Page 145 of Vicious Knight

Caspian was livid about the whole thing. Not because I chose Ivy but because I essentially allowed his father to win. I assured him that I hadn’t given up and choosing Ivy was my win.

Ivy gives me a weak smile and stands on her tiptoes to kiss my chin. “I’d love to go to the park. Are you sure we can?”

“Yes. We just need to be back for later. I’m meeting Lucian.” He’s working on finding out where the warning message came from. I’ll join him later. Hopefully he’ll crack the code. It will be one less thing to solve and possibly another lead. “We can leave as soon as we’re done here.”

“Great. A walk in the park is just the thing I need.”

“Perfect.”

We eat breakfast, get ready, and leave.

Within the hour we’re walking through the public gardens hand in hand. Like this, we feel like a normal couple. A couple like the others here enjoying the day.

My mind, however, is a battlefield. Last night’s disaster has left me in a state of flux. The only information I got from last night was the scar-faced man’s name.

I glance at Ivy and take in the trouble in her expression. She looks like she’s doing her best not to be terrified.

“I’d like us to join Caspian and Willow for Thanksgiving.” The holiday is three weeks away.

Ivy snaps her attention to me with her eyes wide. “You would?”

“Yeah. It would be fun. Don’t worry, my uncle won’t be there. He’s going to be away.” Her parents are going to be away, too, which is why I thought I’d ask her to join us.

“I’ll join you. I’ve hung out with Willow a few times with Eilish and the girls. She seems cool. Not that Caspian isn’t. I just mean?—”

“I know what you mean.” I chuckle.

“I want to tell my parents about us. But my mom… she’s...”

“Wary of the Ivanovs,” I fill in.

“How did you know?”

“I just did.” I remember when I first met Ivy and told her my name she was more scared than most people to hear it. When I learned the truth about her, I figured her mother would have warned her about my family.

The sound of a speeding car turns my attention to the path across from us. This is part of the park so there aren't supposed to be any cars down here, but a black Ferrari is speeding toward us as if it’s competing in the Grand Prix.

My senses kick into overdrive, so I pull Ivy closer to me as we continue walking.

The car gets close and the blacked-out window of the driver’s side rolls down, then all I see is a gun pointing at us.

As the spray of bullets flies I grab Ivy. She screams and the sound fuels the terror in my soul.

A bullet rips through my arm, but I hold on to her as I propel us over the side of the bridge.

There are screams from the people around us as we land in the water. Then we’re going down.

I don’t know how deep the water goes, but I manage to gain control of our momentum and swim back up to the surface.

As Ivy and I emerge, I realize she’s unconscious.

“Ivy.” I frantically check her to see if any of the bullets hit her, and that’s when I find the blood trickling down the side of her head.

Chapter 34

Thorne

Ivy hit her head…

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