Chapter Sixty-Eight
Once again they already had extra chairs brought in here for Nova and Andrea, and there's also one for Arthur too. Outsiders are not allowed in this room, not normally, but those rules are relaxed when anything being discussed directly involves them.
"How was the trip?" Nitro asks us, but his eyes are locked on Nova. I go to answer, when she beats me to it. And I love that she has found a confidence she didn't have before, she no longer has that edge of fear whenever she's in here or around Nitro.
"It was good, thank you, Nitro. I really appreciate you letting us go with some of the guys," she says to him with a smile.
He raises an eyebrow at her. "You don't need to thank me, sweetheart. You needed a break. You're one of us, and we protect our own." He looks to Andrea and Arthur, who both nod at him. Although Andrea looks mad.
"Nova." Prez turns back to my girl. "Andrea is now Mason’s guardian. She wanted to tell him, but we said that falls to you. Nobody will say anything to him until you are ready to let him know."
"Okay. Thank you. I'd like him to know today. He deserves to have some good news, I want to make him happy," she says to him, then glances over to Andrea. "I'm sorry, but I would like to tell him alone. No offence, but I do want to make sure that he's okay with it first."
Andrea doesn't say anything, she just half smiles at her, and her attitude pisses me off. "Do you have an issue with that?" I demand. Nova grabs my leg under the table and gives it a squeeze.
"Andrea is a little pissed we've put some stipulations in place and Arthur agrees with us," Wrath cuts in. She gives him a dirty look and then glares at Nitro before dropping her gaze to the table.
"Stipulations?" Nova asks.
Nitro's eyes flick to mine before they focus on Nova.
"For your safety and Mason’s, you will both remain here for the time being.
Andrea will move in here, Arthur is welcome to stay if he chooses to do so, but the men he sent with you will be your security until further notice.
He will also assign another two men to Mason.
" Nitro glances to Andrea. "Have I missed anything out? "
"Yes," she snaps at him, and I see Wrath smirk.
Prez leans back in his seat, placing his hands over his stomach and interlocking his fingers. He does that when he's bored with someone. "Andrea has an issue with our plan of the custody agreement being a temporary thing."
"Wait, why?" Nova asks, worried. Even I'm worried. I didn't know that this was their plan. What the fuck is he playing at?
"Relax, sweetheart. We had planned on having you as Mason’s guardian, but your uncle rocked into court, claiming that you weren’t stable enough to take care of him, so we convinced the judge that Andrea was the best thing for him.
We have managed to produce some evidence of the abuse you and your brother have suffered at their hands and took that to court.
There will be a review in three weeks, when they will determine if custody remains with Andrea or is transferred to you," he states.
"To me?" my girl asks.
"Yes, sweetheart, to you. Unless of course that's something you don't want?" he questions.
"No, I would love that! I didn't know that would be an option?" She looks back at me, hope brightening in her eyes.
"Sweetheart, there's a few other things we need to go over, you okay to keep going or do you need a rest?" Prez asks her.
"I'm okay to keep going," she says with a smile.
"Okay." He sits forward in his chair again, his arms resting on the table.
"Because we went in with evidence of the abuse, and because Arthur and the Knights have friends in a variety of places, your uncle has been suspended from his job.
Your aunt fired. They tried to argue, but it didn't get them anywhere—"
"Have they been arrested?" She cuts him off.
He shakes his head. "Sorry, sweetheart, they haven't.
While we managed to get custody transferred and him suspended, the judge also signed off on a restraining order to keep him away from you and Mason, but he does still have enough friends to keep him on the streets, which is why you guys are to remain here.
Now, some may think that I should keep some things from you, I however believe you have a right to know, and I think you're strong enough to hear it.
Your uncle has tried to get through the gates, but don't worry, we have men on the gatehouse twenty-four-seven, they are locked, and the perimeter is secured.
But he has also made direct threats to you. "
I glare at Prez, I wish he'd fucking spoken to me first about this. I don't mind him telling her, in fact, I think he's right about telling her, I just wish I wasn’t blindsided.
"Okay," she breathes out in a whisper.
"Are you okay?" Nitro asks her.
She blows out a breath. "Yeah, I mean, it's not like he hasn't made threats before. Only this time it might be a little harder for him to follow through with them," she casually responds.
"I have to say, you're taking this better than we thought you would," Wrath states.
"Honestly…" She looks over him, her gaze flicking between him and Nitro as her hand reaches over to me, gripping mine. "I've spent the last six years being threatened by him, threats he always followed up on. This is the safest I've felt in a long time."
She turns back to look at me, and I lean closer, pulling her to me. Her eyes close as I lean in and place a kiss on the side of her head. "You are safe, baby," I tell her.
She smiles at me. "I know. And I'm grateful for you all, for everything that you've done for me and my brother. I finally feel like I can breathe. I know that might sound crazy..."
"It's not crazy, sweetheart." Nitro gives her hand a squeeze. "You are safe here, we've got you." I watch Prez as he battles with something. I get the impression that he wants to say something else, but he's not sure if he should or not.
"Prez?" I question.
He slightly tips his head to the left, not far enough to look at anyone but far enough for it to cause a reaction.
Andrea shifts in her seat and then gives a small cough.
Prez taps his finger on the table three times and then leans back in his seat.
"I've been asked to keep something significant from you.
I don't agree with it, and it's caused a few arguments the last couple of days. "
He looks directly at Nova, before turning to me. I know what he's looking at me for, he's waiting for me to give him the go ahead. I look at my woman and then back at Prez and give him a nod.
He reciprocates and then looks back to Nova. "You know that your parents were pretty well off, and that they left you a lot of money?"
She nods. "Yeah."
"Turns out, your parents were far wealthier than anyone ever realised, and so are you," he tells her.
"I don't understand." She looks at me in question, but I have no idea what the fuck he's talking about, so I shrug my shoulders.
"Nitro, please don't," Andrea snaps.
Prez looks at her, I can't see his face, but I know he's giving her a death stare before turning back to Nova. "Nova, sweetheart, your uncle kept you and your brother around for your money. You're worth millions."
The room falls into complete silence. Everyone seems to be in shock from the news, apart from Wrath, Andrea, and Arthur. As I look down at my girl, I see her eyes fill with tears. "Baby?" I question.
"Money," she states. "They wanted the money.
He could have had it all, he just had to ask.
" She drops her head in her hands. None of us move or say anything, giving her a minute to process the information.
My hand rubs up and down her back as my gaze moves to Nitro, and he mouths, 'I'm sorry,' but I shake my head.
She needed to know, and she'd be more upset if he kept it from her.
I'm thrown when she stands abruptly.
"Baby?" I stand with her.
But she holds out a hand, stopping me. "I want to go talk to Mason. I’m okay, babe, I promise." She leans down and gives me a kiss before turning and leaving.