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His woman . . . What a fucking joke.

The men that worked for my father, they would never lay a hand on her. I wasn't going to allow it, that wasn't why we had her, that wasn't the purpose she served.

If it had been up to me, I would've just killed Remo myself. He was a sick fuck anyway and his business wasn't that important. But my father was the boss, so it wasn't my decision to make.

Dragging my fingers through my hair, I rested my chin on the back of my hand and stared off into nothing. Taking Ivy here wasn't a good idea, but I had no choice. I needed her safe, I needed her out of the reach of the dicks that worked for the family.

Taking in a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped to the trunk. The silence of the woods around us and the quiet from inside the trunk was eerie.

My hands came down hard, resting on the cold metal. Feeling the lid, I tried to sense any movement inside. There was none.

Hopefully she was asleep, it would make it so much easier for me to move her inside the house. My heart lurched, a fear settling in my chest.

What if she's dead?

Yanking the key from my pocket, I jammed it into the lock. The trunk opened with a quiet pop, a softthunkechoed around me, and faded into nothing. Glancing around over my shoulder, I checked to make sure we were alone.

Which was ridiculous. Of course we were alone, we were out in the middle of nowhere, not another soul around for miles.

It wouldn't be a safe house if it was set up in suburbia with neighbors, and businesses a holler away.

The stiff hand of my job could never get shit done that way.

Slowly I lifted the edge, leaning over as it rose towards the sky. I was hoping she wasn't dead, deep down I didn't want her to be staring back up at me with frost colored eyes, and cold skin.

It was a look I was all too familiar with and it never left you. The last thing I wanted was to see her like that. There was a crushing feeling that wafted through my veins, sucking the air from my lungs as I cautiously lifted the steel.

Suddenly, the trunk shot open, her small frame shooting forward with a violent snap. “No! Fuck you!” Ivy let out a loud angry screech. Her hands were clenched together as she whipped them at my face in one giant swoop.

The punch stunned me, leaving my head spinning and a ringing in my ears. I didn't expect it, I had let down my guard for a second of stupid fucking fear that she might have died on me.

Jumping out of the car, Ivy made a mad dash up the gravel driveway. Her small feet were quick, thumping with gentle taps against the small rocks.

The fear I felt before melted away, growing into anger and coiling around my ribs to strangle my lungs. I still needed her, my family still needed her, I couldn't let her get away.

Shifting on my feet, I found myself laughing. She wasn't going to get far.

Fuck, this whole situation was screwing with my head.

I had forgotten where we were for a brief second, letting my emotions screw with my brain.

“You're not going anywhere!” Taking long steps, I picked up my pace and started to run. “We're out in the middle of nowhere! You'll die out here before you find one fucking person to help you!”

My heels drove into the dirt, gaining on her small weak body. I had to give the girl credit, she was faster than I thought and packed quite the punch. But that didn't change anything, she was still mine for now.

I could hear her breathing, the heavy thrusts of her lungs trying to keep blood flowing to her limbs so she could keep going. But it was too late, I was on her.

Throwing myself forward, our bodies collided, falling to the hard ground. “Gotcha.” Ivy's arms wriggled in my hands, her body twisting and turning as she kept fighting against me. “You ain't going anywhere, Sweetheart.”

Gripping her wrists, I yanked them behind her back, jamming my knee in between her shoulder blades. Putting pressure on her spine, I held her in place.

Her grunts came out hard and fast, muscles never seizing. “Fuck you! Fuck you!” Flailing her body around, she wiggled under me.

Flipping her over, I straddled her waist, clenching her wrists tight above her head. “Stop fighting.”

“Never! I'll never stop fighting you!” Her lips pressed together, eyes veering in rage.

There was so much strength in this woman, and I couldn't lie . . . I was getting turned on. My cock jerked beneath my pants, coming to life the more she resisted me. I couldn't explain where the feelings came from, but they were there.