Disorderly

by Grace, Hazel

  “Let me go, Wyatt,” she warns, placing her foot underneath my chair. Our knees meet and, I swear, just the simple touch makes me still want her.

  “I need to know,” I breathe, tilting toward her. “I deserve to know what happened to Isla.”

  Rora’s chin trembles, and if she is acting, she deserves a damn award. “I don’t know.” A tear falls from her eye and rolls down her cheek “I swear to God, I don’t.”

  I can’t help but brush her tear away with my thumb. My chest feels heavy that I’m the one sitting here accusing her. That I’m holding her in a damp and cold basement with questions that still aren’t answered.

  Rora tilts her cheek into my palm, and I lose all my control. Grasping her chin, I have to taste her. She was everything, still is, until I know for a solid fact that she isn’t behind all this. My lips fasten on to hers, so soft and mine. My body absorbs into the moment, but the touch of the cold air and her hands not on me bring me back to where we are.

  “I fucking love you,” I tell her for the first time from my mouth. “But something is off.”

  “I swear Wyatt, I don’t know what—”

  “Don’t fucking talk,” I groan. “Just kiss me.”

  “But Wy—” I cut her off with my mouth, tasting her, craving her soul. I want this to be real, the only thing I’ve wanted so much in my life.

  And I can’t have it.

  To think I’ve been hunting her down for months while I laid in bed with her, fucked her slow and rough, let her into my life. That my Rora was Victoria Yunis.

  That I let her drive Isla’s and my car.

  I break the kiss, disgusted with myself. I didn’t know at the time, but I feel like I should’ve. That my head instead of my dick would tell me that something was off.

  “You have to let me go,” she tells me gently. And that’s when I see black. The next thing I realize is that I’m standing up, my chair hitting the floor, and I’m squeezing Rora’s arms.

  “You did this. You captured me into your little web of lies so that I’d let me guard down.” I pull her to me, her chair scraping against the cement floor. “Tell me, baby, how was I?”

  “Wh-what?” She’s quivering in my arms, but I don’t care. I don’t feel remorse, just a coldness sweeping over me. A dark cloud that covers the sun that gives you that chill throughout your body.

  “Was it easy?” I fume. “Did you enjoy watching me beg for you. Worshipping every inch of your perfect little body.” I lean close to her ear. “To fuck you until you scream.”

  “Wy—”

  I shake her. “How was it, Rora?!”

  “You’re not—”

  “I loved you. I would have given you fucking everything I had! I had my man watch you, I began a manhunt for a person that isn’t even real. There is no Jerry. You made it the fuck up.”

  She spits in my face, last thing I was expected her to do. Her whole face is lit in betrayal and rage, so much so that it knocks me back a few pegs. Until her next words rock me to my core.

  “I fucking hate you,” she rumbles deep in her chest. I inhale a deep breath, restrained by icy blue eyes that look like they want to strangle me in this moment.

  “How does it feel?” I digress slowly, bringing my head back into the moment. My heart has no reason to be here, and I didn’t leave it outside this room. “To have your whole world crumbling down around you. When my brother gets a hold of you, I won’t be able to save you.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time someone didn’t save me,” she counters bitterly. The words cut me deeply, and I bite down on my tongue to keep my fucking emotions out of this. I need a break, to gather myself back together, but Rora must sense that I’m weakening at the moment.

  “Make sure that when your brother comes in here, that you stay the hell out. I don’t want you.” Our bodies are still close to each other, and I can feel every tremor rupture through her body and each fought back sob.

  “Stop trying to play pity party games with me, Nova,” I bit out.

  She locks her jaw. “Don’t ever call me by my real name, you piece of shit. I’ll never forgive you for this. You’re just like him. You’re a bully and a coward.”

  “A coward?” I repeat.

  She pulls at her restraints. “I’m tied up, aren’t I?”

  “For good reason. It’s called running away.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get out of here,” she hints. I can’t help shaking my head. She’s either going to leave here in a body bag or worse, if things don’t line up for her. I can feel the room close in on me, her intoxicating aura that pulls me in so tightly that I come like an addict. Being near her and hearing her pleas makes the naked truth harder to see.

  “A picture of my sister was found in your closet,” I confess evenly.

  “Paige keeps her things at my place too,” she returns.

  “Paige and the name Victoria don’t link up yet.”

  “Then there has to be some mistake because, again, I don’t know a Victoria.”

  “Is that her real name?”

  She looks away from me. “Yes. I believe so. Her father was a drug addict, she came to stay with my…mom and I.”

  “According to her records, her parents were squeaky clean.”

  She scoffs. “That’s a lie. Her mom died when she was young.”

  “So, someone modified her records?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I don’t see why.” I clench my teeth, not knowing what to do at this point. She has a quick answer for everything and, if this was another female, I would have already let Lev at her already. I shouldn’t be down here talking to her, it’s making me go crazy with anxiety, confusion, and lust for this woman.

  My woman.

  My girl who could be the cause of all Lev’s and my grief.

  A cold-blooded killer.

  The simple fact that I, Nova Parker, could be a killer is almost laughable at this point. It may be the fact that I don’t remember the last time I killed a bug or had a violent thought toward anyone else but Jerry, but this was ridiculous. And what’s even worse, is that the man I’m starting to have hard feelings for has me locked up in a cold basement, accusing me of murdering his sister.

  My heart goes out to him, it truly does, but my life seems to be at stake here. The bewilderment on who Wyatt really is, what he plans on doing and what his plan was all along, sends chills up my spine. And that he doesn’t believe me stabs at my heart. The look in his eyes, bloodshot with betrayal and turmoil, there is no other word I can think of other than upset. It hurts to see him this way and that he thinks I’m possibly the cause. But everything here sounds wrong.

  My thoughts go to Paige and what she could have gotten herself into. The ideas are endless, who the hell is Victoria, how is my mom involved in this, and how is Jerry off the map? Something pokes at me that Jerry is behind all this, that he framed me to get caught up in the middle of a possible war that is about to plague my life. And I’m about to be the sacrifice to all this.

  Working at my binds for the millionth time, my wrists are raw with pain. And it’s not until I hear the door open at the top of the stairs that I hold my breath. I’m not ready for another emotional meeting with Wyatt. When he left me last, he threw the chair across the room, sending pieces of wood flying everywhere.

  Appearing at the bottom of the stairs, a man approaches me, and again, I’m blinking like an idiot because I’m surprised yet again at who’s staring at me.

  “Noah?”

  His charming face gives me a weak smile as he walks toward me with a water bottle in his hands. “Hey Nova.”

  I narrow my brows. “What are you doing here?” He looks different. A diamond earring is in his left ear, and he’s wearing a cutoff shirt with black stains on it. Normally, he’s dressed like he just left a beach or the mall, but he looks like your average joe hardcore worker.

  “Kind of a complicated question,” he replies, twisting the cap off the bottle.

  I shrug. “Great, b
ecause as you can see, I’ve got plenty of time.” He brings the water to my lips, but I pull my face away. “I need answers.”

  “Drink,” he urges me.

  “You’re caught up with Wyatt and his brother? Are you part of a gang or something?”

  “Drink and I’ll tell you.” Bringing the water bottle to my dry lips, he tips the bottle, slowly letting the water pour into my mouth. “I’ve known Wyatt for a few years. I work in his garage and do a few side jobs for him on the side. I didn’t know you two were….now I know why you weren’t interested in me.” I don’t answer him. What the hell do you even say to that? I wanted to be, Noah was normal and sweet. But apparently there was a rebellious streak to him too.

  “Who’s Victoria, Nov?” Noah asks me.

  “I don’t know. Really and truly, I have no idea. My apartment is in Paige’s name because I ran from a man who...he hurt me.”

  Noah narrows his eyes at me. “Boyfriend?”

  “No. My mom’s assistant.”

  His nose flares. “You did say you had a rocky relationship with her.”

  “Try nonexistent.”

  Noah looks beyond the room. “You’re not on speaking terms exactly right now?”

  I inhale a sharp breath, tired of repeating my personal things to men that I owe nothing to. “Because she didn’t believe me when I told her that her assistant molested and tried to rape me on several occasions.”

  His gaze falls back on me, and he narrows his brows. “Nova…”

  “Noah,” I urge. “I swear to you, I don’t know what’s going on. I feel like I’m being set up here. Jerry has to be behind this.” I lean toward him. “Please tell me you believe me.”

  Noah studies me for a moment. “I believe you, Nov. I just have to prove your innocence. I’ll do everything I can, I promise.”

  I nod. If Jerry is behind this, Noah is going to need to pull a miracle out of his ass because he’s as manipulative and smart with five years to plan this.

  “Drink some more. I’ll get you something to eat.” Tipping the bottle to my lips again, I take a few more sips.

  Noah tells me he’ll be back and to hang tight, and I try not to roll my eyes. I need to get out of here because I’m doubting everything right now. And I’m not taking the chance with my life to wait around for Wyatt and his mysterious brother to make a decision.

  I should have listened to myself and stayed away. Men are nothing but trouble. Period. I was right to swear them off until I get a full background check on them, their families, and a blood sample. Now I’ve run from one man just to get sucked into another bad situation with another.

  Tugging at my zip ties again, I can feel that I’ve made some progress with one hand, but it’s gone numb. My arms tingle with the lack of blood going through them, and my hope that I’m going to get them free dwindles by the second. If I can break this chair, I could possibly get the wood out and find my way out of here. What’s waiting for me up the stairs is another story, but I’ll get to that when I get there. I haven’t heard much moving around upstairs so that’s a good sign. Unless there are guards standing up there.

  “Hi Victoria.” I jump in response to a voice that didn’t present itself by coming down the stairs. Glancing around, I don’t see anyone, and I’m starting to think my mind is playing tricks on me. I try to ease my rapid heartbeat when a shadow comes out where the dim lights don’t meet the end of the room.

  “Who are you?” I choke out, clenching my fingers together to keep from freaking out.

  “I’m Levin,” he introduces. “And we’re going to get quite acquainted.”

  “Love to say it’s nice to meet you, but I feel like I won’t enjoy this conversation.”

  Levin pulls a chair out of the dark, dragging it across the floor purposely it seems like to make a loud noise with it. Sitting down, he leans back, observing me closely. He looks like a pretty boy with world-class problems. He is clean shaven, smaller than Wyatt, and looks like he gets through life from his appearance.

  “Probably not,” he claims.

  “You must be Wyatt’s brother.” He doesn’t answer me just stares, confirming my answer. “How long have you been down here? It’s creepy as shit.”

  “Long enough to see that you have, not only my brother, but Beast wrapped around your finger.”

  “Noah’s nickname is Beast?” Where the hell did he get that one?

  “Smart girl. So, let’s cut the shit, why did you kill my sister?”

  “I didn’t kill your sister.”

  “Looks sure as shit that you did,” he retorts. “I have you on video and everything.”

  “I think I’m being framed.”

  “Framed? By who?”

  “A man I ran away from five years ago.”

  “Yeah, I heard that little pity party a few moments ago. Can’t say I’ve heard of him.”

  I tsk. “Sounds about right then. He always was a manipulative fuck.”

  “Sounds like you are too,” Levin sneers, crossing his arms.

  “And it sounds like you’re mistaken. I own a fucking bakery. I don’t speak to my mother. I settled in here to get away from all of it.”

  “Where we live. Nice and close.”

  “Coincidence.”

  He nods. “Very much so.”

  “I honestly don’t know what is going on. Something isn’t right.”

  “It just fits too perfectly,” he replies, slapping his knees. “You get under my brother’s skin, you start talking to Beast, was I next?”

  I crease my forehead. “I didn’t know you existed.”

  “Sure, you didn’t. Pretty thing like you, I may have fallen under that womanly shit too. Thank God you obviously can’t juggle more than two men.”

  I grit my teeth. “I didn’t date Noah.”

  “You found him on a dating site, didn’t you?”

  “That was after many shots of tequila.”

  “Answer for every fucking thing. This is getting boring.”

  “Sorry to dis—” I don’t finish my words because he backhands me. Hard as shit. It reminds me of Jerry, how my jaw would go numb and the pain would shoot to my temples.

  “You fucking asshole,” I growl.

  “I’m going to fucking make your life a living and breathing shit show,” Levin professes. “Killing you would be so unsatisfying.”

  “Wait until Wyatt hears that you just—” He hits me again, making me bow forward in pain. Tears sting at my eyes, and I bite the tips of my lips to keep a cry from leaving them.

  “Hears what?” Levin taunts. “He fucking knows I’m down here.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. “No, he doesn’t. Because your little ass has been hiding in the shadows like a scared little bitch.” Levin kicks my chair backward, crushing my hands against my weight into the cement. A sharp cry escapes me, and I try to inhale deep breaths but nothing but pain saturates through my every fiber.

  “Let’s try again,” he recites. “Why did your bitch ass mother want to kill my sister?”

  “My mom is a fashion designer,” I return, trying to shift the chair to its side to get my weight off my hands. Something is keeping the chair in place, and I know it’s Levin, who is hovering over me.

  “Who picked up her second job as a killer.”

  I shake my head. “She wouldn’t know the first thing about—”

  “You know she called my brother when she was done,” he chokes out. “Of course, you do. You were there. Thanks for the picture by the way.”

  “What picture?”

  Levin leans down. “Is this another one of your little games of torture? Acting like you don’t know? Trying to get me to voice the shit out loud? Go fuck yourself, bitch.” The throbbing in my hands is unbearable as I kick at his legs to move his damn body. I can hear him chuckle through the strumming in my ears, which raps at my temper.

  Yelling at men who enjoy other people’s pain does nothing but egg them on more. I learned that the hard way, but it’s ha
rd not to cuss him out in this moment.

  “We’ll pick this up later,” Levin spats, giving me one last look before turning away. “Can’t wait for our date, Victoria.”

  I hear his footsteps along the basement stairs, the door slams shut, and I’m left alone again in the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life.

  ___

  “Nova.” Shake. “Nov.” Another shake. “Nova!”

  My eyes flutter open to the numbing pain in my hands and shoulders while I’m shook again from a man with matching blue eyes like mine. They look worried, sad, and pissed.

  “Thank fuck,” he exhales. “Wyatt is going to kill me for untying you.” My eyes widen as I flex my fingers to find where they are. My hands are limb along my sides, bloody, bruised, and numb. “Please don’t get any ideas right now.”

  I give him a small nod in response, knowing at this moment, I’m not going anywhere. Noah won’t hurt me, I think. But who the hell am I to think anything of anyone? The man I love doesn’t trust me, he proved that by keeping me locked up in this basement while his brother smacked me around a little.

  “Drink,” he orders, pressing the bottle to my lips. “I’m going to have to feed you.”

  I shake my head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You have to eat, Nov.”

  “I need a doctor,” I retort.

  “I’ll see what I can do about that,” he issues, unwrapping a silver packet of food. “Just eat a few bites for me.” I open my mouth to let him pop a piece of pop tart in. “I need you to tell me everything you know. Your mom, Paige, everything.”

  “There isn’t much to tell. My mom is a bitch, her business was always her number one thing. She never believed me about Jerry.”

  “Wyatt had me look up this Jerry, I can’t find shit on him.”

  “That’s what Mom always called him. That’s all I know him as.”

  “You don’t remember him by another name?”

  “No.”

  “Nova, please tell me if you’re lying.”

  “I’m not,” I bark. “I don’t know how to prove it to anyone. Levin said my mom kills people, I can’t imagine her getting near blood.”