Page 33 of Recovering Ivy

“Nice of you to show up.”

I screamed and turned, fumbling with the keys in my hand, praying I didn’t drop them so I’d have something to gouge the man’s eyeballs out with.

“What are you doing here?” My heart was in my throat and my stomach was queasy.

“Waiting for you.”

Once the shock had started to wear off, I was horrified he was in my apartment. It seemed wrong for a man like him to sit on a raggedy couch I got from goodwill for fifty dollars. He was too good to have the second-hand fabric near his skin.

“Ivy?”

“How did you get in my apartment? And why are you waiting for me?”

It was his turn to look at me like I was the one out of place.

“Zane?” I snapped the same way he had at me.

“Where have you been?”

What the hell was his problem?

“No way. I don’t have to explain myself to you. But you need to tell me how you got in my house.”

“I broke in.”

“You broke in?” I screeched. Yes, I screeched. The nerve of this man.

“Technically, I didn’t. Leo did. But he picked your lock under my orders. And just to say, not that it matters for you anymore, but your locks are shit.”

“What? Why doesn’t it matter to me?” I crossed my arms over my chest. I was sick and tired of Zane’s word games.

“Because you no longer live here.”

“Get out,” I demanded. And because I had enough, I told him just that. “I’ve had enough of your bossy bullshit. You may be able to bark commands at your men and they follow blindly, but I’m not one of them. And you may be used to the women you’ve been with to bow down to the Almighty Zane and your amazing dick, but I’m not one of them either.”

“Amazing dick?” His lips twitched, but he remained seated.

“Are you hard of hearing? Get out of my house.”

“My hearing is just fine. I’m ignoring you. We’re leaving in ten minutes. I’ve been sitting my ass here for two hours waiting on you. I’m starving.”

“Two hours?”

“Yes. Ivy. Two fucking hours. Now pack your shit.”

“Sorry, friend, you have me confused with someone else. I’m not going anywhere with you. Oh, and I’m sorry you fired Donna because you’re out of a receptionist, too. Now leave. I’m done with this bullshit. You have me so on edge I thought someone was following me around the mall. And when I got home, I ran up two flights of stairs. You have my head so jacked around I’m scaring myself.”

“Wait. You went to the goddamned mall? You’re obviously not scared enough, you take your happy ass to the fucking mall and prance around without protection.”

He was sidetracking me. I didn’t want to talk about the mall, or protection. I wanted him to leave.

“I’m not in any danger. This has gone far enough. Now leave.”

“You sure as fuck are. Forester knows about you,” he continued to argue.

“Of course he does. I work for the man.”

This was fast becoming insane.