Nova's POV

"What? I'm not actually going to kill him!" I roll my eyes.

"Nova." Grayson stares down at me with his dark eyes.

I look down at Warren who passed out on the floor then back at Grayson. I can't help the small laugh that escapes me. "I'm sorry, but did you see the way he just dropped?" I laugh.

"We're meant to be protecting him." I sigh and look down at the kid.

"I didn't think he'd pass out," I mumble. Grayson curses under his breath. I think I heard him call me a pain in the ass.

Dick.

I look around and spot a tall girl with a buttoned-up blazer, plaid skirt with white knee-high socks. Her brown hair is tied up in a high ponytail, I notice she's holding a water bottle and connect eyes with her. Like many of the teens, her eyes widen as I walk over to her.

"Hi." I smile at her. She opens and closes her mouth staring at me. I clear my throat awkwardly, "Can I borrow that?" I ask gesturing to her water bottle.

She nods her head and hands me the bottle. I smile again and take it out of her hands. Marching over to Warren I pour the water on his face. He comes back up with a gasp.

"Get up." Grayson grabs the collar of his shirt and hauls him up from the floor. "Warren, Quinn." He points his thumb to me as an introduction.

"Sorry about the joke," I mutter with a roll of my eye.

"Who are you guys?" He looks between us, his eyes not knowing who to stay on.

"We've been sent here to protect you from threats," Grayson tells him with his work voice. It's dark and sexy.

"Basically, babysitting you." I cough. Warren glares at me only making me smirk.

"Right, let's get on with this then." Grayson stares blankly at Warren while I stand there and eye the many people still watching in the hallway.

***

I stare down at the food with a frown. My fork pokes the hard brown goop on my plate. I look towards Grayson who doesn't even bother to eat, then to Warren who happily eats away. "How can you call this food?" I mutter, pushing my plate away.

"You get used to it." Warren shrugs, shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

"This school is loaded, surely you could get better food," I ask confused. Where does their money go to?

"It's the bords call." He mutters.

I look around the cafeteria noticing the lingering eyes that whisper and stare. I don't pay them any mind until I see a table full of girls who are giggling and ogling Grayson. I peer at Grayson who sits there with his arms folded, his muscles bulging, and his tattoos on show. His face is void of any emotion, his hawk-like eyes staring around the room.

"I think you have fans." I lean towards him, whispering. He peers down at me, his eyes softening then looking to where I am.

His eyes find the girls making them squeal loudly. He looks down at me with a smirk. "Are you jealous?" He chuckles.

I scoff, "Jealous of some teens? No way." I roll my eyes. I can't believe I'm jealous of some teens. I internally shake my head, disappointed in myself.

"Don't worry, Angel. I only have eyes for you." His soft emerald eyes peer down at me making me smile softly at him.

I like the sound of that.

"Do you do this often?" Warren breaks us apart from our moment. I turn to glare at him.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Flirt with each other while on the job?" He shrugs, raising his brows in question.

I give him a blank stare. "No."

"Pretty much."

My head turns to glare at Grayson who glances at me with amusement dancing on his features. "We don't!" I deny. The voice in the back of my head screams at me, 'bitch you lying!'

"So how does this go? Does someone want to kill me?" Warren looks around the room as if it could be anyone.

"You're rich as fuck, it could be anyone." I shake my head.

"If we think someone's a threat, we'll eliminate them," Grayson says. Warren's eyes bulge out.

"Like, kill them?" He leans in whispering.

"Yes." Grayson and I say at the same time. Warren looks at both of us with wide eyes.

"Who do you guys work for?" He mummers. I turn my head away from warrens questioning eyes. From the corner of my eyes, I see Grayson stare at Warren, blankly.

I look around the lunchroom, teens chatter away some even daring to eat what's on their plate. My eyes do a double-take, turning back onto a suspicious man standing in the corner of the room. He wears a black suit, his eyes staring at Warren. He occasionally looks away as if he was never watching. I run my eyes up and down his body and spot a gun holster hidden under his jacket.

"Grayson, three o'clock," I mutter lowly but Grayson hears me. He quickly glances at the man and sends me a firm nod. "Shady right?"

"What's going on?" Warren panic begins to rise and if he doesn't calm down he's going bust us.

"Without too much attention, look behind you and tell me if you know that man." I whisper. He takes a deep breath and risks a peep behind him.

"I have no idea." He shakes his head. Grayson rubs his jaw, taking his lip into his mouth.

"Let's see if he follows us." I nod my head at him and we begin to make our way out into the hallways.

Warren walks between us, me and Grayson flanking both of his sides. With everyone in one room, the halls are empty only a few staff members hanging around. We turn a corner and I peak at the window seeing the reflection of the same man a few steps behind us. I turn to Grayson and look at him. He looks back at me as if telling me he's got it.

I walk behind Warren with Grayson standing close behind me. Without a warning, Grayson pushes us both into a closet and locking the door behind him. I pound on the door yelling at him to let me out. "Grayson!" I yell when I hear the sound of a gun.

"Whatever you fucking do, do not leave this room. Got it?" I turn to Warren who has backed himself up into a corner.

"Yes." He nods his head. I bring out my gun from my waistband and fire it at the lock. I kick the door watching it fly open.

"Take this." I hand Warren my gun. He stares at it with wide eyes. I take his hand and put the gun in it. I turn around before he can protest and take my dagger out.

My anger rises when I see two guys against Grayson. Tightening my hair in a ponytail as I march over to one of the men. I grip the back of his color and haul his ass away from Grayson. I push his face into the concrete wall, hard. "Didn't you ever learn it's rude to play unfair?" I grunt into his ear.

"Fucking bitch." He grunts. The man flys his elbow into my nose pushing me away from him. I stumble back from the force, my hand going up to my nose.

I look down at my hand that now has blood dripping from my fingertips. Clicking my teeth I look up at the man with a harsh glare. "You're gonna pay for that." I swing my dagger towards him, slicing his stomach. I watch as his white shirt paints red.

He groans, clutching his stomach. He charges at me his arms wrapping around my thighs. He slams me into the wall letting me drop to the floor with a painful groan. Too distracted I don't have enough time to get away as a gun is aimed at my head.

"Not so tough now." He grins at me as I glare up at him.

"I could say the same for you." Grayson holds his gun onto the man's temple. He stares sadistically at the man as he presses the gun harder against his temple. Grayson leans in and whispers so slowly, I almost missed it, "I should torture you for laying a hand on my girl."

My heart swells from his words and although when I look into his eyes all I see is his darkness, I can't help but fall even more. With one pull of the trigger, the man falls to the floor with a heap, blood oozing out of his head and onto the white marble floors.

"Are you okay, Angel?" Grayson turns to me no longer with those dark eyes. His warm hands cups my cheek as his eyes roam my body for injuries.

I smile and nod my head. "I'm perfect." His eyes connect with mine and I see a glint shimmering in his green eyes. His hand moves down to my neck his thumb stroking my bottom lip. He slowly leans in intending to kiss me

But he doesn't.

"Holy shit. I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks." Warren interrupts our moment making Grayson scowl. We break apart and look towards Warren who stares at the two dead bodies laying on the floor.

"You'll get over it." Grayson helps me up and walks past Warren, his hand clutching mine.

"Well, what now?" Warren chases after us.

The final bell rings making everyone scatter everywhere. Grayson turns to Warren with a glare. "Our job is done." He shrugs. Without a warning he his hand catches mine making me look at him weirdly.

"What are you doing?" I chuckle.

"Holding you." He mummers. I smile softly glad that he's given me space.

***

I release another sigh as my head lays on Grayson's shoulder, a blanket draped over us. The arm wrapped around me tightens as his hand plays with my hair. My fingers trace his tattoos, following the swirls of ink. I watch as goosebumps follow my finger as I move it across his warm skin.

"This is nice," I mumble into his skin.

"It is." Grayson kisses my head softly making my heart beat faster.

My index finger traces his tattoo, which sits on his bicep, of a feather that dissolves into birds flying across his skin. "What does this one mean?" I ask.

He looks down at the tattoo with a small frown. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." He shakes his head and takes my hand in his.

"It's for my sister." I suck in a breath and look up to Grayson.

"I didn't know you had a sister," I whisper.

He shakes his head looking at the tattoo in deep thought. "No one did. My father kept her a secret. She was older than me, farther was ashamed that his firstborn was a girl, he didn't think she could take over the empire. So he locked her away from the world." His jaw clenches, his eyes turning dark the angrier he gets.

I cup my hand on his cheek turning him to face me. His eyes lighten as he relaxes, releasing a breath. "You don't have to continue." I whisper with a frown on my face.

"I want to." He kisses me short and softly before pulling away and carrying on. "One day there was a breach of security, we were attacked. My father wasn't in the house at the time, probably down at the club, it was just me to protect everyone. I failed." His voice cracks at the end brought tears to my eyes.

"She died. And it was all my fault." I hold my tears back and I comfort him. I squeeze my eyes as he cries into my neck. I pull him closer to me my heart cleaning when I hear his broken cries.

"Grayson, I'm so sorry." I brush my hand through his hair, his hold tightening. "It wasn't your fault, Grayson," I say.

He shakes his head.

"It wasn't your fault," I repeat.

Again, he shakes his head in denial.

"Grayson Blackwell. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." I say each word with determination making him know that it's not his fault.

"If I had just done better-

"You never could have known." I cut him off begging him with my eyes to understand how he was just a kid.

"I couldn't protect her." He whispers.

"You did everything you could. That's all anyone could ever ask for, Grayson. Your sister wouldn't blame you." He closes his eyes and crashes me into a hug.

"Be mine." He says. "I don't care if you say you hate me and want me dead. I'm not saying this to make everything go back to the way it was because I know it won't. I'm saying this because, you make me feel that no matter what, I'll have someone who has my back." He swallows. "So? Will you be the person that has by back?"

A hide the sad smile in the crook of his neck. "I'm yours, Grayson. Always was." I whisper.

***