It took everyone some getting use to having Ivory around. But it wasn't long before they all grew a liking to her. By mid Sunday they were lounging on the roof of the gym in the sun.
All was well as they chatted and laughed. Until Ivory got a call from an unknown, privated number on her Ivory Lockwood phone. When she saw it she let out a shriek and jerked off Jacobs lap onto the roof. Answering she went from terrified to terrifying. "Who the hell is and how the hell did you get this number? Careful how you answer or I will hunt you down and skin you alive." She hissed as she stood and sat back across Jacobs lap and rested her head against his chest, his arms looping around her protectively.
"Well hello to you too bestie. I hope that's not how you greet all your best friends." The laugh that answered made Ivory relax, her eyes drifting closed with a sigh of relief.
"Hang on a minute V. I'm putting you on speaker. Meet Black Phoenix's new friends." She put it on speaker and held it out as everyone yelled their greetings.
There was a seconds silence before the girl replied. "Seriously Ivory. You're sitting on Jacob Fleming lap? Have you completely lost your mind?"
Ivory face burned as she laughed. "I hate how you work out those things. It's a nice trick though."
"Of course it is. Mother taught me." There was sadness to her voice that everyone caught.
Ivory cringed. "Of course. She was one hell of a woman. How is you father handling it? Has it got any better?" Resting back further into Jacob she put her phone on the table beside them.
"He still isn't working. He doesn't leave the property much unless he's hunting or taking the horse for a ride. He mixes the two sometimes. But at least he's out of the house now. So yeah. It's gotten better." Again the sadness was caught easily yet there was another emotion right underneath but still out of their reach.
Ivory sighed. "That's good. How are you doing?" She cautioned, not sure she really wanted to ask.
"I am the only source of income. Luckily because I'm such a hit that I'm beating the men there are some frigate investors who pay extra every time I win. I lasted 32. 68 seconds on The Miller the other day during practice. That is until he threw me right across the corral and into the hay stack. Dislocated a finger and got some hay in my eye but otherwise it went well." She replied with a laugh. What she said confused everyone apart from Ivory who laughed. It was cut short when her friend continued. "However I rang because things just got not so good. Took me hours to get your number you know. I had to go hunting through people I really hate socialising with to find someone who had it. Sorry but Jose won't be calling you. Ever. I accidentally made him cut his tongue off. Long story so doesn't even ask." She sighed heavily and Ivory sat up.
"What is it V? Have they found you?" She snatched her phone from the table holding it tightly in her hand.
The girl snorts. "It's not that bad. It's just weird bad. Like really weird bad. Guess who's dead body I had to wrestle out of an aligators mouth in my backyard yesterday morning." She spoke with a sudden hostility that put all on edge. Ivorys breathing quickened.
"V, now isn't the time for guessing games. Who was it? Tell me now before I fly down there and hit it out of you." She snapped.
"Eston Diablo. But that was only the beginning. The alligator didn't want to give him up so I killed it and found Blaze Diablos half digested body already in its stomach. Someone clearly wanted to dump the brothers. Blazes death was by decapitation due to the missing head and clean slice through his neck. Estons death was fresh. Like scary fresh and it wasn't by alligator." Jacob coughed in shock and Bella looked more worried than usual. Ivory didn't move. Until she smiled.
"Well this is a nice turn of events. Now V, how fresh?"
"Less than an hour. Cause of death was by sniper. You know who did it don't you?" The girl asked and Ivory grinned wider.
She stood and walked to the edge of the roof and looked out at LA. "Yes I do. The top dog is killing off loose ends with connections to me."
The girl laughs. "Finally. Can you kill that bastard now that you don't have to marry him? He is a sick pain in my ass." Ivory flinched and the word marry.
"Well the deal of marriage is off since he knows the truth about his supposed bride. Now if you'll excuse me I know just how I want to kill him and I have the perfect bait for the job. A whole family of bait actually." Ivory hangs up and puts her hands in her back pockets.
"I think you guys deserve to know who you're really dealing with here." She turns and Bella jumps up.
Her dark eyes wild. "Don't Ivory. You can't bring them into this. You already pulled in Jacob. Don't pull the rest in too." She pleaded desperately.
Ivory sighed. "Sorry Bella. But I need these guys as bait. You included. The only way this will work is if they know who I am and who the top dog of the Diablos is. Something even you don't know. Frankly you need my help and this is the only way you're going to get it so sit down before I knock you out." Bella sat with a grunt beside Brett who took hold of her hand.
"Talk now." Crystal snapped from where she stood protectively by Jacobs side.
Ivory sighed. "My name is Ivory Lockwood."
Scarlet and Claire gasp and a ramble as faraway from her as they could. "You're dead. Youre dead. They found your body. You bleed out before the explosion." Scarlet hissed.
"Woah. Lockwood as in Carmen's sister?" Carlos backed up to stand in front of his sisters.
Ivory nods. "Yup. Now about the body. It was Carmen's body they found in the fire. Not mine. I just made sure the people who found and tested the body knew about the contract. The contract that says when one twin dies the living twin must take their place. So it wasn't Carmen who you have all been beating up at school. It was me. Also I'd like to add that I'm a Lockwood as in my parents were the ones who created your security system." She watches the various reactions take place before continuing. "I am also Ivory Ashmore. I made her identity up so I had an excuse to be near you guys. My parents helped you guys out and I wanted to do the same." She cringed and dropped her head.
"How did Jacob get pulled into this?" Ash snapped.
Ivory and Jacob flush identical red. "It was his fault." She said quickly, Jacobs jaw dropped.
"Way to throw me under the bus Ivory." He scoffed.
Ivory rolled her eyes. "There was an incident that resulted in me having to reveal myself. But he's fine. It's all of you that should worry. Because I've claimed Jacob as mine he is safe. All of you are not." She points around at everyone.
Jacob stood and ignored his mother's urging to sit back down. "I need you to tell me about this guy you were suppose to get married to." Ivory watched as danger flashed through his eyes.
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Well years ago a deal was made to say that Carmen was to marry the heir to the Diablo throne. But since Carmen died I was the one who has to fill in. He enjoyed wrapping my wounds. It calmed him down. Which is why I never stopped you hitting me. I was doing it so he wouldn't snap and go after you immediately. By you I mean the Fleming family." Ivory kept her eyes on anyone apart from Jacob.
"Is it Damien Win Jones? Is he the top dog now? You two were always close at school." Jamie lent forwards. The other Fleming bristle.
Ivory cringed. "I stabbed the guy with a javelin and let him live. If he were the boss I would have killed him. I needed him out of the way so I didn't have to deal with him when I went to kill someone who's much worse." She flicked Dantes image into her head and sighed.
"Worse?" Crystal frowned. Ivory could see she was beginning to worry.
"The original Damien had a daughter who married and had Damien Win Jones. But what people don't know is he also had a son who married and had a son who became an exact mini replica of his grandfather. His name is Dante Win. He posed as Ivory Ashmores boyfriend of sorts." Ivory wrung her hands nervously.
All went silent and Ivory glanced back over at LA. "He became the top dog of the Diablos because his mother was Jack Diablos daughter." She knits her brows together.
"I need your help to kill him. He killed my family. He took away everything I ever loved. If you want to kill me I'm sorry but you kill me you die. I am the only Lockwood left meaning I inherited everything. Including the family business." Her eyes went to Bella who clapped excitedly like a little kid.
"Yes." She throws her hands in the air. "Yes, yes, yes. I don't care if the others don't join but if I get to be reinvolved in the Lockwoods family business then I'm in 100%." She jumps up smiling widely. Her anger gone.
"What's the family business?" Jacob was almost to scared to ask.
Ivory smirked. "Extermination."