Black Butterfly

Chapter 39

Ivy's okay. 

When we got over to the bed I could see Nick sitting, talking to Ivy. His back was too me, but he looked unharmed. Unfortunately, I was wrong. 

A large cut swept down from his brow to his jaw line and the skin around it was red and irritated. 

"Nick, are you okay?" I asked, interrupting his and Ivy's conversation. The latter didn't say anything, only rolled her eyes. 

"Calsy, it's good to see you're safe." He says, avoiding the question. 

"What happened?" 

"We ran into a snag. A few more guards than usual were on patrol."

"Shit." I breathe. 

"Golden boy over here," Ivy steps in, "had to go and be all heroic." 

"I saved your ass if I remember correctly." 

"You have a concussion so, no, you don't remember correctly." 

"A small concussion-" 

"What does this mean?" I ask. 

That seems to pull a blanket of uncomfortable tension over us. It's a moment before anyone speaks. 

"We have to move soon. Tonight." Nick mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Tonight? Are we ready? Do you know where Mason is? Is he okay-" Questions rush out of me at the shock of how fast this is moving. 

"We know where he is," Ivy starts but takes a deep breath and sighs. "Mason is heavily guarded and it'll take some of our best to get to him." 

"My team is standing by." Liam chimes. Ivy nods and crosses her arms. 

"I think we'll need all teams tonight, King." 

Nick sighs and runs a hand through his hair, then the faintest touch over the slash in his face. He hisses out a pained breath and I can see the fire light in his eyes. 

"Gather everyone who can fight. We meet in half an hour." 

--

"Last night our teams infiltrated a section of docks belonging to The Ark." Grunts and snarls answered Nicks words. "We gained some valuable information and are ready to move in." 

Pleased noises rose this time, and I could see a few dangerous grins on the faces before me. We were back in the room with huge screens lining the walls, and men, women and the young alike stood in front of me, eager to fight and bring Mason back. 

"As most of you are aware, we were caught off guard by some late night cronies of Caden." Ivy said, glancing around. Eyes flicked to the ground. "Which will not happen again. Understood?" Eyes shot back up and fists went over hearts. 

A voice rose from the back of the room. "In loss, there is death," 

"But in victory there is none!" The rest of the room followed. 

I looked toward the source of the first voice and found Jordan making his way to us, a woman and a man following him. Nick seemed calm but the air around Ivy changed, tension souring her confidence. Jordan finally comes to stand next to Nick and Ivy, and next to me. 

"Get geared up, with leave in thirty." 

Again, fists to hearts, everyone departs. Jordan lets out a sigh and I see his shoulders slump slightly. I haven't even thought about what kind of toll this must be taking on him. I blink and it's gone, replaced with his usual strength. Jordan turns to us and claps Nick on the shoulder. 

"Thank you for working so hard." 

"It was no problem, Uncle." 

The woman beside him steps up. Her blonde hair is sharply cut in line with her jaw and her pale blue eyes resemble chips of ice, she was only an inch shorter than Nick. His mother. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Calsy." She says to me extending a hand, her voice is smooth and assured.

"The pleasure is mine." I take her hand and her grip is strong. The grip of a woman who knows her worth and her value, her strength. 

"Calsy, if you haven't put it together, this is my mother, Alana King." She put a hand on her sons shoulders and frowned at the sigh of the wound on his cheek.

"Father, glad to see you're alive." Ivy says, voice cold. 

"You always know how to greet a person, Ivy." Her father counters. His black hair shines under the light and his black eyes make me wonder how he and Ivy are related at all. 

Ivy stands the same height as her father and I see the similarities peak through. Small round nose, rosebud lips and an air of no-fucks given surrounds them. I can feel the strain the two of them give off. 

"We have little time to prepare." Jordan says, "Jason and his men should be arriving soon." Everyone nods. 

"Lets go kill this bastard. Lets get my son back."