He was such a good kisser. It did not even seem fair.
My back bumped against the changing room wall and the thin structure trembled from the force of it. I laughed at his aggression and then gasped when he didn’t join me. His lips were everywhere, but always where I wanted them… needed them. He could have kissed me into eternity and I would not have complained.
Maybe he did. Time and space didn’t seem to exist as our souls melted together and our bodies attempted to do the same.
Warmth and conviction spread through my blood like lava and fire. I stood there burning while he only stoked the flames hotter.
Sure, everything around me was chaos and mayhem, but this was perfect. This moment. This kiss. This boy.
Everything in this room was perfect.
A stern knocking rapped from the other side of the door right above my head and I jumped and shrieked because it reminded me of the other day.
“About done in there?” the annoyed sales clerk asked.
“Be right out!” I promised but my voice was too breathy and my pitch to high. I bit down on my lip to keep from dissolving into laughter but then Ryder had started shaking from his attempt to remain silent and a loud snort came out of me before I could even attempt to squash it. “Oh, gosh!” I dropped my face into my hands to hide my embarrassment which was only made worse because Ryder started laughing harder.
“Ma’am, is everything alright in there?” the nosy attendant pushed.
“Yes!” I squeaked out. If she was only guessing what was happening in here before she started asking questions, she now had her definitive answer. Although I was sure she would come up with way worse assumptions than the reality of our situation.
“I’ll take your clothes when you’re finished with them,” she kept talking and I kept laughing harder.
“I’ll be right out!” Ryder called to her with a super high-pitched voice, evidently trying to sound like me. Except he didn’t sound anything like me; he didn’t even sound human.
“Er, alright,” the sales person finally relented and we heard her footsteps walk out of the area.
We couldn’t hold it in any longer and doubled over laughing. Ryder slid to the floor in a giggling heap and then he pulled me down so that I straddled his outstretched legs.
Slowly the laughter died from my lips.
Ryder let his fingers trace the tender lines of my sides and then settle on my waist, with his hands cupping my hips. He looked up at me with a serious expression and honest eyes.
“Where are we going to go, Red?” His question should have made me seize up in fear again, but for some reason I felt nothing but peace and confidence.
“Some place warm,” I told him. “And sandy.”
“And quiet,” he added. “Do you have a passport?”
I nodded. “Do you?”
He mimicked the motion. “We might be able to get new ones though. Fake ones. I could ask Matt.”
A twisted doubt curled through my stomach. “What about Matt? And your dad? Are you sure you can leave them? What if you never see them again?”
“They know.”
I couldn’t even understand his words. They just didn’t make sense to me. “What?”
“They know, Ivy. They’ve suspected something was up for a while and then they came home to find me passed out on the floor with our entire living room soaked in salt water. I had to tell them.”
Guilt followed the doubt and I slumped against him, feeling helplessly awful. “What did they say?”
“They said I need to be careful. They said I could always come home.”
“No way are they that okay with this. They have to be worried. They have to know this is dangerous.”
“They also know they can’t stop me. I’m eighteen in two months. In a year I would have left them anyway.” His voice was a low rumble of conviction. “I’m going with you Ivy. They know that. They can try to stop me, but I’ll still go. I think they want me to come home someday and this is how they bargain.”
“But they’re not happy with your choice.” My gut twisted at this new information. How could I ask him to leave his dad and uncle? I wanted him to, of course. But was I that selfish? Could I really ask him to come with me, when he should stay with them and finish school, have a chance to go to college? Do anything with his life other than run?
I didn’t know. I decided I should think about it. This was a serious life-decision and it just didn’t sit right with me that Ryder would give up so much for me.
I didn’t even know what he planned for college before I burst into his life and started tearing down any hope of a future like Godzilla ripped through all those poor little Japanese towns. Before me he probably had a school picked out. Last year he took the ACTs, I remember when he went for the test. He had to have sent the results somewhere.
We had never talked about it though. It was this huge sore subject for me and he respected me enough not to cause more heartache. But in those neglectful, selfish moments, I had always believed he would still go to school while I went off and did whatever hand Fate dealt me.
Except now I had met Fate and those evil bitches would never decide my life for me.
Ryder’s fingers graced my jawline and then wrapped around my throat tenderly. His thumb rested on the front of my ear and I instinctively leaned into his palm.
“Ivy, this is done,” he promised. “I’m going.”
I nodded because I was too weak to argue. I was too weak to stand up to Nix and too weak to give Ryder the life he deserved.
In that moment, I realized how deeply the curse sat inside my shriveled soul. I thought it was only the power to allure men that caused the destruction and death; but the only two men in my life not affected by my pull were still going to drown because of me.
Maybe Nix deserved it, but I knew losing me would unhinge him completely. He treated me horrifically, but he still raised me up on the pedestal of returned power. He wanted a new age for the Greeks. He wanted to rule as a god once again and he associated me with that future.
I would leave him and he would burn.
Ryder might not be affected either, but I would still destroy his life by taking him with me. He loved me enough to run with me. He loved me enough to leave his family, school, his future, his security. And for what?
For me?
The black-hearted, broken girl that would never be able to piece herself back together?
I wasn’t worth his time.
But I was too selfish to tell him that.
“We need to go,” I whispered. All at once my emotions went from elated to depressed. I couldn’t sort through their gloomy mess. And I really didn’t want to. If I planned to go forward with this crazy thing, and take Ryder with me, I could at least sulk about it for a few days.
“Will you be at the Slowdown on Wednesday?” he asked a little frantically.
“I don’t think I can.”
“I need to see that you’re okay. I’m guessing I won’t be able to text you anymore and I need to see that you’re fine. That you’re still here. Please come?”
The pleading tinge to his voice was my absolute undoing. Could it be possible this boy needed me as badly as I needed him? And if so… how?
“I might not be able to stay long,” I finally conceded.
“I just need to see you once.” He cupped my jaw with his rough hands and leaned down to kiss me sweetly. “I just need to see that you’re still waiting for me.”
I tipped onto my toes and reciprocated the warm, wet movement of his lips. “I’ll always wait for you.” And I would. No matter what. “I love you,” I whispered. What a strange place to say that.
“I love you, too,” he promised.
I regretfully left him in the dressing room while I hurried to meet up with my friends. I ran by Phoenix on my way out and gave him an overly excited wave. He grinned at me and gave me a goofy thumbs up. I laughed out loud but kept moving. I had that joy back again; my entire body felt like I
was glowing and my heart seemed way too big for my chest.
The girls waited for me outside in the middle of the packed sidewalks with smoothies to soothe the oppressive heat. Exie looked up at me and offered me a knowing smile. Sloane watched her sister and didn’t even notice that I had reappeared. And Evaleen stared at me… stared at me like I was on fire, burning to ash and she couldn’t do anything about it. Her eyes filled with unshed tears and her sickly, pale face whitened until she looked like a ghost.
She was a haunted girl so it only made sense. But for the first time in days, her horror and pain were not centered around herself.
They were focused on me.
I shuddered and flinched at the idea she knew something that I didn’t. “Everything alright?” I asked her as soon as I got close enough.
“Everything is as alright as it will ever be,” was her cryptic reply. Then she stood up and walked away. We had to chase after her and rudely push our way through the crowd. She hadn’t been eating over the past couple weeks and it showed. She slipped between the tightly-packed mayhem without giving us a second glance.
By the time we reached Exie’s car, I was panting and sweating. I forgot all about my grill-session because the only thing I could think to do when I reached the car was turn the air-conditioning directly on me and pant into the cold vents.
I decided to revise my runaway requirements. A beach would be nice but not where it got this hot. I needed a place that felt a little less like hell.
Chapter Seventeen
Tuesday night, Nix called to tell us that there would be an event at Sloane’s house. Apparently her mother, Thalia, had agreed to host a party for Nix. We were required to be there.
My mom got off the phone and we gave each other despairing glances. Her lips pursed as she looked at me, her jaw clenched tightly with words she wouldn’t let herself speak.
“Do you know what it’s about?” I asked after long moments of silence.
The Fates were still in town according to Nix, along with the other Greeks he had brought in. Most of them would be leaving soon though, so I really hoped she was going to tell me this was a farewell dinner.
“The bidding is tonight. This year’s legacies go up for auction.”
Dread pooled in my stomach and poison seemed to seep into my blood. I felt lightheaded and sick to my stomach. I couldn’t go to that. I couldn’t be a part of that.
“I thought they were done individually.” My voice sounded desperate. I had heard of auctions before, but I had never been required to go to one. We were only a small faction in this part of the world, and Ana and Eva were the first legacies I knew personally. Obviously, there was the older generation, but they hardly counted since they had long been in the business.
I had never actually seen Nix sell someone’s virginity before.
My mother clasped her hands in front of her and pressed them to her heart. “He is flying in the entire class. With all of the new… revelations, he wants to bring back the old ways.”
My stomach lurched violently. I pressed my lips together to keep from puking all over the floor. “The old ways? As in slave auctions?” My mind went back to every movie I had seen where slaves were sold. Barely dressed women, with hands bound and collars around their necks, would be brought to the auction block while someone called out numbers that equated to money which represented their value as a human being. Utterly awful. “Why do we have to go?”
“Because Nix wants us there.” Her voice had hardened some. This was an obvious answer to her.
“Can we bid?” I asked out of desperation. Ultimately we wouldn’t be able to afford either girl, let alone both, but I had to ask.
“Ivy, what a ridiculous question.” My mother turned on her heel and walked into her bedroom. With a demure click, the door closed… the conversation ended.
I thought about pitching a greater fit. I thought about refusing to go and incurring Nix’s wrath, because it would be worth it. It would be worth it to stand up and say that what he was doing was not right.
This was wrong. In every way.
But I thought about those girls. I thought about Anaxandra and Evaleen and how much they needed support.
They had made some bad decisions since they started their training at eighteen; but they had also been spoiled beyond rotten prior to their adulthood. They didn’t understand what their freedom meant to them or what exactly they were trading it for. And I hadn’t lived through what they had.
I started to believe my mother was a product of self-preservation. After watching Eva and Ana so closely these last few weeks, I started to understand some of the road my mother had traveled and maybe I started to understand some of the reasons why she acted the way she did.
She obeyed Nix because the alternative really was worse.
And if I could give understanding to that evil woman, then I could absolutely excuse some of Ana and Eva’s behavior. They didn’t deserve this. And they shouldn’t be forced to become what our mother’s had become.
The final reason I decided to go was because I hoped I could do something. Maybe I could help them run now. Maybe I could get them out of here before it was too late. Maybe I could save them. They could hide for two more weeks and then we would be able to leave for good together.
Freedom was within our reach, we just had to fight this life a little bit longer.
Feeling empowered by my decisions, I ran to my room to get ready. I showered, dressed and glammed-up in record time. I stood in the kitchen, dressed in a coppery party dress, with a tight bodice and strappy back overlay. My jewelry was varying metallic shades and my shoes spiky black heels. I looked way older than seventeen and would draw more attention to myself tonight than I wanted to, but I also hoped to fly above Nix’s radar. Being in his good grace was the easiest way to carry out my plan and I knew he would appreciate this look.
Even while every single part of me violently rebelled against the idea.
I grabbed a clutch, even though it felt empty without my phone. Still, I had one credit card that had a decent limit on it. Worst case scenario they could buy a couple plane tickets to another big city and then disappear until I could meet up with them again.
It obviously wasn’t an ideal scenario and it would take nothing for Nix to have the card tracked and then follow them.
But it would be something.
Nix knocked on the door and I politely let him in. His eyes traveled over my fresh face, my wavy golden-streaked red hair and down my snuggly displayed body. His dark gaze returned to mine with a devilish smile of appreciation.
“Ivy, you’re breathtaking,” he murmured.
“Thank you,” I forced the choked words out and brushed by him on my way to the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Water,” he answered evenly.
I had hoped to escape him but he followed me into the kitchen and leaned back against the counter while I got him a glass of water. I handed it to him with two fingers, hoping to avoid touching him entirely.
He had other plans. He captured my wrist instead of the glass and held it while he took the water from me and sat it on the counter. Lacing his long fingers through mine, he pulled me against the front of him.
My head spun with panic and my heart threatened to jump from my chest and run away in an effort to save itself.
I tugged on my hand, hoping he would get the hint, but he just held me tighter.
“Don’t ruin the moment, Ivy. You look lovely. I want to appreciate you.” Bile rose in my throat and tears gathered along the lower rim of my eyelashes. “A year from now we will be in Greece. Your home. I have a villa on the island of Naxos. We will go there first. It’s secluded and surrounded by ancient ruins. Temples to me in fact.” He flashed me a cocky grin. “The sea stretches in front of the house for eternity. There is a private beach, and the sun is warm and bright. You will love it there.”
I nodded as words completely escaped me. He watched me carefully and I knew I
had to speak if I wanted to pull off my plans for the night. “But what about Olympus?”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me tightly against him. “I have lived this long and have managed patience. I will not have to wait much longer and I would rather enjoy my time before our lives get messy. You will be the crowning jewel to my collection, Ivy. I will see that you are treated well as long as you continue to obey me and heed my commands.”
I was saved from replying to that when my mother finally exited her room. “Have you been waiting long?” she asked a little breathily.
“Not at all,” Nix answered happily. He finally released me so that he could greet my mother with an affectionate kiss on both cheeks.
God, could this guy be more of a sociopath? Holy hell!
“Shall we go?” I asked anxiously. Both Nix and my mother gave me weird looks and I couldn’t really blame them. This wasn’t exactly my MO. “I want to wish Anaxandra and Evaleen good luck before the bidding starts.”
“They’ll be getting ready.” Nix looked at my mother and then back to me as if I’d grown two heads.
“But can’t I just slip in and give them a quick hug?” I held my hands in front of me in prayer position. “Please?”
Nix thought over my request and gave my mother one more assessing glance before saying, “We’ll see what it’s like when we get there. If everything’s in chaos I don’t want you out of my sight.”
I nodded agreeably and walked to the door. The earlier we got there, the less chaotic it would be. So move your asses people!
The drive there was over quickly and thankfully Nix had ordered a car with a driver, instead of trying to cram me into his infinitesimal backseat again. I willed the driver to open the door quickly, but no matter how many demanding brain waves I sent to him, he took his sweet time walking to my side of the car. And then I had to wait for my mother and Nix to make some kind of grand entrance. I waved politely at everyone milling around the lobby and then tugged on Nix’s tuxedo sleeve.
The Fall (The Siren Series) Page 19
