I should not have gone near Nova. If that’s the message that Jeremy wants me to get, then I have it. I did already know that, but I couldn’t keep away. I slide my eyes closed and think about her gorgeous smile, her lovely eyes, her sweet nature. I remember all the happy times we had together, the way she made me laugh, the way she looked in the throes of passion, the way she speaks… God, all of it is so perfect. She was perfect, what we shared was wonderful.
Maybe that snippet of happiness is worth all of this.
I slump back, my head falling on the couch and I block the shots out. I don’t want to live this horrible moment. If this is the last moment of my life then I just want to think of Nova. Nothing else really matters.
It isn’t until my cell phone beeps that I drag my eyes open again.
Nova: Give it up, Zane. It’s time to face your doom. Face what you’ve done. Every crime gets a punishment, and this is yours.
Nova: You’ve lost your business, there isn’t any getting that back. No one can recover from that sort of reputation damage.
Nova: Now you’ve lost your woman as well. She’s dead. She isn’t ever coming back no matter how much you want her.
Nova: You already don’t have a family here, do you? I know all about that too. Your mom is in another country and your father vanished off the grid.
Nova: It might be time for you to just die. No one will mourn you.
“Fuck you.” I type out a million words at the speed of light, anger racing all the way through me. There are so many things that I want to get out, that I might not be able to actually say if I end up dead here. This might be my only chance. I don’t like saying all these things to Nova’s phone, but I know it isn’t her reading them. “You fucking prick!”
But I don’t get to hit send because there’s a loud hammer on the door. My immediate thought is that it’s one of Jeremy’s hit men, but then I reassure myself that criminals wouldn’t knock. If it was
them my door would be smashed to smithereens. I’m surprised that hasn’t happened anyway. Maybe someone has seen all the CCTV around the building.
No, it must be the police, here to help me. I leap up from my position and make my way to the front door. I peer through the hole in my door to see who it is. I could check the cameras but that will take far too much time…
Who the hell is that?
It doesn’t look like a killer or a police officer.
“Hello?” I call out, nervously giving away my position.
“Zane?” She stood on tiptoes but can’t see me through the hole. “I’m Clara, Nova’s friend. She’s been shot.”
“Oh fuck.” It’s real, this has really happened. Nova’s been killed. Hearing it from this person, Nova’s friend, somehow makes it a million times worse. The numbness gives away to sheer terror. I’m falling all over again. “Fuck! come in.”
I open the door and she flies inside, my thoughts written all across her face.
“Is she…” I can’t bring myself to say it. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, I was sick, I didn’t know anything had happened until it was too late. She was being taken away in the ambulance.”
“Ambulance? That’s a good sign, don’t you think?” I can feel myself clutching at straws. “There must be a chance to save her if she’s going to the hospital.”
“I… I don’t know. I’m just so scared.” She rakes her fingers through her hair. “It was Jeremy, wasn’t it? He did this, and I think he might come for me.”
“You shouldn’t have come here, he’s after me.”
“Oh God,” she groans loudly. “There’s no escaping him.”
“The cops are supposed to be coming soon. Then we can get rid of him for good.”
Clara doesn’t look convinced but she nods. Right now, I think she’s just happy not to be alone. I have to admit that I am too.
19
Nova
“Mom?” I can’t believe what I’m seeing, but there’s no other person this could be. “Is that you? And what are you doing here? Aren’t you…?”