Rogue (Riders of Apollo #6)

Chapter Seven: Leo Chance

Her story is starting to worry me.

The not remembering people's names, the endless chores and coming from Russia? It's starting to sound a little like Saviour's story, I hope I'm wrong because I wouldn't be able to handle it if it was right.

Nova's such a sweet, loving girl with a beautiful curiosity but it's like she's never been out in the world before. It's scary not knowing where she is or who she's with because she's proved over and over again that she doesn't know the basics of living here but she's doing it all alone.

"I'm thinking sleepover tonight, guys." Mark declares as we walk to the kitchen for food.

"We didn't bring our things." Louis replies as I pull out Nova's chair for her.

"Then go and get them after dinner and we can have a movie marathon." Nova stares down at the table with three sets of cutlery with confusion.

"Leo..." Nova whispers and I look at her with concern. "Which one am I using first?"

"Work from the outside in, floss." I tell her and she nods.

"So are you two up for it? I'm thinking Back to the Future and when we finish that, Saw." Mark is tapping his cutlery on the table as he stares the two of us down.

"I don't have any plans."

"I guess, I'll have to sneak in and out of the home though. The matron doesn't like it when we have sleepovers."

"Cool, we'll help." Yvette and Roberto walk in a few minutes later and take their seats. A bell then rings and the first course comes out, it looks good so I just devour it. I haven't eaten much today so I'm grateful for Mark's parents always overfeeding us.

The second and third course goes over smoothly and Nova seems to be enjoying herself. I didn't know whether she'd like the decadence of the food, we've basically only fed her fast food since she got here. Though I get the impression she'd eat anything as long as it meant she didn't go hungry.

Foster care does that to you.

As soon as the last dish is cleared from the table, Mark is up and bouncing on his feet. "Let's go get your shit, we've got movies to watch."

"I don't think I can move, I've never eaten that much in my life." Nova falls on me with a small whine and Mark rolls his eyes.

"Carry her." He points at me before turning on his feet, "let's go bitches." I gently lift her onto my back and she wraps her legs around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder.

"Is he normally like this after so much food?" Her voice is soft as she watches him skip around and tap his heels together as he drifts to my car.

It's weird that we're always in the 2004 Range Rover instead of his custom Bentley that he got for his sixteenth birthday, I just figure he doesn't like to drive.

"No, he's just weird. Get out of the front seat, Mark." I shout as he yanks open the passenger side door with intent to sit in it. If we're going in my car, Nova goes in the front, that's how it's always been.

"But I called shotgun!"

"Don't care." He grumbles and slams the door violently before clambering into the backseat. I deposit Nova on the front seat and head around to my own.

"You play favourites all the time, sir. I think that should be illegal." Mark complains and I just roll my eyes. We stop at Louis' house first because it's on the way to Nova's, we'll stop at mine last.

"Wow, you have a pretty house." Louis thanks Nova and jumps out of the car. Louis has a modest life. He has a three bedroom house in the suburbs, the walls are yellow and the garden is well tended to. He has a little brother who is nine and a Great Dane that loves everybody.