Chapter 29
NOVA
Something feels wrong. The air carries an electric charge that has nothing to do with the storm clouds gathering overhead, and everything to do with the fact that Silas and Teddy vanished the moment Roman showed his face.
My pulse hammers against my throat. Silas isn't the type to let threats just walk away into the night, especially not threats that put their hands on me.
The way his eyes went completely black when he saw my husband, the careful control in his voice when he told Roman to leave—that wasn't mercy.
That was a predator letting prey think it had escaped.
My feet carry me across the carnival grounds before my brain catches up. The trailer where we held Teddy sits dark at the edge of the lot, but light bleeds around the edges of the covered windows. I can hear voices inside. Low, controlled. Dangerous.
I don't knock.
The door swings open to reveal exactly what I suspected. Silas stands over Roman, who's zip-tied to a metal chair in the center of the trailer. Logan flexes his fire-scarred hands while Cole spins a knife between his fingers. Teddy hovers near the wall, his face pale.
“Were you planning to keep me away from all the fun?” I ask deadpan.
Silas turns, surprise flickering across his features. “I wasn't sure you'd want to be involved.”
A laugh bubbles up from my chest. “You don't know me very well then. I almost killed this piece of shit once already. I want to be here when he takes his last breath.”
Roman's head snaps toward me, blood already trickling from his split lip. “Nova, baby, please. These men are fucking insane. Help me. You know me—”
The laugh that escapes me sounds feral even to my own ears. “Help you?” I step closer, letting him see the hatred burning in my eyes. “Why would I ever help a man who only ever hurt me?”
Roman's face crumples. “I loved you. Everything I did was because I loved you.”
“Love?” The word tastes like poison. “You groomed a fifteen-year-old girl. You isolated me, controlled me, hit me, choked me, raped me for twelve fucking years. That wasn't love, Roman.”
I turn to Silas, who's watching me hungrily. “What were you planning to do with him?”
“Make him suffer.” His voice drops to a whisper. “Then stage a car accident.”
“Perfect.” I bite my lip. “Where do we start?”
Silas moves to a metal table I hadn't noticed before, lined with tools that make my stomach clench with anticipation rather than fear. He selects a pair of pliers, testing their grip. “Roman Miller. Forty-four years old. Started fucking his wife when she was fifteen and he was thirty-two.”
“That's not—Nova, tell them that's not true,” Roman stammers.
“It's exactly true.” I accept the pliers from Silas, our fingers brushing. The metal feels cold and perfect in my palm. “Remember my sixteenth birthday, Roman? When you told me I was finally legal in Washington? Except you'd already been in my bed for a year.”
Roman's eyes go wide. “You wanted it. You seduced me—”
The pliers crack against his kneecap before I even realize I've moved. His scream fills the trailer, raw and beautiful.
“Fifteen-year-olds can't seduce grown men,” I hiss.
Silas's hand settles on my lower back, warm and grounding. “What do you want to do to him, baby?”
I study Roman's terrified face, cataloguing every line of pain and fear. “Remember when you used to twist my fingers when I didn't cook dinner the way you liked? When you'd bend them back until I cried and begged you to stop?”
Roman shakes his head frantically. “Nova, please—”
I grab his pinky finger and position the pliers. “Twelve years of please, Roman. Twelve years of begging you to stop hurting me. Did you ever listen?”
The snap of bone is oddly satisfying. Roman's shriek drowns out the sound of his fingernail tearing as I twist. Blood wells up, dripping onto the trailer floor.
“Nova!” Teddy's voice cracks. When I glance at him, his face is green, his eyes wide open.
“First torture session?” Silas asks him without mockery.
Teddy nods, swallowing hard.
“It gets easier,” Silas assures him. “Especially when they deserve it.”
I pat Roman's cheek with my bloody hand, leaving streaks across his skin. “Don't worry, baby. We have nine more fingers to go.”
Cole steps forward, his knife gleaming. “Mind if I take a turn? I have some ideas about those fingers.”
I gesture grandly. “Be my guest.”
Cole's blade traces Roman's palm before biting deep. Roman's scream turns hoarse as Cole methodically slices between each finger, not severing but filleting. Blood flows freely now, pooling in Roman's lap.
“This is for putting your hands on our girl,” Cole murmurs, his voice almost gentle.
Silas cracks his knuckles. “My turn.” He grabs Roman's face, forcing eye contact. “You like hurting women, Miller? Let's see how you handle someone your own size.”
The punch lands with a wet crack. Roman's nose explodes in a spray of blood and cartilage. Silas follows with another, then another, each impact precise and devastating.
“This is for making her afraid,” Silas pants between punches. “For making her run. For making her think she didn't deserve better.”
Logan steps forward as Silas backs away, selecting a thin metal rod from his collection. “My turn.” He heats the rod with a lighter until it glows. “You know what's interesting about abuse, Roman? The scars it leaves. Physical and mental.”
The rod hisses against Roman's forearm. The smell of burning flesh fills the trailer as Roman's screams reach a new pitch.
“Nova had to learn to trust again,” Logan continues conversationally, moving the rod to Roman's other arm. “She believed she didn't deserve kindness. You stole that from her.”
Tears stream down Roman's face, mixing with blood and snot. “Please, I'm sorry. I'll disappear. You'll never see me again.”
“You're right about that,” I say softly. I select a thin knife from the collection, testing its edge.
I press the blade to Roman's throat, just hard enough to draw a thin line of blood. “This is where you choked me the night I left. Remember? Your fingers right here, squeezing until I couldn't breathe.”
Roman's voice comes out as a whisper. “Nova, please...”
“Please, what? Please forgive you? Please let you live after what you did to me?” I lean closer, my lips nearly touching his ear. “I was a child, Roman. A fucking child, and you destroyed me.”
The knife slides deeper. Roman gurgles, his eyes going wide with panic as blood bubbles from the wound. His body convulses against the restraints, feet drumming against the floor.
I watch his life drain away, feeling lighter with each passing second. When his eyes finally go glassy and still, I step back, blood coating my hands and forearms.
“It's done.”
Logan and Cole move immediately, removing Roman's restraints and hefting his body between them.
“We'll handle the crash,” Logan says. “Make it look like he lost control on those winding mountain roads.”
“His car's in our parking lot,” Silas says. “Keys are in the ignition. Drive it up to the bridge and send it over the edge.”
They disappear with Roman's corpse, leaving Teddy, Silas, and me alone in the blood-soaked trailer.
I turn to face them, adrenaline singing through my veins. Silas's eyes burn as they travel over me, taking in the blood splattered across my tank top and arms. Teddy stares at me like I'm holy and terrifying.
“How do you feel?” Silas asks softly.
“Free.” The word comes out breathless. “For the first time in my life, completely free.”
I cross to him in two quick strides, fisting my hands in his shirt and dragging his mouth down to mine. The kiss tastes like copper and violence, like justice and retribution. His hands tangle in my hair, holding me against him as I pour twelve years of rage and pain and triumph into his mouth.
When we break apart, both of us are panting. I turn to Teddy, who hasn't moved from his spot against the wall.
“Come here.”
He approaches slowly, his movements careful. When he's close enough to touch, I reach for him, pulling him into another kiss. He melts against me immediately, his control finally cracking.
“I want you both,” I whisper against his lips. “Right here. Right now.”
Silas's hands find my waist, his mouth hot against my neck. “Baby, you're covered in blood.”
“I don't care.” I turn in his arms, pressing back against him while keeping one hand on Teddy's chest. “I need this. I need both of you.”
Teddy's pupils are blown wide, his breathing harsh. “Nova...”
“I want you both inside my pussy,” I continue, my voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “At the same time.”
Silas groans against my throat. “That's fucking insane.”
“But it'll feel so good,” I finish for him, grinding back against the hard length pressed to my ass.
His laugh is dark and full of promise. “You're going to be the death of us.”
I pull away from both of them, moving to the narrow bench that runs along one wall. The trailer is small, cramped, but it'll work. I perch on the edge, spreading my legs in invitation.
“I want to watch you first,” I say, my voice husky with need. “Both of you. Together.”
Silas and Teddy exchange a look, some silent communication passing between them. Then Silas is moving, backing Teddy against the wall and dropping to his knees.
“Nova wants a show,” Silas murmurs, his hands working at Teddy's belt. “Let's give her one.”
Teddy's head falls back against the wall as Silas frees his cock, already hard and flushed. But instead of taking him into his mouth, Silas stands and works at his own pants until both of them are naked from the waist down.
“Come here,” Silas orders softly, and Teddy obeys without question.
They stand facing each other, close enough that their cocks nearly touch. Silas wraps one hand around both their lengths, and Teddy's sharp intake of breath echoes through the trailer.
“Like this?” Silas asks, looking at me over Teddy's shoulder as he begins to stroke them together.
“Fuck yes.” My own hands move to my jeans, working them down my hips. “You're beautiful together.”
Teddy's hands come up to grip Silas's shoulders as the friction builds between them. Pre-cum slicks the way, making Silas's movements smoother, faster.
“Nova,” Teddy pants, his eyes finding mine. “This is so fucking...”
“Perfect,” I finish, my fingers finding my clit through my panties. “You look perfect.”
Silas adjusts his grip, his thumb rubbing over both their heads on each upstroke. Teddy's hips buck forward involuntarily, seeking more friction.
“That's it,” Silas murmurs. “Feel good?”
“So good,” Teddy gasps. “Fuck, Silas...”
I watch them move together, the way their muscles flex and strain, the way Teddy's face contorts with pleasure. But as beautiful as it is, I need more.
“Enough,” I breathe. “I need you. Both of you. Now.”
They break apart, both of them flushed and breathing hard. Silas reaches into his pocket and produces a small tube of lubricant.
“Always prepared,” he says with a wicked grin.
“Good thing,” I laugh, pulling my tank top over my head. The blood on my hands smears across the fabric, but I don't care. “Because I wasn't joking about wanting you both.”
Teddy moves to the bench beside me, his hands gentle as they help me out of my remaining clothes. “Are you sure? It might hurt.”
“Everything worthwhile hurts a little.” I kiss him softly. “I trust you. Both of you.”
Silas joins us on the narrow bench, the three of us fitting together like we were made for this. His hands are sure and careful as he prepares me, stretching me with slick fingers until I'm ready.
“This might be awkward,” Teddy warns as we try to find the right position in the cramped space.
“Good thing we're flexible,” I laugh breathlessly.
Finally, we manage it. Silas underneath me, already buried deep, while Teddy positions himself at my entrance. The stretch is intense, bordering on too much, but I breathe through it as Teddy works his way inside.
“Holy shit,” Silas groans, his head falling back. “Nova, you feel...”
“Incredible,” Teddy finishes, his voice strained.
When they're both fully seated, we all freeze for a moment, adjusting to the overwhelming sensation. I feel completely full, claimed, possessed in the best possible way.
“Move,” I gasp. “Please, move.”
They find a rhythm, one pulling out as the other pushes in, keeping me constantly filled. The friction is incredible, pleasure building low in my belly with each thrust.
“Fuck, you're perfect,” Silas pants against my neck. “So perfect for us.”
Teddy's mouth finds mine, swallowing my moans as they drive me higher. His hands grip my hips, helping support my weight between them.
The pleasure builds impossibly fast, waves of sensation crashing over me until I can't tell where one ends and the other begins. Everything narrows to this moment, this connection, the three of us moving together in perfect synchronization.
“I'm close,” Teddy warns, his rhythm stuttering.
“Me too,” Silas gasps. “Nova, come with us. Come for us.”
The command pushes me over the edge. My orgasm crashes through me, every muscle clenching as I cry out their names. The sensation of me coming around them triggers their own releases, both of them following me into bliss with broken groans.
We collapse together in a tangle of sweaty limbs, all of us breathing hard. Teddy's forehead rests against my shoulder while Silas traces lazy patterns on my spine.
“That was...” Teddy starts.
“Perfect,” I finish, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “Absolutely perfect.”
Outside, I can hear the distant sound of the carnival. Roman Miller is dead, his hold on me finally broken. And I'm here, in the arms of the two men who helped me reclaim my power.
I'm exactly where I belong.