with accusation behind it.
It can’t matter.
I am who I’ve always been.
It was stupid of me to think I could change for anyone.
Thankfully, Tanner doesn’t delay the inevitable any longer, his mind spinning back to the matter at hand, the problem that needs to be solved so everybody can move on with their lives and deal with this.
“You said you have something that can help us, Ivy. Or more importantly at this point, help you with what’s happened.”
Slapping a tear away, Ivy grits her teeth, a muscle jumping in her jaw before she nods and silently digs in her bag to pull out a stack of paperwork and an unsealed manila envelope.
“I found this,” she says weakly, but rather than explaining what this is, she hands it over to Tanner.
Confusion tugs his brows together at her behavior, his eyes cutting my way again.
I say nothing, just swallow down more of my drink and wait to see what she gave him.
Stepping back, he leans against a wall opposite where everybody sits and reads the label on the envelope.
“Where the hell did you get this? Did you see what it is?”
Another nod. “It’s exactly why I grabbed it out of my father’s safe in his office. As soon as I saw the name, I realized you’ll need it. And if it’s enough to keep my father from whatever it is he plans to do to me, even better.”
Tanner tucks the papers beneath his arm, but holds the envelope carefully. His eyes flick up to Luca and back down, his jaw tight before saying, “I’m not the one who should open this.”
Intrigued by that, I watch him step across the room and hand the envelope to Luca. Her eyes lift to him, confusion obvious in her expression.
Slowly, she reaches up to take it from him, and when she looks at the label, raw pain widens her eyes as her hand flies up to cover her mouth.
Without saying a word, Luca stands up and walks from the room, tears leaking down her cheeks.
Tanner follows after her, his voice edged dangerously when he says, “Give us a minute.”
I immediately glance at Ivy, but her head is down, her blond hair a curtain shielding her face. It drives me fucking mad to see her that way, but I fight the urge to walk to her and rip her up from the couch so I can scream at her for what she’s done.
All I can see in my head are the damn bruises on her cheeks, the damage my role in her life has caused. Why the fuck would she even want me around when all I’ve done is abuse her?
Just like I was abused.
I took the spoiled princess and broke her just as efficiently as my father broke me.
The only difference is she’d chosen to let me do it.
What the fuck is wrong with her?
My nostrils flare on a heavy breath, and I slide my gaze to where Damon and Ezra sit separately. Between them, Sawyer, Mason and Jase are on edge, everybody noticing how the twins continue to glare at each other.
Fucking hell. Maybe the only way to fix all of this is to kick both Ivy and Emily out of our lives so we don’t self-destruct.
The bottom of my glass clicks softly against the wet bar, and I’m getting close to finishing off the bottle when Tanner and Luca return. Luca’s eyes are puffy and red, and Tanner looks like he’s about to murder someone.
I feel like Brad Pitt in the movie Se7en, waiting in that damn field for Morgan Freeman to tell me how I’m fucked. But I stay quiet because I’m sure they’ll come out with it eventually and tell us what was in the envelope.
Removing a flash drive from the envelope, Tanner tosses it to Taylor. “Take a look at what’s on there.” He turns to Ivy, “Do you have any idea how your father ended up with that?”
Ivy shakes her head, but all I can see is her hair. My hand tightens around my glass, my jaw clenching at her silence, but I say nothing.
It’s what’s best for her.
All eyes are on Taylor as he pulls his computer from his bag to open on his lap, his eyes scanning the logo written across the flash drive, a low whistle blowing over his lips.
After pressing a few buttons, Taylor clicks it into the side of his computer, the screen lighting up to reflect against his glasses.
“It’s encrypted,” he finally explains, his eyes