Page 58 of Dirty Behavior

Ivy

The car hummedas I sat in the dirt parking lot, my eyes feverishly locked on the brick, scanning it up and down. The lights were casting deep shadows over the building, dark, ominous forms took shape, forcing my insides to bubble.

The wounds Remo had inflicted reopened like sharp daggers in my core. All the scars visible and emotional, collied my skin in fresh blemishes. My hands tightened and flexed around the steering wheel, burning a hole into the leather.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. We were the ones who were coming for him, we were the ones who were out for blood—not Remo.

And yet, here I was, lured to the den of my enemy to save the man I loved.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

What the hell am I doing?

How the fuck am I going to get him back?

Peering out the corner of my eye, the blade twinkled beside me as it rested on the seat. Burnished in silver and screaming for blood, the knife held the vitality of a seed. It was about to morph from innocent into deadly, just like I was. There was no purity left in these bones.

I had thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel. . .

But I was wrong.

Did our luck run out?

Was Dante already dead?

My insides burned with the thought. I couldn't tear my hands from the steering wheel. My chest was tight, forcing in quick breaths. My forehead was already sweating just from the nerves that were violently aware of what could happen.

He found a way to bring me back to him, never once having to step outside that door. I felt like an animal trying to hide from a hunter, only to find that I was surrounded by a thick fence; baited, hooked, and reeled in.

That's what I was, I was his prey, and this was a trophy hunt.

I was holding back my urge to start counting, fighting off my body's need to go into protective mode and send me into unconsciousness. Every single piece of my body was tingling and ready to shut down, but I couldn't let it control me right then.

Remo had Dante, I had to do something. He knew I wouldn't be able to turn my back on Dante and that my hatred for him was enough to draw me in.

I'm pregnant, I have to be careful. This baby needs me. . .

But this baby also needs a father.

The adrenaline was like poison to my veins. It was rushing through like a tidal wave, making my body hot and cold. My head was throbbing, forcing me to think in fragmented images, not full comprehensive thought.

I felt my throat start to thin as everything from my past was flashing right in front of my eyes. Remo had still been able to control me even without being right there. His evil hand had led me here, just like he wanted it to.

No! This is done!

I'm done!

Taking in one huge swoop of air, I peeled my hands off the wheel and grabbed the knife. Was a knife the best choice in protection?

No.

But I didn't have anything else. Holding the handle, I twisted the blade in front of my face.It's better than nothing.

I had never felt so much madness flowing through me before. I hated him with every single piece of my soul. He had soured my life, turning me from an innocent young girl into a spoiled piece of flesh.

I was bruised and scarred so deep that nothing could ever wash it away. My life would never be the same because of him. It didn't matter how much I wanted normal. . .

I was never going to get it.