Page 63 of Demon

Twitch pulls up his phone, looking at maps. “There are a few cabins out that way.”

“It’s the first cabin when you reach the dirt road.”

“They’ve taken Ivy and a friend of ours. If they are hurt”—I put my hand on his and twists until he screeches—“I’ll come back and skin you alive.”

He lets out a sigh when I let go. His eyes are watery like he might cry. “They took Ivy?” he whispers.

Twitch chuckles. “Are you seriously that dumb? What did you think would happen to her when you implicated her and she doesn’t have the money to pay?” He puts his hand up “Don’t even answer that.” He looks at me. “Let’s go.”

“Don’t ever come around Ivy or Sammy again or you’ll be six feet under.” He failed Ivy and Sammy, but I won’t.

NINETEEN

IVY – MY SAVIOR, MY PROTECTOR

Ivy

When the mengo just outside the door for a smoke, I can faintly hear their muffled voices. We’ve been here for hours, and my anxiety is clawing at me. I glance at Milly. “Do you think they’ll kill us once you give them the money?” My voice cracks, and Sammy’s face floods my mind.

“Yes.” She clears her throat. “We’ve seen their faces.”

Her words cut me open. “When you go into the bank to withdraw more money, alert the teller. Tell them what’s happening.”

“No.” Her tone is firm. “They’ll use you as collateral—or worse, they’ll kill you.”

Tears spill down my face. “At least one of us will survive... This is all my fault. You wouldn’t even be in this mess if it weren’t for me.”

Pain flashes across her face as she places a steady hand on my leg. “No, it’s not your fault. And I won’t risk your life to save my own.”

Her unwavering loyalty and integrity leave me grasping for words. I’ve never had a friend like her. “What are we going to do?”

Straightening, she tightens her jaw. “We hide in the bathroom. When they break in, we fight like hell. We just need to stall as long as we can. Remember, aim for their eyes, noses, throats, or groins. These men aren’t the brightest.”

Since she’s Reaper’s sister, I’m not shocked she knows self-defense. I glance down at my self-defense ring. It’s time to test it out.

The doorknob jingles. We bolt for the bathroom. The larger man lunges, but I’m faster. Milly and I scramble inside and slam the door shut, throwing our weight against it.Boom.Boom.Boom. His fists crash against the door, jarring our bodies with each hit. My heart pounds in my ears.

“Open the fucking door!” he screams. “When I get my hands on you two...”

A small whimper escapes my lips as he shoves against the door, nearly forcing it open, but we force it shut again.

“FUCK!”

“Do you hear that?” Milly asks.

I pause, listening intently. The pounding and yelling dull against the backdrop of a new sound... a rumble. My eyes well with tears. Motorcycles. Hope surges in my chest.Jett.

Bang!

The earsplitting sound makes us scream. He shot a round through the door. For a split second, I brace for pain, but it doesn’t come. I frantically check myself, then Milly. We’re unscathed.

“That was a warning,” the man growls. “I’ll shoot again if you don’t open this door.”

Then, chaos erupts. The front door crashes open, shouts fill the air, and two more shots are fired. My breath catches, panic spiking at the thought of Jett being hurt.

I hear a scuffle, then a man cries out, and then... silence.

A soft knock on the bathroom door makes me flinch. “Ivy, it’s me. Open up.” Jett’s low voice soothes me. The heavy pressure on my chest lifts.

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