He follows me as I run to the front door and fling it open. We rush outside and down the driveway, glimpsing a dark sports car speeding around the corner and disappearing.
“Goddamn it,” I growl.
“What was that?” Nova screams from inside.
Aiden strides to the street and checks the area. I search for anyone with the hope of ambushing us.
Aiden storms up the driveway, a deep frown marring his usually relaxed features. He glances at the damage, then enters the house. I follow him and stop dead in my tracks.
Nova hugs the wall furthest from the broken window in the living room. Aiden rushes to her and drags her into his arms, and she buries her face in his throat, gripping him like he’s the anchor holding her swaying ship in place. He leans down and kisses the top of her head, all the while burying his fingers in her hair.
“What was that?” she whimpers.
“Don’t know yet. Are you okay?”
She trembles and presses herself against him. “Just shaken up.”
Aiden picks her up, and she wraps her legs around his lean waist. He carries her to the couch, then settles on the cushioned seat with her straddling his lap, a tattooed hand on her waist. She doesn’t move away from him and winds her arms around his neck while still hiding her face in his throat.
My eyebrows shoot up my forehead at the sight of them acting more like lovers than siblings. And that motherfucker wanted to complain about how his sister wants to be babied? But I’m not judging them for it, because I’m in the same boat.
I take measured steps toward the window and peer at the ground, looking for whatever was used to break the glass. My eyes widen.
“Who would do that?” Nova says, on the brink of tears.
“I don’t know, but you’re safe. I promise,” Aiden says, attempting to soothe her. “You can sleep in my room tonight if it’ll make you feel better.”
I bend at the waist and carefully pick up the severed hand tied to a brick. The body part is cool to the touch. Decomposition hasn’t started yet, so my best guess is the person lost their limb hours ago. I twist the brick around, looking for a note.
“What the fuck is that?” Aiden’s voice hardens, a complete contrast to how he just sweetly talked to Nova.
I straighten while still searching for the message. It can be one word for all I fucking care, but there has to besomething.
“Is that . . . is that a hand?” Nova screeches.
“Hey, why don’t you go up to your room for a bit, yeah?” Aiden says.
“No! I’m staying?—”
Aiden lowers his voice to a growl. “That wasn’t a suggestion, sis. Go to your room.”
Nova huffs and stomps out of the room and up the stairs. I turn to Aiden as he gets up from the couch.
“Who do you think did this?” he says.
I pull out my knife to cut through the layers of duct tape holding the severed hand to the brick. “Don’t know, but we’ll find out.”
“How?”
The brick falls to the floor, and I couldn’t care less if it caused any damage. My focus stays solely on the hand while Aiden scoops up the brick and looks it over on all sides.
“It’s obviously a message,” he says.
“My thoughts exactly.”
Aiden raises his head and looks at me with a serious expression. It gives me a glimpse of the monster he tries so hard to hide beneath the surface. “This isn’t the last we’ll see of them.”
I nod in agreement.
