to kill me when she finds out I’ve kept you from her.”
Ivy grimaces. “Yeah, I’d rip that Band-Aid off very delicately if I were you.”
Groaning, I run my fingers through my hair. “I can’t, not yet. She doesn’t trust me.”
Ivy leans forward on the table. “Have you given her a reason to?”
“I kept her from slavery. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“Geez, man, you understand nothing about women, do you!” Ivy chuckles. “Okay, so you know about our parents, she’s obviously told you. That story would have been super hard for her to open up about. She shared something deep and honest about herself… did you open up to her about you?”
“I left the room. Told her I’d sleep somewhere else.”
She flops back in her chair excessively with a long drawn-out groan. “You’re an asshole… poor Eva! She bares her soul, and you screw her over. That was your chance right there. You needed to show trust back to her, open up with something about your life, Nycto. Men are so fucking dense. No wonder she doesn’t trust you when you do something as ridiculous as that. Fucking hell.”
My eyes widen as I stand. “I… ahh, shit! I didn’t think leaving was that big of a deal? I was giving her space to deal with her grief.”
“Estúpido . You damn idiot! She was opening up to you, wanting to find a common thread. Instead, she opened herself up, then you got out of there as fast as you could and told her you wouldn’t be back. Basically, you told her she’s not good enough, that her story freaked you out.”
I lean against the table. “I froze, so I left. Now, though, I see where you’re coming from. She’ll be thinking… well, fuck me… who knows what she’s thinking. Probably that I gave up on her after she opened up to me. Fuck!”
“Nycto, you need to go back to her and apologize. Open up, give her something if you want her to trust you. Hell, you don’t have to tell her your credit card number, but just something to make her feel like she isn’t alone. If you can’t, then please, let me go see her. I need to make sure she’s okay.”
Tilting my head, I assess Ivy’s wrists. There’s no sign of aggravation on her skin from her handcuffs. She hasn’t made any attempt to get out. I don’t get her at all.
“Ivy, you haven’t even tried to get out of your restraints. Why?”
She glances down at the cuff attached to the chain, which is then linked to the pole that circles the wall around the room. She shrugs. “Because I have nowhere to go. Eva’s here, but not only that, everyone has been welcoming. I might be being held like a prisoner, but in no way do I feel like one. I just wish I could meet a few more people. Some other females, maybe?”
“You like it here?”
She takes in her cell, then shrugs. “It’s comfortable. I’m at ease. I just hope Eva’s not too stressed out. What with you giving her mixed signals, I’m sure she’s going out of her damn mind. And, Nycto, that doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I’ll send down someone to occupy your time other than Void. Some girl-time. Thanks for the advice with Eva. Though, I’m in way over my head.”
“You’ve got that right. The moment you lied to her about me being here was your first mistake. Then walking out on her after she opened up to you was another. Try to stop making them, Nycto.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn, heading for the stairs. “Keep your attitude in check. Just because you think you’re a houseguest, doesn’t mean I won’t throw you into the sea wearing concrete boots if you annoy me.”
She chuckles. The bitch actually chuckles. “I believe you, but you’ll never do it. Eva will never forgive you!”
I take the stairs two at a time to get away from the brat. She might be getting on my nerves, but she has a way about her that’s growing on me. I like her. She’s the right kind of person for this club. A little bit of attitude, a hell of a lot of balls.
Her sister, on the other hand, I haven’t quite worked out how she’s going to fit into this whole mess. She’s highly strung, but that’s my fault. I haven’t given her the opportunity to relax, to unwind. She’s been cooped up in a room with no windows since she got