Page 53 of Created in Chaos

Her eyes drop, but she still places the bowl in front of me. “Don’t tell me what to do, pretty boy,” she rebukes, doing whatever the hell she wants like usual. I wish we didn’t have twenty other things that need to be dealt with so I could show her how much she likes it when I tell her exactly what to do and how to take me.

She must sense the shift of tension in the room, or her thoughts align with mine, because when she peers up at me again, it’s with a heated gaze and her lip is pinched between her teeth.

“What are you thinking about, lamb?” My voice is thick with the need to touch her.

She opens her mouth to answer, but the sound of heavy footsteps storming up the hall has her clamming up and squirming in her seat. When I drag my eyes off her, I find Lev marching up the hall. I’m sure he can read the unhappy expression on my face, but he continues toward us nonetheless.

“You’ve got something?”

“Morozov asked me to get you. He said you’d want to see what he found.”

I stand, food forgotten, and prepare to leave. Nox and Nova rise right along with me. My first instinct is to tell her to stay, but she must read the intent on my face, because she speaks before I do. “Don’t even try it, pretty boy. If there’s something to see involving me, then I’m seeing it.” Her little pointed chin is tipped up defiantly, daring me to argue.

I want to, just because I like her claws, but that’s for another time. She has every right to see who’s on that video, even if I’d rather protect her from it. Instead, I say, “Lev, have you met my lamb? She’s the sweetest little pet, but she can be a little prickly.”

Nova’s face goes slightly pink, but she doesn’t deny my claim.

“We’ve met. Miss Devlin.” Lev gives her an acknowledging nod.

As we begin following Lev down the hall, I get a little pinch on my lower back, just above my ass, that prompts me to laugh. Prickly, just like I said. Lev looks over his shoulder at me as if he’s never heard that sound come from me, but he doesn’t make a comment.

As we enter Morozov’s office, the large screen on the wall displays a familiar image—the upstairs hall of the library. Nova’s profile is visible, frozen in the same shot. If this is the correct day, I should be coming up the stairs behind her in a few moments.

“Let it play,” I announce.

Morozov looks at Nova, seeming to question my instructions, but ultimately does as I asked. The recording plays in real time as Nova continues down the hall, placing her hand on the knob, then looking back down the corridor as if she’s watching for someone.

“I had a feeling someone was following me,” she admits without prompting.

“I was.”

Her face snaps to the left to look at me. “I thought it was too big of a coincidence for you to be there. I thought you orchestrated the whole thing to scare me.”

“Pause it,” I instruct so we can have this conversation. “I don’t use other people to do my dirty work.”

“I’m dirty work?” Her eyebrows rise sharply as she says each word slowly.

“The phrase applies, just not in the traditional sense.” I give her a leering smile.

“Such a flatterer.”

“What can I say? You bring out the gentleman in me.”

Nova laughs in my face, which was the intended response. I hate that she has to relive this. I’m also a little nervous about seeing myself interact with her. I know why I was following her, and it wasn’t to make nice.

Morozov coughs to cover his own chuckle. At least he has the good sense to make sure it’s short-lived. “Ready?” He clears his throat again.

“Play it.” I give my entire attention to the screen. I watch Nova reach into the room, then in the next heartbeat, her head whips back as she’s jerked into the darkened area. My knuckles crack as I ball my fists, feeling helpless as I see a small struggle, but most of what happened wasn’t visible to the camera.

My heart starts thundering again when Nova flees the room, looking completely panicked. In the video, I see her wave her hand in a shooing gesture and her mouth moving, trying to get me out of the way, but I know from experience no sound would emerge.

I can only see the back of my body, but I see my chest bow when she hits me, sending her sprawling on the ground while I absorb the blow. I could have caught her, it would have been easy. Hell, I had to stop myself from reaching for her at the time, which is clearly visible as the video plays out.

“Jesus!” Nox barks, glaring over at me.

“Play it back, I didn’t see who left,” I instruct Morozov, since there’s no way I can defend my actions to my brother.

The tape rewinds in slow motion, making sure we all witness Nova running toward me, then me bucking her off my chest and letting her fall in reverse. It’s hard to pull my attention away from us, even though I know I need to watch the door. Two figures reverse into the room almost immediately before Nova herself backs in. “Now slow.”

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