Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Koen
The smell of gasoline and cheap windshield cleaner clings to the air, and my Mercedes gleams under the fluorescent gas station lights. This is one of my first rides with it, and I’m still buzzing like a kid on Christmas morning.
I just paid for our gas and am walking back toward the car with a Snickers bar in hand. Nicholas is sitting in the passenger seat, arms crossed, his brooding perfected to an art form. I slide into the driver’s seat and toss the candy into his lap. “Here. For your addiction.”
Nicholas looks down at the wrapper and practically lights up. I have no idea what’s up with him lately, but he seems sad and closed off more often than not. And I don’t like it.
How can you be in a bad mood when you’re sitting in such a car?
He rips the plastic open and takes a dramatic bite. “God, I love you,” he says, still chewing. “Marry me, Copy.”
I laugh as I start the engine, the low purr sending a shiver down my spine. “Tempting, Snickers, but I don’t think Veronica would be happy about our union.”
“True.” He leans back, chocolate smeared at the corner of his mouth like a satisfied five-year-old. “Then at least make Oscar adopt me. He’s amazing. Meanwhile, my mother won’t even let me eat a damn candy bar without a lecture on carbs.” His voice sharpens with bitterness. “I’d rather live with you guys. I bet Oscar stocks nothing but junk food.”
I grin as I ease the car onto the road. “You’re not wrong. He’s got an entire drawer of candy because it makes Levi happy.”
“See?” Nicholas sighs wistfully. “Perfect house, perfect uncle. And… you, dickhead.”
“Dickhead yourself,” I shoot back. It’s not my best comeback but whatever.
He chuckles and takes another bite of his Snickers bar. “No, seriously. You’re okay, I guess…” He pauses for effect, smirking sideways at me. “Except for your taste in music.”
“Excuse me? At least I have taste. You listen to house music and pretend it’s cool.”
“Yeah, because it is cool.” He puts on a mock-offended look, one that could almost rival Levi’s flair for the dramatic. “Better than country anyway.”
I gasp as if he’s insulted my whole family. “Take that back.”
He leans back, smug. “I’d rather eat kale.”
I roll my eyes and floor the gas pedal a little, letting the Mercedes glide onto the highway. The hum of the engine is as smooth as a dream as the streetlights and city signs flash by in blurs of neon.
Nicholas hums, blissed out from chocolate and speed, as my phone pings from the cup holder between us.
“Grab that for me?” I ask, nodding at the screen.
He picks it up and squints at the text. “There’s a race tonight.” He reads out the location and time, which is in thirty minutes, and then glances at me with a grin spreading across his face. “They’re asking if you’re coming.”
I glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “Are we going?”
“First race for the Mercedes? Hell yes . But I don’t know if it can hold up against the Mustang.”
“Of course it can,” I huff, taking the next exit. The streetlights get sparser as we drive farther from the main strip and head toward the neighborhood where the race is supposed to start, still driving way too fast.
The thrill seeps into my veins. The speed, the adrenaline, it’s like breathing after holding my breath too long.
We’re laughing at nothing when the distant scream of sirens cuts through the noise.
I glance in the rearview mirror. Flashing red and blue.
“Shit. Oscar will kill me.”
Nicholas leans forward, twisting to look behind us. “What the hell do we do? We can’t just outrace them here.”
I scan the street as the sirens get closer, the lights bouncing off the windows of nearby houses.
Nicholas tenses. “Koen…”
I take a sharp turn and spot a perfect sideways parking spot between two cars up ahead. “Hold on.”
“What? No—”
Before he can finish, I slam on the brakes and jerk the wheel, drifting clean into the space. The tires screech, the car slides, and then it stops perfectly between a minivan and a pickup truck.
Nicholas grips the door handle, wide-eyed. “Holy shit.”
We both sit frozen as the police cruiser rounds the corner, the sirens screaming past us without a second glance.
There’s silence for a second… two… and then we burst out laughing.
Jesus.
“They didn’t even see us!” Nicholas shakes his head in awe. “You insane bastard.”
I put the car in gear, easing out of the space and taking off in the opposite direction. “And that is why you never underestimate the Mercedes.”
“Let’s switch.” Nicholas pops the last of the Snickers into his mouth and grins. “It’s my turn, Copy.”
“In your dreams, Snickers.”
A series of loud honks pull me out of the memory, which had gripped me the second I saw that damned Mercedes turn into the driveway. The silver paint gleams under the late afternoon sun, mocking me.
Nicholas pulls the car to a stop, and before I can even say anything, he’s out of the driver’s seat, almost shaking. “I have it.” His eyes are wide, frantic. “Koen, I have it.”
“What happened? Are you okay?” I step forward, my gaze fixed on the way his hand clenches the front of his shirt.
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, his trembling fingers move to the buttons, fumbling as he rips it open. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his breaths uneven as he tears at the wire taped to his skin.
With a harsh yank, he pulls it free and shoves the tangled mess of cords into my hands.
“She said she did it for me.” His head shakes as if he’s trying to scrub the memory from his mind. “But that doesn’t matter.”
He pulls something small from his pocket and presses it into my other hand.
I look down. “A… sticky note?” I raise an eyebrow, carefully unfolding the corner. The words scrawled in jagged handwriting almost make me choke.
I killed Oscar Lane.
Signed by fucking Veronica Harrington.
I stare at it, the words swimming in front of me for a second as if my brain is trying to convince me I’m reading it wrong. “What the actual fuck?”
“I know.” Nicholas nods rapidly. “I know! It was crazy. I think she wanted to show me that she trusts me, that we’re on the same page because she fucked Belmont, and I walked in on her, and—”
He’s unraveling fast. His breaths are shallow, his voice too high-pitched, jittery. He looks the same as he did back when we were teens when Veronica decided to punish him for days on end with her twisted idea of discipline. Telling him exactly how worthless he was, how he wasn’t fit to be a Harrington, barely fit to be her son. She’d keep him on some joyless diet of steamed vegetables and water, like depriving him of everything he loved would make him obedient.
I remember how it was when he finally got out of the house after her tirades. We’d go straight to the gas station down the street, and he’d buy three Snickers bars with the few crumpled bills he had. He tore through them like a man starved, eyes wide and wild, talking a mile a minute as the sugar flowed through his system.
Right now, he’s spiraling, close to tipping over the edge.
“Nico.” I step closer, lowering my voice to that calm, even tone I use on stage. “Breathe.”
The sound of the door opening behind me makes me turn, and I watch as Sylus, Alaric, Levi, Ezra, and Novalee step out of the mansion and down to us on the driveway.
“Is everything okay?” Novalee asks, coming to a stand beside me. “We heard the honking.”
Nicholas is already strung so tight I can practically feel the snap waiting to happen.
I hand the wire to Sylus and the sticky note to Alaric without a word. Sylus raises a brow but takes the wire without question. Alaric’s eyes scan the words once, twice. Then his entire body tenses as he hands the note to Ezra. “Fuck.”
Ezra takes the note. “What the fuck ?”
“What is it?” Levi reaches out, but Ezra holds it out of reach for a second too long, almost as if he’s deciding whether Levi can handle it.
Ezra’s hesitation only makes Levi more determined. He grabs the note, his eyes skimming the words. His face drains of color as if the weight of those few words punches the air out of his lungs. “Holy shit,” he mutters before he looks up at me and then over at Nicholas. “She…” He clears his throat and tries again. “She actually admitted it? In writing?”
Nicholas lets out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You think that’s the craziest part? She gave it to me. Like it was some goddamn party favor.”
Alaric takes a step forward, his eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“She wanted me to feel… included, I guess. Like we’re on the same side.” Nicholas runs a hand through his hair, tugging hard. “Like it proves she’s honest with me now.”
Sylus whistles low. “That’s… insane.”
Novalee’s fingers twitch at her sides like she doesn’t know whether to reach out to comfort Nicholas or not.
“She handed you a murder confession like it was fucking nothing ?” Ezra runs a hand down his face, his usual calm slipping further than I’ve ever seen it. “Jesus Christ, Harrington…”
Levi’s jaw works, anger bubbling beneath the surface. “What kind of sick game is she playing?”
“She’s not playing.” She wouldn’t, not like that. Oscar always said her only weak spot was Nicholas. I never believed him. But this only proves again that Oscar understood people more than I ever could.
“We have her, Koen.” Alaric looks at me, his eyes burning with rage, grief, maybe both. “This… this is what we need.”
Levi’s hands are balled into fists at his sides. “If we don’t make this count, she’ll bury us all.”
“She won’t,” I say firmly, meeting Levi’s eyes. “Not this time.” Then I turn to Nicholas, who’s still trembling.
I don’t need him unraveling right here, not in front of everyone.
“Get back in the Mercedes.”
His eyes go wide, flicking across my face, searching for something, reassurance, maybe? Then, hurt seeps in.
I can practically see the thoughts forming, the betrayal he’s been conditioned to expect. But he doesn’t give me a chance to tell him that he’s wrong before he laughs bitterly. “Right,” he mutters. “Of course. You played me again, didn’t you? Because she couldn’t do it.” He points at Novalee. “You made me do it. And I was so fucking stupid I did it.” His eyes blaze as his words tumble faster and faster. “And now that you’ve got what you need…” he gestures wildly toward the sticky note, “… you’re cutting me off again.”
“Yeah, why the hell not?” Levi scoffs from behind me. “Why shouldn’t we let you go down with your mother? When all the Harringtons are in jail, this city might finally have some damn peace.”
Nicholas flinches like the words physically hit him. His face twists, not in anger, but worse. Hurt.
And something inside me snaps.
I move before I think, cutting between them and turning to face my twin, jabbing a finger toward Levi’s chest. “ Shut the fuck up. ”
Levi’s eyes widen, stunned. He looks at me as though he doesn’t recognize who I am. “Ko—”
“Don’t you fucking dare.” I snarl. “Don’t talk to him like that. He is not his mother. He’s part of this. He chose our side. He’s helping us. He’s risking everything to stand against her!”
Levi’s jaw tightens. “He’s a Harrington .”
“And he’s my fucking best friend .” My chest feels like it’s about to cave in, but I hold his gaze. “Don’t make me choose again, Levi. Because I wouldn’t be so sure it’s you this time.”
Levi’s face crumbles for a heartbeat, his walls breaking before he quickly rebuilds them. But I saw it. The stricken look in his eyes cuts deeper than I expected.
The silence between us stretches taut, and I can feel everyone watching, feel the weight of what I’ve said hanging in the air like a guillotine.
Ezra moves in and pulls Levi back into his chest. “Koen.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Don’t even start, Ezra.” My eyes lock onto Levi’s. “You know I fucking love him to death, but I’m not going to let him take my best friend from me again. Not because of a misunderstanding. Not because of his damn pride.”
Ezra doesn’t argue. Instead, he gives me a slow nod and pulls Levi another step back while his shoulders sag as he looks away.
When I finally turn back to Nicholas, his wide eyes meet mine. There’s a mess of emotions in his gaze—shock, guilt, confusion. But beneath it all, there’s something that looks a lot like hope.
“Nico.” I take a breath, steadying my voice. “Get in the car, please .” He hesitates, his eyes flickering back to Levi, then to me. Slowly, he nods and turns toward the driver’s side door. I step forward and grab his shoulder, stopping him and holding out my hand. “Keys. To my fucking car.” There’s a beat of silence, and Nicholas lets out a soft, shaky laugh. Tired, but real. He digs into his pocket and drops the keys into my hand. “Thanks,” I mutter. “And now get in the passenger seat, dammit.”
Novalee steps up beside me, tugging lightly at my sleeve. “Can I come?”
I glance over the car at Nicholas, who catches my eye. He gives a small, almost imperceptible nod before he gets in the back seat.
“Sure, Little Thief.” Some of the tension eases out of my chest. “Get in.”
She flashes a faint smile and slides into the passenger seat. As I slide in, I glance at her. She’s holding her bracelet between her fingers, but her breathing is steady.
“You’re coming on a drive of your own free will?” I tease.
“I don’t trust you two not to start bickering again.”
Nicholas snorts from the back. “Fair.”
I start the engine and glance in the rearview mirror at Nicholas. “You okay?”
He meets my eyes in the reflection and nods. “I am.”
“Are you?” I turn to Novalee again.
“Thanks to you.”
I give her a peck on the mouth. “Glad to hear that.”
We drive off, the hum of the engine filling the silence. At first, it’s tense—none of us speaking. But the longer we’re on the road, the more the tension unravels, like the weight pressing down on us is finally lifting, piece by piece.
Novalee leans back in her seat, her fingers still brushing the bracelet. Nicholas is staring out the window, the rigid set of his shoulders easing with every mile.
For a while, it’s peaceful.
Then, the car in front of us slams on its brakes.
“Shit!” I hit the brakes hard, the tires screeching against the pavement. The seat belt locks across my chest as the car jerks to a sudden stop, and my arm flies out instinctively across Novalee’s chest like I’m the only thing keeping her from flying through the windshield.
I turn and scan her frantically when we come to a stop. She blinks up at me, wide-eyed but calm. “I’m fine.”
“Like the seatbelt wasn’t enough protection,” Nicholas comments dryly from the back seat.
I glance at him in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. “You know, I could make you walk.”
He leans back, folding his arms with a smug grin. “That threat lost its meaning years ago when you never actually did it.”
Novalee snickers, and some of the leftover adrenaline drains away. I lean over and press a quick peck to her temple.
“Where are we even going?” Nicholas asks after a beat. “What are we doing?”
“We’re on a drive to calm your nerves. Just like we used to.”
“What, are you gonna take us on a race down the Strip?”
I laugh. “No way. Like I’d risk speeding with you and her in here. I grew up at least a little over the last decade.”
We leave the busy streets behind and head toward the open stretch of desert. I flick on the radio, scrolling until I land on “Truck Bed” by HARDY.
Nicholas snorts from the back. “You still have no fucking taste.”
I crank the volume louder. “Deal with it.”
The music fills the car, but after a few more miles, I hear something that doesn’t belong. The sputtering, uneven sound of the engine struggling.
I frown and cut the music, listening as the engine coughs and wheezes before I pull over to the side of the road. “What the fuck did you do to my baby?”
“Drove it.” Nicholas raises his hands, mock-offended. “You’re the one who only ever kept it in the garage.”
“How the fuck would you know?” I get out and pop the hood, Novalee and Nicholas following to stand next to me.
“Because I never saw you driving it. You were always in that Bronco.”
I sigh, running my hand over the edge of the hood. “Yeah. Because this car… it has too many memories.”
“Agreed.”
I peer in and quickly spot the problem. A vacuum hose has popped off its connector. No wonder the engine was sputtering. The hose dangles uselessly, so I reach for it but immediately pull my hand back, hissing under my breath. “Damn. It’s too hot to touch.”
Nicholas watches me with a smirk. “Fate’s way of telling you I should’ve stayed behind the wheel.”
“More like your heavy foot shook it loose.”
“ Heavy foot? I drove it like a saint.”
“Sure.”
“Guys.” I glance over at Novalee, who’s watching us with amusement. “You done with the bickering?”
“Who knows.” I smile, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ve gotta wait a few minutes for it to cool down.”
She leans into my touch. “How long is a few minutes ?”
I’m about to answer when her phone rings. She pulls it out and glances at the screen before swiping to answer.
“It’s Belle. Hey, babe.”
The phone is loud enough in the still desert air that we can hear Belle’s voice clearly.
“Girl, how are you? God, you never text back. What’s happening? When’s the show going down?”
“Sorry. I was a little… occupied.”
Belle’s laugh crackles through the phone. “Occupied? Sure. Four dicks are a lot to handle. I mean, you could handle them all at once. It’d save some time.”
Nicholas chokes on a laugh, and I can’t help the grin that pulls at my lips.
Novalee shoots us both a glare. “ Belle. ”
“Yeah, yeah. Tell me later. I’m guessing you’ve got at least one of them with you.”
I like the girl.
“The show is going down in two days.” Novalee gets back on topic. “Will you come?”
“Of course,” Belle replies without missing a beat. “Markus and I will be there…” She pauses. “Damn, that’s soon. So… no last night as a stripper for you?”
“Nope. Doesn’t look like it.” Novalee’s face falls slightly. “We’ve got to finalize some stuff, and after the show, we’ll have to leave. I know… it’s kind of sad, but at least we celebrated your last night.”
“Where are you even going? You texted something about Italy, but…”
Novalee turns and walks a few steps away, lowering her voice. “Tuscany. Or at least I think…” Her words drift out of earshot as she moves farther away.
I watch her, thoughtful.
She wants one last night as a stripper?
Maybe a way to close this chapter of her life?
Even with everything we have to do, if my girl wants a final night on stage before stepping into this new life with my brothers and me, we’ll make it happen. No matter what.
I get back to fixing the vacuum hose—the engine bay now cool enough for me to reach into without burning my hand. I press it back onto the fitting and twist it until it’s snug, grease smearing across my fingers.
Nicholas turns and leans against the car, crossing his arms as he watches me. “You took my side.”
“Like I should have done thirteen years ago,” I reply, not looking up. The words sit heavy in the air like they’ve been waiting to be spoken for years.
“No, you shouldn’t have had to pick a side. I’m sorry we made you.”
I lean my palms on the car, glancing at him. “Let’s be real. Levi will be over it by tomorrow.”
Nicholas’s mouth quirks, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I don’t think so. He can hold a grudge.”
I laugh, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. “Yeah, well, not with me. Don’t worry. He can’t live without me.”
“And you can’t live without him either.”
“Fact,” I admit, stepping back. “But I had to live without you . And that fucking sucked.”
He presses his lips together, his expression cracking just enough for me to see the pain behind it. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “It fucking did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
I glance down at the engine, then back at him. “Can we… I don’t know… be friends again?”
Nicholas’s eyes soften, and his smile this time is real. “Only if we’re best friends.”
I grin. “That never changed.”
Before either of us can say anything more, Novalee comes back, slipping her phone into her pocket. She looks between us and raises an eyebrow. “And? Are we able to fix this, or should I call a tow service? Is there, like, a millionaire car service?”
“ Billionaire, precious.” I chuckle. “But no. I fixed it.” She gives me a slow smile, her gaze flicking to my oil-covered hands.
“Who would have thought that the billionaire baby can get his hands dirty,” she teases, and I’d love to pull her in and kiss that smirk right off her face.
But she’s right, my hands are fucking dirty.
“Yeah, looks like Nico has to drive after all.”
“No problem.” Nicholas pushes off the car, smirking. “I can drive your car for you.”
“Yeah?” I shoot him a look. “Can you hold my girl for me too?”
“You mean our girl?” Nicholas tilts his head, his eyes glinting with amusement. “I can.”
“Go ahead, then.”
He reaches out and pulls her back against his chest. She goes easily, her breath hitching when his arms slide around her waist. Her eyes lift to mine, and the way she looks at me makes my blood run hot.
“That’s it,” I murmur, stepping closer until I’m inches away. The space between us practically hums. “Tilt her chin up for me.”
Nicholas does as I ask, lifting her face toward me with care. I kiss her, slow and deep, tasting the faint sweetness of her lip gloss, feeling the way her body softens between us as my tongue slides against hers. Every sound she makes shoots straight to my dick.
Fuck. I want her so bad it hurts.
When I finally pull back, her cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen, and her half-lidded eyes peer up at me like she’s already picturing what’s next.
“Now kiss our girl for me.”
“With pleasure.” Nicholas doesn’t hesitate. He turns her face toward him and captures her mouth, and I watch as she melts into him, her body arching against his. His hands drift lower, resting on her hips before sliding up her sides. She shivers, a soft, needy sound escaping her throat as her thighs press together.
Jesus. Watching them is hot as fuck .
My fingers itch to touch her, to slide over every inch of her skin while she’s pinned between us.
Novalee barely pulls back, whispering, “I want you both.”
Shit.
The image of her, laid out, needy, surrounded by both of us, flares bright and raw in my mind.
And instead of jealousy, all it does is make me even harder.
The way she looks at me, at us , she’s not asking. She’s begging . And fuck, if that doesn’t make me want to ruin her in the best way possible.
“Home. Now. Before I lose my damn mind.”