Page 24 of Seeds of Malice

She doesn't hesitate and sinks her teeth into it. A bit of ketchup lines her mouth, and I swipe at it while she chews.

I suck it off my finger and grab the other burger. I take a bite and groan.

She laughs.

"So good," I say through a mouthful of meat.

"Mm-hmm," she agrees, then takes another bite.

I rise and grab two sodas from the fridge. I put them on the table and then sit back down.

She takes a sip, swallows, and declares, "Cooper seems nice."

I grunt. "Don't let him fool you."

She arches her eyebrows. "Oh?"

My brother's not as toxic as Avery, but I don't trust him either. If he had the chance, he'd swoop right into what's my given birthright and steal it from me. But I can't exactly explain that to Ivy. So I answer, "Trust me on this."

"What does he do that's so bad?"

I shake my head. "Nothing I want to discuss. Eat your burger before it gets cold."

She hesitates, then obeys, which makes me happy. I don't like to have to convince my pet projects about my siblings this early in the game. All Ivy needs to know is I'm the only one she can fully trust.

So I add, "My brother is more like Avery than you know. That's all I'm going to say. And you deserve a real chance here."

Ivy freezes, her eyes turning to slits.

I wait for her to gather her thoughts. The seeds of doubt about anyone but me need to be planted before they can grow. I'm more than happy to spread them.

She says, "What do you mean a real chance?"

Play the part,I remind myself.

I sigh, lean back, and put my hand on her back. I slowly rub it and, with a concerned voice, say, "Nothing you need to worry about. I'll protect you from anything they could ever do to you."

Fear laces with bravery in her expression. She sits up straighter. "What would they do to me?"

I lean closer and cup her cheeks in my palms. "Nothing. I won't ever allow it."

She swallows hard.

"I shouldn't have said anything. I don't want you to worry about any of this."

"Dax—"

I put my fingers over her lips. "I'll always protect you, Ivy. Understand?"

Confusion fills her face. She furrows her brows and parts her lips, but nothing comes out.

"Dax! I'm not taking no for?—"

My gut dives.

Not now.

Ivy spins, and the color in her face drains.

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