11. Caleb
Caleb
My cousin was dead, and all I felt was numbness. He had gotten everything he deserved. Sometimes, late at night, I stayed awake thinking about things. One of them was the fact that I hadn’t been born into an average family. At this rate, who was left?
The answer was only my grandfather. He ensured my parents were long gone, and that Arabella suffered from the same arrogant hubris that Luthor had. I’d never even asked where her body was. The police still thought she was missing, but even if no one had admitted out loud, I knew the truth.
The thing that concerned me the most wasn’t the fact that Luthor was dead and his body was being placed only God knows where. During the evening commotion, I received a text from an unknown number. I could only assume that it was my grandfather. The overall synopsis was that I had been foolish and thought they wouldn’t find us. The Order still wanted Ivy, and I knew where my place was. My vacation was over, even though it felt like it had never started.
So, what did I do? The only thing I thought was reasonable. I smashed my phone into as many pieces as possible, throwing it into the garbage can before we left the other house.
I learned that even though Wells was dead, they wouldn’t stop hunting for us until they had Ivy.
I sat on the leather sofa and briefly closed my eyes before speaking. “My family has been in contact. Even after Ivy shot Wells and the deacon, they still want her. I don’t know if it’s so that they can punish her, place her in another brothel, or someone else wants her as their wife, but we need to do something.“
When I finally opened my eyes, Ivy’s expression was nothing short of horror. It’s not like I could blame her. The entire time she had lived in Clearhaven was hell. Hearing the same people that had trapped you in a basement and repeatedly raped you wanted you back was terrifying. I motioned for her to sit with me. Slowly, she moved across the floor until I could pull her into my lap and wrap my arms around her to reassure her.
“I think one of us needs to marry her. If she’s already married legally, then perhaps they will finally let her go, or in the least, it will give her a modicum of protection from whatever they have planned. And unfortunately, I think I’m the one that needs to do it.”
I held up my hand to gesture for them to allow me to explain, but I already knew from the look on Niko‘s face that the discussion wasn’t going the way I wanted it to. “After everything is done, we can have our marriage annulled. I’m not trying to trap her or take her away from any of you. This is all I can think of to ensure her safety.”
In reality, her choosing to end our marriage would kill me. I wanted nothing more than to keep her for myself. She was the only thing I had dreamed about for months. I’d foolishly attempted to stand up to my grandfather, hoping to protect her. Maybe this time could be different.
But I would give her up if I needed to. If she wanted me to.
The entire evening was nothing short of a clusterfuck. Despite that, Ivy kept it together. The bruises marring her skin told a story of violence. She hadn’t told us what happened when Luthor had entered the room. The only thing I was sure of was Cam had done the only thing that could’ve been done. What happened prior to us arriving in the room?
Ivy hid her face in my chest, and I stroked her hair to comfort her. Looking around the room, Maya and Katya’s expressions could only be described as shocked. It’s not like I could blame them. After all, not long ago, Ivy had walked down the aisle toward another man, which had ended in bloodshed.
Niko was the first one to speak. “I know why you’re suggesting this. And it’s not that it’s not a good idea.” He cleared his throat, trying to will away the warring emotions on his face. “I feel like I’m losing her all over again.”
“I would never do that to you. To any of you. But especially not Ivy. The only thing she deserves is love and happiness.” My hand stilled in her hair. “I just can’t stand the idea that something could happen to you, especially if there was something that I could’ve done to give you a modicum of safety. If there was anything else that I could do, I would. And the only reason I suggested it would be me is that my name holds the most weight, at least in the eyes of the Order.”
Trey shifted on his feet and leaned against the wall. His hand snaked into his pocket, probably touching the knife that was there. His expression was somber. “I agree with you. As much as I wish it were me or Niko, it can’t be. And technically, as soon as your grandfather dies, you inherit everything he owns. You’re also the only one of us with an in with the Order.”
Cam crossed his arms over his chest. “I agree. I wish Ivy were mine, but she’s not. Even if I had money, I wouldn’t deserve her. You and Niko are the only ones that probably do.”
At that, Trey scoffed. “I wouldn’t go that far.” Cam shot him a look but stayed silent.
“So, we’re all in agreement, then? Tomorrow?”
Things were moving faster than I expected. I had assumed that everyone would fight me harder on the matter. Even Ivy didn’t seem overly concerned. Out of anyone, she should’ve had an objection to what I was saying. Instead, her hands just latched onto me tighter.
The first people we needed to tell were Hunter and his friend Dominic. None of us had our birth certificates or any of the paperwork required for a civil service. They seemed like the type of people connected to city officials who could make things happen.
We walked up the steps to Strathmore courthouse the next day at noon. Although it was December, the weather was nice. It seemed as if the heavens themselves were celebrating what was happening—or perhaps we were just lucky. We all had the suits from Ivy’s first wedding, the one where it ended in bloodshed. The only person who needed something to wear was Ivy herself. She was with Rayne, getting ready. Hunter’s girlfriend insisted that she and her friend help Ivy prepare.
As I swung open the door, Hunter turned to face me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I wiped my hands on my pants and thought. Deep inside my soul, I knew this was all a charade. We were doing it to protect Ivy. But what I hadn’t said out loud and would barely admit to myself was that I wanted it. In a lot of ways, I wished it was real. I would keep Ivy by my side forever if she’d allow it.
I highly doubted that, though. Given our history and my family, it was unlikely it would ever work out—not long-term. It didn’t help that I’d hidden my engagement to Ros from her.
I entered the cold courthouse and headed to a small wooden bench inside the door. After I was settled, I looked Hunter in the eyes. “Positive. I want nothing more than to keep your sister safe.”
The clock on the wall echoed as time passed slowly. The longer we waited, the more nervous I became. Maybe Ivy changed her mind. Maybe Rayne helped her escape and run to somewhere new, where no one would find her. It’s not like I could blame her.
People milled around, going about their day without knowing that our lives had changed so much in the past week. Every time the door opened, I thought it would be Ivy. And my heart fell a little more every time it was someone else. Hunter seemed weary with every passing moment. Perhaps he thought the same thing that I did.
But when Ivy appeared with Rayne beside her, all I could think about was how beautiful she looked. The navy blue dress clung to her curves, and the fabric fell below her knees. The bruises lining her skin the day before were hidden expertly beneath makeup. Her hair was curled and pinned off her neck, and her cheeks showed a slight blush.
And at that moment, all I wanted to do was hide her away. I didn’t want to share her with anyone, but I knew that was impossible. The words mine repeated in my mind, over and over, as a smile spread across my face.
Even if it was all fake, it didn’t matter. After today, she would be mine even if it was in name only.