LILITHDashiell called to confirm if I was coming over as we planned, which I agreed to. This was all Zoey's plan. She had everything written. If things worked out well, like she claimed they would, this would be the last time I would meet Dashiell before Nova's death.“Brion will be discharged tomorrow,” she said, casually sitting on the couch. Having forced me to give her a spare key to my house, she came and went whenever she wanted. I didn't even know where she stayed and when I asked about it, I only got an ear full of her barking, which was why I stopped asking. I'd seen no one as secretive as Zoey. She knew just about everything about me, but I couldn't say the same about her. Aside from her name, I couldn't boast of anything else. That was if the name she gave was her real one.“Didn't you hear me?” She interrupted my thoughts, scrunching her nose up. “Why do you seem absentminded these days? Don't tell me you are still thinking of backing out, are you?”I glared but said no
NOVAI couldn't tell why I felt Dashiell had been acting off since he answered that call. Though he looked happy and smiled a lot, I knew he was keeping something from me. It didn't help matters when I saw him whispering with Brion only to stop when I walked in. Seeing them close to each other was shocking, but more shocking was the expression on their faces. Having stayed with Brion for close to 6 years, I knew when he was hiding something, just like he did when I stepped in. However, when I asked what was going on, none of them could give me any favourable response. They kept beating about an overgrown bush until I let them off the hook. “Are you going somewhere?” I inquired when he got ready to leave. A glance at the clock showed it was 6:30 pm. “Yes, I have an appointment with someone. We are supposed to meet by 7, so I'm leaving early to catch up with them.” He ran his fingers through his hair, checking his face with his phone. “Who are you meeting?” I frowned, watching him f
DASHIELL I called Lilith the moment I got to the café, but her line wasn't reachable. I tried her house line but no one picked it. Worried, I entered the café, thinking she was there already, but she wasn't. The table we always sat at each time we met here was empty. I walked back to my car and got in. As it had a complete view of the café, I waited out there for her. I stayed in my car for 30 minutes, but there was no sign of Lilith. Her phone wasn't still reachable, and neither did anyone answer her house phone. I called Henry after a short while. “Have you met her already?” “Not yet. She's not here.” I glanced around before fixing my gaze on the door in case she walked in. I needed to be on alert. “Has she ever done this before?” “Not at all. Lilith had always been punctual. She has never been late to any date.” There was even an occasion when she arrived an hour before the time I gave, so she wouldn't miss me. She had never stood me up. “I think something is wrong.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “We will pursue this with Henry. I just sent a text to Ben right now with the information. I'm giving him a chance to prove that he can handle this.” It took me driving from Lilith's house to the Café before I decided to involve Ben in the case once more. I wanted him to prove himself worthy by investigating with Henry. “Was he delighted?” “Why wouldn't he? That was me giving him a second chance. Why wouldn't he be happy? He knew I only involved him because of how close we are, else I wouldn't have bothered to call him again.” “I see. And Nova? How are you going to lie your way out of her suspicion? It was difficult getting but to drop the case, and I know she will still ask about it.” “We will keep evading it.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I leaned back in the chair. “You will be the one to come up with excuses, as she will live with you until we sort everything out.” Brion nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing as he considered the risks. He did
NOVABrion returned late last night and evaded me throughout. I knew something was going on with him, but I couldn't pinpoint anything wrong. He kept on avoiding my questions until I just let him be. I could tell he didn't want to tell me about anything, which was why I let him off the hook. Brion was no help whatsoever. I woke up to the sounds of rustling. Peeking an eye open, I frowned when I noticed Dashiell getting dressed. When he returned from the house the day before, he got enough clothes to last him weeks in the hospital, something, I thought, was stupid. We were getting discharged tomorrow, and he packed many clothes like we were going for a picnic. Turned out he knew he was going out while in the hospital. "Where are you going?” I sat up, narrowing my eyes at him. “It's still early to be moving around, you know?” He turned, smiling, when he noticed me. “I was going to wake you after getting dressed.” Grinning, he walked over to the bed and placed a kiss on my right cheek
With Dashiell's absence, it felt like the wall was closing in on me, trying to cage me in, while intensifying my worry. I slid back into bed, my mind replaying the conversation with Dashiell. His evasive answers and measured tone hinted at secrets he kept hidden. The more I thought about it, the more my curiosity gnawed at me.What was Dashiell hiding? And why did I feel like my world was about to shatter? I tossed and turned, unable to shake off the feeling of unease.Had Brion not come in to check on me, I would have probably spent half the day in bed, thinking of Dashiell. I didn't ask Brion about their secret, because I knew he wouldn't tell me about it. Brion seemed hell-bent on keeping close lips over the matter, something I let slide. After all, Dashiell had promised to reveal everything when the time's right. Disturbing Brion for answers wouldn't yield anything fruitful. "Have you heard from Dashiell?” I asked the moment I walked into Brion's hospital room. The kids had just
I sat back on the bed, stunned, as Brion told me everything that was going on. Never in my wildest imagination would I think of something like this. Gulping, I held his gaze, whispering in a very low tone, one that was barely audible, “Are you positive about this? Certain about Lilith?”I knew Lilith was bad, but not evil enough to cause all the chaos happening in my life, which went to prove you can trust no one. Not as if I trusted her after the shenanigans she pulled five years ago. I just didn't think she could go to such an extreme, just to have Dashiell. “She's the one. Dashiell hired a private detective and a hacker. They were the ones who proved she was responsible for everything that happened to you, from the attack to the accident.”“Then why didn't you tell me?” I glared. “Why keep something like this from me? What were you hoping to gain by keeping it a secret?” I got up from the bed, furious to think they all did this behind my back, without letting me know of it. “Dash
That night, I struggled to get a good night's rest. By 6, I had already risen and contacted the police station to inquire about the status of their search. Once again, the reports they provided were not positive. Throughout the night, they made efforts to trace Lilith, yet they were unsuccessful. The most recent video of her, taken by the CCTV, showed her leaving home two days ago in the morning. That was the last she was seen. Dashiell was the only one who had been to her house, and that was the night ago when he lied about meeting a client. So far, all the leads the police had got, led to a dead end, with no favourable report. "What do you think we should do?" I asked Brion, worried. The kids and Brion were supposed to be discharged from the hospital today, but I asked the doctor to hold it off until we find Dashiell. With the way things were at the moment, they were safer in the hospital than in the house. Brion lifted his shoulders in a shrug, letting me know what he thought a
It seemed like the Nova who was acting like a saint downstairs, the one who cared about his health and wanted to take things slow, had been transformed. In her place was one who didn't care at all about anything else but getting her pleasure. My panties were soaking wet already, my pussy throbbing, eager to get down and dirty with him. I doubt I would be down to anything else that didn't include getting on my back with him between my legs, pleasuring me as if his life depended on it. The palm that was on my breasts drifted down. My breath stopped as he slid his hand into my panties. I was wet and ready for him. My responsiveness should have scared me, but it didn't. I didn't even think of how odd it was that I stayed for five years without being touched by another man, only for me to start feeling this damned aroused after just a month without his touch. Had he somehow made me a slave to his passion? I'd heard stories like this, but never thought someone would make a woman love them
“Fuck, Nova,” he growled, his voice getting deeper and sexier. I loved it. Everything about him was so tempting. I didn't think I would ever feel that way for him, but here we were, years after we got married, finally in love with each other. Back when I left the country, I never imagined such a day would come, but it seemed I was wrong all along. I rubbed my fist from the tip to the bottom, still looking at him. Even though his eyes were shut, I loved staring at his face, to know his expression. It was my way of knowing if he was getting into this like I was. I repeated the action once more, running my tongue around the tip of his dick, sucking it in. He groaned, cursing under his breath. Smiling around his dick, I wrapped my fists around him, stroking from the tip to the bottom. His scent, so musky and delicious, aroused me. I was wet and ready to have him make love to me as he promised, but at that moment, I needed to feel him in my mouth, take him deeper until he came. I wanted
I bit my lower lip, peering up at him through my lashes. I felt the flush go from my neck to my cheeks the more intense his gaze became, like he was staring into my soul, seeking answers I couldn't give with my mouth. He reached over to me and rubbed his thumb on my lower lips, his gaze fixed on mine. “What should we do, Nova?” His whispered voice washed through my body like a balm, reaching deep into my spirit. “You are sick,” was all I could manage to say. “You can't —”“It doesn't mean I can't satisfy you, Nova. My legs are yet to heal, but that didn't mean I can't pleasure you, can't make you moan my name as your pussy clamp down on my dick.”My breath hitched in my throat at his words. Gulping, I peered into his eyes. I didn't know how to respond to those words, to the desires swirling deep in his gaze as he placed his hand under my jaw and lifted my gaze towards him. “Dashiell —”“Do you want this just as I do?” He whispered, his breath fanning my face as he came closer. The w
Brion was discharged three days later. Unlike the past few days, he could stand now without being tired or helped. The doctors believe he will recover well at home. After getting discharged, I took him and the kids back home. Dashiell was still getting treatments. They would have discharged him with Brion had it not been for his legs. The doctors wanted to keep him in the hospital for a week more, to check on his recovery. I just prayed everything would work out perfectly. Two weeks later, I drove him back home. Amaya came over to stay in the hospital with him so I could return to work. We had been gone for days, and the shareholders were making snide remarks about it, so I had to return to take care of the office while he recovered. The past few weeks have been a busy one for me. There were piles of work waiting on my desk for me when I returned, and I had to also combine it with Dashiell's. Had it not been for Benita's help, I would have drowned in work. She was such a darling, h
The doctor removed the IV drip before I could visit Dashiell. Ben led me by the hand, keeping me steady as he took me over to the room. Brion and the kids hadn't been alerted yet, so they didn't know we were back. My phone was off, so I hadn't gotten a call from him — yet. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before he called the police to report about me.The moment I opened the door, my eyes locked with that of a shocked man. Emerald eyes bore into mine the second I stepped into the room. "Nova?” He whispered, his voice shaky. He looked like he was imagining me because he lifted his right index and rubbed furiously on his eyes before it landed on me. “You are real?”I nodded, as tears rolled down my eyes. Dashiell was a shell of himself. Just a few days in captivity, and he had gotten so lean, I hardly recognized him. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and his cheekbones jutted out sharply. I was frozen, staring at my lover, and imagining how much he had suffered to l
When I came to, I was lying on a bed. The scent of disinfectant in the room made me realize where I was. I slowly sat up, grimacing at the pain in my arm. I had a bandage wrapped around my biceps, one that was stained with blood.The monitor next to me beeped as if it could sense my discomfort. Wincing, I leaned on the bed as I looked around the empty room. From the looks of it, Ben took me to the clinic I left Brion in. Heaving out a breath, I closed my eyes as images of the last time I was awake assaulted me. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Snapping my eyes open, I looked towards it as it opened and Ben stepped in. “Thank God you are awake,” he said as he walked over to my bed and sat beside me, relief etched on his face. “Welcome back. You've been out for hours.”"Hours?" rubbed my temples, trying to clear the fog. “What of Gabriella?”“Dead. You did a pretty good number on her. The police have agreed to rule it out as self-defence. As she was an offender, it's not
“Where is Dashiell?” I asked after a few seconds, still wondering why she hadn't attacked me. I figured all it would take was a little talk before we get down to business. “Dashiell?” She made a face at that before a knowing smirk took over. Getting up, she glanced towards the stairs, which seemed like it had seen better days. The stairs didn't look like they would last for another year before caving in. Just like the rest of the house, it was dying — most times, I always believed houses were entities. She snapped her fingers and three men appeared from a door behind where she stood, their chest bare, showing off muscles that must have taken years to build. My heart skipped as I gripped the pistol in my hoodie tighter. I knew it was about time for the fight. But I doubt I could take the men on. Gabriella alone? I could. “Do you assume the gun you hid in your hoodie will help you, darling?” She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides. "How?" I was dumbstruck by the question. “How
It looked just like the place someone as shady as Zoey would be. As I approached, I noticed the overgrown yard and weeds sprouting through cracks in the pavement. Nature had reclaimed the property, wrapping vines around the porch pillars. I slowed my pace, my senses on high alert. Something felt off. Though Ben's hidden presence reassured me, my heart continued to thud like a bass drum in my chest. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the porch, the wooden boards groaning beneath my feet. The door creaked as I pushed it open, and I called out, “I'm here.” My voice echoed through the empty corridor. At first, nothing happened, until I heard a rather familiar voice asking me to come forward. I looked back at the place Ben was likely hiding in before I fully stepped in and closed the falling door. I shivered as I walked forward, guided by the dim lighting in the hallway before I arrived in the sitting room. A figure sat perched on one of the sofas, the minute I walked in. “Hell
I got dressed for the operation. We didn't return to the hospital because I didn't think it was necessary. Brion would undoubtedly try to talk me out of my plans, which was why I didn't attempt a return there, not until we had gotten everything sorted. Today, I vowed, would be the day I bring Dashiell back home. He had stayed too long with Zoey. It was time for him to return, to his home, to me and the kids.“Ready?” Ben turned to me, lifting a brow, when I stepped out of the motel I checked into to change out of my clothes. I had a bulletproof vest under a hoodie.To cover my guns, I stuffed them into the pockets of my hoodie, waiting until I got an excellent location to conceal them. “Ready,” I confirmed, adjusting my hoodie to ensure the bulletproof vest wasn't visible. “Well, as ready as I can, for a dangerous mission,” I added with a smile. Though I was feeling as nervous as hell, and it felt like my heart was about to leap from my chest, I acted like I was okay. Yeah, perfectly