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CHAPTER TWO

“I can’t believe he let your hair stay like this.” Kandi was trimming my hair that had, apparently, grown out too long. “We will have to dye it.” She shook her head as she snipped at it meticulously. “It’s so dull.” Kandi’s hair was a stark, shiny blonde, neatly cut into a bob. All the girls here had the same hair except for one difference—some had bright blonde and the others had shiny black.

“What color?” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Blonde.” My heart raced as Kandi’s hands moved quickly.

“Why do some of the girls have black hair, and the others have white?” I scratched around my shoulder. The tattoo Alister made us all get—a small raven—was causing some kind of reaction, but he didn’t care. My heart constricted knowing it was the way he marked us. Marcie had a dove on her shoulder, and so did Kandi.

Kandi looked behind her and then spun the small chair around. “Where did you come from, Demi?” She slanted her eyes at me and leaned in. Her hands pressed down against both of mine and squeezed them tightly against the handles.

“New York,” I lied.

“Mm-hmm…everyone’s from New York.” She spun me back around and aggressively brushed out my hair.

“I don’t want to dye it. I’ll do the wigs.”

“Fine. I guess we can try that. If there ever comes a day that Alister Ivory tells you to wear your hair black, then you should know life as you know it will be over. Anything left in that heart of yours will be gone, because you will go down into the darkness and never return,” Kandi said calmly as I stared at the girl in the reflection in front of me.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and out. Today was my orientation day for the new position Alister had placed me in. I could do this. I could stay strong and play another one of the Ivory games.

A loud knock echoed against Kandi’s door. She stopped whatever she was doing, including aggressively tugging at my hair.

“Mr. Ivory,” she stammered as my eyes flung open and I saw Alister coming through the door. He was taller than his brother, and far better looking. Much better looking. His hair was black, and he always wore a three-piece fitted suit. He stared at me through the mirror and smiled as he fidgeted with his cufflink.

“You’d be gorgeous with black hair, my beautiful Demi.” My original hair was long and black before the Ivory family bleached and cut it. Now here we were, doing the same thing.

Alister dismissed Kandi from the room before he approached me. I looked at her as her bright green eyes widened as she shut the door behind her.

Alister had to be in his early forties at most, and the only reason I even knew for sure he was related to Ian was because of Bradley telling me about him, and seeing the photos in the abandoned album on the boat I barely survived.

Brushing his fingers against my cheek, he smiled at me. “I’m sorry.”

I swallowed as I turned to face him, and he licked his lips.

“For what?” I asked, hoping the shake in my voice wasn’t noticeable.

Opening a drawer from the vanity in front of me, he pulled out a tube. Unscrewing the top, he squeezed some of the clear cream out. My shoulders tightened as I watched him rub it between his fingers and dropped down on his knees in front of me. Leaning back into my chair, I held my breath as he began gently brushing the cream against my neck where the rash from my necklace had grown larger and itchier.

Why is he being…kind?

“I’ll have the doctor start you on some kind of healing antibiotic. The tattoos are done when you are sleeping, so it may be done a bit hurried.” This was the same man who kicked me in my ribs for not cleaning up a pool of blood fast enough.

“It’s fine,” I answered as he finished up and stood.

“Demi, the people who found you stranded in the ocean knew who you were. There was a tracking device on the boat that you and Bradley were on, and…well, I figured if you could survive my brother, then you’d be the perfect person to work here.” Alister reached his hand out. I looked at his palm, not sure what he wanted me to do.

None of what he was saying shocked me, because I always knew there were no coincidences in this family. I knew when I was instantly transported to Ivory Island—the privately owned island—that I was there for a reason. Even if they didn’t find me first, I’d have found them.

“Ian and Daphne were monsters. They crafted brides to marry wealthy men and suffer for the rest of their lives. I, on the other hand, believe in pleasure and then…” He paused and folded his hands together.

“Well, you don’t need to know all this right now. Why don’t you let Kandi fix you right up, and then you’ll need to head to orientation with the rest of our new team members.”

Tracing my lips with his finger, he leaned back down and locked his lips against mine. Gasping, I pulled back.

But he pushed forward and bit into my lower lip, letting out a soft chuckle.

“Shh… You can never say no to pleasure here, Demi. This wasn’t our first kiss but rather a first taste.” Clenching my eyes shut, he bit into my bottom lip so hard that I tasted blood.

Releasing me, Alister left the room and I refused to open my eyes until Kandi shook my shoulders.

“Demi, here.” Shoving a handkerchief at me, I could see pity in her eyes. She was Marcie’s roommate before me, and I wondered what happened between the two of them. All I knew was that I couldn’t trust anyone.

I looked into the mirror and watched the blood drip down my chin and onto the white dress Marcie told me I needed to wear, along with the white shoes that had a thick padding in order to not emit any sound. I’ve already seen the rest of the girls wearing them. “I have something else for you to change into, don’t worry.” Kandi instructed me to tilt my head and let her do my hair. Orientation would start in a few hours, and I had to look my best. I needed to be the submissive, perfect woman in another Ivory world.