Page 70 of Created in Chaos
That piques my interest. “What could she have that would be worth that much, other than his location?”
“I don’t know, but she’s not offering it up without the payout.”
“We could make her.”
Lev nods at my statement with a look of indifference. He would kill her without issue to get what I need.
“Does she understand what will happen to her if she’s bluffing?”
“She’s been with the Umbras for the last eight years, so she should,” he answers.
“Give Vera the go-ahead to set it up. I’ll want to speak with her in person, in case she’s full of shit.”
Lev nods, which is all I need.
NOVA
I didn’t really know what to expect when they said party, but hanging out with just the three of us, besides the occasional crew member checking in to see if we need anything, wasn’t it, not that I’m complaining.
We lounge on the deck for hours, taking in the sun as several other boats began mooring around us. None of the boats are as big as the Morningstars’ yacht, but that isn’t unexpected. We keep a respectable distance between us while we are in sight of the other partygoers, but the looks we share and the longing in our gazes are private.
I watch unfamiliar faces go from boat to boat, drinking and partying most of the day, and it only gets more intense as the sun starts to get lower on the horizon. It becomes my own personal form of entertainment. I laugh at how stupid people look and wonder if any of them will remember this tomorrow while sipping my freshly squeezed lemonade.
I keep expecting people to try to come aboard our boat, and they wave as if waiting for a cue, but then they move on when they don’t get an invite. We have dinner on the deck, served by the crew in white polo shirts and crisp white pants. I find myself asking if this is real more than once, but fairly quickly, I decide I like the ocean. Well, I like the ocean when I am with the Morningstars anyway. It’s easy to forget I am even on a boat. I’m certainly not worried about tipping or taking on water in this thing.
The music starts just before sunset, or maybe that’s when I can finally hear it after all the speedboat and jet ski traffic dies down. It only gets rowdier from here. There are squeals of delight, followed by splashes and whoops. I can still see some of the partying, with many of the boats lit up, unlike ours, which is shrouded in low lights emanating from the floor.
Around eleven, when I am close to getting up and going inside because it’s getting downright chilly, Lucian gets up from his chair and approaches me, crouching next to my seat. “I’ll be back in a few hours. If you’re cold, go inside. Nox will take you to our room.” His words are spoken softly so no one else overhears us.
“Where are you going?” I keep my voice just as low as his.
Instead of responding, Lucian gives me an indulgent grin. I know without him saying anything that he’s not going to answer. Unease rolls in my stomach, but I don’t press him any further. I’m certain he’s not leaving me to go hook up with someone, but that’s where my confidence ends.
He rises, barely brushing his fingers along my thigh as he does, then disappears into the boat. I glance over at Nox for reassurance and find he’s already looking at me. The next ten minutes are filled with tense silence. I’m not sure what to do with myself, but I want to ask questions.
Eventually, Nox says, “Ready to head in?”
“Yeah,” I answer too quickly. “It’s getting cold.” I doubt anyone is around to hear my attempt to cover how eager I am to get him alone so I can ask where Lucian is.
When we enter the sliding glass door, there’s a girl behind the bar. It’s probably better stocked than Hooker’s, or at least as well as. “Can I get you anything, Mr. Morningstar?” She stands at the ready.
“I’ll take a bourbon sour, but I need to show her to her room first.”
“I’ll have that ready for your return.” She grabs a short glass and a few bottles as we exit. I take the hint and keep my mouth shut until Nox pushes the door to a room open, waiting for me to enter. I look behind us and see we’re alone, so I grab his hand, pull him into the room, and shut the door behind us before he can leave.
“Where did he go?”
“He’s not fucking around, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Nox replies, evading my question.
“I’m not, but I still want to know.”
“He’s making sure you’ll be safe at school.” He reaches for me, pulling me to his chest for a hug.
“What does that even mean?”
“Exactly what I said. It’s nothing for you to worry about, but I can’t stay in here, Nova, as much as I wish I could. These people are just hired staff. We can’t trust them to keep their mouths shut.” He drops his hand and steps around me to open the door. I spin to watch him, prepared to demand answers, but there’s a guy in the hall. Our eyes meet, and he averts his gaze quickly enough to let me know he feels like he got caught doing something he shouldn’t, namely watching us.
“Thank you, I think it’s just the sun. I’m not used to it like you guys are.” I pretend I’m not feeling well to cover why I’m going to my room so early and why Nox is with me.