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Ivy steps out of the shadows and into the light. She looks gorgeous. Always does. And it’s not because of the dress, which I’ve seen, although there seem to have been some minor edits and the train is now missing entirely, leaving only the very colorful and fluffy skirt which ends above her knees. It’s not the way her naturally brunette hair has been pinned and curled simply to one side.
It’s the emotion in her gaze that stays locked on mine. Until she’s standing before me and her hands are in mine.
She blinks to clear the sheen forming in her eyes as she smiles up at me.
I smile back. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Adira opens the folder and clears his throat. “We’re gathered—"
A commotion from the front of the penthouse cuts through the moment. “We’re here for Rogue Maddox. We have a warrant.”
“What?” Ivy’s eyes grow round as cops march into the living room.
Jackson trails behind them, his jaw bulging with anger. “Sorry, Mr. Maddox.”
“That’s okay.” He can’t interfere in police business and I wouldn’t want him to.
“What the hell?” Rebel stalks toward the two officers.
“Are you Rogue Maddox?” one of them asks him.
Ivy tugs on my sleeve. “Nicole…”
“Do I look like Rogue Maddox ?” he snarls, but if the look of uncertainty on their faces is anything to go by, it will buy me a few precious seconds.
I clasp her face with one hand. It hurts my heart that our wedding is ruined. “It’s probably about the man in that video she’s been sending you. That’s all.”
“You never did tell me why you hit him.” She covers my hand with hers. There’s only love in her touch. She doesn’t fear me. She knows me too well.
“The morning I had to leave you in the hospital…this guy came up to me and started saying things about you that I was not prepared to deal with at the time and I lashed out. I shouldn’t have, but I did.”
“Was it bad?”
“I hit him a couple times.” It’s no secret. She saw the video evidence of me doing just that. “But he walked away.”
“Rogue Maddox, please put your hands up where we can see them and turn around.” One of the officers flashes his badge at me once they’ve used social media to visually confirm which twin is which.
“You were provoked,” she says. “Nicole set this up, didn’t she?”
“We think so.” I take a step back and raise my hands as I turn my back to the cops. “But it’s going to be okay. My lawyer will handle it.”
It was so stupid to lose my cool like that. My inability to be levelheaded when I’m emotional was why Rebel didn’t want me involved when he found out Ivy was Alec’s sister. He knew how I’d react. He knows what I’m capable of.
“This is it, baby. This is Nicole’s attempt to destroy what we have. But she’s failed because you know that’s what it is. You’re not scared of me. And we can fight this.”
We might even be able to pay the guy to go away. And then Nicole will have nothing left in her arsenal.
Ivy cries out as one of the cops forces me to my knees. “Don’t hurt him.”
Summer has a two-handed grip on my twin and Adira has clamped a hand on my baby brother’s shoulder, keeping him from trying to get involved. Riot’s fists are bunched so tight that his knuckles are white.
“It’s okay. They’re just doing their job,” I say to Ivy, but also in warning to my brothers.
My knees throb from the hard landing. We knew this could happen. It was only a matter of time. “Don’t get in the way. Don’t make it worse. And call Jason.”
Rebel pulls out his phone and starts talking into it rapid fire. No doubt filling Jason in on everything that is occurring.
