I spent most of the trip filling her in on the details of what was going on, "I just don't understand, why would you save me?" she asked confusedly.
"I promised you to do what I could to get you out of there. This is the one thing I can control."
She looks over the console at me with tear-filled eyes, "Your the first person to actually save me and mean it." she cries.
"Don't cry." I say squeezing her arm, "You remind me of my younger self." I whisper thinking out loud.
"What? How?" Roxanna asks, "You must have been tough and brave back then too."
"Roxanna, when I was younger I felt in debt to Hank for saving me, and then after the death of Camilla we were the only originals left." I start.
"Who's Camilla?" she asks, "Camilla was the original housemaid of the Vipers, she was such a caring soul but she became tainted by the industry. She passed away of unknown causes not long after I turned eighteen." I shrug, "I guess you could say she was my mother figure for a few years."
"No offense, but how did a fifteen-year-old help start the Vipers?" she asks, "Because, he needed someone innocent looking enough to run his dirty work without any questions. What a better way than to find an abandoned and helpless teenager?"
"But you stayed loyal to him until recently?" she asks again, "I wouldn't say completely loyal because obviously there were a few slip-ups, but yeah, his true colors began to show."
"Wait, so you're telling me if I hadn't asked for help you'd just left me there to die with the rest of them?"
I wait a second before answering with a loud and defeated sigh, "No, leaving you there would have haunted me, and made it feel like I was leaving my younger self to die." she looks at me with some hope in her eyes, "I'm not sure how, but I appreciate you."
I finally pull into the gated driveway that I'd been to several times before as his black G-wagon sits parked. "You never said where we were going." Roxanna gulps, "I know, just promise me that you won't freak out." I say nervously. "Well what is it?" she asks again, "I think you'll see."
I park my car behind him before cutting the ignition off and slamming open my door, his door opening as I step out. "My men are already stationed and ready at the house," he assures me. I look over at Roxanna to introduce her but she just stares, her jaw open, and her eyes fixed on Grey.
"This is Roxanna, one of the Viper's old recruits." I introduce as she stands still, "Roxanna, staring is rude." I remark flashing a smile.
"You're Greyson D'Angelo." she mutters clasping her hands over her mouth, "I hate to interrupt this but we are on a time crunch, we've got places to be." I snap my fingers as I open the door and hit the trunk button.
Me and Grey pile her belongings into his car while Rosanna fixes herself, "Sorry, you were right that was very rude of me." she starts grabbing the last of her things as we slam the trunk closed. "I'll have Marco drive your car to the house," Grey says as I nod.
I open Roxanna's door as Grey opens mine, and we both climb in, "I can't believe I've officially upgraded to the passenger seat." I mock as he pulls out into the main road. "Don't start that, you are the one who insisted on the backseat." he points as I smile into the side mirror.
A cough sounds from the back, "So when did this start?" she asks moving her finger between me and Grey. "We first met at the Gala, Nadia asked for the Ghost that night, then again the next afternoon and I showed up." I shrug.
"So you're telling me she wanted the Ghost but you came instead? Why?" she asks, "Roxanna, that's because I am the Ghost." I say as I hear a loud gasp. "But the Ghost and the Vipers don't see eye-to-eye, and the Ghost is a man."
"Yeah, the Ghost was the main little slip-up, and I can promise you I'm a girl." I smile, "But you're the Reaper?" she says pointing to Grey. "Yeah, although I don't have a cool origin story like Ivy does." he shrugs.
"So you like really know her personally?"
"Well for maybe a few months at most. But long enough to know a few things."
"What's a good story about her?" Roxanna asks intrigued, Grey looks at me for permission. "It's not like she can tell anybody, she's going to a safe house," I add.
"Well, she saved my life in a Viper warehouse attack, took a nasty cut from it even though she was afraid of a needle. She had to get stitches that morning." he brags.
"So that's what the crutches were about? And, that means you're the one who killed Octavia!" she exclaims, "Chill out back there, it didn't do anybody harm. Besides the meeting after it." I add as he and Grey begin to laugh.
"Oh mourning, that was a good one."
"Please, it was no worse than Dante's reason."
"I feel left out of the joke here." Roxanna awkwardly says, "We didn't know why we were having a meeting so Dante gave his opinion, that was interesting." I explain.
"I get it, he wanted to show off to Sullivan." she laughs.
The rest of the car ride is silent as we all grow too tired to speak, we finally arrive a a beautiful suburban house in a residential neighborhood. "I was expecting a little cabin in the woods or something." I shrug.
"Most people do, that's why it's so suspicious and dangerous." Grey answers, "Maybe you are not all bark after all." I tease as we all grab a handful of items, "You lucky I respect you." he jokes back as we continue inside.
Two muscular men dressed in casual attire greeted us at the door, "This is James and Levi, they'll protect you here, the house is fully stocked with anything you could ever want or need." Grey says. "Any questions?" he asks, Roxanna shakes her head.
"Great, now it's time for us to go, if me and Ivy are spotted here it will raise suspicions," he explains turning on his heels, "Wait, if you don't mind I need to use the restroom, I'll be quick I promise."
"Of course, the first door on the left." Grey points as I hurriedly walk away, exhaling a deep breath before heading inside the bathroom.
I take a minute to stare at my reflection to notice the exhaustion paining my dull blue eyes and the frizziness of my once-straightened hair. Carefully removing my shirt I stare at the indentation on my skin. There lay a snake trailing its way up my chest, burned into my once innocent skin.
I trace my cold fingers along its outlines recalling the horror of that night and the years that followed it.
Seven years ago
The morning's dew lay on the ground as the sun reflected its warm rays upon it. For the first time in months, I felt loved and appreciated for what I was and not what I wanted to be. Here there were no alcoholic parents, all the food I could ever want, and my bruises were beginning to fade into my tanned skin.
I lifted my hand to the cool window leaving behind a handprint and the fog of my breath. It felt weird being the only kid my age here not because I wanted to be sociable but because it felt like a barrier. A knock sounded against my door interrupting my inner thoughts as a young woman entered the room.
"Miss Ivory?" she called as if asking permission before crossing the room towards me, I gave her a warm smile "Yes ma'am." "You're needed downstairs." she says seeming more distant suddenly, "Okay."
I follow her onto the main floor and finally down a darkened hallway lined with black metal doors. "Ivory promise me one thing." she says looking down at me, "Anything." "Whatever you do don't show them weakness." I looked up at the woman confused but complied.
"Of course."
She opened the door we stood in front of revealing a metal table and a few men standing in a corner by a fireplace. When the door sounded closed the men turned around to face me and the nice lady, Hank approached us from the side with a comforting smile leading me towards this table.
Upon a closer look, this table had belt-like restraints lining its sides and a pillow at the top, on command I hopped up. Hank laid me back taking my left wrist and strapping it onto the table, I was stunned with confusion as the other men and women did the same to my other wrist and ankles.
The woman removed my shirt leaving me in a blue colored sports bra, "A little more." one of the guys said from the corner as Hank smirked in satisfaction.
The woman rolled my sports bra up slightly more but kept me covered. The nice woman had now left the room leaving me with Hank and these other strangers who now were walking towards me with an iron.
The pain stunned me, I couldn't cry out, and my screams were silent, I eventually blacked out and awoke in my previous room where the brand had been patched with gauze. The woman returned every few hours to cater to my every need and Hank was almost always there.
Half of me was angry at him but, the other half reminded me that without him I'd still be on the street.
Present time
Only three people were ever branded like that, me, Hank, and the kind woman who helped me that day, Camilla. After me he decided that the brand was too sentimental for him to give it to every intern that he recruited, he wanted it to signify something to us.
Years later it still does, but not for the same reason it once did.
I don't know how long I've stood in the mirror but when I finally exit the bathroom Grey stands there leaning on the opposite wall, his cockiness fading when he notices my frown.
"Amore mio, what's wrong?" he asks, "Nothing." I mumble as I slowly walk past him, he grabs my wrist pulling me back to him, "I may not know you well, but I do know when something is wrong." Grey reasons.
"It doesn't matter," I add pulling my wrist away from him and walking out of the hallway and into the living room where Roxanna already sat comfortably. I hand her my burner phone, "Put my number into your phone, if anything goes wrong I'll be one call away."
She types the number into her phone before handing it back to me, "I'll see you soon, Ivy." she replies as I give her another shoulder squeeze, eyeing James and Levi. James returns me a reassuring look as he and Grey both exit.
Finally, back in the car, I ran my hand through my hair looking through the windshield at the house. "I'm not letting you suffer in silence, so spit it out," Grey says, "If it was important I'd tell you." I finish, challenging him with eye contact.
"I don't believe you for a second," he argues, "Then it's a good thing that you don't have to believe." I spit as we become closer to each other over the console.
The tension was sharp enough to effortlessly cut through a stone, I could feel his breath on my lips. Without a warning, our lips came crashing together in hungry, sloppy kisses, we took a moment as we both came up for air.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to." I start still breathless, "You could use their lips for something more useful than talking." he smirks helping me over the console as he pushes his seat backward. I stadle him on the seat as we continue and my hands find his disheveled hair, his navigating to the small of my back.
He breaks away once more as if strategizing, "Get in the back." he orders as I climb between the seats Grey locks the doors and follows me. I lay flat against the seat as my legs wrapped around his waist, in a quick motion I removed his shirt and tossed it into the floor.
I lift my body up so he can remove mine, his eyes catching on my chest, a relieved feeling hits me as I remember I was wearing a half-decent bra. His fingers unclasped the bra and I felt it snap apart.
Grey's eyes widened before I realized what he was looking at, in hopes of ignoring the conversation I just turned my head to look away.
"Oh, amore mio." he whispered, using his thumb to make me look at him, "That son of a bitch branded you?" he snaps as his jaw clenched. "I guess you know now." my voice cracks.
Without a warning Grey pulls me into his chest, the bra falling off my shoulders. Our bare skin creates a lull of peace, I feel a hot tear slip down my cheek before falling onto his chest. Grey holds me closer, "Ivy, I'll kill that man for what he's done to us and to you." he spits.
"I want to be the one to kill him and the organization behind him."
After several minutes we both slowly begin to get dressed before he helps me back into the passenger seat.
"You know." Grey starts, "You've made me believe that maybe love is in my cards after all."
"And why's that?" I ask curiously, "Because I've never felt such a need to have someone at my side and protect them with my life."
"Grey." I whisper, "I would kill anyone who tried to lay their hands on you." he spits. "I want to know your whole life story, your favorite color, where your first time was." Grey answers calmer this time.
"If we play our cards right maybe we'll have the chance to." I smile placing a kiss on his lips.
"Round two?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
"This time we ignore that stupid brand."
"What brand are you talking about?" Grey teases, "I can't remember anymore." I smile as we both dive into the backseat once again.
"You're growing on me."
"Good, my plan is working." Grey teases.
The rest of that afternoon went by quickly before we both decided it was in our best interest to head home. I couldn't lie I was pretty excited to see the pictures from Kendra's ultrasound, especially to see if they announced a gender.
I felt better now than I had in months and nothing was going to ruin that for me.
..
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