The NOVA Trilogy Boxed Set

by Jayce, Aven

  We wait. I pace. I hope this will work, and if it does, how will I get to Cove? I wonder where my father’s staying tonight and if he’s watching Cove’s place. Maybe he’s at Leondra’s, or my loft, or just standing in the hallway of my building keeping an eye on things. If I make it out of Mera’s place without being caught, and I can’t get to Cove, then maybe I should just vanish for a while. I can take money out of my account early tomorrow morning and stay in a hotel until things blow over. Yeah, that’s a good plan.

  “Mera, I may not come back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Whether or not I find Cove, I think it would be best for me to disappear until my father calms down. He’s being irrational, and maybe if he has some time to cool off he’ll let me go back to my place.”

  “I don’t know, Soph,” she says, shaking her head no. “I agree with what you’re thinking, but at the same time I don’t see how it’s possible to hide from your dad. Plus, he’ll start watching my every move, waiting for us to be in contact with one another.”

  “I wouldn’t tell you where to find me, and it wouldn’t be for long. I’m not saying I’m going to do this. I just want you to know that if I don’t come back, I’m okay, so don’t worry.”

  “Well, once you walk out that door you’ll either get caught at your building, or when you come back here. If you don’t want to deal with your father when he figures everything out, go ahead and find a hotel somewhere, but he’ll never believe that I don’t know where you are,” she pauses, placing her hands on my shoulders. “You ready?”

  “Yeah, let’s do this.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The cold wind cuts into me like a knife as I race the two blocks south down Eleventh Street. Mera was absolutely right. I can’t believe I ever doubted her plan. Trey was actually the one who requested to use her bathroom before she turned in for the night. As he came in, I rushed out into the frozen air. I hope she’s okay. I won’t be able to thank her enough for doing this for me. When Trey walks into the bathroom he’ll be able to see the dummy in her bed from a distance, and he might just end up going back out into the hallway after he relieves himself. Mera may decide not to attempt her other plan of keeping him occupied with her body, which would make me feel a hell of a lot better. She’s done enough for me tonight.

  I have on my black wool, double-breasted coat, and a black scarf that’s wrapped around my head for warmth. My phone and keys are in my pocket. I arrive at my building and head around back, walking quietly down the ramp and into the underground parking garage. There’s an emergency stairwell next to the elevator that will be my best bet to get to the top floor unseen. My heart pounds from the swift walk and anticipation of seeing Cove. I stop to catch my breath, calming myself before I reach for the handle of the stairway door.

  An arm wraps around my chest and a hand covers my mouth. I’m lifted up from behind, and carried kicking to a dark Mercedes-Benz SUV. The back door flies open and I’m laid on the floor, a body hovering over mine.

  “Shh. Sophia, it’s me.”

  Cove’s voice puts an end to my struggle for escape. I lay motionless. He lowers his hand from my mouth and rolls off of me.

  “Keep low. Don’t stand up. I don’t want anyone to see us.”

  I stay low in the vehicle, as the lights in the garage shine through the windows and reveal his battered face. He shudders and turns his head slightly away, as I reach my hand out to him. There’s a cut on his lip, his nose is swollen, his eye black and blue. I’m appalled at the harm my father caused, and his hatred for Cove.

  “Sophia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you or to treat you so poorly. I wish I could take back everything that I did yesterday.”

  “I’m sorry too, Cove.”

  “What are you sorry for? You didn’t do anything wrong. This is all my fault.”

  “I’m sorry about my father. I’m sorry about what he did to you.”

  “Don’t feel bad for me. I got what I deserved. You’re the victim here, Sophia, not me.” He pauses and looks around the garage to make sure we’re alone, and then slides down on the floor closer to me. “I’m glad you were able to make it back. So the pill worked?”

  “No. We didn’t use it.”

  He looks stunned, and worried that I may have been followed. “How did you get past Trey?”

  “Mera. She’s a genius sometimes. She decided to seduce him instead of drugging him, with water first, filling his bladder so he’d have to come inside, and after I made it out, possibly with sex as well.”

  “Whoa. She’d do that for you?”

  “Well, that’s what friends are for. Where’s my father?” I ask.

  “With my mother. He stays with her when he’s in town.”

  “He’s never mentioned your mother to me before,” I say, thinking about the last time my father had a girlfriend. I actually can’t remember him ever mentioning another woman besides my mother.

  “He’s watching over her, over us I should say. As far as I know, they’re not a couple, and if anything ever did happen between the two of them, well, that would be the ultimate deceit.”

  Cove looks worried again, checking the garage, then gazing back into my eyes. “Your father should be in for the night, as long as Trey doesn’t figure anything out and call him. Are you sure everything’s okay back at your friend’s place?”

  “Yeah, if it wasn’t, Mera would call me.”

  He grasps my hand, just like his mother did the other evening in the hallway. I want to touch his battered face, but I know he’ll just back away.

  “You must be in so much pain.”

  “Yes, in my ribs and in my stomach, but my face probably looks a lot worse than it feels. I don’t want you to touch it or to try to caress me, but not because it hurts. I’m just not deserving of that form of kindness from you right now.”

  “Cove, how can you say that?” I ask, seeing the disgust he has for himself about the website. “Tell me, why did you do that to me?”

  He gives me another gentle squeeze, places his lips on my fingers, and runs small kisses along the palm of my hand. I melt, not even caring what his response will be.

  “I wanted to hurt your father, but instead I ended up hurting you.”

  “What’s going on between the two of you?” I ask, taking my hand away so that he focuses on the situation.

  “It’s your father, and my entire family. How much do you know about his past, Sophia?”

  I think for a moment, not remembering much about our time together before he left. “I remember him being happy, and taking care of my brother and me when we were very little. He left when I was young, and I didn’t see him again until I was in high school. He just showed up one day filthy rich, showering us with gifts to make up for abandoning the family.”

  “Did he ever say what he was doing during the time he was gone? Has he ever spoken to you about his past?”

  “He said he went into business for himself, starting with one casino and building an empire. I only found out recently about the porn sites. I guess most of his money is actually from that business.”

  “Well, he’s made it big because of both businesses, but I think his guilt and the reappearance back into your life seven years ago has something to do with me… and my father.”

  I’ve never heard Cove, Leondra, or my father mention Mr. Everton. I’ve wondered if Cove’s parents were divorced, or if his father had passed away. I didn’t see any family photos on the first two floors of his place, so I assumed they had an estranged relationship. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  He looks at me and sighs; trying to speak but instead biting his bottom lip, locking his words inside. I back away, showing him that I’m still weary from what I’ve heard from my father. “My father said you’re a monster,” I whisper.

  Cove shakes his head, obviously repulsed by my words. “And you believe him?”

  “I don’t know what to believe. I feel like I don’t know anything about
either one of you, but I also feel like I want both of you in my life. Tell me why you wanted to hurt my father, and what you mean by his reappearance in my life having something to do with your family.”

  “I can’t tell you everything. If I do, my life and my mother’s life will be over. We’ll be out on the streets.”

  “Because of my dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t let that happen.”

  He laughs in an obvious attempt to show how little I know about the situation. His guilt for hurting my feelings is present once again, and he quickly tries to smooth things over. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just… you can’t trust your father.”

  I’m the one who laughs this time, and I feel like I’m in a moment of déjà vu.

  “My father keeps warning me to stay away from you, and that you’re dangerous. Now I’m starting to hear the same things come out of your mouth about him. What am I supposed to do? Whom am I supposed to believe?”

  “You’ve already answered that question for yourself. Think about it. Neither one of us would be hiding out in this car like a couple of teenagers if we weren’t sure about the other one. We both want the same thing. I like you Sophia, and I’ve never had the opportunity to feel this way about anyone before. I’ve never been given the chance.”

  I smile, even more confused yet happy to hear those words. “Cove, you keep piling more and more on top of me. Tell me what I need to know so that we can figure out what to do next.”

  “The first thing we need to do is get the hell out of this garage. My mother has a hotel room waiting for us. We just need to get there.”

  “Your mother? She knows what you’re doing right now? What if she tells my father?”

  “It’s alright, my mother’s all I have. She’d give her life for me. We’ll be safe at the hotel, and we can talk without having to worry about any interruptions. But right now, I’m not comfortable and I don’t want to take the chance of never being able to see you again, so the faster we get out of here, the better off we are.”

  He opens the door as quietly as he can, steps out, and reaches for my hand. I have no idea how to proceed.

  “Sophia,” he whispers. “We need to walk, it’s only three blocks south of here. I’m sorry it’s so cold outside, but it will be safer than taking a car there. Your father knows our cars.”

  He waits for my decision, his arm stretched out, hoping that I’ll reach for him. I look around, glad that I told Mera I might not be back this evening. I’m amazed that Cove and I both had the same idea about disappearing, though I thought I would be by myself. It never crossed my mind that the two of us would leave together.

  “Sophia, trust me,” his voice hushed, still holding out his hand. I wrap my fingers around his, he pulls me out of the SUV, and we embrace.

  “Thank you,” he whispers into my ear. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

  We walk hurriedly out of the garage and back into the city. A light snow starts to fall, disguising our forms as we walk down the street. Cove has his arm around me, and we race along the snow blown sidewalk, keeping one another warm.

  ***

  Our room at The Atelier is on the seventh floor. It’s exactly halfway up the building, and even though we don’t have a presidential suite, I’m still impressed by the high-end finishes. There’s a marble floor in the entry foyer that opens into an inviting living room. The space is warm and comforts both of us after being out in the cold. A fire has already been lit, and it glows in front of a large couch that’s been placed in the middle of the room. There are windows to each side of the fireplace; each one covered with a heavy red curtain. The walls are painted gold, reminding me of Cove’s mother and her opulent styling.

  The room comes equipped with a kitchenette, a small table for dining, and a beautiful gold, white, and red Asian rug placed in front of the couch. French doors open into the bedroom with an attached large bath boasting a marble walk-in shower and jetted tub. The king-size bed has two suitcases, both open, and I can see some of my clothes in one. I send Cove a confused look, searching for an answer.

  “My mother,” he says. “She packed some of your things while I packed a bag for myself. She had everything sent over here. We managed to get it all together before your father came back.”

  “And what if I didn’t show up at our building, or I decided not to come here with you?”

  “Then somehow I would’ve returned your things. Does it matter?”

  “No. I’m just not used to having a mother present in my life. Do you feel a lack of privacy sometimes? I mean it kind of seems like you guys are a bit too close.”

  Cove throws a stunned look my way, and I immediately know I said something wrong.

  “Well, Sophia. Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that you and your mother aren’t close?” he inquires.

  “No, she’s a bitch, and she doesn’t like me.”

  “Well, my mother isn’t a bitch, and she loves me,” he replies in a direct tone. “I’ve already told you that.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just unusual based on how I grew up. It may take me a while to get used to seeing love come from within a family.”

  “I understand. Here, follow me. Let’s sit by the fire and warm our bodies. I’ll make us some tea, and we can talk.”

  “That sounds more than perfect.”

  Cove warms two cups in the microwave, while I settle onto the soft brown velvet couch.

  “It’s chamomile. That’s all that was left in the box.”

  “That’s fine. I’m not picky,” I say, taking the cup from him and enjoying a warm sip. “This room is beautiful.”

  “All the rooms here are nice. My mother makes a reservation here for her sister whenever she visits, and we’ve used the hotel on occasion for high-end clients. There’s only one room per floor with a fireplace, so we were lucky that this one was open. Plus, I would be surprised if your father would look for us so close to our building. He’ll assume we got as far away as we could, and my mother was smart not to get one of the top floor rooms. Your dad will be sure to check the executive suites of all of the hotels first, and not the mid-range rooms.”

  As we sip our tea in silence for a few moments, I study Cove’s battered face. Now that we’re inside, I can really see the abuse that he suffered at my father’s hand. I wonder if my father has ever beaten anyone else up like this, or if he has hired men to do it for him. He stares into the fire, his eyes flicker with the moving flames, while his bruises radiate an orange and yellow glow. My hand reaches across the couch and rests on his thigh. I place my cup on the end table and straddle his hips, as he leans back and looks into my eyes. He attempts to smile, but his cracked upper lip seals his emotions inside. I brush a dark lock of hair off of his forehead, placing a gentle kiss in its place. I believe it’s one of the only areas showing no sign of injury.

  His hands slide below my dark grey sweatshirt. They rise up to my chest then slowly caress my breasts. His movements are slow as I continue with soft kisses on his swollen skin. My lips press against his cheek, his ear, his neck, and to his lips. He let’s out a small whimper, either in pain or in pleasure. I stop, knowing his injuries will interfere with any further advancement. He follows my lead, lowering his hands from my breasts to my abdomen, and around to the small of my back.

  “Sophia. I’ve never seen a woman as beautiful as you. Your deep brown hair is soft and radiant, and your body smooth and warm. I love your natural look. Your eyes, a vibrant reddish brown, remind me of the fall leaves. You can’t be real, yet at the same time, you’re the only experience I’ve ever had with reality.”

  “Tell me more. Tell me what you mean by that, and about my father.” I sit back on the couch, waiting to decode his past.

  Cove sighs and exhales before he begins.

  “I was threatened by your father many times. Mostly when I was younger, but recently because of you. When you p
icked our building to live in, your father asked me to shield you from his business. And he meant that in more ways than one. I was to look after you, and guard you without you knowing, but I also knew that the two of us should never meet. I was supposed to protect you from myself. That may sound strange, and what it means is that your father would never take the chance of you finding out certain things about him; certain things that I know. I was surprised that he even allowed you to move in next to me. I guess he trusted me more than I thought he did. Maybe he assumed I was afraid of him. And I am. He terrifies me, but when I saw you looking so helpless, curled up in a little ball in the hallway, it was all over. I never even knew Paul Jameson had a daughter until you moved in, and now I’m torn between your father’s control over my family and the woman I’ve come to adore. I want to protect you from him, and not from myself.”

  “I want to know what my father’s hiding, and why you feel that you’re in danger by being with me.”

  He sets his tea down and runs his fingers through his tussled hair. “I can’t tell you everything, but I’ll tell you what I think you need to know in order for us to move forward. No matter what I say, Sophia, it will be hard for you to hear. You may hate me after I tell you some things, or you may hate your father. It’s possible that you’ll despise both of us, but I owe you an explanation for the mistake I made yesterday.” He takes both my hands in his and massages my palms, before he looks into my eyes.

  “There were no cameras in my dining room yesterday. I wanted to pleasure you so that you would know that I have feelings for you. It was real, but when I took you into the bedroom it was to hurt your father. I wanted him to feel the pain that I’ve felt for so many years. My goal was to wound him, and my hatred was so strong that I didn’t even care what I was doing to you.” He continues to circle his thumbs and index fingers over my hands as he speaks. “Sophia, my father went to prison for your father. He’s serving twenty years for the mistakes that your dad made. My father took the fall for a man who only cares about himself and money.”

  “What did your father go to prison for?” I say in a soft voice, beside myself, barely able to get the words out.