It had taken me a couple of weeks to reach out to Arya for help. The night I’d overheard Chad arguing with my mom, he’d spotted me before I had the chance to call my friend. Then he’d dragged me inside and came up with a ridiculous excuse to ground me. No phone, no internet, no leaving the house. I’d basically been held prisoner in my own home since then. I’d gotten lucky a few days ago when my mom left her cell phone charging in the kitchen after she and Chad had gone up to bed. I used it to call Arya. There had been no way for her to let me know if the motorcycle club was willing to help me, and they couldn’t get a hold of me to confirm what I’d told her. Was it possible that they had sent this guy to rescue me?
I nodded my head jerkily.
“You gonna keep quiet?”
Another nod.
“Good girl.”
A totally inappropriate shiver raced up my spine at his low rasp of approval. “Who are you?”
“Shit. Sorry, angel. I forgot there had been no way to let you know that I was coming.” He shifted away from me, and I finally got a good look at his face.
“Oh, my gosh, Nova. You scared the crap out of me.” He’d been standing in the shadows when I first woke up, so I didn’t get a chance to take in his familiar handsome features. I’d obsessed more than a little bit over Arya’s bad boy of an older brother. With his dark hair and eyes, lean muscles, kissable lips, chiseled cheekbones and jawline, and tattoos, Nova was beyond hot. To the point where I’d seriously considered stealing one of his photos the last time Arya had come for a visit because I missed being able to gawk at them now that she didn’t live with her parents anymore.
But looking at a picture that couldn’t do anything back and being in bed half-naked with a living, breathing man who I really didn’t know were two totally different things. Not to mention that I’d learned a painful lesson about how important it was to be careful with which guy you let into your life because of the mess my mom’s less-than-stellar choice had landed me in. All I needed from Nova’s sexy body was the protection it could provide—and I’d remind my ovaries of that fact as often as it took to stop them from exploding just because he was near.
Shoving at his chest, I hissed, “Move so I can put some clothes on and we can get out of here.”
He let out a low groan as he levered off the mattress, and I barely bit back a whimper when I realized it hadn’t been a flashlight in his pocket that I’d felt pressed against my thigh...it had been his dick. The erection he was currently adjusting into a more comfortable position. Because I gave him a hard-on.
Nope. I wasn’t going there, or else I’d forget my seconds-old promise to myself to keep my hands off my friend’s older brother.
I scrambled off my bed and headed straight for my closet. After pulling on a pair of dark jeans, I kept my back toward Nova while I wiggled into a bra underneath my T-shirt. Once that was done, I tossed a black hoodie sweatshirt on, put on a pair of socks, and shoved my feet into a pair of black sneakers. Then I grabbed an old leather duffel out from under a pile of clothes on the floor of the closet. My dad had used the bag during every vacation we’d taken as far back as I could remember. Turning back around, I whispered, “I’m ready.”
“You got everything you need in there?” Nova asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, I was already pulling together a stash of stuff I wanted to take with me when I split before I found out what my stepdad was up to.”
“Smart.” Nova flashed me an approving grin as he stretched an arm out toward me. I handed him the bag and headed toward the door. He fisted the back of my sweatshirt, stopping me before I twisted the knob. “Hold up, angel. I go first, and you stick close behind me.”
I’d never snuck out of my house before, so I didn’t argue with his plan. I’d asked Arya for help because the guys in the motorcycle club had way more experience with stuff like this than I did, so it made sense to follow Nova’s lead as we crept along the hallway and down the stairs. I held my breath, afraid to make any sound until we were safely outside. When I spotted the classic Mustang parked across the street, I let out a low whistle. “My dad would’ve loved this car.”
“If we get out of here clean, I’ll think about letting you behind the wheel for part of the ride back,” Nova offered as he tossed my bag on the back seat next to another duffel.