by K E Osborn
Nycto cracks his neck to the side, clicking the safety off on his gun. “Why should I make a deal with you, Tony?”
Tony exhales, his muscles relaxing as he softens his posture. “I wanna make a deal for the use of Ivy.”
A shudder runs deep in my very soul. My arm protectively loops around Ivy as I pull her to me.
How the fuck does this bastard even know her name?
I don’t even want to fathom what the fuck that means. “No.” I’m blunt, curt, my anger coming through like a raging tornado as Nycto creases his brow.
“What do you mean by the use of Ivy?” Nycto accentuates his words, questioning what I’m too fucking terrified to ask.
Tony rolls his neck. “Ivy was purchased in Cuba and sold. Then she was taken by her transporters… you, I believe.” He raises an eyebrow. “She was bought for a reason, Nycto, and I paid a hefty sum of money for her.”
Ivy clings to me tighter as this all starts to sink in.
Tony put the purchase order out on Ivy, possibly Eva, too.
Now, the bastard’s here to collect.
Fuck.
Nycto stands taller, letting out a mocking laugh. “You got paid, Tony. The money you spent was repaid. The money was sent to Andrés, and I know the debt was paid in full. So, technically, I bought Ivy. She belongs to me, and I plan on keeping her here at the clubhouse where she belongs.”
Tony rolls his shoulders like he’s trying to keep himself calm. “Thing is, Presidente, I need her. Why do you think she had such a high price tag on her head? She’s valuable… to me, to my family.”
“I’m gonna need a reason, Tony, because valuable ain’t gonna cut it,” Nycto grunts.
Tony turns to Ivy, ignoring Nycto and me. “Ivy, as I’m sure you’re aware, your blood is rare. When other people who have the same blood type as yours are sick, it’s extremely hard for them to get blood transfusions because they need donations of the same blood type.”
I don’t like where this shit’s going.
“I’m following,” Ivy answers.
Tony’s forehead creases, something passes over his eyes but only for the briefest of moments, showing there’s a weakness in him. “My young daughter, Mia…” he pauses like he’s having trouble saying the next part, “… she’s sick. She needs blood… your blood.”
I roll my eyes, letting out a scoff. “Yeah, right!”
Matteo rushes toward me, but Tony stops him from coming at me. “Matteo, stop! Mia wouldn’t want this.”
Matteo’s nostrils flair, he breathes harshly through his nose as he turns, pacing his anger off. Either Matteo’s playing this up, has serious anger issues, or he actually cares about this Mia girl.
Ivy steps out of my grip and toward Matteo. I go to pull her back, but she warns me off with a death glare. Ivy reaches out, grabbing Matteo’s arm.
He spins dramatically, noticing it’s Ivy and softens.
“You care about Mia?” she asks.
“That’s not your concern.” Matteo huffs.
“Um… it actually is. If I’m going to come with you, I need to know everything.”
“We need you to donate your blood for Mia to help her. You don’t want to let an innocent child suffer, do you, Ivy?” Matteo snaps.
“Don’t try to manipulate her!”
“Geez, Matteo’s a cunt,” Mammoth murmurs under his breath.
“What’s wrong with Mia? Why does she need my blood? Can I ask?” Ivy’s still pressing the issue as if she’s actually thinking about going with them.
“Mia has leukemia. She needs a blood transfusion to help replace the red blood cells in her body after treatment. But having Rhnull blood means she can only receive the same blood type.”
“The golden blood,” Ivy mumbles under her breath.
Tony and Matteo both dip their chins as Ivy exhales. “I’ll need to do thi—”
“We should discuss this as a club, Ivy,” I blurt out.
Ivy turns to me, grabbing my hands in hers. “Void, I understand you wanna protect me, but I can’t let an innocent girl suffer when I can help so easily. Plus, it’s only a transfusion, it’s not like they’re gonna kill me for it.”
I scoff. “They might.”
“We won’t,” Matteo states.
“They probably will,” Mammoth adds.
“Ivy’s blood is rare. We need Mia to get well, to live a long, happy life. Her blood type makes it difficult medically, so having Ivy and Eva, who are a match and in the same state, is helpful. No harm will come to either of them, not while Mia is alive. We protect them, you protect Mia at all costs. This is our deal,” Tony offers.
Nycto glances at me, raising a brow.
Honestly, everything in me is screaming not to agree, but it’s a good fucking deal. If the DeLucas are putting themselves on the line to protect Ivy and Eva, and all we have to do in return is give a little blood and protect Mia, then I guess it’s a fair trade.
I subtly nod, then Nycto walks over to Tony, placing his hand out. “They protect each other. All three girls are safe in this,” Nycto clarifies.
“Yes, all three,” Tony reassures.
“Does this mean we’re in alliance? The DeLucas and the Royal Bastards?” Nycto asks.
Tony bows his head. “If Ivy comes with us willingly, then yes, we are at an understanding.”
Nycto’s eyes shift to mine. He’s testing the waters, seeing where I sit with this deal. An alliance with the DeLucas is huge, but putting Ivy in danger churns my stomach. The idea of her going with them has me on edge. I dip my chin to her, and she smiles.
“I’ll go, as long as I get to come back to the clubhouse. I’m not staying with you indefinitely, Tony,” Ivy asserts herself.
There’s that fire I adore so fucking much.
“Fine. You come with us… alone. You donate. We bring you back. Simp—”
“Not simple. She’s not going alone,” I blurt, my skin crawling at the thought of no one to protect her.
Ivy grips my hand tighter. “I’ll be fine. They need me, Void. They won’t hurt me.”
“Yeah, but what about after they take your blood?” I whisper in her ear.
The corner of her lips creeps up infinitesimally. “They need my blood. This isn’t a one-time thing. Why do you think they’re making this alliance? It’s because they anticipate needing me in the future. This is the deal, Void. I’m Mia’s very own personal blood bank. They need me. They’re not going to risk anything happening to me… for Mia’s sake.”
Tony and Matteo both shrug in agreement. “She’s right. We do need her,” Tony mumbles, his voice becoming strained.
“I go with her. I won’t have her going on her own. We might be in an alliance, but I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you,” I snap.
Tony huffs out a grunt. “I’ll take a prospect, no one else. No offense, VP, but having one of the heads of the MC table in my home doesn’t sit right with me. Not yet.”
“Then she doesn’t go. End of discus—”
“Void… I have to go. Not only for Mia but for the alliance. You know it’s true.” Ivy’s tight grip on my bicep tells me she’s not messing about right now.
My muscles clench as I grit my teeth. Bartering with Mafiosos isn’t my finest hour, but at least this way, someone will be with Ivy. A prospect who will take care of her, even if that person irritates the hell out of me. “Dash… Dash will go.”
Ivy’s eyes meet mine. There’s understanding in them because she knows I only want to protect her.
Dash steps forward hesitantly, a little unsure of himself. My narrowed eyes meet his, then he nods, letting me know he’s got this. If anyone will put themselves on the line for Ivy, I know it will be Dash. He cares about her, and he’s the only choice.
“Right, now we have all of this settled, let’s be on our way. We have a five-hour drive to Jacksonville—”
“You look after them like they’re a part of your own fucking family, Tony. Any harm comes to either Ivy o
r Dash, and we won’t hesitate in starting an all-out fucking war. And trust me when I say, the first target we hunt down will be Mia.”
“Understood. We’ll bring Ivy and Dash back tomorrow evening. I’ll keep in touch with you, Nycto. Make you aware of what’s happening.”
“Make sure you do.”
“You know, Nycto, it’s hard for me not being in charge of this situation, but I do appreciate you helping us out. My famiglia thanks your MC.”
Nycto dips his chin as I pull Ivy to me in a tight embrace, pain sears through my chest. It’s like I can’t breathe as I cling to her. Ivy’s hands smooth up and down my back in a calming manner—I’m anything but fucking calm.
“Stop! I’m gonna be fine,” she whispers in my ear.
Pulling back slightly, I stare into her gorgeous chocolate eyes. They’re so calm, so stoic, as I stand here ready to fucking explode. “You call me the second you feel something’s off. I’ll be on my bike faster than you know.”
She weakly smiles. “You’ll be five hours away. If anything happens, you’ll be too far to do much. Dash will be with me. I’m sure he won’t let anything happen. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
She didn’t mean for it to sting quite like that, but it fucking did. Dash is going to be there for her, not me, and there’s not a damn fucking thing I can do about it.
I should have chosen West.
“Be safe. Listen to your gut instinct,” I tell her.
Ivy’s lips turn upward. “Always do.” She leans in, planting a light kiss on my cheek, then turns to grab Dash’s hand, and they both step toward the Audis.
“Matteo,” I call out. He lifts his chin in answer. “Touch her in any way, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Matteo chuckles. “You have the worst poker face. Putting all your cards on show is downright stupid. Anyone here can see your weakness… or who… and your enemies can use her to their advantage. You need to rein in your obviousness… just a word of advice, brother.”
“I’m not your fucking brother. You wanna threaten me like that again and see what happens?”
“Oh, that wasn’t a threat, not in any way, shape, or form…” Matteo smirks. “It was purely an observation. Keep your emotions in check when she’s around, or people will use it against you. I speak from experience.”
Raising my brow in curiosity, Matteo spins, not saying anything more, then heads for the car.
Tony exhales, cracking his neck to the side. “The thing is, Void… Matteo is complicated. His past, well… you remind me of him a few years ago. We will get your woman back to you. In one piece. Alive and well. You have my word.”
Nycto grabs my shoulder as I exhale. “That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll wait to hear from you, Tony. Regular updates. Non-negotiable on this. You hear me?” Nycto adds.
Tony dips his head in acknowledgment, then walks back to the car he vacated and slides inside.
“You guys sure know how to turn it on, don’t you? On that note, I’m gonna grab my shit and head off. You need anything, holler at me,” Mammoth mutters, but I ignore him as he turns back toward the clubhouse.
As Ivy and Dash slide into the back of the Audi, I keep watching. The door closes behind her, then the car reverses away from the clubhouse gates, and I know there’s little I can do now.
My feet want more than anything to chase after her as the car turns, driving off onto the main road, then out of sight taking Ivy and Dash with them.
Did I just let Ivy go with a prospect, the same prospect who’s vying for her affections?
What the fuck have I just done?
Chapter Five
IVY
I thought the five-hour drive to Jacksonville would be long, tedious even, but to be honest, it’s been nice. I’ve been able to see parts of America I would have never been able to see on my own. Dash has been making me laugh the whole way, keeping me entertained and my mind off the idea that I’m going to have my blood drained from me in a short while. But in all honesty, if I’m going to be saving a little girl’s life, then I’ll do it weekly if it means she gets to live.
Dash’s stomach growls loudly, and I grin.
“You ever not hungry?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t think so. I believe my stomach goes the full length of my torso, then down my legs. It’s bottomless.”
I snort out a laugh while rolling my eyes. “Well, hopefully, they will feed us where we’re going.”
“Feed us to the wolves more like it,” Dash quips.
“I dunno, they just wanna help Mia.” I take a drink from the water bottle Tony gave me, which he said I needed to drink before we arrive.
“You trust too easily.”
“Maybe you don’t trust enough?” I smile
He bumps his shoulder into mine. “I trust you.”
“Then trust me when I say, we’re gonna be fine. Tony and Matteo only have Mia’s best interests at heart. They’re trying to look out for their family.”
Dash’s stomach growls again, so he grabs the seat of the driver as he leans through the gap in the middle. “Can we drive through a Chick-fil-A? I have a hankering for a Deluxe Sandwich!”
The front passenger pulls out a gun aiming it at Dash’s head. “Sit back and shut up. We’re almost there.”
I let out a small giggle.
Dash raises his hands in surrender, slumping back into his seat. “Geez, man, hunger pangs make some people real snappy.”
Looping my arm with Dash’s, I say, “Stop causing trouble.”
Dash flashes his lopsided smirk then winks. “My middle name is trouble.”
I groan. “Pleeease stop!”
He chuckles under his breath as the car turns a corner, then pulls down a pristine street. Off to the left is a waterway that is sparkling in the evening sun. The boats lining the docks in the marina, sway in the gentle breeze. The cars pull down a white driveway lined with giant palm trees. The house in front of us is huge—all red brick and beams with massive windows. Security cameras attached to the underskirts of the roofing give it a menacing tone. The front lawn is perfectly manicured, almost like someone has cut it with a pair of scissors, making this exude a Floridian paradise.
The place is gorgeous. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I wish Eva were here to witness this splendor.
Dash’s stomach rumbles again, breaking me from my daze as the car halts completely. My face is practically smooshed against the window, trying to take it all in.
The front passenger steps out and comes around to my side, then opens the door. “Miss Pérez. If you’d like to follow me?”
I glimpse over my shoulder at Dash.
“She’s not going anywhere without me,” Dash grunts as I slide out of the car.
Dash follows as the soldier reaches out, grabbing my arm. That makes Dash instantly hoist his gun, aiming it directly at the guy. “Get your fucking hand off her! You want her to go somewhere, you ask her nicely like a damn gentleman. You do not… I repeat you do not manhandle her, or I will put a bullet in your skull.”
The soldier drops my arm as Tony and Matteo storm over with anger crossing their faces.
“What the hell is going on? Why are you aiming your weapon?” Tony’s voice is louder than necessary.
Grabbing Dash’s loaded hand, I pull it down, placating him. “Simple misunderstanding. Everything’s cool here, right guys?” I offer as the two men stare each other down.
Dash curls his lip but stows his weapon as the mafia soldier rolls his shoulders.
“I was bringing her over for you, Tony.”
“Ivy is a guest in this house. We treat her as such, capisci?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ora vaffanculo!”
The soldier spins on his heels, scurrying off without saying another word.
In amusement, I raise my brows at Dash, who’s trying to hold in his laughter.
Tony holds out his hand to me. “Come… let’s t
ake you to meet Mia.”
Taking Tony’s hand, I smile as he starts walking me toward the entry of the giant house, but I make sure to peek over my shoulder to ensure Dash is following. He’s walking behind me with Matteo, so I relax a little, now being more at ease.
I do wish Void were here.
Tony ushers me inside the lavish two-story mansion.
My eyes widen as I take in what’s in front of me—the grand staircase leading up to the second story. Plush cream carpet lines the stairs with gorgeous polished wood banisters and ornate ironwork railings leading to the top.
To my right is an offset coffee nook with a built-in seat. Plush white and silver cushions are placed perfectly, giving it a homey feel. The opaque curtains are pulled to the side overlooking the sparkling waterway and marina out the back—a perfect way to spend the afternoon reading a book and relaxing I would imagine.
Tony leads us through and to the left, which opens to a spacious living room, the colors all warm and earthy. Leather with chestnut wood and red cushions are scatted on the huge black leather sofa, which seems excessively large in the floor space. A chesterfield armchair sits at the end of the sofa in pride position. It’s worn like maybe it’s been in the family for many years.
At the rear of the living area, the kitchen is sleek and modern in design with accents of red, black, and stainless steel, but Tony turns me leading us up the stairs before I can take a good look at it.
Damn! I really wanted to investigate the house further. It has an old-world charm about it, but it’s still really freaking beautiful and tasteful. I’ve never seen anything like this. Ever.
We round the stairs, the soft sound of a television flows through the air when we make it to the top, and it’s just as stunning up here. As we reach the landing, it opens onto another living room, only this one is a hell of a lot smaller. This might be more of a chill-out zone with a two-seater love seat and two smaller recliners facing the massive television proudly mounted on the wall between two giant windows. They too gaze out over the glorious waterway. The views from this home are to die for.
“Seriously, though, Tony, how rich are you?” Dash quips.
