Shattered (Book 2)

Chapter 16

Ivy

I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and brand new, ready to take on tonight's task. I applied lotion to my body, though, granted, it probably wouldn't make any difference to my already dead skin cells, but it felt good just to apply it. Brushing out my dry hair, I smiled at another discovery I'd made in the shower; that my hair didn't get dirty or greasy, forever volumized and vibrant. Maybe vampire life wouldn't be so bad after all. I could get used to these perks.

Tying my hair back in a ponytail, I threw on a pair of blue jeans, slipped on my bra, and stole one of Jackson's dark sweatshirts. I texted Gypsy to bring me a pair of my tennis shoes because all I had with me was my heels from last night, although I might be able to pull it off and have no trouble with my balance, comfortable was better than sporting a high fashion statement.

Right on time, a few knocks echoed down the hall, and I could hear Gypsy's heart-pounding just behind the door. Tossing all the dirty clothes in the hamper, I made my way to the front door, greeting Gypsy with a hug, surprised to find a big shopping bag in her hand.

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"Stakeout clothes, duh," she said matter-of-factly.

"Are they necessary?"

"If we're going to be sneaking around, we need to be hidden." Gypsy pulled out two pairs of jeans, jackets, two beanies, and shoes, all in the color black.

"Uhh..."

"Come on! This will be so much fun!" she whined.

I threw up my hands and surrendered and said, "Whatever, hand it over." No use in spoiling a good time, especially since Gypsy was breaking a rule or two for me.

She squealed in excitement, handing me the garments. We both changed and pulled the beanies over our heads, matching from head to toe. At first, we looked ridiculous, but the more I checked myself in the mirror—yes, I had a reflection, surprisingly—the more it made sense to dress in all black. The address never specified it was in a neighborhood or city, so to be hidden was definitely the right idea.

"Okay, we good now?" I double-checked, making sure I had everything with me., planning on leaving my phone behind, not wanting to be distracted, especially by Jackson.

Gypsy looked around the living room of the cabin one last time then said, "Where's Jackson?"

I shrugged. "He must've left when I went to bed and never came back."

"Maybe it's best he isn't here seeing us like this... wait... oh my god... you need to tell me the details after," she said.

I gave her a thumbs up. "Sure, but let's focus on this first."

Fiiinnnee," she whined, always wanting gossip before anything else; she was lucky I loved her.

The autumn air felt good against my face, a slight breeze ruffling my hair. Owls hooted close by on branches, and Gypsy stood on the front steps, adding the address to the Uber. I wanted to mention how weird it was that I lacked a web browser and map apps on my phone, but decided against it, wanting to keep my head clear and focused. Once we found out where it led, that's when I'd bring it up.

"Oh boy," she said.

"What?" I rushed over and looked at the map with her. The trip was an estimated forty-five-minute drive into New Hampshire. What hell was in New Hampshire?

"Did you eat?" asked Gypsy.

Oh. "Shit, no, hold on." I went back inside and retrieved a blood bag from the fridge, definitely going against the rules of being monitored, but fuck it, I didn't have time to behave.