Page 59 of Ivory's Ruin Romance

Cortez must’ve become a major threat, not just to Red Dragon, but to the family at the organization’s core. Maybe his son had been his biggest weakness, the ultimate checkmate, or maybe Luke had shown enough potential to be as formidable as his father.

Maybe the shooter thought it best to take Luke’s best friend out of the picture, too, just to be sure. But that boy had a father who actually paid attention, and he paid the price for it. Kassy had been an accident, her death as insignificant as an afterthought.

Maybe there wasn’t any more sense to it than an exercise of power.

He hadn’t expected a valid reason—he knew he wouldn’t feel any sympathy for the one responsible, but this was bigger than he anticipated. Everyone else had come to terms with it, and now it all made sense. Who in their right mind would go up against the Yu’s? Their wealth, combined with a throne of illegal drugs and weapons, meant they were unbeatable.

Knowing was as much of a burden as ignorance.

He puffed out a cloud of vapor that quickly vanished, then removed the placebo cigarette. Maybe it was time to let go, whether he thought he could or not. People cared about him—even a sweet little witch who had no reason to. Surely, he could find purpose in that.

But if he spent any more time in this storm, he’d freeze to death before he got the chance. So he started the long walk back to his apartment.

Movement near the edge of the cemetery caught his attention. A lone figure staggered between graves; head held down as they almost tripped over a headstone. Who would be out walking in this? Chastised by its relentless frenzy, the snow and wind buffeted him forward. Whoever it was, they weren’t his concern.

But something felt off.

He stopped to watch a little longer. It looked like a student, a backpack strapped over their hunched shoulders. Then, a gust of wind roared through the field, and purple hair whipped out of their hat.

Worry sliced through him like a blade, fast and deep.

“Ivory?” he called and took a step closer. Could it be? What on earth would she be doing—and why did she look like that?

His pace quickened. The figure turned toward him, and even from this distance, he recognized those jade eyes. But they were red and swollen, her whole face on the verge of frostbite.

“Fuck,” he hissed, closing the gap between them. “Ivory!”

He grabbed her shoulders as she stared up at him. Then she burst into tears.

“It’s true,” she sniffed.

“Hey,” he murmured, cupping her cheek and wiping away the wetness as it poured out. Shit, she was nearly frozen solid. “Talk to me. What happened? I swear if anyone hurt you—”

She broke out in a sob, unable to form proper words. “He really did it…”

Adrian pulled her face into his neck and tried to warm her up. “I’m here. I’ll keep you safe. Just tell me who did this to you.”

“Jace said—“

He held his breath. That damn son of a bitch. He was going to pay for this.

But Ivory came first. Unzipping his jacket, he drew her into his chest and let her arms slide between the warm layers. “It’s gonna be all right.” He rubbed her back while shielding her from the storm. “Are you hurt? What did he do?”

She shook her head and clutched the fabric of his hoodie in her hands. “I’m okay.”

“Oh, Iv,” he muttered, holding her tight. How could he have let anything happen to her? Why had he been so focused on his own issues and left her to deal with hers alone? “I’m sorry,” he whispered, rocking her back and forth as he stroked her icy hair. “I should have been there.”

She shook her head again and pulled away to look at him. “No, it’s my fault. I—” Her expression wilted, lips quivering as she raised her hand to trace his black eye. “You’re the one who got hurt. He did this to get to me.”

What?

“No, this had nothing to do with you, sweetheart,” he reassured, pressing her hand to his cheek and warming her fingertips. “I promise I’m the one who provoked him. This was my fault.”

Her face twisted. “Then did Nia and Caspian really—?”

“It had nothing to do with them either.” Hell, what had she heard? “I’ll explain, I promise, but after we get you warm and safe, okay?”

She searched his eyes, lingering over his bruise, and then nodded. “I just want to stay here a little longer.”

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