25. Theo
Chapter twenty-five
Theo
Ivy's throat bobs as she swallows, the memory taking root in her mind.
"That wasn't..." Her chest heaves, and I think the axe handle she's leaning on a bit too much may be the only thing keeping her upright. "I— "
"Don't try and pretend you didn't leave a dead body on my bedroom floor, Bambi." Killian chuckles.
"Was that supposed to be a parting gift?" I scoff. "As much as Killian likes blood, you should know he likes to be the one to spill it."
"No, I..." Her eyes are glassy, full of tears. If there's one thing she's good at, it's crying. I want to run my cock through them and fuck her ass with her own tears as lubrication, so that finally those damn tears can have a good use. "I had to."
"Had to?" Monty asks, sounding unconvinced. "Why?"
"Because he— I had to."
"You killed someone?" The doctor asks, appalled to find out his pretty little wife is a vicious little killer. I wonder how he'd feel if he saw just how brutal she was... all the blood everywhere. He seems awfully squeamish for a medical professional.
"Oh, she didn't just kill him." Killian laughs, his eyes appraising the girl who let us all fuck her before she fucking left us. All these years, Monty has been so sure that she would return one day, that she would come back to us the way she always did. She never did... not until now. "She slaughtered him. Oh," Killian slaps a hand over his mask, like he just remembered something, and then turns to face the husband. "I forgot you're a doctor. You know what happens when the jugular is cut, right?"
Ivy whimpers her dissent, but it means even less to us than it used to.
We lived for summers, knowing that she would return to us after school ended. We lived for her to come back to us, to the mountain, every summer. And we dreaded every fall, when her family would pack her up like a little terrier and take her away from us. It was hell, but it was worth it. She was worth it.
And then she left and didn't come back. That was a unique kind of pain. Watching Monty's hope turn to denial, anger, and disappointment had been another unique kind of pain. And watching Killian self destruct? Well, that was a fresh hell. It took weeks of chasing him around cleaning up his messes before he came out of his binge, but there's no way to deny he's been more murderous than ever since she left. I should have bought stock in Clorox the day Ivy left a river of blood in our room.
"I married a fucking killer?" The doctor sounds more disgusted than he was by her need for sexual gratification, which only serves to confuse me even more. He's prudish, but he's no white knight given the fact he's so blase about what he does to his wife. Maybe he's a Bible thumper like my parents had been.
Spare the rod, spoil the child.
I remember my father using that justification every time he had to punish me, as if him cracking my ribs was just a normal part of parenting.
"You sure did, doc. Such a pretty one, too." Monty's smile does nothing to conceal his admiration as he looks at her.
"Especially when she's covered in blood." Killian groans, letting his eyes flutter closed for a moment as he languishes in some memory or fantasy. "Tell me, doc, has your lovely little wife ever told you how she lost her virginity?"
"No!" Ivy gasps, her eyes wide at the threat of having such an intimate memory ruined... or at the embarrassment of her husband finding out that she loved every second of being fucked by the weapon so much that she came all over it and could barely keep her eyes open as she watched us all lick her bloody cum off the barrel.
"Shh!" Killian soothes, patting her on the cheek fondly. "It's a good story, Bambi."
When he turns his attention to Ivy's husband, he's seething. "I know how she lost her virginity. I was there."
"Were you?" I laugh. "I don't recall that."
"Oh," Monty grimaces. "Did you think your bride was a virgin on your wedding night?"
"I—" His face is red, and he splutters like an engine that has no intention of turning over. "I was promised a virgin. That was the wedding agreement. Her father assured me— "
"He lied." I shrug. "Sorry, doc."
"But… they checked. My father was there."
All at once, every eye turns to Ivy, awaiting an explanation.
It's Monty who speaks. "What do you mean you 'checked' ?"
Ivy shakes her head, cheeks turning red with the humiliation of the moment. Or maybe the humiliation of the memory that her husband is referencing.
Rage twists inside of me, disgust burning a hole in my stomach. "It's normal in families like ours... with ties like we have." Her husband swallows, as if maybe he's said something he shouldn't have. He absolutely did. I can handle the thought of her wretched husband getting to enjoy her sweet pussy, even if he's been denying himself the pleasure she can give. But the thought of another man down there?
Ivy shakes her head, begging her husband not to say anything more, begging us not to keep pushing the subject. But there's no way any of us can just let this go.
"Explain." Killian snaps, his voice terse.
The husband opens his mouth to speak, then seems to think better of it so he shuts it. "Ask her."
"No." Ivy shakes her head.
"It's common for wealthy families. The families making the arrangement go to the doctor together, to ensure that the terms of the deal will be met. They can do a virginity check— see if the hymen is intact. The doctor told them it was, and my father told me."
"Jesus Christ," Monty mutters. "There are so many fucking things wrong with that statement."
"It doesn't work like that." Killian scoffs. "Someone lied to you."
"Ivy," her name is gentle in the air as I try to get her attention. When she turns her eyes on me, I see that the tears are gone. But I don't know if I should treat that as the victory I think it is just yet. "What happened?"
She closes her eyes, and I can't tell if she's trying not to start crying again or if she's just gathering herself.
"You can tell us, Poison." Monty says softly, placing a hand on her arm. She doesn't so much as twitch at his touch.
A few seconds of silence passes, confusion clouding the air around us as we all wait for her to tell us what happened.
"You left me."
Her voice is small, and I don't even make out the words when she first says them.
"What?" Monty leans closer to her, trying to hear her better.
But she doesn't speak again. Instead, she hefts the axe between their two bodies so that she can get a grip on it, and Monty jumps back to avoid the blade.
Killian lets out an excited whoop. "That's what I'm talking about, Bambi. Show your husband who he married."
But Ivy doesn't look at her husband. Her glare is fixed upon Monty, who's taking a step back with his hands raised, recognizing the threat in front of him.
"What are you doing?" I ask, anxiety rising as I watch her advance on Monty with the axe in her hands. She wouldn't hurt him, would she?
"Killian," I say, warning him that he'd better do something.
He ignores me, his sharp eyes darting between Ivy and Monty.
"You left me." Her voice is louder this time. There's no mistaking the words, though I don't understand them at first.
You left me.
There's a moment as we all silently debate her words, and then she strikes out with the axe, the blade slicing through the air for one brief moment before it finds a mark.