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Fuck that. “I’m not sitting, Bethany. I just want you to tell me what you have against me being with Ivy.”
Her eyes turned cold, shocking me again. It was a slap in the face, but it was nothing compared to what was coming. “I always sensed the danger in you, always worried that Margreet wouldn’t be able to stop you from becoming who your father’s genes had destined you to be. I’d hoped the love we gave you would be enough, but it wasn’t. I can see that now. I can see that motorcycle club is no good for you, and that the evil there is infecting Ivy, too.” She crossed her arms and straightened in a rigid stance. “I won’t allow you to drag my daughter down with you into that cesspool of sin you’ve chosen to be a part of.”
Her words sliced through me.
Painful.
They were like acid burning me.
Cruelty really was the currency I dealt in, though, so my mind and every muscle in my body fell into line and prepared for war. I was like a well-oiled machine moving into preservation mode in a cold and calculating way.
Ivy had always been Bethany’s favourite foster child. The others had come and gone, but Ivy had stayed until she was an adult. Ivy was the only one who thought of Bethany as a mother. They were close as fuck, and while I’d always respected that, Bethany had to understand and support Ivy’s choice to make a family with me.
Ice laced my words when I spoke next. “Ivy has made her choice, and you need to respect that choice in the same way she has always respected your choices and decisions.”
She dropped her arms to her side, her body stiff and defensive. “I don’t have to do anything, Zachary. I certainly don’t take directions from you.”
I clenched my jaw. “No, but Ivy does.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh I see, you’ve turned into one of those men now. The kind who like to control and order their women around.” Contempt crept into her tone when she added, “I should have known that would happen.”
I wasn’t that kind of man and never would be, but this was combat, and I wasn’t above using whatever method I needed to win. “Ivy loves me, Bethany. She has for a good eleven years, and it’s the kind of love that not even a mother can come between. You wanna try, be ready for me to unleash a holy fucking war on you.”
My entire fucking body strained as violent anger raged through me. I would claw and tear and smash my way into getting what I wanted before I’d ever walk away from Ivy.
Bethany’s nostrils flared as she took a step closer to me. “You can threaten me all you like. I’m not scared of you. I will fight for my daughter until the end because that’s what a mother does. Now, I want you to turn around, leave my house and never come back. And get ready for your war.”
I watched her for one more tense moment before leaving. That would have been the end of it for today, but it turned out we had one more round left in us.
Ivy flew through the front door just as I reached for the handle. Her wild eyes met mine. One look and she knew the situation had escalated. “Oh God, what did you do, King?”
I ignored the panic in her voice and wrapped my hand around her arm. “I took care of shit, and we’re leaving now.” My voice was hard, my position unyielding.
“Ivy,” Bethany called out, coming into view as she made her way down the hallway to where we were.
Ivy pulled out of my hold. “What’s happened?” It was a plea, but deep down she had to know what had happened. I wasn’t the kind of man to retreat, and her mother wasn’t the kind of woman to abandon her child.
“Your fiancé has made it clear he won’t be walking away from you, Ivy. I’m disappointed because I’d hoped my sister had raised a man who would choose to do the right thing, but it seems she failed—”
I turned on her, my chest exploding with fury and fire. How fucking dare she utter a bad word about my mother? Drawing close, I loomed over her, glaring down with daggers, and warned, “I would be very careful if I were you, Bethany. Do not drag Margreet into this. Say whatever the fuck you want about me, but you will never speak badly of her.”
Her earlier declaration that she wasn’t scared of me proved incorrect. She flinched and took a step away from me.
“King! Can we please calm down and talk this out?” Ivy begged me with her words and her body, but I was past talking. Her mother had been crystal fucking clear in what she wanted, and no amount of talking would change this situation. The only thing that would make her happy was Ivy walking away from me, and I would make fucking sure that never happened.
My eyes bored into Ivy’s as I issued my final command. “I’m leaving, and you’re coming with me.”
She stared at me with shock. She knew what I meant. Make a choice now. Your mother or me.
Swallowing hard, she gave her mother one last pleading look. When Bethany wrapped her arms around her body and refused to budge, Ivy’s face crumpled, and a tear slid down her face. More came, but that was after she took my hand and exited her mother’s home.
The worst kind of betrayal comes from those you love.
I’d opened myself up to Bethany and allowed her to rip a piece of my heart out when she decided I wasn’t good enough for her.
I was tired of learning my lessons.
There would be no more pieces of my heart shr
