5. Caleb
Caleb
I sat in the back seat of the car, holding a lemon-lime soda and two bottles of water. Cam was a dick, but I had purchased him one so that we could get back on the road. I needed to put as much distance as possible between Clearhaven and myself.
I’d finally done it.
My grandfather had ruled over me with an iron fist for most of his life. His threats of death and the knowledge that he was responsible for the “disappearance” of my parents had left me in a chokehold for too long. And I had finally stood up to him. I’d made an irrevocable decision, but I didn’t regret it. It felt too good to see the look on his face when I sided with Ivy.
Plus, I would do whatever it took to save Ivy. She was everything to me.
Now, I would have to live with the consequences, though. He’d never willingly let Ivy go. She’d been wrapped in his web since birth, even if she hadn’t known it. We could hide for a while, but how long would it take for him to find us? And once he did, I would be dead. He’d made it clear Luthor would take over as the family’s heir. He no longer needed me.
Besides, he hadn’t been able to mold me into who he wanted me to become. I’d been nothing but a disappointment all along. I was too soft and felt too much. Siding with Ivy was simply another black mark against me.
Despite knowing that I no longer had a family, it was freeing. Freedom was something that I never could have imagined. Not in this lifetime or the next.
Hunter eyed me from the rearview mirror, seeming to size me up as time dragged on. Finally, Ivy and Cam emerged from the restroom, and she slid into the SUV next to me. Her face was blotchy from tears, and I handed her the icy bottle before putting my hand on her thigh.
Whatever emotions had poured from her soul while she was gone were absent, and her face was void, set into a serious expression. The blood that had marred her perfect skin was gone, but I knew it would haunt her forever. Things like that seemed to cling to your soul and never let you go. Even if you thought you had placed it carefully in a box to be stored in the recesses of your mind, they found a way to seep out, even if it was just in your dreams.
I hated she was still so broken, her pieces barely held together. It would take time, safety, and a shit ton of therapy to get her back to the woman she had been a few short months ago–if she could ever be her again. That was the other thing about trauma. Sometimes, you were never the same person again. You could almost feel like that person, but you were split into two entities, a before and an after.
I touched her thigh, hoping to convey everything I felt: that I loved her more than the heavens and the Earth, that I would do anything for her to make it better again, that I chose her without any hesitation, and that it would all be right–eventually.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she laid her head on my shoulder. As her breathing evened out, I realized she’d fallen asleep, exhausted from the adrenaline leaving her body. Cam glared at me before turning to the window, choosing not to speak. He’d get over it eventually. I was now a permanent fixture in Ivy’s life for as long as she would have me.
When the car finally stopped again, it was in front of a house in a middle-class neighborhood. The flowerbeds were bare due to the time of the year, but shrubs lined the front lawn. Christmas lights lined a few nearby houses, reminding me it was the holiday season. I scoffed to myself at the thought. Since my parents had gone missing, little stock had been placed on any of the holidays. The only exceptions were the fundraisers and charity events I was required to attend.
That was another plus about cutting ties with my family—no more black-tie events.
Carefully, I slid out of the SUV, eyeing where we would temporarily call home. Ivy yawned and stretched upward as two more black SUVs pulled onto the street, parking along the curb. A quick glance said that everyone was in a somber mood. Trey’s hand was stuck in his pocket, more than likely touching the knife I knew was deposited there. It was a nervous habit and his only real tell. He strolled up to our girl and planted a kiss on her forehead. “How are you holding up, new girl?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “That’s such a dumb nickname. You’ve known her how long now? Surely, you can be more original.”
He smirked at me and flipped me his middle finger, guiding Ivy closer to the house while we waited for Hunter and his entourage to unlock the door and everyone else to get out of the vehicles. “Hmm, I could be more original, but maybe I just like it. How do you like the name dream girl instead?” He nuzzled Ivy’s neck, and she swatted at him.
Rayne pulled a set of keys from her pocket and opened the door. Then she gestured at it. “Home sweet home. At least for a little while.”
I walked in, noting that the interior was roomier than I had imagined. It would still be a cramped fit for all of us, but it would be safe—at least supposedly. Maya, Sergei, and Katya explored the house while speaking in hushed tones to one another. Being uprooted from the only place that they had ever known couldn’t have been easy, then add in secret societies and gangs. All our lives were a mess.
Rayne wandered into the kitchen, and the rest of us followed her, unsure of the protocol. Not for the first time, I wondered who the hell she was. She hadn’t even flinched when Ivy had pulled the trigger, killing Wells. She pulled a tin of coffee from the cabinet and measured several scoops as she spoke. “We need to discuss some ground rules.”
Cam sat into one of the kitchen chairs, tugging Ivy into his lap. She didn’t fight him for once, instead choosing to curl her body against his chest while he stroked her hair. “We can do that, but I have questions. How do you know that we’ll be safe here?”
Rayne’s lips tipped up as she filled the carafe with water. “I’ve used this house before. It’s a long story. I’ll have people watching it around the clock.” She carefully poured the water into the coffee pot, never bothering to look at us. “Now, ground rules. First–”
Niko leaned against the door facing and interrupted her, voicing the question I’d been mulling over. “Wait, I’m sorry. Who exactly are you? You own a strip club, but nothing makes sense. You’ll have people watching around the clock? What have you used the house for before?”
Dominic shouldered past me and wrapped an arm around Rayne’s waist. His eyes cut across the room, giving us each a hard stare. “Who she is doesn’t matter.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but a heavy hand gripped my shoulder, squeezing. “Just listen to her,” Ethan murmured in my ear. “If you interrupt her again, she’s likely to stab you. Or set your remaining possessions on fire. Arson is her favorite hobby.”
Ivy’s brother chuckled from behind me. “We’ll talk about who exactly we are tonight over drinks. Also, don’t listen to Ethan. Rayne has gone at least three months without committing arson.”
Rayne narrowed her eyes at him and sighed. “Tomorrow, we can figure out what to do about school for the youngest three members of our merry crew. We’ll also need to find all of you clothes. As of this moment, everyone is on lockdown. That means no going out for a while. If you need something, one of us or Joey can procure it for you.”
“What’s the likelihood that someone from Strathmore would even recognize one of us?” I asked.
Trey shook his head at me. ‘We don’t know how far the reach of the Order extends and who is even connected. Ivy’s father was from here."
Ethan brushed by in the already crowded room and sat on the countertop. “It’s not forever. I’m sure Rayne will eventually allow field trips for all of you. Besides, there are plenty of things the five of you can do to preoccupy yourselves.”
He wiggled his eyebrows, and Hunter groaned at him, covering his face. “Yeah, I’ll bring over some video games. There are board games in the closet. I need each of you to write down clothing sizes for me. I’ll handle all of that before tonight.”
I liked Ethan’s suggestion more than Hunter’s but kept my mouth shut, wondering what the future would be like and who exactly we had aligned ourselves with.