Chapter 30 Jay
JAY
“Jay. Wait.”
I stopped, leaning against the prison wall as Ryker jogged up to me. The rough stone was cold enough to send a chill across my shoulder blades, even through the thick material of my hoodie. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
He mimicked my position with his back against the wall next to me and shoved his hands in his pockets. Staring down at the ground, he toed the dust beneath his feet with his scuffed trainers. “Just wanted to talk to you about what Dan said about you having a hard time at the engagement party.”
Fuck. We were actually going there. I didn’t want to lie to my best mate, but how could I explain what had happened without dragging up a whole lot of shit that (a) wasn’t my place to share, and (b) he was likely to react badly to.
Very fucking badly. Even so, I knew Ryker wasn’t one for talking about emotions, ever, so the fact that he’d chosen to bring this up with me meant it was playing on his mind.
He cared in his own way, and so I had to say something.
“Uh…yeah. It was a weird night. I dunno. It’s nothing you need to worry about. I let Volkov get to me, and I managed to piss Dan off. Yeah.”
“You danced with my sister.”
“Volkov insisted.”
“Jay. Are you…interested in my sister?”
Fuck. I swallowed hard.
“Jay.”
“It doesn’t matter either way, does it? She’s marrying Volkov, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head whip around. “Fucking hell, mate. I thought you, y’know, hated her or something. I never got it, but she didn’t seem to like you, either, so I just thought you had opposite personalities.”
“Yeah, well. Sometimes what we call hate is just us masking how we really feel.”
He was silent for a long time. Eventually, he blew out a heavy breath. “Yeah. I get that, I guess. But even so… Shit. This whole situation just got even more fucked up.”
“Tell me about it.” I kicked at the ground, dust swirling around the toe of my trainer. “There’s no point in even thinking about it, though. Nothing’s gonna change, and the party probably made it even worse. No…there’s no ‘probably’ about it. I fucked up. I should never have danced with her.”
“Okay, so what actually happened? Anton worked out you liked my sister?”
“Something like that,” I muttered. “You know we had to do that extra practice. I dunno, he was just winding me up, and I ended up so frustrated that I couldn’t be around him, and, uh, I somehow ended up doing drills with Bellingham.
That was why Dan was pissed off with me.
He took me into that cage-fighting arena—and why the fuck do the Volkovs have a whole fucking arena in their grounds? —and we threw a few punches.”
“Fucking Bellingham. Hate that arrogant asshole.”
“Yeah. But we’re not irrational about it like Dan.”
Ryker rolled his eyes. “No one else could ever be that irrational. He’s fucking unhinged when it comes to Bellingham. I can’t believe he fought you over it. That’s just…yeah. I’m gonna have to have words with him.”
“It’s water under the bridge,” I said.
“If you say so. Back to the party. That’s why you were in the maze? Because of Anton and Dan?”
“I needed some air. You know everything else that happened.”
“Alright. If you wanna talk about anything else… Uh. Yeah. Arson’s probably a better bet than me. But you know…if any of us had a say in this fucked-up agreement and Nova wanted the same thing as you, I’d have your back, yeah?”
An unexpected smile tugged at my lips. We didn’t speak like this, ever, and the fact that Ryker was here, making an effort to push past his natural discomfort levels and lower his walls, meant a lot to me.
“Thanks, Ry. I know nothing’s gonna change, but I appreciate it.
You know I’ve got your back too. Me and Dan. If you have anything—”
I could see his walls slamming back into place, the blank emptiness returning to his eyes.
“There’s nothing I can’t handle. You don’t need to worry about me.
” Glancing towards the yard where students were gathering for tonight’s sparring sessions, his lip curled.
“Look at that. Whelford can’t stay away, can they? ”
Following his gaze, I saw a group of Whelford Uni students milling around at the edge of the yard.
I guessed there was safety in numbers, especially when they were on hostile ground.
Was this payback for us crashing their party?
Even though the Whelford Flames had invited us, I knew there were plenty of people who hadn’t been happy we were mixing with them.
People who thought we were beneath them, thought we might taint them with our “criminal ways.” That had to be it, because as far as I knew, we didn’t have any current disputes to settle with any members of the hockey team after we’d come to our agreement.
Although I guessed there were always exceptions.
I scanned their faces, stopping on a familiar dark-haired, tattooed guy.
Exceptions like…him. Lincoln Bellingham.
He was standing at the front of the group, his arms folded across his chest, and I just hoped that Dan was somewhere far away.
It was unlikely, but miracles happened sometimes.
When Ryker pushed off the wall, I fell into step with him as we headed towards the yard, glancing back over at Bellingham. “We might have trouble with Whelford tonight,” I murmured.
“Maybe. This should be interesting.” Amusement threaded through his tone. “My sister’s about to spar with one of them.”
I stopped dead. “What the fuck?”
“She spoke to Arson, and he came up with the idea. He thought it might be good for her—help her get rid of some of the noise in her head. I dunno, it works for us, doesn’t it?” I stared at him, open-mouthed, and he nudged me with his shoulder. “Don’t worry, she can hold her own.”
“She’s fighting someone? For real?”
“Yeah. Get a move on. We don’t wanna miss it.”
My head was reeling. What had possessed Nova to do something like this?
We reached the cage, the crowds moving out of our way, and then I saw her.
Standing fierce and proud in the centre of the cage, dressed in a cropped, black hoodie and black joggers, with her light hair tied back in a high ponytail and her knuckles wrapped, she took my fucking breath away. I barely paid attention to the taller, athletic brunette facing her.
I’d seen her spar with Ryker, and I’d seen her spar with friends, but I’d never seen her fight for real. Not until now.
“Is this a good idea? What if your parents find out?”
Ryker shook his head, dismissing my concerns. “No one will talk. They never do. The yard is a sacred space, and Whelford know their money is no good here. We rule this place, and if anyone did talk, they’d face the fucking consequences.”
“No weapons,” Neo called out, and thank fuck he was officiating and not Dan or, even worse, Volkov. Nova nodded sharply, and then she and the brunette began to circle each other.
“I think that’s the girl who had a thing with Arson at one point. Didn’t she give Bellingham a blow job at the party?” Ryker murmured.
My gaze narrowed on the brunette before sliding back to Nova. “Shit. I think you’re right. If Dan shows up, we need to keep him far away from Bellingham, otherwise it’s gonna get messy.”
“Agreed.” He took a step closer to the lines that had been marked out in the dirt, indicating the fighting area. “Come on, Nova. Fucking knock her out.”
“Violent.”
He grinned at me, wild and savage. “Only joking.” He wasn’t joking, and honestly, it scared me sometimes when I got a glimpse of the dark thing inside him, something he kept leashed with his iron self-control. If it ever came out—
The brunette threw the first punch, but Nova ducked out of the way, light on her feet. She twirled on her heels, her ponytail whipping out, and then slashed the brunette’s thigh with a spinning side kick. The brunette cried out, stumbling.
“Fuck, yeah. We’ve been working on that move.” Ryker was intent on the fight, bouncing on his toes. “Follow it up, Nov.”
As if she’d heard him, she followed up the side kick with a back kick and then a jab to the ribs. Doubling over, the brunette gasped for breath while Nova danced back out of reach, her chest heaving with exertion. She was so fucking sexy in that moment, powerful and untouchable.
And then Volkov appeared, striding into the centre of the yard with fury written all over his face.
Ryker inhaled sharply. “Shit. He does not look happy.”
In an instant, Volkov’s apparent fury was gone, replaced with his usual cold mask. He spoke quietly, but his voice carried, echoing off the prison walls. “No one touches my fiancée, unless they want to make an enemy of the Volkovs. Is that clear?”
The brunette was already crying, pushing through the crowd in her haste to escape, and I watched as the people closest to Volkov shrank away. He turned sharply, wrapping his arm around Nova and pulling her into his side.
She was trembling, and at first, I thought she was upset. But then I realised she was trembling with rage.
As they passed me, I caught snatches of their conversation, mostly indistinct, but a few of the words reached me.
“…no wife of mine will ever have any need to get her hands dirty. The Volkov name will protect you…”
My eyes met Nova’s, hers defiant, and I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. Her mouth curved up in return, some of her rage burning away, and I held her gaze until Volkov whisked her away through the crowds.
“That went well,” Ry commented drily.
I stared after them, trying to catch a glimpse of their retreating backs. “Aren’t you going to go after them? Want me to go?”
Ryker shook his head. “Look. Liana’s going after them. Didn’t you see Nova signal to her just now?”
As we watched, Liana jogged to catch up with them, coming up on Nova’s free side and threading her arm through hers. “I missed it, but I’m glad she’s staying safe. Volkov seemed pissed off, and I don’t want her in any danger.”
“She’s sensible, and honestly, even though I told her to be careful around him, I can’t see him doing anything to jeopardise our agreement.
What just happened…it’s a matter of pride for him, really.
I know it’s different for you. Your mum and your sister both have their own careers, and they’re not expected to fade into the background.
In the world of the Thorpes and the Volkovs, women are fucking accessories.
It’s fucked up, and it’s something I’m gonna change when I’m in charge because, honestly, too many men are power-hungry bastards that fuck things up even more instead of making them better.
I think Nova would do a better job of running the syndicate than I would. She has a clearer head than I do.”
“You’d ask her to lead it with you?”
“No.” He sighed. “I wouldn’t ask that of her. I know she resents being in our world, and I don’t blame her. I’d get us both out if I could.”
My eyes widened as I stared at him. “You’d leave?”
“It’s all hypothetical. My point is, look at how the Hoytons run their firm.
Dan’s mum is a big part of it. Yeah, it only happened after his dad was killed, but the fact is, they treat women as equals, which they fucking are.
Look at how much more fucked up I am than you and Dan.
” His jaw was set, the words spilling out of him in a harsh undertone.
“C’mon, I’m not in the mood to fight anymore.
Let’s go back to yours and go through those numbers. You haven’t finished yet, have you?”
I really wanted to respond to his words, to reassure him, but it was clear he wanted a change of subject.
I knew he’d never tell me what was going on in his head—tonight was the closest he’d ever come, probably, so if he wanted a distraction, I could give him that.
“Not even close. There’s so much data to go through, and it goes back years.
If you really don’t wanna fight, I could use the help. ”
“Let’s do it,” he said.
“Attwood.”
“Volkov.” I came to a halt in the corridor.
“A word.” Volkov flicked his finger in the direction of the classroom to his right.
When we were inside the empty room, the door closed behind us, he prowled up to me, shoving at my chest.
“What the fuck, Volkov?” I snarled. “Get your hands off me.”
“Was it you or Ryker who gave Nova the idea to debase herself in that way?”
I saw red, shoving him back. It was like pushing against a brick wall. “Debase herself? Can you even hear yourself speaking? She made her own decision, because she’s got her own fucking mind, and you shouldn’t try to control her.”
“I saw you smile at her as we were leaving.”
“So fucking what? It was just a smile. You should try it sometime.” It was a bad idea to get angry at him, but it felt so good.
“Fuck!” he roared, slamming his fist down on the table next to him. Visibly gathering himself, he unclenched his hand, pinching his brow. “I warned you to stay away. I showed you my family’s might. And still you continue to test me.”
My anger deflated. “I’m not testing you. I had nothing to do with Nova’s decision to fight, okay? The truth is, she can make her own decisions, and as I said, you shouldn’t try to control her. She’s not just an accessory. She’s a person with free will.”
He stepped back, breathing heavily, and closed his eyes. “I apologise,” he said.
What the actual fuck? In what world would Anton Volkov apologise for anything, let alone to me? I shifted on my feet. What was I supposed to do with that? “Uh. I accept your apology, but it’s not me you need to apologise to.”
His expression changed instantly, and it sent a chill down my spine. “Don’t test me. If your family is important to you, you will stay on my good side.”
The knot of tension in my stomach tightened at the reminder, and my suspicions hit me all over again.
The phone call I’d overheard. His behaviour.
The fact that he’d brought up the link between my family’s clinic and his family more than once.
I couldn’t discount the chance that he might have something to do with the clinic’s accounts.
“Don’t threaten me,” I said in a low voice, “and don’t bring my family into it.”
His nostrils flared, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he turned on his heel and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.