by KL Donn
“There’s more, though, Soph.” His words penetrated the quiet moment.
“What else?” Sophia asked, straightening her spine. Ready for whatever bombshell he was about to drop.
“The reason Rebecca started all of this…” She watched as he paused. His eyes reluctant to tell her whatever he had to say.
“Please tell me,” she whispered. She didn’t think she could handle any more surprises but had a feeling this one would be a doozy.
Blowing out a breath, he continued. “There’s a woman, her name is Elianna.” He paused again, searching her eyes for something, recognition maybe? “She’s been trying to get in touch with you and Anthony.”
Didn’t seem like a big deal to her. “Why?”
“She claims to be your sister.” Anything he said after that hadn’t been heard. Her ears were ringing. Her breath had stalled in her lungs, and suddenly, her legs turned to jello, and she shook.
“Sister?” she repeated. At least she thought she had.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
Sitting back down, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t even know these people.”
Nox knelt in front of her, both hands on her knees. “They kept secrets to protect you, baby. This isn’t on you.”
She didn’t move, didn’t respond. How could she? Everything she knew was a lie. Every birthday, no matter how miserable, every function she was forced to go to, it was all a lie. How was she to believe anything anymore?
“Soph?” Nox called to her softly. “Don’t shut down on me, baby.” She was trying, really she was, but she couldn’t help it.
Standing again, she pushed him away. Feeling like a complete jerk, she told him, “I need to be alone,” and walked from the room. He called her name, but she couldn’t respond. She just needed time to think. To come to grips with everything she’d found out.
Walking out the front door, she was unsurprised when Braxton fell into step beside her. “Go away,” she mumbled to him, not bothering to look at him as she walked.
“Not happening,” he responded while texting someone. Chancing a look over, she saw Nox’s name at the top of the screen. “Don’t worry, I told him I’ve got you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
As much of a pain in the ass as Braxton could be, she knew he’d leave her alone to stew in her thoughts. Nox wanted to fix things. He wanted to conquer the world for her, and she loved that, she honestly did. But this was one thing he couldn’t fix. She had to find out on her own what it all meant to her. How to work through her emotions and decide on what to do about her sister.
Sister.
Elianna.
She had a sister. Her entire life she’d wanted a sibling. She had wanted someone to share things with, to make her feel like she wasn’t alone in her cold home. Now she had one, and she felt nothing but betrayal.
“Don’t close him off,” Braxton warned her after a while.
“I’m not,” she mumbled, not up for talking.
“You kind of are,” he pointed out.
“Go away.” She repeated her earlier statement.
Gripping one arm, he pulled her to a stop on a street she didn’t even recognize. “Not happening, Sophia. Now listen to me. He’s a man. We naturally want to fix things for the girls we fall for. Let him.”
“How exactly is he supposed to fix this, Braxton? In a matter of days, I’ve found out my torturous mother isn’t actually my mother, and my father fell in love with my real mother, but she died, so he stayed with a woman who hates us both. Now, I find out I have a sister! A fucking sister. Someone who could have alleviated the pain of being in that house. And God only knows where she’s been since our mother died. Do you know, Braxton? Have you met her?” She was yelling, and she couldn’t help it.
“You said fuck,” he pointed out, and she wanted to kick him.
“That’s what you took out of that?” she barked at him.
“What I took out of that is that you’re scared as hell. Your entire world is changing, and you don’t know how to process it all. Can’t say I blame you there, kid, but let me ask you this. Are you more afraid of the revelations with your family, or what Nox makes you feel?” His words were a slap in her face.
“What?” she whispered, perplexed.
“Through all of this, with every secret revealed, you’ve run to Nox. Now, when there’s this, a sister, you’re running from him, Soph. That man fucking worships the ground you walk on, and you’re running.”
The wind got knocked from her as the truth of his words sank in. She was running. She didn’t mean to. Subconsciously, the thought of her parents lying to her for so long and so deeply must have had her thinking Nox could, too.
“I didn’t realize.” She heard how horrified she sounded to her own ears.
“Soph?” Lennox’s voice penetrated her fogged mind. Looking around Braxton, he was there, watching, waiting.
Strong.
Solid.
Hers.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.
He opened his arms for her, and she ran to him. Uncaring of the stitches in her leg pulling or the pain in her wrist throbbing, she swung her arms around his neck.
“I’ve got you, Sophia.”
Did he ever. She never had a doubt about that, but she had doubts about her own worth when it came to loyalty and love. Because if her parents could burn her so deeply, how could someone else not? It was something she would struggle with for a while.
“I need to see her,” she murmured in his ear.
“Elianna?” he asked.
“Rebecca.”
He pulled away, gauging the seriousness in her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Her voice didn’t waver. She needed closure.
Sometimes you don’t get closure, you just move on.
“Miss Bennett, are you sure you want to do this?” Detective Vichy asked Sophia for the third time as they stood outside the interview room at the police station. It had taken nearly a week to get the interview set up because Rebecca had to be processed and charged.
Nox had held her hand through the bail hearing that morning as Rebecca was denied bail, and her lawyer had pled insanity as a defense against all charges. Anthony kept his promise of not helping Rebecca financially until Soph had demanded he do it. Citing that she was going to need more help than the state could ever give her.
Soph’s heart was far bigger than any of theirs, and he figured that’s why Anthony found a good attorney that understood what Rebecca needed rather than what she wanted. It was a unique situation in regards to the usual attorney-client relationship.
Anthony met with a judge to expedite an order to declare Rebecca mentally incompetent, therefore, giving him all the control of her well-being. He wasn’t letting her off the hook, but she wouldn’t be treated like the common criminal either.
Nox still wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Personally, he wanted Rebecca to suffer the way she’d made Sophia throughout her entire life.
“I’m sure,” she nodded to the detective. As he opened the door, she took a deep breath before straightening her back and walking through. Nox’s own gaze remained on her, it was all he cared about. Needing to read her body language so he knew when it was too much for her. When Rebecca said something to strike a blow, he would remove Soph from the room.
At her startled gasp, he looked towards Rebecca and was satisfied that she wasn’t having an easy time of it if appearances could be anything to go by. Her hair was greasy and flat. Her cheeks sunken in, and bags of exhaustion lined her eyes. She had a dead look in her gaze that worried him for Sophia’s sake. She was a woman who had nothing to lose.
“The praised child makes an appearance,” Rebecca cackled as Sophia sat across from her. He stood against the wall beside Detective Vichy, watching the interaction.
“Hello, Rebecca,” Soph greeted the woman.
“What do you want?”
; “I wanted to see how you were. To get some answers if possible.” Sophia’s words were clear and strong. He was proud of her.
“You put me here. What do you care how I am?”
“You put yourself here, Rebecca.”
The cuffs around her wrists jangled as she moved in her chair. “If it weren’t for you, this wouldn’t be an issue.” Her voice was cruel.
Soph sits tall, ignoring the obvious taunt. “Why did you go through with it if you didn’t want me? Why not leave?”
Laughter was her only answer.
“Why, Rebecca?” Soph asked again through gritted teeth.
“Because Anthony had what I needed.” The bored tone of her voice said it should be obvious.
“Money,” Nox spoke up.
Her eyes shot to him as though she hadn’t known he was even in the room. He felt dirty as she looked him over and a sick smile formed. “Well, hello, lover boy. How about we kick these people out and have some fun, you and me?”
“Not a fucking chance. Answer Sophia.” He refused to even look at her. She needed to know she was no one to him. Nothing.
Pure rage lit Rebecca’s eyes as her legs bounced under the table. Taking a step forward, he knew she was going to lash out.
“You’re the only reason he gave me money. I was to take care of you, and he’d keep me flush. Then when I tried to throw you away, he paid me to stay away from you. The name calling and degradation were just for fun.” She laughed when Soph gasped. “You are the dumbest person I have ever met. The drugs I fed you as a child to shut your yappy mouth up are probably to blame for that. But stupid you are, so I win.” She sang the last few words in triumph. As if they were true.
Looking down at Soph, her little body vibrated as she stood, her hands balled into fists after pushing her chair in. Walking towards the door, he followed her. She stopped and replied, “If I’m so stupid, why are you the one in cuffs? Why are you the one that’s going to spend your life in a mental institution? Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness, Rebecca.”
“Why’s that, you snotty brat?” She was downright belligerent now.
“Because if it weren’t for me, you’d be treated like a common criminal instead of a human being.”
Her words left their intended mark as Rebecca started screaming obscenities at them when they walked out. The door slammed shut behind them.
“Take me home,” she whispered to him, grabbing his hand with a tight grip.
Sophia hadn’t known what to expect when she requested the meeting with her mother. The woman looked ill, like a disease was swallowing her whole, and in a way, she supposed it was. She couldn’t drink away her pain anymore.
“Why didn’t she mention Elianna?” she wondered aloud. She’d asked point blank why Rebecca had done what she did, figuring she’d throw it in her face about having a sister and not knowing her. It would have been a chance for her to hurt Sophia. The thought that Rebecca was trying to protect her from that particular surprise had crossed her mind. But it was unlikely, so she had to wonder about her motivation.
“I don’t know, baby.” Nox was still holding her hand as they drove.
The following silence drew her in as the movement from the car swayed her into a light slumber. In passing, she wondered why they weren’t home already, and when had they left the city? Trusting Nox, she knew he wouldn’t steer her wrong with whatever he had planned.
The slamming of a door woke Sophia from her impromptu nap as she watched Nox round the hood of his car. Searching her surroundings, she saw only one other vehicle in the small parking lot of what she recognized as the park he’d taken her to on their first date.
“Hey baby,” he murmured opening her door. “How do you feel?” His fingers traced her cheek as he spoke, and she loved the feeling of him touching her.
“Better. Why are we here?” She was beyond puzzled.
“I love you, Sophia, so fucking much. I know you’re not ready to say it back, and that’s okay.” Her head tilted because even though he said it, he also sounded slightly panicked. “I brought you here to meet someone.”
“Who?” she asked warily.
“Me,” a perky voice said from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Sophia saw a woman who was the polar opposite of her—tall, skinny, light red hair, tattoos on each arm and along her legs. The one thing she did recognize was the eyes. It was like staring at her own reflection.
Soph’s gaze flew to Nox’s in surprise. This was her. Her sister. Elianna.
Clearing her throat, she stood, wiping her suddenly clammy hands on her dress before saying, “Hi, I’m– “
“Sophia, I know.” The woman glowed. “I’m Elianna. And after seeing your eyes and little upturn of your lip, yeah we’re definitely sisters.” She smiled, a real, genuine, happy to meet Sophia smile.
“Hi,” Soph murmured again. Completely speechless.
“You said that,” Elianna laughed.
Looking back at Nox, he was grinning like a fool as tears misted Sophia’s eyes. “Thank you,” she mouthed to him.
He stepped forward, wrapping one hand around her neck and bringing her in for a kiss, as he growled, “You’re welcome,” against her mouth. Nipping her bottom lip, he let her go.
“God, you two are disgustingly cute,” Elianna told them bluntly, a smirk on her lips.
“I don’t know what to do here,” Soph admitted.
“Wouldn’t expect you to, so let’s start with the basics, shall we?” Soph nodded at her question. “I’m the big sister, so you need to listen while I impart this perfect piece of wisdom on you, got it?”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” she stuttered, thrown off balance by the other woman’s confidence.
“Tell the damn man you love him, too. He’s a keeper.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot as if to say get to it, girl.
Turning once again to Nox, the fool had a grin on his face the size of the equator. Pointing to her, he laughed. “I’m going to like her.”
“She’s right, though,” Soph said softly. “I’ve loved you from the moment I first saw you. The way your back muscles rippled, the way your arms flexed. The rough timber in your voice. Your light blue eyes, clear as the sky, I loved it all. I love you, Lennox Hogan.”
He pulled her to him again, picking her up and spinning her around, so she was sitting on the roof of his car this time. Her hands went directly to his hair, playing with the soft, short strands. “I know you do, Soph. Never doubted it for a second.” His belief in her consistently left her feeling amazed that she was so lucky to have him in her life.
“Seriously disgusting,” Elianna mumbled behind them. Walking closer, she leaned against Nox’s car, one finger playing with the hem of Soph’s dress. “Tell me something. You really own your own shop?”
“Sure do,” he responded.
“Ever hire a woman?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Want to?” Soph got a kick out of their sparring. This was what she was missing all her life.
“Depends,” he told her.
“On what?” Elianna’s question was skeptical.
“How good you are under the hood.”
The expression that lit up her sister’s face couldn’t be described as anything other than predatory. “The best.”
“Come by tomorrow morning, and we’ll see about that.”
“Seriously?” The woman seemed to be genuinely shocked he would even give her a chance.
“Be there by nine or don’t bother showing up at all,” he told her firmly.
“Deal!”
“Now, are we done? I’d like to have my woman alone for a while.” He didn’t even pretend to hide his meaning, which flushed her cheeks fire engine red.
“Riiight,” she winked at them. “Lunch tomorrow, Sophie girl?” Her smile was infectious.
“I’d really like that.”
“See you guys tomorrow!” She waved, climbing into her little jeep and speeding out of the parking lot.
Watching as her sister cruised away, she told Nox, “I really like her.”
“I’m glad, baby,” he murmured kissing her thigh, making her giggle when his light beard tickled her skin.
“Now, will you take me home, Nox?” Her voice was husky as she asked him.
He helped her off the top of the car and into her seat before rounding the hood, and they were on the road again. With the windows down and the wind in her hair, Sophia’s mind cleared of all the bad in her world.
The betrayals.
The lies.
The hurt.
Replaced by the love she felt for Nox and his affections for her which he gave so freely in return.
Nox watched Soph covertly out of his peripheral vision as he drove. She seemed more at ease with herself than she ordinarily was. He’d been worried when he told her about everything the week before.
Her sister.
Rebecca being arrested.
He had been concerned she wouldn’t be able to handle it. That she would break down. He was incredibly glad she proved him wrong. He was proud of her. In the few months they’d been together, she’d grown from this sweet, shy girl into a woman ready to take on the world.
They stopped on the way home for dinner, grabbing burgers and fries from the BBQ place by their house. Everything was quiet for once, and Braxton no longer followed them everywhere they went. Levi had stopped showing up with bruises all over his face, or he was getting better at hiding them. He still couldn’t get his little brother to talk, and it was making him crazy.
Taking everything inside, they decided to sit in the living room. He turned the TV on to some funny rom-com that had Soph giggling almost immediately while they ate. If he did one good thing in his life, it would be to keep the magnificent smile on her face till the day they died.
When they were done eating, he cleared everything away and went back to the living room to find her curled up in the spot he’d vacated. Sitting beside her, he pulled her feet into his lap and began rubbing her legs.
He couldn’t get over how silky smooth and long they were. For such a short girl, her legs went on for fucking miles. Her moans as he massaged her muscles had him shifting in his seat trying to gain relief from the tightening in his pants.
