Page 25 of Ivy and the Deathstalkers

“No. You’re not the asshole. That’s Jax,” she says when she finally gets her laughter under control.

“Hey!” Jax starts to protest. We all look at him and he chuckles. “Ok. Fair enough.”

Turning back to me Ivy says, “Youarenotan asshole. You care about your brothers and their wellbeing takes precedence over everything else. You passed up a chance to spend time with your newly found mate to help calm him down so he didn’t scorpionout. You’re reserved. You normally defer to others, especially KC, but you’d tell me all of your life stories just to keep my attention. You’re loyal to a fault and you have an uncanny ability to calm everyone around you. You’re the glue that holds your merry band of bikers together.”

Holy shit.

“How’d I do?” She arches a brow at me.

“You’re definitely a good judge.”

“Thanks. I also like to play jury and executioner.” She winks. Fuckingwinks. This woman couldn’t be more perfect for us if she tried.

“Oh! Oh! Do me!” Neo bounces in his seat.

“She already said. You’re flirty. That’s about all there is to you isn’t there?” Jax smirks.

“At least I’m not an asshole,” Neo snipes.

“I’ll show you a fucking asshole,” Jax growls.

“No thanks. I’d rather not see your hairy ass.” Neo shudders. Jax shoves his seat back and stands, ready to throttle our loudmouth brother.

“Boys! Enough!” I snap, ever the peacemaker. Just like Ivy said. Jax breathes deeply through his nose, his nostrils flaring as he attempts to reign in his anger. Neo holds his hands up in surrender.

“Told ya,” Ivy chuckles.

Chapter 19

Ivy

“Ok now, back on track. You said you were at Underground because the guy who killed your families and hell your whole species pretty much, was there. I know almost all the regulars there. Who did it? I'll help you make the fucker pay.” I stare at Jax, waiting for an answer.

He looks at KC. That instantly activates my bitch mode. “Oh no, you fucking don't.” I jump to my feet, startling Kelly who hisses. “I'm not some flower you can hide fucking shit from. If and I meanifI'm your mate, andifI’m this matriarch thing, he killed my people too.” I start pacing while Kelly wraps tighter around me.

DJ is by my side before I know it. He reaches for me, but when Kelly strikes out, he jumps back. “Whoa, snake. I just want to help,” he says.

“The asshole is dangerous. You need to understand, if he finds out what you are…” KC trails off.

I know he is not trying to pull some overprotective mate bullshit on me right now. I get right up in his face—it's still a fewinches up but I do it—and snarl, “I will not be coddled or locked away. I'm damn good at my job. I have contacts and resources you can't…”

The fucker cuts me off. The nerve of this man. “You hit on one of his guards and Jax killed two others the night you two met. His name is-”

My eyes widen. What are the fucking odds? This time, I cut him off. “Stanley fucking Shiftlan. You’re saying my mark and the bastard that killed the only parents I knew… wiped out your species?”

KC nods. “Your species too. You are a deathstalker matriarch. You have our venom, it just doesn't come from your stinger.”

I walk over to a lamp Kelly likes and place her on it. Without a word, I practically flop back down in my chair. Stanley killed the people who raised meandthe people who birthed me. One set of parents I’ll never know thanks to him, and another I’ll never forget. Hell, he probably tried to kill me and the guys too.

I'm so lost in thought, I forget the guys are here until a hand lifts my head and wipes tears I didn't know were falling. I expect to see DJ since it's his nature but it's Jax.

“Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours? You’re dripping some serious venom. Talk to us. Tell us what we can do to help?”

Blinking, I look around at all of them, and they have concerned looks on their faces. For the first time in a very long time, I feel vulnerable, but somehow safe with all of them.

Swallowing, I share my thoughts. Guess I better get used to that if I’m going to have six mates. “He killed both sets of my parents.Both sets. He was my assignment. That's why I was there.” Standing, I say “Give me a minute.” Leaving these strangers alone in my living room, I go to the bathroom. Not even a little concerned that they’ll pilfer my house in my absence. I wash the deadly tears from my face, and then go to myoffice. I wake up my computer and see a notification flashing on the screen.

I found him.

---