Page 38 of Love & Power

“It is indeed, but we won’t be staying for long,” she informed me. “Oh, I should warn you, our new friend has a personal bodyguard who rarely leaves her side. I just don’t want you to be caught off guard if he makes an appearance or demands to join us on the plane.”

“Anything else I should know?” I muttered.

“He’s mute, had his tongue cut out years ago by some bastard who thought it would keep him from telling secrets,” Ivy added.

This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

The landing was rough due to how short the runway was, causing the pilot to slow down much faster than normal. There was no way a full-size passenger plane could ever land here, clueing me in that this was a private airstrip. When the plane came to a full stop and the engines were cut, a swarm of men in military uniforms I didn’t recognize surrounded us.

“Ivy…”

“Don’t worry, they know we’re coming. This is for our protection with this being a prison and all,” she said, waving off my worry as the door was unlocked and the steps brought over for us to disembark.

“A what?” I demanded, shooting out of my seat. “Why the fuck are we at a prison?”

Ivy slipped on a jacket she pulled out of a duffle I hadn’t seen her bring on. “Astin, I’m aware you’re used to being the one who’s five steps ahead of everyone, and being in the dark right now is making you lash out. We are here to pick up my friend as I’ve explained. This isn’t a trick. I’m not pulling one over on you, nor do I have any intention of leading you into a trap. All of this will make sense the second you meet her, I promise.”

I looked over at Thad who didn’t seem convinced by Ivy’s words, but he wasn’t telling me not to trust her. Letting out a sigh, I took the sleek black wool coat Ivy offered me as the chill breeze from outside swept through the plane.

“Please don’t make me kill you, Ivy. It would really make me sad to have to do that,” I warned.

She took both my hands in hers and pinned me with her gaze. “There are only four people in the world, including you, who know my real last name and how I lost my family. With that information, you could destroy me and collect the bounty on my head with a snap of your fingers. All I’m asking is for you to trust me enough to collect the final piece you need to win this fight against the founding families. If you can’t manage to do that, then just remember, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

With that, Ivy exited the plane, shoulders back and head held high like she owned this fucking plane. I shook my head, smiling to myself. “Damn, they were right. I am a fucking magnet for trouble. Might as well come back with one hell of a story to tell them.”

Adjusting my jacket and combing my hand through my hair, I slipped my purse over my shoulder and followed after my friend. “Gemma, stay here and make sure no one fucks with my jet,” I ordered.

“Yes, Mistress Raffa,” she answered loud enough for those outside the plane to hear.

Clever, very clever of her to slip that last name in so effortlessly. Gemma might be cut out to be my bodyguard after all.

Thad was right behind me, probably thinking this was a horrible idea, but to his credit, he didn’t argue or try to talk me out of it. Not that I would have listened, which he probably knew. We hadn’t gotten off on the right foot, and I was still adjusting to the idea of not having Boykov with me at all times.

“We need to have you remove all weapons before you can enter the prison,” a soldier announced in a language that was definitely not Nepreeian but Triannen.

Now things were starting to make a little more sense. Trian was known as a harsh country with brutal winters, tough people, and a strict government that tolerated no criminal activity. So much so that anyone caught was given a lifetime sentence and placed in a remote prison—this prison, if I’m not mistaken.

What the hell had Ivy gotten us into?

“I’m sorry, sir, but neither my friend or I will be doing that,” Ivy informed the soldier. “Your warden knows why we are here. In fact, he begged me to come deal with your little problem. Unless you want me to get back on that plane and leave you to deal with The Wolf yourself.”

“If you get killed by your own weapons, it’s not on us,” he muttered before turning on his heel and marching off toward a cinderblock building.

“Cheerful one, that guy,” I said under my breath so only Ivy could hear me.

She smirked and hooked her arm through mine, bumping my shoulder affectionately. “Come on, let’s get this over with before you change your mind and get mad at me again.”

sixteen

We entered through the door the guards opened for us, which landed us in a small cinder block room with a wall of thick metal bars blocking our progression. Only once the door behind us was closed and locked did they roll back the gate, allowing us to walk down a dimly lit hallway.

“Not him.” The head guard said, stopping Thad from following us. “The agreement was two women in, three women out.”

Thad was not pleased with this turn of events. “Like hell, you’re going to keep me from accompanying her.”

The head guard turned to Ivy. “Stick to the agreement or leave. There is no other option.”

I could tell Ivy took issue with the threat, but I cut her off. “He can wait here though, right? Do you have a video feed he can watch to keep track of us?”