Page 84 of The Favorite Girl

“Ian Ivory was my father, and he raped one of the caged girls he had kept for himself. That was my mother. She ran away and got us out for years. Daisy has a different father. Eventually, Ian tracked us down and dragged us back. Daphne grew envious because Ian let her stay out of the cage and started to have feelings for her. So, Daphne slit her throat, drank her blood, and had me and Daisy help bury her body in the peony garden.” Bradley stood and walked to the rail. My body shook as he spoke. His words blurring together as my head spun.

“Bradley, where are we going?” I stood and gripped the rail behind me.

“Florida first, then the Bahamas.” He clutched the rail tighter.

“You don’t want to be like them, right?” I trembled as I looked down into the water.

“Dem, it’s not that bad… We don’t have to be as brutal. But honestly, it’s true. The women… well, they are perfect wives and mothers. My little bird, you are destined to soar next to me.” He sighed. Before I could say anything else, he tugged a delicate silver necklace out and clasped it around my neck. I glanced down at the pendant that sat just above the locket he’d already given me. A diamond encrusted feather.

“Did you know that feathers are crucial for a bird because it helps them stay hidden and to blend in with their surroundings. That way they can protect themselves from predators. My love, blending in is a good thing. It’s the safest thing. We must carry on this legacy.”

My heart shattered as I looked back at the man I had trusted. He didn’t mean this. He was groomed to be this way; he was raised by monsters. But the thing was, when you teach a wolf to hunt and kill, he’ll never lose the thirst for blood. He’ll never not enjoy the thrill the hunt brings.

He’ll never stop.

Nodding, I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. Pressing my head into his back, I knew deep down there was probably some form of good in him—just like with Conrad. A little boy trapped and wishing he could have lived a normal life.

“Father had an entire business set up in the Bahamas. Even though we had a strained relationship, he put me as his beneficiary if anything happened. The pill you gave Conrad wasn’t one that simply put him to sleep, it was strychnine. He’s dead. The entire Ivory estate and financials are mine. The police will seize everything in Charlotte, but in the Bahamas, we have a completely different organization, and it’s running steadily. It’s time we take over, baby. You and me.” He held my hands and turned, looking down at me with a smile.

“I love you, Dem.” Leaning down, he kissed me. And I kissed him back, passionately, and with everything I had inside.

“Do you have any alcohol?” I kissed his lips one more time before brushing his face. “Let’s get plastered and have sex. We deserve some fun, handsome.” I pulled my sunglasses off, feeling so much peace in my heart.

The ocean breeze rippled through, picking up my hair and warming my body.

“I have champagne.” Bradley smiled at me and pointed at a cooler. “I’ve been craving your body, badly.” He dropped his hands to my hips and tugged me closer.

“I’ll get the champagne, and you head down to bed,” I whispered against his lips.

“Deal.” Kissing my forehead, he went down the stairs and left me there. Walking to the rail, I gripped it and wondered how long it would take to drown.

Would I suffocate on the copious amount of water choking me? Would a shark feast on my body? Would my mind and body fight to float and try to survive until dehydration took over? How did one die in the ocean? How easy it must be, but so very painful? I wiped the tear that left my eye and looked out to the horizon.

I loved the sunshine, and I loved the ocean; two things I had so rarely experienced. It occurred to me that this was the first time I was seeing it.

The ocean.

I wanted to swim in it, I wanted to sunbathe, I wanted to feel sand under my feet. I wanted to do so many simple, mundane things.

But the family I was born to didn’t let me, the people I was sold to weakened me, and the people who imprisoned me, well… they wrecked me. They stole the light from my life and now the only thing I could see was darkness.

I thought that was all I’d feel. But now, I could feel it. The warmth of the sun. Turning around, I opened the cooler and dug for the bottle of champagne. Next to the cooler was a tote box of cups and plates. Reaching in, I grabbed two cups and quickly popped the bottle, but as I poured the fizzy alcohol into the cups, I paused.

The desire to die was outweighed ever so slightly by the desire to live. But I didn’t want to live a life chosen for me. No, that’s the life I’d been living since I was born. Now, I wanted to live a life that I chose. That I created from the ground up, after being broken down, shattered, and crushed. I wanted to rise the way a phoenix does from its ashes. Brushing my fingers against my locket, I slid the chain off and looked down at it.

Popping it opened, I looked at the tiny white pill.

It didn’t feel right, but it didn’t feel wrong, either. It felt necessary and sometimes, necessary is the right thing to do.

Sliding the pill into one of the cups, I waited and watched as it dissolved completely.

“Dem?” he called out as my hands shook. I lifted both cups and walked down the steps to the bedroom.

“Sorry, I was soaking up the sun. It’s been a while.” I forced a smile out. Bradley was under the blankets, shirtless and grinning back at me.

“Come here, baby. After we get to the Bahamas, you can soak up the sun for a bit, but I do ask you go through the white-therapy program for a few weeks. Just to… help you be prepared to be my wife and the mother of our son.” Bradley opened his arms to me. “Put the cups down. I want to make love to you.”

The words triggered fear, anxiety, and panic in my body. They were the same words Conrad had said to me last night. They were two of the same. I placed the cups down and climbed into bed. Wrapping me in his arms, he began kissing my neck.

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