Page 78 of Recovering Ivy

“She’s not here.”

“Did you hear me? 95 split,” he repeated.

“She’s not fucking here.”

“She’s headed south.” Tex’s tone was even and matter-of-fact.

“Someone is going to die,” I spit out.

Fear mingled with anger and the panic melted away to a white-hot rage I’d never felt before. A deep burning in my soul. I didn’t care what the consequences were or if there were repercussions for my actions, someone was going to bleed. Fuck rivers of blood, there would be oceans. And any man who stood in my way would suffer the same fate.

“Zane!” Lincoln hollered from the mangled mess of smashed-up metal. “Brother?” he tried again.

“Fuck!” I roared.

I would find Ivy. If it’s the last act I carry out on this earth, I would find her.

28

Ivy

“Not so high and mighty now, are you?”

“Huh?” My head was throbbing, and my vision was blurred. I tried to sit up but thought better of it as a wave of nausea hit me. I turned my head in time to throw up over the side of the bed.

Once the contents of my stomach were emptied onto the floor, I looked around the unfamiliar room.

“Such a fucking lightweight,” my mother said with such disgust I flinched.

“Where are we?”

“I’m taking you home where you belong.”

Fear was the only emotion I could summon. My brain was fuzzy and my body lazy. I was too tired to move. I knew I needed to get up and find a way to run, but I couldn’t. Instead, I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me.

Loud yelling pulled me from my sleep, but I still couldn’t get my limbs to cooperate. I had no idea how long I’d slept. It could’ve been minutes or days for all I knew. The tiny crack in the curtains told me it was dark outside, but other than that, I knew nothing.

“What the fuck, Sarah? What do you want me to do with her?” a man yelled.

“Sell her.”

“And how am I supposed to do that when the bitch can’t even handle a little benzo?” The man’s impatience was increasing.

“She’ll cost you less than the others in the long run. She’s clean. No tolerance yet, but you won’t even have to start giving her the good stuff for a while. How many other bitches do you have in your stable that aren’t feins?”

I wanted to protest. Beg them not to give me anything more. However, as desperately as I tried, no words would come out. “Besides, I gave her enough to knock out a horse. Lower the dose and she’ll be compliant. What’s wrong with you, Lance? I’m offering you fresh pussy and you’re complaining.”

“This shit is low, even for you. Selling Joey to Forester was pretty jacked. But Ivy? Your own flesh and blood? Bitch, you got no soul.”

This couldn’t be happening.

I fought so hard to get away from her. From this life. It was all for nothing.

“I don’t need a lecture from the man who left me his kid and is a fucking pimp. Do you want her or not?”

“I’m not giving you more than ten grand for her. She’s gonna be a pain in my fucking ass. I won’t be able to have her turn a trick for at least six months. Not that my men will mind breaking her ass in, but she’s gonna cost me money.”

“You said fifteen,” my mother argued, trying to haggle a better price for her only child.