Chapter 3
Three
Ashton
Protect Luca. That’s what Dante instructs me to do, not that I don’t already know my job. I gather my clothes and Luca’s and take them out back, burning them in a bonfire.
The clothes are the easiest evidence to destroy.
I gave Luca my gun to use to kill Massimo.
There are also the bullets in the other SUVs, not the one that we drove back, which will undoubtedly end up over a cliff somewhere and burned beyond recognition.
That isn’t my concern.
“Ashton,” Nova’s soft voice forces me to turn around, and I glance over my shoulder at her.
“Bonfire tonight?” she asks and raises an eyebrow when she sees that I’m not only burning wood. “Oh.”
“You should go back inside.”
She huffs under her breath. “Like I’m not aware of the shit that goes down here every single day.”
Nova is a bit of a spit-fire. I like that about her. She stands up to her father and isn’t afraid to call him out on his crap.
She grabs a nearby lawn chair and slides it over to sit. It’s not like she needs to be close, it’s still warm this summer evening.
I’m looking forward to winter when I get back on the ice with my friends and teammates. It isn’t coming soon enough for me.
“Are you going to stand there or join me?” Nova quips.
I crack a grin and stalk over toward her chair, pretending to sit on her lap.
“Go ahead.” She gestures for me to sit with her.
I’m pretty sure I’d crush her if I sat on top of her. “Switch with me,” I offer and wait for her to stand before I grab her chair and then pull her onto my lap.
Nova immediately leans back, letting me embrace her as she sits on my lap. “You’re not worried about your father seeing us like this?” I ask, my breath tickling her ear as I wrap my arms around her waist.
Her eyes widen and she bolts right off me like lightning just struck.
“Where are you going?” I ask as I watch her dally off from the fire.
“To grab another chair!” She heads across the lawn, grabbing a second chair that was near the back garden before the forest, and drags it with her to sit beside me. “Chair thief.” She playfully snarls at me, and I blow her a kiss.
“Don’t do that!” Nova holds a finger up at me, warning me to behave.
“Why not?” I’m all smiles. The girl has the ability to make me forget about the exhausting day, the threats, the death, and turmoil.
“My father might see!” Her eyes widen and she glances around outside. It’s dark, and unless someone is watching from the window, I doubt the cameras can pick up subtle movements.
“Your father—”
“What?” Nova asks and glances over her shoulder like he’s coming.
Except he’s not.
Her father knows about us. He’s not happy about the arrangement, but he’s never threatened me over it. He did, however, try to get me to marry Harper. Perhaps that was his way of trying to break the two of us up?
It seems Nova isn’t aware that her father knows about our relationship. We have been mildly keeping it a secret. I haven’t screamed from the rooftops that I’m fucking her.
Although, according to Luca, that might not be the case.
“What’s so bad about Moreno knowing we’re dating?” I ask, curious why she’s so gung-ho about him not finding out.
“He works for the mafia!” Nova stares at me, like I should be on the same page as her. Except, I’m not.
“Obviously,” I say and smirk. I reach for her hand, missing the close contact. I liked when she was seated on my lap, even if only for a moment.
She squeezes my hand and then pulls apart.
“Come on, what’s the worst thing that could happen?” I try not to smile, because the way I see it, Moreno already knows, and Nova is the only one panicking over absolutely nothing.
I scoot her chair closer to me, putting us right next to each other. My fingers move to her thigh, my thumb circling over her skin, inching slightly higher as she squeals and shoves my hand away.
“You’re intolerable!” Nova’s eyes are like two saucers as she glances around.
“What’d I do?”
“There are cameras everywhere! Don’t you value your life?” Nova’s voice trembles, and I can’t stop myself.
My fingers graze her chin, and I bring her lips to mine. “Apparently not. I value yours above all else.” I lean in and kiss her.
Her body relaxes for a fraction of a second before she slaps me and shoves my hand away. Nova stands and backs away, muttering under her breath that this can’t happen here.
“You just hit me.” I’m dumbfounded; the sting against my cheek burns and I can’t quite ignore it.
It’s not like we haven’t shacked up together under Moreno’s roof, but it was late at night and in my bedroom.
Nova grins and glances away. “I told you no. You should have listened.” She saunters off toward the door, and I chase after her.
My arms wrap around her waist, and I spin her around to face me. “You’re right. I’ll respect your wishes. I won’t kiss you,” I whisper, my breath teasing her lips apart, but I don’t close the gap.
I drop my hands from her hips, and I swear I hear her whimper.
“I won’t touch you.” I remove my hands from her waist, giving her exactly what she’s been asking for.
Nova leans closer to me, I’m not sure she even realizes that she’s doing it.
“We won’t share a bed tonight,” I whisper, and her gaze falls to my lips. “No kisses. No touches. No cuddling together and sharing a blanket. None of it.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. I know the restless and needy look in her eyes, and she’s teetering on desire winning, but I won’t let it. She’s drawn the invisible line, and I won’t cross it.
“Good.” Nova forces the words out, but I can tell she doesn’t mean them. “You hog all the blankets anyway.” She snickers, and I refrain from letting my fingers graze her cheek.
“There is something that you should know—”
“What?” She stares at me, waiting for me to answer, hanging onto my every word.
“Your father already knows about us.”
Her eyes widen and her face goes ghastly just as her lips part. Had she not made it clear that she wants nothing to do with me tonight, I’d be kissing her right now, reassuring her that everything is fine, but instead, I waltz past her and head inside the house.
“No.” Nova’s in mere shock, shaking her head, denial setting its course, as she stands there, unmoving. “He can’t know.”
“He’s known for months.” Do I tell her about Dante ordering me to marry Harper and wanting to keep it a secret?
“How long?” Nova rubs at her forehead and studies me.
I contemplate how much to tell her. Is it worth her knowing all of it? What good would it do for her to hear how they wanted me to marry another woman? The last thing I want is to upset Nova.
“Don’t lie to me, Ashton.”
“A while. Before their wedding.” I gesture to the house, hoping that answer will suffice. It’s the truth, I’m not lying to Nova, but I don’t see any point in revealing anything that might upset her. Especially since it doesn’t matter anymore.
Harper and Luca are wed.
“And you kept this to yourself?” Nova’s eyes widen. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She smacks my arm and stomps toward the door of the house.
“For this reason, precisely. I didn’t want to get my ass beat by a girl.” I’m smiling, and she’s glaring at me.
“You’re sleeping alone tonight, Ashton.”
I was already planning on that when she told me to keep my hands to myself a few minutes ago. “Okay.” I try not to feign hurt.
We head inside, and Luca is barreling right at me. “Pack your things, we’re leaving for home in ten.”
I glance past him in the direction of Dante’s office. “Does your father know we’re going home?” I would have expected him to encourage our stay, if not extend it. While Massimo is dead, I’m unsure who will take over his position if the threat remains to Luca and his family.
“It was his idea.” Luca turns and heads for the playroom.
“Okay.” I glance at Nova, who has a frown on her face.
“That feels … weird. Am I missing something?” Nova stares up at me.
“I think we’re both a bit behind on whatever it is that’s going on. I’m sure Luca will catch us up on the drive home.” I head inside the house and up to the second floor to grab my bag. I carry mine and Nova’s down to the car, packing our belongings into the trunk.
Luca is buckling Zeke into his car seat, and he shoots a look at Harper. “You’re sitting up front on the way home. You and I need to talk.”
“Oh. Okay.” Harper purses her lips but doesn’t say anything. Wordlessly, she climbs into the passenger side and shuts the door.
I’m grumbling under my breath. I hate sitting in the backseat. Being tall sucks, and there’s absolutely no legroom. “Can you scoot the seat a bit forward?” I ask Harper after I climb into the back.
Zeke sits between Nova and me in his car seat, and I’m grateful when Harper slides her seat a few inches forward.
I’m still a bit squished and I shift my legs, using the space in front of Zeke to stretch out. It’s not like he needs it.
The minute the doors are shut and we’re exiting the property, I can’t help but ask, “Do you plan on telling us why we’re leaving tonight?”
“Ask my wife,” Luca growls and glares at her.
Harper shakes her head. “I don’t know.” But I sense she’s not saying everything.
And as much as I don’t want to eavesdrop, it’s impossible not to hear their conversation.
“You went to the police station this afternoon, does that ring a bell?” Luca hits the steering wheel, and my eyes widen.
“Ooh shit.” What the hell was Harper thinking?
Luca continues speaking, as if my outburst meant nothing. “You forgot to mention that to me when you told me you stole something from Dante. That’s the bigger story, Harper!” his voice booms in the small confines of the vehicle, and I glance at Nova.
She shakes her head, clearly surprised to hear the news as well.
It turns out, she wasn’t in on whatever Harper had been planning to do.
“What’d she steal?” I ask, leaning forward, deciding that if I have to listen to the two of them fight, I might as well ask the tough questions.