8. Ivy – Under the MC’s Protection
EIGHT
IVY – UNDER THE MC’S PROTECTION
Ivy
My eyes flutter open to a dimly lit room. Only the lamp on the side table is on, casting soft shadows across the walls. A dull ache pulses in my head as I blink several times, taking in my unfamiliar surroundings. My chest tightens as unease spirals through me.
“You’re safe,” a deep voice rumbles beside me, making me stiffen.
I turn slowly, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, and see Jett sitting on the far side of the bed, his back resting against the wall.
Memories start to flood back in vivid flashes, like a movie I can’t turn off. I sit up abruptly, gasping. “Where’s Sammy?” Panic grips me, making it hard to breathe. “Is she okay?”
“Sammy’s fine,” he says softly, his tone calm and steady. “One of my trusted brothers is watching the house she’s staying at, just in case.”
I freeze. “How do you know where she’s staying?” My voice wavers. What if he got the wrong house?
“She’s with the woman across the road.”
I glance down at my hands, which are clenched tightly in my lap. I don’t ask how he knows. I’m relieved that Sammy is safe.
Then, a new thought strikes me. “Are you hurt?” I blurt, my words spilling out anxiously. I scan his face and then his body, searching for any signs of injury. He looks unharmed, but he has furrowed brows and an odd expression.
He shifts to stand. “No, I’m not. I’ll get Milly.”
“No, wait.” I grab his hand without thinking. He flinches, and I instantly pull back. “Why don’t you like being touched?” I ask before I can stop myself. Seeing him recoil at even the smallest gesture of affection tugs painfully at my heart.
His gaze darkens, a pained expression flashing across his face. “I don’t...” He shakes his head, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. “I’m not worthy.”
A lump forms in my throat. I search his eyes, wondering what could’ve happened to make him think of himself that way. I shift closer and wrap my arm around him, pulling him into a hug. “Yes, you are,” I murmur, hoping my words can somehow erase his doubt. His body remains tense in my arms.
It hurts to see him like this, but I inch back, giving him space. “Where are the men who broke into my house?”
He clicks his tongue, the slightest smirk at the corner of his lips. “Don’t you worry about them,” he replies wickedly.
His face is unreadable. A chill runs through me. “What do you mean by that? Will they come after me again?”
“Nope,” he says drawing the word out and sounding thoroughly amused by his answer.
I press him further. “Are you sure Sammy is okay?”
“Yes,” he says, his voice confident and unwavering.
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to get up. Before I can stand, his hand closes firmly around my wrist. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t say here...” I look around the empty room. Wherever here is. “I must get back to Sammy.” I need to see her with my own two eyes.
He juts out his chin. “Milly wants to see you. You can stay the night here at the clubhouse and I’ll take you home first thing tomorrow.”
I suck in a breath. “Clubhouse? You brought me to your clubhouse.” My voice rises slightly in disbelief. “Why?”
“We have cleaners at your house cleaning up the... mess .” The men must have toppled furniture over and gone through my things to find money. Jett’s right—I don’t want to return to that. A little voice inside my head questions whether there’s more to it than that.
Jett pulls his phone from his pocket and starts typing. I take a moment to consider my options. I’m at Milly’s brother’s clubhouse. I trust her, and I’m with Jett. I know he’ll protect me. He hasn’t given me any doubts about trusting him. I visually inspect the room. It’s barebones. One king-sized bed in the center of the room against the back wall. White walls. No personal belongings. Just a wardrobe and some side tables with origami birds on them. “Whose bedroom is this?” I ask.
He pauses. “Mine.”
I frown.
There’s a knock on his bedroom door. “Come in,” he says.
Milly walks in with a glass of water and a frown on her pretty face. “How are you feeling?”
“There’s a dull ache in my head.” I touch my nose and flinch. It doesn’t feel broken. “My face is tender.”
“That’s to be expected. Here,” she says, passing me the glass of water and a painkiller. I swallow it down.
“As you know, the swelling can take five to seven days to go down, and the bruising can take ten to fourteen days to fade.”
I briefly close my eyes. I have only three days left before going back to work again. The hospital will not want me there while there’s bruising, especially in the ICU. It will unsettle the patients and their visitors.
I let out a heavy sigh. I just started, and I need the money. The fact I’ll unlikely be able to hide the bruises with makeup and from Sammy makes a fire burn through me. “What cowards,” I hiss. “Grabbing me by my hair and punching me in the face.”
Jett goes rigid beside me. I peek down to see him clenching his fist.
“Richard is the one to blame. He told them I had the money, even though I didn’t. How could he?” That anger ignites into a blaze. Horror widens my eyes. “What if Sammy was there?” I stutter out. My stomach drops. I wouldn’t survive if I lost her.
Milly frowns and leans down, pulling me into an embrace. When she inches back, she says, “Demon got there. Sammy is safe, and those men won’t be coming back anytime soon.”
Jett snorts. “They won’t be coming back at all .”
I blow out a deep breath, exhaustion slowly creeping in.
“Are you okay staying here, or would you like to come back and stay at my house?” Milly asks.
I feel safe with Jett. “It’s okay. I’ll stay here and leave early tomorrow morning.”
“You have my number in your phone. If you ever need me, just call.”
My heart warms. “Thank you.” I’ve known these people for only a short time, but they care. It’s nice not to have to do it alone and be the strong one all the time. To know these kind people have my back.
“Can you get her some clothes?” asks Jett, looking at Milly.
“Why?” I ask.
His eyes flick to me then to the top of my dress, which is stained with drops of blood.
“I sure will,” Milly replies. “You appear to be Elena’s size, so I’ll check with her.”
“Thanks again,” I say, hating to be a bother.
Milly smiles, then leaves.
“Do you want some dinner?” Jett asks. “They left a plate for you.”
“That’s so sweet but... I can’t eat anything right now.”
He gives me a small nod.
“I got something for you while I was out earlier.” Jett stands and goes to his wardrobe, bends down and pulls out a black bag. He comes back over to the bed and shuffles through the bag. I peer over curious. He grabs a handful of things and places them on the bed in front of me. I stare at them wide-eyed.
He points at a long, black keychain, a silver pen, a black key, a ring, and a hairbrush. “They are all disguised as knives.” He pulls the back off the pen, showing me the knife underneath. I gulp. He points to another keychain. “Pepper spray.” Then to two black cylinder-shaped objects. “Stun gun and safety alarm.” Then he points to the last object, a silver ring, with a hook-like edge at the top. “Self-defense ring.”
I’m speechless. I just stare.
“They’re for you,” he reiterates, studying me.
“I don’t need all of them.” I admit some of them are a good idea. I pull out the black key with the hidden knife, the pepper spray, and the safety alarm. I grasp the cold silver ring, looking at its design. As I glide it onto my middle finger, sadness swirls through me. It shouldn’t have come to this. I shouldn’t be choosing self-defense weapons. I should feel safe, but Richard took that from me. I’ll never forgive him for what he’s done.
I solemnly place the items on the side table as Jett takes the rest of the objects, returns them to the bag, and puts the bag back into the wardrobe.
“What’s the time?” I ask.
“Eight thirty.”
My shoulders fall. “I can’t believe Richard did this to me. I want to strangle him myself. What if they send more men after me to get the money?”
He briefly shakes his head. “It won’t matter.”
I huff. “What do you mean it won’t matter?”
He sits up straighter. “They won’t be able to touch you or your daughter. I’ll protect you.” His eyes are intense. “The MC has agreed to help protect you too.”
A little bit of relief shines through the darkness. “Oh...” Tears line my eyes. “They don’t know me and they’re willing to protect me. They don’t even know who they’re up against.”
“I was already protecting you, but they offered too.” He looks away as if lost in thought. “Our club protects women and children. We help with Bomber’s wife’s—Zara’s—charity, which is a safe haven for women and children going through domestic violence or who are struggling.”
And just like that, any doubt about the club vanished and all that remained was awe. They aren’t like any other motorcycle club I’ve ever heard of.
“Do you need anything?”
“No... thanks,” I reply. He’s already done so much.
There’s a knock on the door, then Milly pokes her head in. She peers at Jett. “Can I speak to Ivy for a moment?”
He lifts his chin, and I watch him leave. I hope he doesn’t go far away.
Milly walks in and places a casual black dress on the edge of the bed. “Are you sure you want to stay here?” She cringes. “In Demon’s bedroom?”
“Yes,” I reply with no hesitation. “I feel safe when I’m with him.”
She pauses and peers at the ground. “My brother said you’d be okay too, but I just wanted to check.” She sits on the bed next to me. “You know Demon’s not like the other men, right?”
“He tells me himself he’s a monster,” I counter. “All I’ve seen is a selfless, protective man who wears his demons like a patch of honor. He’s unapologetically himself, and it’s a breath of fresh air. He won’t even touch me because he thinks he’s not worthy.”
She stares wide-eyed.
I give her a sad smile. “I appreciate the concern, but there’s no need. Jett won’t let anything happen to me.”
Her face softens. “You really like him.”
“I do.” I didn’t realize how much until now, and the idea of liking someone is a little scary.
“As long as you’re okay. You have my number. The men who live here in the clubhouse are all friendly, and the woman are just amazing. You’ll get along with them really well.”
“From the sound of the charity they help, they sound like great people.”
Her face lights up. “I’m so proud of them. If anyone in the community needed help, they would assist, no questions asked. It’s the type of people they are.”
“Jett said the MC offered to protect me.”
“I’m not surprised at all. If you’re important to Demon, you’re important to all of us. We’re a family. Anyway, I’ll let you be with Demon, and I’ll chat to you soon.” She leaves.
I hear distant chatter outside, then Jett walks in. My shoulders fall an inch in relief. I stand up and step toward the dress. I slip off my blood-stained dress, grab the new dress, and pull it on. I’m not shy about my body, but I turn away so he doesn’t see the pudgy belly I developed from my pregnancy. I peek at Jett to see if there’s any indication he’s interested in my body. The heat in his eyes makes me internally bounce up and down with joy. He is attracted to me . He makes it so hard to tell sometimes.
I pull the sheets back and get into bed. He lies down but stays on top of the blanket.
“Can you stay with me tonight?” I ask, needing him to be close to me.
He stares elsewhere, at the wall, but nods.
“I just want today to be over with so I can go home to Sammy.” The idea of going back into that house makes me queasy. Jett sounds confident everything will be okay. I just hope he’s right.
“Go to sleep,” he says softly. “This is the safest place you can be.”
* * *
I crashed last night and wake to a light-filled room. Demon is perched on top of the blanket, the same place I saw him before I fell asleep. “What’s the time?” I ask sleepily.
“Ten past seven.”
I sit up, pull the blanket off me, and stand. There’s an ache in my head from the sudden movement. “I’d better get going.”
He stands, then takes his motorcycle vest from the side table and puts his arms through the loops, which lifts his shirt slightly. His jeans hang low on his hips, giving me a glimpse of more of his tattoos. I see splashes of black and red, like on his neck, making me wonder how big that tattoo actually is. He grabs the black bag and looks over his shoulder. “Don’t forget your self-defense things.”
“Oh,” I walk over and grab them. He opens the bag wide, so I put them inside.
He opens his bedroom door, and I follow him out. It’s quiet. Many doors lead off the hallway, which I suspect are other bedrooms. When we reach the stairs, I see the clubhouse is large and open plan. There’s a lot of wood—wooden floorboards, exposed wooden beams on the roof, and a wooden bar. As we walk down, the large entertainment area with a pool table and dart board becomes visible.
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I ask, “Is Elena awake? I’d like to thank her for the dress.”
He tilts his head toward the back of the house. I follow him until we reach the kitchen. Two women are standing over the stove top, one with long blond hair, the other with auburn. They glance our way, and both sets of eyes widen as their eyes dart between us. They give me a friendly smile.
“My name’s Ivy.”
The one with auburn hair responds, “I’m Ava.” She tilts her head briefly toward the woman beside her. “And this is my sister, Elena.”
“Thanks for the dress,” I tell Elena, offering a grateful smile. “I’ll wash it and bring it back.”
She waves me off. “Not a problem at all. It’s nice to put a face to the name.”
“Would you like some breakfast?” Ava asks, pulling my attention back to her. “It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I need to get back to my daughter.”
I say my goodbyes, and Jett and I make our way out through the house. Stepping off the porch, I glance up, taking in the clubhouse. It resembles a large farmhouse—massive and imposing. The MC sits on sprawling acreage, mostly flat land bordered by a line of trees along the fence. I inhale deeply, the fresh, crisp scent of the forest settling over me. “It’s beautiful here,” I murmur. I get a grunt from Jett in response.
We make our way to the shed, where motorcycles are lined up alongside a truck. “We’re taking the truck,” Jett says, disappearing to the back of the shed. I climb into the passenger seat, and he returns a moment later carrying a folded ladder, which he tosses into the truck bed before joining me.
Fear churns in my stomach as we drive to my house, my thoughts spiraling uncontrollably. Did Sammy call me? Did she need me last night? I don’t have my phone on me, and the uncertainty is suffocating. When we pull into the driveway, my eyes dart to Sandra’s house. Sure enough, there’s a van parked outside.
“I’ll be right back,” Jett says. He gets out of the truck and jogs over to the van. The door opens and a younger-looking man with a thick head of hair steps out and stretches. The poor guy looks like he slept there overnight. I frown. He must have been so uncomfortable, and he did that for Sammy and me.
Jett and the man chat while I get out of the truck and go to the front door of my home. I look at it. It seems to be back on its hinges. I grab the door handle. It’s locked. Heavy boots come closer until a tattooed hand reaches out, passing me my keys. He must have gotten my keys last night.
“The large silver key is for the deadbolt. You’ll have to unlock that one too.”
I give him a smile of appreciation. Another form of protection I’m grateful for. I unlock the door and cautiously step inside, looking around. The house seems as though it’s back to normal. No mess. With Jett right behind me, I walk in farther. Everything looks fine, as if last night never even happened, but the strong scent of cleaning products is evident. When I get to the kitchen, I recoil as I have a flashback of the man grabbing my hair while the other demanded the money.
“Go have a shower and I’ll put the cameras up.”
There’s an irrational part of me that doesn’t want Jett to leave me alone. “Okay,” I respond, but I check my phone first, which is still on the counter. No missed calls or messages. Phew!
I walk to the bathroom. As soon as I see my reflection, I sob. My face is swollen. The left side worse than the right. My left eye has a large purple bruise around it, and the edges of my right eye toward my nose are similarly bruised. My hands shake.
Then there’s a wall of muscle behind me. Jett sets his hands on my hips as if I were made of glass, turns me around, and gently pulls me into his embrace. As the tears stream down my face and onto his shirt, I snuggle into his warm chest. I’m sure touching me is difficult for him, but I’m grateful he let his walls down to console me. He rubs my back soothingly and holds me.
After my breathing returns to normal, I inch back and look up at him. “I can’t let Sammy see me like this. Maybe I should wait to see her.”
With a brief shake of his head, he says, “Sammy will want her mom. Tell her you fell and hit your head. The longer you delay in seeing her, the more anxious it might make her.”
I’ve never been away from Sammy for that long. My heart sinks. “You’re right, I’ll just have to cake the makeup on.”
He nods and takes a step back, but I feel the distance all the way to my soul. “I’ll let you get ready,” he says, and then he leaves.
After my shower, I put makeup on with plenty of concealer. It helps, but there’s no way anyone can’t see the bruise. I get changed, and as I’m walking out, Jett’s on the ladder in the kitchen, putting up a small camera. As if he senses me, he pauses and turns. “This might take a while. Go and see Sammy. I’m sure she misses her mom.”
I bite my lip. “When are you leaving?”
“After this I’m going to see my sister, and I’ve got a few things to do. But don’t worry—I’ll be watching.” He looks up at the camera.
Of course he’s going to see his sister, but then a small thrill of excitement buzzes through me at thought of him watching me. Holy crap! What is wrong with me?
“I’ll have another one of my MC brothers out in the van watching you and Sammy while I’m gone.”
“Thank you for everything,” I say sincerely, hoping he can see the appreciation in my eyes. His chin lifts, then he turns and goes back to what he was doing.
My nerves coil up tighter and tighter with each step to Sandra’s house. When I’m outside I breathe out deeply, but it does nothing to lessen the queasy sensation in my stomach. I knock three times.
A moment later Sandra answers. She smiles, but when she opens the screen door wide and takes a closer look at me, the smile is replaced with a deep frown. “Are you okay?”
I force a smile. “Yes, I fainted yesterday and hit my head on the way down.” I inwardly recoil. I’ve heard the stories from the ICU nurses that woman have come up with to hide domestic violence. My story sounds just as fake.
She stares blankly, giving me the impression she sees right through my lie. She places a hand on my arm. “Should Sammy stay here a while longer?”
“It’s safe at my house.” The men aren’t coming back, and Jett is doing everything he can to keep us protected.
“As long as you know she’s welcome... any time.”
“Thanks, Sandra.”
“Is that...” I hear Sammy’s voice before I see her. She bypasses Sandra by the door. “Mommy!” She runs toward me and throws her arms around me while I blink away the tears.
“I’m back. Did you have fun?”
She inches back. “I did.” Her eyes search my face, making me go rigid. “What happened?”
“I fainted and knocked my head on the way down.” I pull her tighter. “I’m okay.”
“Silly Mommy,” she murmurs.
I look at Sandra. “Actually do you mind if we stay here a little longer?” Let Jett do his thing.
She nods and I go inside. Sammy shows me the pictures she’s drawn, and once she’s playing with a doll, there’s an awkward silence between me and Sandra. I guess she’s worried about Sammy, but I can’t explain everything that happened.
My phone pings. It’s a message from Milly.
How are you feeling?
I wonder what she means by that. Both physically and emotionally, it hurts.
Getting there.
You are welcome back to the clubhouse or my home.
Thank you.
Sammy and I end up going home. As we walk across the road, holding hands, I notice there’s no motorcycle in the driveway, but there’s a van outside again. I tug on Sammy’s hand and walk toward the van. The man in the van watches me while I knock on his window. It slides down to show a handsome man with wavy hair and an earring in his ear.
“Howdy,” he says with a friendly smile.
I smile back. “Thank you so much for”—I lower my voice to a whisper—“watching over us.”
“No problem. The name’s Twitch.”
Sammy peeks at him. “Hi, Twitch,” she interrupts. “I’m Sammy. Do you want to come inside? Mom can make you some food. She’s a pretty good cook.”
My cheeks are pink as I give Sammy the be-quiet stare. Asking a strange man to come into the house. I really need to chat about stranger danger with her again.
“That’s okay,” he says cheerfully. “I’ve already eaten.”
“We’d better go inside,” I say, then we walk away. I give him a small smile before we unlock the doors and walk inside.
Later on that evening, my phone rings. It’s Holly. “Hello,” I answer.
“Are you okay? Again, I’m so sorry.”
I flinch. “I’m not okay... but I’ll get through it.”
She gasps. “What did he do?”
I sigh. “I prefer not to get into it.” I’m exhausted. The sound of rustling by the front door makes me suck in a breath. “I’ve got to go,” I say, and hang up.
“Stay here,” I say to Sammy. I tiptoe up the hallway, to the window. I open the blind slowly to look outside.
Jett and Twitch are bringing in bags from the truck and setting them on the porch. I open the door to see a sea of white bags, and when I peek inside one of them, I see it’s groceries.
“That’s the last of it,” Twitch says.
I meet Jett’s gaze. “What are these for?”
“It’s for you and Sammy, in case you get hungry,” he replied quietly.
I can’t go back to work yet, so money will be tight, and I don’t want to show my face around town looking the way I do. I swallow down the lump in my throat. My eyes get blurry. “Thank you.” I sound like a broken record saying the phrase. He knew what I needed before I did.
There’s a small frown on his gorgeous face. “Would you like help to take the bags inside?”
Twitch’s eyes bounce between us.
I wave him off. He’s already done so much.
“What’s your name?” I hear a little voice from beside me.
“I thought I told you to stay put,” I say in a tight voice. Too inquisitive for her own good.
She ignores me.
Jett smiles a genuine smile at her and I melt. “My name’s Jett.”
I appreciate that he said his real name and not Demon, which will bring up a whole different conversation.
Sammy goes to walk to him, but I tug on her hand. “Wow...” she says, her eyes wide. “Your arms are so pretty.” With the black and white ink on his skin, I understand her fascination.
He chuckles, and for once it sounds pure.
Sammy looks up at me with big puppy dog eyes. “Can I get a tattoo?”
I scoff. “Not until you’re eighteen.”
She pouts, making me smile.
“I’ll be out here in the truck if you need me.”
“Thank you,” I reply. My voice is emotional.
Once Jett goes to his truck, I bring the groceries inside. In the first bag I find a one-hundred dollar bill tucked away, wrapped in a rubber band. This is too much. I have to get Sammy to sleep, but tomorrow I plan to give the money back, though I have a feeling he’s not going to take it.