Page 114 of Sliding Into Love
So where was Ethan?
A flash of red silk nearby, and Ivy questioned Jen, but she hadn’t seen him. Shoving her plate into a bewildered Jen's hands, Ivy mumbled incoherently as she pushed through the crowd.
She wondered if Ethan just needed air, because she did, so she slipped through the crowded entrance until she felt the cool wind on her over-heated cheeks and sucked it down in gulps.
The sound of Ethan's voice reached Ivy before she saw him, his voice low, but deep enough to cut through the street sounds. He spoke quickly, and she couldn't make out the words, but Ivy instantly knew something was wrong. When she spotted him, he was half-hidden in shadow, gesturing before turning to walk away when an arm reached out to grab him, yanking him fully into the darkness of an alley.
Before Ivy was aware of what she was doing, she hiked her up dress with one hand and raced toward the spot where Ethan disappeared, shoving people out of the way if they didn't clear out fast enough. The bad feeling she’d had all day reached a fever pitch in her head, and all she could think wasno no nountil she rounded the alleyway and Ethan was there.
So was another man, someone she’d never officially met but recognized. He was dressed immaculately, in a crisp, well-made suit, as if he were planning to attend the gala and happened to find his protege on the way inside.
“Marshall.” Ivy hissed the name, and it tasted like ash on her tongue.
“Ah, and here’s the little bitch who’s caused so many problems.” Marshall’s voice was cold and unctuous, sending chills down her spine. A strangled sound came from Ethan, and Ivy felt waves of fury toward the awful old man.
“Leave, Ivy, please.” His voice shook.
“Yes, that’s right, girl, do as you’re told.” Marshall shifted as he waved dismissively, and Ivy saw a shadow beneath it and froze. Ethan, distracted by Marshall’s words, didn't see the gun and tried to shove past Ivy.
But she couldn’t let him be shot, so Ivy, small and defenseless, and without any sort of plan to extricate herself from the situation, stepped in front of Ethan, putting herself between the two men. Never had she felt smaller than she did standing between the two towering men.
Marshall stared her down with bloodshot eyes. Before, when he’d attacked Ethan, he’d been drunk, Ethan had said.
Now though, the man’s eyes were eerily clear. Cold rage twisted his already grotesque features, and Ivy understood the man was truly unhinged.
“Move, girl,” he ordered again, looking past her to Ethan.
Behind her, Ivy realized Ethan was frozen in place, nearly vibrating with panic and rage.
“No,” she said, standing her ground. “Leave him alone. You’re done hurting him.”
“Ivy, no—" Ethan's voice was hoarse, croaking.
A dark chuckle ripped from the old man’s throat.
“Who’s going to stop me, girl? You?” He laughed again.
“Actually,” a new voice called from the entrance to the alley. “I am.” A figure was wreathed in shadows until they stepped forward, and Ivy tensed further when she saw the owner of the voice.
“Lawrence Lorne, how nice of you to join us.”
As he picked his way through the narrow alley, Lawrence completely ignored Marshall, peering beyond Ivy to stare intently at his nephew. Ethan released Ivy and shifted, to run or get between her and his former coaches, she couldn’t tell, so she stepped backward, pressing her back into his chest. The usual wash of heat from Ethan’s body didn't seep into Ivy’s skin, but his racing heartbeat did.
“You okay?” Lawrence still ignored Marshall, causing the other old man’s face to grow even redder and more twisted than before.
“What doyouwant? Haven't you done enough already?” Ivy spat when Ethan didn't answer, narrowing her eyes and shifting her feet to position her body and face both men at once.
“To atone,” Lawrence said and smiled sadly, then turned to face Marshall. “Gregory.”
“You’re a disgrace to your name!” Marshall hurled the words, spittle spraying. “Both of you!”
Slowly, Lawrence took a few steps toward them, narrowing the space between himself and the other man. “That was always your problem, Gregory. Too focused on the past, never in the here and now.” With a final step, Lawrence closed the distance between himself and Marshall, creating a triangle and forcing Marshall to choose which of his opponents to face.
It would have been funny, like a scene in a movie, if Ivy weren’t afraid of what Marshall might do. Because he still had the gun tucked into the waistband of his crisply pleated slacks.
And Lawrence didn't know.
As slowly as she could, Ivy began to turn her body, and by extension, Ethan's, sideways, to shift them away from whatever was about to go down between Marshall and Lawrence.
