The Billionaire's Authentic Daughter ▶️

6 3 | J U L I E T

We walked out. Nova was still looking back at the house. We reached his bike when I realized I didn't have a ride. Nova seemed to realize the same thing because he looked at me uncertainly.

"I can drop you home."

I contemplated whether it was wise to accept a ride at two in the morning from a drug peddler who can easily scare you shitless. The answer was an obvious no.

"Yes, thank you. I'd like that," I said instead. "I hope it's not a trouble? Or I can call a cab."

He shook his head, picking up his helmet and holding it out to me. I accepted it.

I strapped it on and Nova waited for me to get on. "If you get any ideas-" I began, sounding a little threatening, "-I think you should know that I'm well trained in taekwondo, boxing, sword fighting and calisthenics."

Nova looked surprised, at the fact that I was trained or that I thought he'd do something to me, I'd never know. Then he nodded slowly.

With a warning look, I swung a leg over his bike and sat closely to Nova. Knowing exactly what kind of bike this was, I wrapped my arms around his waist because I didn't want to fall or fly off the bike.

I felt his shoulders tense up at my move. Then he took his device and typed. Expecting him to ask me to take my hands off of him, I was surprised when the machine said, "If your hands get cold, you can put it in my jacket's pockets."

"Alright, thanks." I said but didn't put my hands in the pockets of his jacket which he had retrieved from Abeo after tucking him into bed.

He pulled away from the house and I gave him directions. It was a twenty minute ride to my house. Nova rode fast, faster than me. In fact so fast that I could barely breathe but that was the kind of thing I liked. The speed, the roar of the engine on a quite deserted road and no one around but me...and Nova. It was thrilling.

I rested my cheek on his leather clad back and enjoyed the wind in my air, the sound of us whooshing past and the changing surroundings.

But all too soon it was over. Nova had parked in front of my house and we had stopped-no wind or sound anymore, just still and dead silent houses around.

"Well, I got here safe," I said.

I saw his cheeks lift up in what I noticed was a smile. He was amused but he didn't say anything.

I stiffly got off the bike and stood in front of him, unstrapping the helmet and handing it to him. He extended a hand to take it and in the streetlight I saw the wounds and blood on his hand and arm from where the girl had scratched and clawed at him when he was strangling her. Owing to her long nails she had managed to do some damage.

"You should get that looked after," I said.

Nova looked down at his wounds and shrugged. "It'll heal."

"Yeah, maybe if it doesn't get infected first," I said.

He shrugged again.

"Do you want to come inside? I'll do what I can for that," I said, pointing at some of the deep cuts.

He looked at me skeptically, then at my house which showed no sign of activity. Everyone must have long gone to bed. "I don't think it's a good idea. Your parents wouldn't want to see me."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "They'd be fine. If they woke up that is."

"You don't have to pretend like you didn't see how Abeo's Mama was looking at me. And Papa too."