The NOVA Trilogy Boxed Set

by Jayce, Aven

  “Honey…”

  “What? What is it? Did he get in trouble at school?”

  “No. He’s drunk. He must have been out with his friends again.”

  “What... Cove,” she calls out. “Get your bottom out here right now, we need to talk.”

  “Leondra, wait,” my father says. “I’ll talk to him. Let me finish this conversation, just father and son, and then we’ll be down for dinner. I think we should stay home tonight, considering his condition, but let me take care of this. He threw up all over himself, and he’s not in the best condition to go out. Give him time to sober up.”

  “No, I really do need to see him.”

  “Leondra. I’m serious. This one is man to man. Trust me. I’m not going easy on him, and it would be best if I help him clean up. He’s at that age in his life where he doesn’t want his mother to see him naked.”

  There’s a sigh and I hear my name.

  “Cove?”

  I clear my throat, not sure if I can speak without a crack in my voice.

  “Cove, answer your mother,” my father calls into my room.

  “Yeah,” I respond, trying to sound tougher than I feel.

  “You okay?”

  “Fine, leave me alone,” I grumble.

  “Cove, I want you downstairs in an hour for dinner, whether you feel like it or not,” she says in a strict tone.

  “Fine.”

  My father speaks quickly, trying to keep her out of the room. “He’s fine, just grumpy and nauseous. Give me a few minutes, then I’ll be down to help you cook.”

  I hear a kiss, and my mother descends the stairs. My door closes and I’m engulfed in my father’s arms. Warmth.

  “Cove, how sick are you? Can you clean yourself up and put on some warm clothes? Or do you need my help?”

  I don’t want to move. I have no energy. He pulls away from me and my arms shake as I use them to push off the floor. I waver, and hold onto the wall for support. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “How much did Paul give you to drink?”

  “Four shots.”

  He places his arms around me and holds the back of my head against his chest. “When?” he whispers.

  “About an hour ago.”

  “Who was there besides Doron?” He kisses the top of my head after each question, his voice hushed and calm.

  “Natalie.”

  “Natalie?” he sighs. “She’s only eighteen. Did anyone hurt you, son?”

  “Paul showed me the video of the two of you,” I swallow, my voice choked.

  “Cove, it’s not what you think. That was Doron’s bachelor party. It’s not an excuse, but you have to believe me that I love your mother. It was a mistake...” he sighs. “What else happened?”

  I take a step back and he releases me. My head tilts as I look into his face. “I heard you talk about NOVA.”

  “How?”

  “He has a video of you in your office with Dayne and Doron Rosen.”

  My father puts the back of his hand up to his mouth and looks past me. If my mother wasn’t home I think he’d punch the wall again. He runs a hand through his hair and turns away, pulling clean clothes out of my dresser. “I’m assuming Paul made you shower, but I’d like you to take another one. Warm your body and I’ll place some clothes in the bathroom for you. Keep the tattoo covered, from both the water and your mother,” he requests in a quiet voice.

  He didn’t know about the video. I wonder what else Paul has on my father.

  “Go use the bathroom son, I’ll be in there in a moment after I get your clothes together.”

  “Dad?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t go to the cops, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

  He slumps to his knees and places his hands over his face. “Oh, Cove,” he says. His head is down, shaking back and forth. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Paul said this is what people do, and I know that’s true. I’m not a little kid anymore, Dad. Paul told me what Mom does and that if the police found out, I would be taken away and never see the two of you again.”

  He stands and races across the room, places his hand under my chin and pulls my face up to look into his. With eyes full of pain and sorrow, he shakes his head no. “Don’t you ever believe a word that comes out of Paul Jameson’s mouth. Do you understand me?”

  I nod yes.

  “That will never happen. Your mother and I are good people and we love you. We’d never hurt you, Cove. Don’t allow Paul to control your mind. What your mother does is legal. Only one person she photographed was underage, and she didn’t know that. Don’t believe what you see and hear in those videos either. Fight him as much as you can. You understand?”

  I nod yes again.

  He holds me steady as I teeter from the alcohol. My body is wrecked, cold, and sore, but my mind is clear. I can comprehend his words, even after four shots, but I can’t get my body to work with my brain.

  My father wipes the tears off my cheeks and helps me over to the bathroom. He runs the water in the tub, testing it with his hand. “Give it a while to warm up. I’ll go get your clothes.”

  “Do you love Natalie?” I ask, not satisfied with how our conversation just ended.

  He hesitates, and closes the bathroom door, locking us in. “I don’t. No. I love your mother,” he responds in a low voice. “I’m sorry you had to see that. People make mistakes sometimes and I regret what I did.”

  “Am I supposed to love her?”

  “No. Absolutely not.” He takes a seat on the edge of the tub, as I lift the lid to the toilet. “Are you hurt, Cove? Do you need to see a doctor? Do you want to talk about what happened?”

  “I need to urinate, I think.”

  “You reek of alcohol. Relieve yourself and your body might feel better. Get some of that poison out of your system.”

  “Isn’t it in my stomach? I vomited. That must have helped.”

  “Well, it’s probably mostly in your liver, but go, your bladder will feel better and you’ll be more comfortable.”

  I haven’t urinated with my father in the room since I was a toddler. He looks at me and I know he’s worried about my body.

  “Did Natalie have a condom, Cove?” he asks in a quiet voice.

  “No.”

  He sighs and I notice his fists are clenched as he tries to hold in his anger.

  “I thought people needed those if they came inside a woman.”

  “Yeah, but you need them to protect yourself from diseases, not just pregnancy. That’s not like Paul. Even though all of his employees are clean they still use them. Maybe Natalie thought it was safe because you’re so young. She didn’t try to put one on you before you pushed inside of her?”

  “No. I wasn’t inside of her.”

  “You weren’t inside of her at any time, front or back?”

  “Front or back?”

  “Cove, did you put your penis inside any part of her body?”

  “Only in her hand.”

  He releases a breath of air and leans against the wall. “Thank God.”

  “Paul said I’d have to do that again. I’ll have to do it a lot by myself. I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t either son, but I’ll speak to Paul tomorrow and we’ll clear all of this up.”

  “Shh, I can’t go when you’re talking so much.”

  He gives me a moment to start my stream before he asks another question.

  “Where’s your underwear?”

  “Paul kept it.”

  “Did he say why?”

  I shake my head no, focusing on the toilet. My father’s right, I’m more relaxed now that my bladder’s empty. I flush, then slide my jeans all the way off. My father stands and places his hands on the counter, gripping the sink. He leans toward the vanity mirror and I catch him as he watches my reflection. I step into the tub, leaving the curtain open to reassure him that I won’t fall. I set my hands against the tile wall and steady myself as the water pelts my face. My
eyes are closed as I enjoy the warmth and balmy steam that rises up and around my body.

  “Cove?”

  “Hmm?” I mumble.

  “This isn’t what people do. It doesn’t matter what Paul said. He’s wrong. I know you’ve seen some porn online and have looked at nudie magazines, many boys your age do. But what happened today, it isn’t real. Having sex with a random person is different than making love. I hope you understand that someday. I hope you find someone special and you can forget about all of this. I don’t want you to think that this is it. There’s a lot more to it, and I hope you’ll realize that once you find her.”

  My father looks remorseful and defeated.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “What took you so long, Babe? I was worried.”

  “I had to wash up, and I got lost in a daydream.”

  “About me, I hope?”

  “Yes, in the end it was about you. The gorgeous woman who I just made love to. How did I get so lucky?”

  Cove takes my hand and kisses the top of my fingers around to my palm. I melt at his eagerness to please. Most men I’ve fucked fall asleep a few minutes after sex, or I leave so I don’t have to deal with small talk. He’s different. I have no desire to look at my phone, or put on my headphones, or anything when we’re together. I’m content just sitting next to him. I’ll listen to anything he has to say, and I can only hope he feels the same about me.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “Not really. I’m nervous about losing you, and I miss Mera. I feel abandoned, even though you’re right next to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Sophia. Really, I am. You know I don’t want to lose you either. I couldn’t tell you earlier, but I have something I can give to Paul to make up for the money he’s lost from my fuck up in St. Louis. It should be enough to get Mera back, if he’s not too attached to her.”

  “Do you think he’s done it with her? It hasn’t even been a day, but I sense that they have.”

  Cove focuses on the SkyMall magazine and disregards my question. “Can you put that down? You said we could talk about things on the plane. I think it’s time you told me about your plan. What are you going to give my father?”

  “Whatever he wants,” he mumbles, placing the magazine back in the seat.

  “Come on, can you be a little more forthcoming than that?”

  “I was serious yesterday when I said the less you know the safer you’ll be. Besides, I only have one thing for him, and in his eyes it won’t be enough of an apology. What I have isn’t exactly what he wants, and it might piss him off. I won’t know until I meet with him, that is, if I can. If he accepts what I have, then I think he’ll release Mera and the two of you can head back to St. Louis, but he’ll have a list for me to complete to make him some money. I won’t be able to join you. I know that for a fact. I screwed up, and everyone’s paying for it. You, Mera, my mother and father, probably others as well. Your father’s never satisfied, and he’ll always hate me. I tried to get him arrested and it backfired. He’ll make me pay for that for the rest of my life, or at least until he stops making a profit off my videos and my body. Then, somehow he’ll make me disappear.”

  “Okay, enough. I still can’t believe that this is my father we’re talking about. He’s always been so sweet to me. Weren’t the past seven years with him real? How could he put on a show for so long? He loves me. I know he does. I can work this out with him.”

  “Soph, you don’t understand. I know the real Paul Jameson. Don’t think he won’t dispose of you and Mera if he knows what I’ve discussed with you. He’ll cover up any illegal dealings in his company, and he’s good at it. My father sitting in prison is proof. My entire life is proof. All we can do is play his game and hope for the best.”

  “So you really don’t have a plan? You told me that you did.”

  “I have a small plan, enough to take care of you and Mera. That’s what’s important. I’ll get you what you need.”

  “What about what I want? I want you,” I say quietly.

  “I know.” He squeezes my hand, turns away, and observes the passengers on the plane.

  “Still think he has a guard on me?”

  “If he does, it’s a newbie, or someone who knows how to keep a low profile.”

  “That’s hard to do on a plane.”

  “Yeah, we’re probably off your father’s radar until we land.”

  “Cove?”

  “Yes?”

  “You do exaggerate when you say that my father would dispose of someone, right? You don’t know that for a fact. You’ve never seen him kill anyone, have you?”

  “No, I haven’t. But I’ve heard a rumor once that didn’t sit well with me. I know he’s violent, and when I was a teenager he had me in a few awkward positions where I was afraid for my life. But no, most of the time people who cross him end up being ruined financially. I’ve witnessed some brutal force.” He turns to remind me of the bruises on his face. “It’s rare that he’s directly involved in a beating, but I understand why it was him who needed to punish me the other day. Normally his bodyguard does all the really nasty work. If you haven’t noticed, your father always looks like he’s a model for GQ. Perfectly styled hair, crisply ironed shirts and suits, and finely manicured fingernails. He doesn’t like to get dirty himself, only if it’s personal. With me, it’s always personal.”

  “I see.” I turn away and look out the window, admiring the dense clouds below the plane. I can’t see the ground, only a light blue sky and puffy white pillows.

  “By the way, when was the last time you were at your father’s home in Vegas?” Cove asks.

  I take my phone out of my purse to show him a few photos. “Here are a couple of pictures of Mera and me on the strip. My dad got us a room at one of his casinos for a weekend, but I’ve never been to his home. This was last May. We also took a trip out together my freshmen year of college when I wanted him to meet Mera.”

  Cove flips through the images and smiles at our silly faces. “Mera has the body and the look that Paul loves. Small frame, long dark hair, blue eyes, and a large chest, but not fake large.”

  “Well, they’re fake, but done well. She didn’t overdo the procedure.”

  “Do you know anyone there besides your dad?”

  “No. He would meet us by himself. Except one time he brought a friend with him. A guy around his age. Tall and muscular, short dark hair, wearing a sport jacket and jeans.”

  “Did he chain smoke?”

  “Yes.”

  “That was Doron Rosen, Devery’s brother.”

  “Really? I met Doron and didn’t even know it? I thought my father said his name was David or something like that, but I was drunk, so he could’ve said Doron. He only sat with us for a few minutes and then he had somewhere he needed to be.”

  Cove stops on a photo and his face turns pale, it’s the shot of the three of us in front of a fountain on the strip. My father has his arms around Mera and me. “This guy, back here, behind all of you. Is that who you met?”

  I take the phone and look into the background of the photo. It’s Doron and I give Cove a look as if he’s crazy. “I just said I met him, yes, that’s the guy you just told me was Doron Rosen.”

  “You said he smoked?” Cove asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “That was Doron. The person in the background of the photo is Dayne. They’re twins. Dayne doesn’t smoke. He must have been watching over Paul when the three of you were out that day.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s Paul’s main bodyguard at his house. This was last May?”

  “Yes, why? What’s wrong?”

  “I was right, Mera’s the new house whore,” Cove sighs.

  “What?”

  “Your father’s had this plan for some time. Dayne was there to have a look at her, he lives in the north suite of your father’s home and he has just as much say about the women that move in as your father does. He was there to check her out. Your fat
her’s in charge, but he would still look for Dayne’s approval in a situation such as this. House whores can stay around for years if they’re good. Your father takes his time to find the right one to make sure everyone involved is happy. He didn’t take her because of us, he already had all of this figured out. What happened just made it easier. He made it seem like it was because of me.”

  “Oh fuck, Cove. Are you sure you’re not paranoid again? This isn’t just an overactive imagination taking hold of your brain, is it?”

  “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.”

  “Fuck. Does that mean your plan might not work?”

  “Well, it may change things. It depends on how attached they are to her, and if I can offer something better.”

  “What the hell do you mean by that?”

  “I mean, I may have to find someone better.”

  “Really? You would do that?”

  “I would, but I’d do it in a different way than your father. I’d find someone who’s already used to that lifestyle and who wouldn’t mind being in that house. I know a lot of people in the city and if I put the word out, it won’t take long.”

  I look at my phone and touch Mera’s cheek with my finger. We look so happy. It reminds me of the photo Cove has on his phone of his parents with their arms on his shoulders. I close my photo App and place my phone back in my purse. “Hey, how did you know that was Dayne and not Doron? I understand that Doron smokes, but how could you tell by the photo?”

  “They’re identical so it’s difficult, but over the years I’ve been able to tell by the way they hold themselves. Doron slouches. He’s always nervous, his head scans rooms a lot, and he paces. He often puts his head down too. Dayne’s body language on the other hand exudes confidence. He stands with his chin up and his shoulders back. He looks at you straight in the eyes, and he rarely smiles. Dayne’s calm and Doron fidgets.”

  “And only Dayne lives with my father?”

  “Kind of. Doron’s married and has two kids. He spends a lot of time at Paul’s house, sometimes entire weekends, but he has a separate house with his wife.”

  “Oh yeah,” I say, remembering the photos on Devery’s desk. “Devery has photos of his kids in her office.”