Broken Saint by E.M. Gayle

10

Nova

When I arrived at Zia's the next day, I certainly did not expect to have an escort. However, what had started out as a simple celebration among friends had sort of morphed into a full-blown party with lots of guests.

"I don't suppose there is any chance you are going to behave?" I asked under my breath. Ronin turned one of his cocky smiles in my direction, and it was all the answer I needed. After five years of carefully cultivating my world, this man was going to blow it to smithereens in one frigging night. "Can I at least count on you sticking to the script and not revealing to everyone and God that I am a Cullotta?"

"Normally, I would say you bring shame on your family by trying to hide them, but in your case, I don't blame you. Your father is an asshole. You have my word that I will not make any mention of Catherine Cullotta."

I rolled my eyes. While his hatred for my father was crystal clear, I was pretty sure his word was about as worthless as the paper it was written on, which was none, which meant it would be a damned miracle if he kept his mouth shut during an entire party. But what choice did I have? I wasn't about to risk making any kind of scene that could land us both in the tabloids. Or worse.

"And them?" I motioned to the two men trailing behind us. "Do we have to take them inside?" I don't know why, but he must have taken pity on me, since he tipped his head in their direction and they peeled off to the side. They stationed themselves outside the door, one on each side. It wasn't the same as them leaving, but at least they weren't going in with us.

"Shall we?" Ronin reached for the door to Zia's Kitchen, the hottest new restaurant on the strip, owned by my friend and wunderkind chef, Zia. At least she was my friend for now. There was no telling who would be left standing by the end of the party.

I swept past Ronin and ignored his latest smirk. However, by the time I made it past the unattended hostess stand, Ronin had not only caught up with me, but settled a hand against the small of my back. Bare back, I might add, as the dress I had chosen for this event was a floor-length halter dress in a gorgeous shade of Kelly green, my favorite color. I'd designed this one quite a while ago and waited for the perfect opportunity to debut it.

His touch was surprisingly warm. As cold and as black as his heart was, I only assumed his touch would be cold as well. I ignored the slight tremor along my spine, pushing it out of my mind. I refused to think of Ronin as anything other than an extreme inconvenience. Although that might have been the understatement of the year. As far as I could tell, he was hellbent on following through with our farce of an arranged marriage and I couldn't disagree with that more.

Unfortunately, our time together thus far had been unproductive. I'd gleaned very little information from him, and what little I did had yet to give me an ounce of confidence that I could trust him with my life insurance policy. I had no doubt he would be interested in procuring the diamonds for himself, who wouldn't? They were worth millions on the black market and probably more to my father.

I just couldn't figure out how I would broach the subject to my would-be future husband.

"You should smile before you go in, Nova. This permanent frown you've adopted around me isn't nearly as attractive."

I slowed at his words, taking a moment to take a deep breath and clear my mind. While I could feel the threads of control slowly slipping from my grasp, any rash move on my part wasn't going to help the situation. Neither would alerting my friends to my situation. If I went in with anything other than a huge smile on my face, and tried to pass Ronin off as my date, I had no doubt my friends would sound the battle cry.

If ever there was a time to keep my cool, this was it. Even and steady. That was going to be my mantra for the night.

"Thanks," I whispered under my breath, not exactly feeling thankful, but happy to have had a reminder. Tonight would only go smoothly if I held my temper and hid behind my Nova persona more than ever. Tabling some of the anger, I surged forward and into the empty dining room. We were already late.

I smiled to myself as I crossed to the doors that led out to the open-air terrace. It had been so generous for Nina and Zia to plan a party in my honor. Humbling, actually, when I realized this was the first birthday party in the years since I left.

Before I could open the doors, Nina rushed to greet me. She wore a beautiful white dress that, while not designed by me, was as beautiful as anything I could have done. It was a flowy showpiece that, despite its looser style, still skimmed the curves of her body as if she were made specifically for that dress. I made a mental note to ask her later about the designer. I didn't recognize the work, and I had to know more.

"Nova! You made it! Happy Birthday!" Before I could respond with more than a grin in return, she scooped me into her arms and hugged me tightly. When she pulled back, I couldn't help but notice that my friend practically glowed. It was as if happiness had filled every cell inside her, and now it was trying to burst free.

"I'm here. And thank you. You all were so generous to do this for me."

"No way. Are you kidding? Any excuse for a party is the motto to live by, am I right?" At that moment, Ronin chose to step forward and into the light. I didn't have to see him to know what Nina saw. His roguish good looks were enough to catch anyone's eye, and I could see from Nina's wide-eyed gaze that her curiosity had been piqued. "Who is this?"

It took every ounce of control for me not to roll my eyes. Under different circumstances, I would probably have found him intriguing as well. However, between our frustrating talk, and the fact I could be forced to marry him, I couldn't see him that way.

"Nina, this is Ronin Kavanaugh. Ronin, meet my friend Nina Michaels. She and her husband run this hotel."

A throaty laugh erupted from Nina. "I don't think I can take that kind of credit. My husband is the brains behind the operation. I'm simply here for support."

It was my turn to laugh because we both knew they were equally passionate about their work and she put every bit as much effort into this place as Gabe did. Just like in their personal relationship, they complemented each other perfectly professionally as well.

How many times had I captured a picture of the two of them and wanted to post it with #couplegoals?

Ronin brushed my arm, reaching for Nina's hand, and again a shiver worked through me. Under the circumstances it didn't surprise me that I found his touch so unsettling, but it also made me feel almost—guilty.

"I'm sure if Nova sees your efforts as joint with your husband, then there is truth in that. Besides, where would a great man be without a good woman at his side?" When Ronin grabbed Nina's offered hand, I more than half expected him to bring it to his lips. The man gave off Casanova vibes like nobody’s business. Gorgeous and smooth was a lethal combination. However, they simply shook hands, and he quickly returned his to the small of my back.

Damn that tingling. I was supposed to hate the man my father chose on every level.

“C'mon, you've got to check out the cake Zia has made for you. It's insane. And there are a few guests I'd like to introduce you to. Most you already know, but we did invite a few key investors."

Nina led us in the direction of a small stage erected for tonight's event. I embraced several people in greeting and thanked everyone for their birthday wishes. Honestly, I found it all overwhelming. This kind of love and support from my found-family meant everything to me.

But with Ronin at my side, constantly touching me, as if to remind me of his presence, I couldn't help but remember that these people didn't know who I really was. I mean they did, because Nova was as real as I could get. But there was still Catherine to deal with, and I feared what the sense of betrayal would do to these hard-won friendships.

By the time the crowd parted, and I got my first look at Zia's masterpiece, I stopped in my tracks, my hands going up to cover my mouth. There on the table sat a four-foot high, three-tiered cake that looked like a fashion show itself. Each tier had doorways with models in them wearing beautiful and detailed gowns. On the second tier, my name had been recreated to look like the famous Hollywood sign, and on top of the smallest tier was a spiral staircase with a model wearing a green gown that looked remarkably like mine. No freaking way. "Holy cow!"

Nina and Zia laughed, followed by Izzy, another of my close friends, who had walked up next to me. "I told you she was going to freak out."

"Freak out?! I'm speechless. Are those?" I stepped closer to get a better look. "Are those my designs on the models?"

"Yep." Zia beamed. "Your assistant provided pictures, and I recreated them as best I could. I hope I did them justice. They are all one hundred percent edible."

I truly was speechless. I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to say. I could feel tears burning at the backs of my eyes, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by crying at my own party. I took a steadying breath, and Ronin leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Just say thank you. That's all she needs."

I nodded. Maybe he was right, but it felt so inadequate. I did not want to think about the number of hours something like this must have taken. I turned to Zia. "I don't think anything I can say would do justice to how I feel about this, but thank you."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Nina interjected. "But have y'all met Ronin?"

All eyes turned to the man standing to my left. I could only imagine the cocky grin all over his face, but I'd bet good money it was there even if I couldn't see it.

"Sorry. I'm doing a crap job at this so far. Izzy and Zia, this is Ronin Kavanaugh. Ronin, Izzy and Zia. I'd introduce their significant others, but I don't see them right now.”

"Vincent is running late," Zia said. "Even in recovery mode, he doesn’t sit still. He had some business thing at the gym, but he should be here soon."

Izzy waved to someone behind me. "Here's Houston now, and I hope you don't mind, he invited his brother to tag along." She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "They are still trying to kiss and make up from a less than stellar decade of ignoring each other. You want to talk about two very stubborn men with some crazy skeletons..." We all laughed as we turned to greet them.

Instead of a greeting I got a punch straight to my gut when I saw who stood next to Izzy's husband. I sucked in a sharp breath before I could stop it and I could tell by the sudden jerk of Ronin's hand that he'd caught my reaction.

This could not be happening.

"Hi, Nova. Happy Birthday." Houston leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek. I stared over his shoulder at the man I guessed was his brother. His eyes looked like two storm clouds about to unleash hell. I swallowed hard.

"Thank you," I managed at barely a whisper. It wasn't easy to push words out, when I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I hope you don't mind I brought someone extra with me tonight. Apparently, he works too damned much and was in definite need of a night out. Nova, this is Rock Reed, my brother. Rock, Nova."

I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do. When he stepped forward to take my hand, I almost lost it. "Happy Birthday, Nova," he said, pressing his mouth to my fingers instead of keeping to a simple shake. My entire insides were quivering in shock, but that familiar warmth and shock of electricity I always got when he touched me raced through my blood. I half wanted him to pull me into his arms and lay claim to me right there.

"Oh, and this is Ronin," Izzy interjected, pulling me out of my Rock Reed arousal fog. Rock. Damn, I didn’t think a man could have a more perfect name. She looked back at us. "Kavanaugh, right?"

"Yes. Ronin Kavanaugh." He leaned past me to shake Houston's hand before he turned to Rock. They grasped hands, but I could immediately see the tension form between them. "Nova's fiancé." Ronin added, looking directly at Rock.

His gaze jerked to mine, and my stomach dropped to the floor. Oh shit.