Chapter 61: Ivy’s desperation

Ivy’s pov

The rattling silence in Roman’s car was thick and suffocating, like a rug was draped over my face.

He had pulled up to the curb, right in front of the crumbling, graffiti-covered building I had pointed to as my ’home.’

Some guys were hollering against the wall, playing cards or something. Even I didn’t want to step out, but after the whirlwind of emotions I already experienced today, I just wanted to go home.

My hand shot up to rub my neck. Getting tranquilized was definitely not on my 2026 Bingo card, but here we were.

"Okay, then," I mumbled, my hand already on the door handle of his Maserati, ready to escape into the afternoon and back to my real life. "Thanks for the ride."

"Not so fast, Vivi,"

His voice was a soft, warm rumble, a stark contrast to the grimness outside my window. His hand shot out, grabbing my hand gently. His thumb stroked over my knuckles, a small, soothing gesture that made my heart ache.

"I’m sorry about Irene." his hazel eyes skimmed over my face, brimming with guilt. "She’s... a lot. A handful and a half."

"She’s your sister?" The word felt foreign on my tongue.

The violent, possessive, secret-keeping Knights had a sister? A bubbly, Loro Piana-wearing, ball of energy who called them by nicknames and dragged them out of closets?

Roman chuckled, a low, honey-like sound. "Yes, she practically is. Has been since she was twenty." He squeezed my hand gently. "Are you okay, Vivi? After... everything?"

"Yep, just peachy. I found some battered man, got stabbed in the neck with a tranquilizer-" He winced when I said that, but I continued. "And I got threatened by your big bad brother."

"Don’t listen to G," he murmured, leaning closer. The warm, clean scent of cinnamon and lavender filled my senses.

"He’s all bark. He was just making sure you understand the situation. As long as you keep what you saw to yourself, you’re safe. I swear it. We would never hurt you."

My eyes flickered to his, searching for the truth. "Was it you? The man in the room... was it you who did that to him?"

His eyes crinkled at the corners. "It was."

"Well, that was honest."

He hummed, leaning closer until his face was mere inches away from mine. "I don’t want to lie to you. You’re pretty smart; I know you know it was me, and trust me when I say he deserved it, Vivi. He shot Kai. He was there to kill him. I had to find out who sent him."

The look on his face was chilling. His eyes were still the same bright, cheerful hazel, but his words were as hard as pure steel.

"Did you?" The words barely managed to squeeze out of my tight throat. "Find out who sent him?"

He let out a soft sigh, his free hand coming up to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. His fingers lingered on my cheek.

"What would I have to do," he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, intimate rasp, "to get that fear out of your eyes? I hate it. I would never, ever hurt you."

"Even if you think I’m a traitor?"

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. He leaned in, closing the small distance between us, and pressed a soft, warm kiss to my forehead.

"Especially then," he whispered against my skin. "Because I would know it wasn’t true."

My chest squeezed in guilt, and it suddenly felt a little too hard to breathe. Did it count as being a traitor if all I did was spy? It wasn’t like I was there to kill them!

And what about Milo? It was getting more and more obvious they had no idea what Milo had been up to, and they all trusted him. He was their best friend.

They had a snake right between them, ready to strike, and they were completely blind. A fierce, protective urge surged through me, and I immediately shoved it down, my conscience screaming hypocrite.

Roman sighed, his gaze shifting from my face to the decaying building outside the tinted windows.

"I can’t stand this, Vivi. I can’t stand the thought of you here. In this... wretched place." He turned back to me, his hazel eyes pleading. "Please. Let me get you a better apartment. Somewhere safe."

A weak, watery laugh escaped my lips. "The apartment comes with strings attached to you, Roman."

He beamed, skimming the bridge of his nose over my cheek while my traitorous body stirred excitedly. He leaned in even closer, his voice a low, teasing murmur.

"The strings are already there, Vivi. They’re attached between us. You might as well get a better apartment in the mix."

"If you want me to keep working for you, you should really stop bringing up my apartment," I said, trying for a firm tone, but it came out breathless. "I’m fine where I am."

"I can’t help it," he murmured, running his nose down before covering my lips with his in a sweet and intoxicating kiss.

His mouth was soft and warm, coaxing mine open with a gentle pressure. When I tried to pull back, overwhelmed, he followed me, his mouth slanting over mine, hungry now.

"More, Vivi, open up for me,"

A low moan escaped him as his tongue delved deeper, tasting me, and my entire body lit up in response as I melted against him. My hands shot out to grip his shirt, hanging on to him while he thrust his tongue against mine in a slow erotic dance.

He pulled away, leaving me panting, his hot breath hitting my face while his forehead rested against mine.

"Will you come in to work tomorrow?"

"We’ll see," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs as I finally left the car.

I waited for him to drive off, then flagged down a cab to Kingsley and Co. It was barely three in the afternoon; I had a gazillion things to do. Pamela wasn’t at the reception desk when I arrived.

Thank goodness, the last thing I needed was to see her face right now, playing the pity party when she was actively sleeping with the asshole I was shackled to, to my face.

Once I was settled in the office, I paced around wondering what the hell to do about Milo. I would rather eat dirt than work with that snake; it was sickening. To think I thought he was actually a good guy.

I tapped the phone, my index finger finding its way between my teeth as I bit down on the nail. I couldn’t just play along, and yet I couldn’t expose him without exposing myself. But what was the alternative?

An idea dropped into my head. If Milo thought he could blackmail me, he just barked up the wrong tree.