lean back on instinct.

“I’m just making sure you’re okay,” he tells me and waits before lifting my chin with a featherlight touch.

“This better not scar, Lucian.” His words are rough, but not meant for me.

Jesus, it’s like looking at a mirror image. Even their tattoos seem to match perfectly. “Twin?” I question when my mind tries to jump to some other even stranger explanation.

“Thank you for helping my brother,” he says while looking down at my lips, or maybe it’s my chin, but my belly does this heavy flop.

“You’re welcome,” I reply without hesitation.

“He told me you fell when he grabbed you, and I saw this on the camera.” His thumb traces just below the cut. The skin is really sensitive, and it stings a little, but I ignore it.

“It was an accident. I didn’t mean to make her fall,” Lucian gripes, but his words aren’t for me, they are for his brother. It sounds like this isn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation.

“You should apologize,” the man in front of me says while keeping me trapped in his gaze. It’s strange to be staring at a man who’s done nothing but try to make my life hell and realize he’s not the same person.

“I can offer to kiss it better,” Lucian mocks.

I step back from the man showing me too much kindness. I’m not falling for this good guy, bad guy garbage. “You would much sooner bite me.”

Lucian doesn’t even try to hide the dark look in his eyes when he scans me up and down. “So many soft places,” he says under his breath, but the insult about me being chunky still hurts.

“I won’t say anything about your accident if that’s what you’re worried about.” I cross my arms over my stomach.

“Tell me why you stopped,” Lucian demands.

“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“Were you hoping you could finish me off or just rob me?”

“Are you joking?” I scoff harshly.

“Tell me why you stopped,” he says a little louder.

“To make sure you were okay.” I raise my voice to match his. “I wasn’t trying to rob you. I was trying to get your phone for you so you could call someone for help since you didn’t want me to. I should have run you over with my car, but not everyone is as heartless as you.” I snap the last part out of anger, not that I would have ever even thought about actually running him over.

“Why would you care if I was okay?” he spits as if he still thinks I’m lying.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” I toss my arms up in the air.

“What did you expect to get out of it? Do you think I’ll like you now and be nice to you?” He makes his voice a little whiny as if he’s implying that’s how I sound.

I stare him dead in his face, and the features I thought were so handsome the first time I saw him blur until all I see is the nasty sneer he looks at me with. There must have been some small part of me that thought he would come to understand there’s no reason for him to hate me. I’m no threat to him, but I realize how stupid that was now. I know what I am to him, he made it perfectly clear before he ever laid eyes on me. I just stupidly thought I could make him see reason.

“The only thing I will ever want from you is for you to forget I’m alive.”

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