Page 125 of Ivory's Ruin Romance

SIXTY-TWO

Adrian’s palm warmed hers, his grip sure and steady. It was the only certainty she had left. Between the rift her mom had created and Adrian’s fated clash with the Dragons, everything she loved felt like it teetered in precarious balance. But as they stepped out of her home, she welcomed whatever awaited down the road. After all, she couldn’t lose with her black knight at her side.

She took a deep breath as a cool breeze wisped around her neck and caught a few stray hairs that had escaped her braid. Rays from the late afternoon sun painted the pavement in copper hues, its slanted light cutting through new leaves on the trees and glinting off the handlebars of Adrian’s bike.

They’d already said goodbye to Brey before he went to school, and her father had wished them a safe trip as he headed to work. She’d been more than embarrassed when he made Adrian promise to take care of her, but after giving them both a parting hug, she appreciated her father’s concern. At least one of her parents would welcome Adrian back.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the weekend?” her mom asked, tugging a shawl around her shoulders to keep off the chill as she stood in the open doorway. “It felt like you were only here for a few days.”

Ivory gave her a half-hearted smile. Things had calmed down between them, though not in the way she’d hoped. Her mom learned to stop ignoring Adrian after getting called out and even let him talk without adding snide remarks, but Ivory didn’t know if they’d ever come to an understanding.

“Thanks,” she replied. “Adrian has work in the morning, so we have to get back to campus.” Of course, they had a different reason to leave, but that was close enough to the truth.

“Oh, all right then.” Her mom paused and shifted on her feet. “Before you go, I owe you both an apology.”

Ivory tensed. Her mother rarely offered that kind of thing, and the ones she did had never been this direct.

To her surprise, her mom turned to face Adrian. “I admit it was wrong to impose my opinions on Ivory. I’ve given you plenty of reasons to dislike me, and I know if you left, Ivory would have left with you.” She paused, and her eyes softened. “But you didn’t—I know that wasn’t for my sake. It’s clear that you care for her, and despite my reservations, perhaps it’s time I trust Ivory to make her own choices. Will you forgive my first impressions?”

“Of course,” Adrian hummed, more courteous than Ivory anticipated. “I’d appreciate getting a fair chance.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Monroe smiled and looked back at Ivory. “Honey, you’ve always had such bright potential. But your father pointed out that by trying to push you forward, I failed to mention the most important part—you deserve the best. And only you can decide what that means to you. You’ve made it clear that no one can bring you down, including me.” Her expression warmed. “I’m proud, and I love you.”

Ivory’s heart came to a stuttering halt. Out of everything that could’ve been said, she least expected to hear that. Astonishment cut through all of the responses she had prepared.

“Mom,” she choked out, then stepped forward and gave her mom one last hug. Even if they’d steadily been growing apart the last few years, there was still hope. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I love you, too.”

Warmth from their embrace filled her chest, and as she and Adrian walked down the steps and waved goodbye, a glow of satisfaction emanated through her spirit. Maybe everything would work out after all. They just had to get through tonight.

???

The ride back to campus felt shorter than she remembered. After dropping off her backpack and fixing dinner, Adrian gave her a stern lecture about tonight, including not leaving Riley’s side under any circumstances, and they set out for the abandoned factory.

The sun dipped toward the horizon as the wind picked up, weaving a chill into the air. Modern houses thinned into a silent forest with forgotten buildings hiding in the trees. Long shadows crept onto the roads, thin, intangible fingers reaching under their tires. She clung to Adrian, hyperaware of the gun wedged between them and the premise of his impending fight.

This wouldn’t be an academic negotiation or a match with a fair referee. This was gang life, and the winner would earn his place with sweat and blood.

Adrian would get hurt.

Though she hated to think about it, she knew it was the only way. Jace never respected anything less, and Jun could only be worse. This was as much to ward them off as it was to protect herself and Adrian from any of the Dragons, to show the Yu’s that their sins hadn’t been forgotten—much less forgiven.

The closer they got, the more bikes joined them. Engines roared as they entered the lonely ghost town, their riders marked by leather jackets as black as night itself and stitched with an ignited ace of spades held in a skeletal hand.

She spotted the factory before they turned down a hidden sideroad, broken pieces of a neglected industrial giant. Its rusted corpse loomed in the middle of an overgrown clearing, and gravel crunched under their tires as Adrian parked at the end of a long line of Harleys.

The stars shone clearer out here, nested within a dark, moonless sky that looked down on the crumbling structure. Concrete pillars held up a metal frame, and splintered glass windows gave way to vine-covered walls stained with several layers of graffiti.

In the center of the ruins, under a section without a roof, a couple dozen men gathered in groups. They’d pushed away the rubble to make a small arena, and several trash cans bordered the circle, ablaze with fire that illuminated their faces in sharp angles and flickering shadows. A restless energy wound through their ranks. So far, it looked like only half the party had shown up, shaved heads and dragon tattoos nowhere to be seen.

She looked away as Adrian cut the engine and took off his helmet, winding his hair into a tight bun. A primal sense of dread gripped her heart, its urgency almost instinctual. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of pine and burnt wood.

Unlike the day she’d tamed Adrian’s bike, tonight, the knot in her stomach was made of real fear. This wasn’t a place for her to be, and it wasn’t hard to tell she stood out. If anything went wrong, what could she do? Would she only get in the way?

Adrian plucked the helmet from her hands and hung it on the handlebar. Head down, she clenched her fingers into fists to stop them from trembling.

“Hey.” He covered her hand with one of his and cupped her jaw. “Look at me.”

The steadiness in his voice calmed her nerves the same way it always did. She exhaled and raised her gaze to a set of familiar gold eyes.

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