Damn. She does make a strong point.
She scoops up the bowl and uses the bread as a spoon. Savory herbs and the softness of moist bread wake up my senses. I take the next bite and another chomping at the food not caring in the least about the dribble of broth down my chin.
Her expression settles into one of concern as she watches me scarf down my first meal in… I don’t remember when I last had something to eat. And that’s speaking before I was shoveled into the back of a van.
“I saw your sister,” she starts in the whispery-soft voice of hers. Like she doesn’t have the confidence to speak her mind. Or someone beat it out of her. Right then I make a silent vow to take her with me if I ever break out of this twisted mess.
But right now I have to focus on the one of us who needs me most. My sister.
“At least I think she was your sister. She said your name and that you were sisters. She kept asking me about Ellie when I was down in the holding chambers helping serve food. And I’ve never met another Nova so…two and two.”
I stop chewing. “Where are the holding chambers exactly? How do I get back there? You have to help me. Tell me everything.”
Avery holds a hand up for me to slow down. “At the auction last night. I’m sorry I didn’t get to talk to you sooner. Not that it would have done any good.” She looks pointedly at my cuffs. “I just wanted you to know that the last time I saw her, she was okay.”
“Avery, you have to help me get out of these cuffs. I have to get to her. Someone needs to help her.”
“Ares. When he comes you need to talk to him. He’ll listen.”
I start to tear at them and bang the locked metal on the wall. Anything to make the locking mechanism jam, break, or whatever. “So he can lock her up here? No, I’ll get free to save her myself.”
Warm hands take mine.
“It’s going to be okay, Nova.” She locks our fingers and Avery feels the tremble in mine.
“You don’t need to be scared. He’s not like the other men. I don’t know why he has you like this and not me. But…”
Yeah, he’s much worse, I tell myself.
My heart lodges into my chest because just as she sings her praises of her bastard master the bedroom door, or rather my cell door flies open and smashes off the back wall.
I forget about the food, my sister, and the fact I’m still cuffed. Adrenaline surges through me and I feel like the fucking Hulk! Muscles from my head to my toes tense and prepare for a fight.
Storm-ravaged gray eyes slam into me when the bear stomps in with a heaving chest. “Get the fuck out,” he roars.
The meek mouse of a girl I wished I could be like for all of two seconds scampers out of the room without a backward glance. So much for him being different from all other men, huh? That girl is going to end up in a landfill if she doesn’t grow a backbone.
But that is the last thought I can spare for the girl because I have to make sure I don’t end up there first.
Devil comes in on the heels of his friend,boss? Overlord?I recall the term Devil used.Prez? I have no clue what that means. Hands stuffed in his pockets, Devil leans his impressive weight against the door jamb.
Ares’ eyes move from mine to my wrists and the rage he had when arriving triples in an instant.
“What the hell happened to her, Devil?”
“I tried to stop her but she kept going on about needing to get back to where the auction happened.” I narrow my eyes on Devil for ratting me out, but the effect I’m going for comes off more as a pesky prisoner rather than the death threat I’m arrowing his way because he just smirks and shakes his head.
Go ahead. Let them all underestimate me.
Ares says something in Russian I of course don’t understand. All the while he never takes his eyes off me as he speaks. He puts a hand on Devil’s shoulder and gives him a couple of pats.
“I brought what you requested. It’s by the door, Prez.”
“Thanks, brother. I’ll take it from here.”
Alone with Ares I watch him stride fully into the room and pull a small key from his pocket. A spare I’m guessing since the old lady took the one from the nightstand. Why he has cuff keys in his nightstand drawer, I don’t know but I can take one wild guess.
I send a nasty look at the ugly dress wrapped around my body. “You in the habit of buying brides and locking up innocent women to your headboard often. What kind of barbarian are you?”