Page 80 of Relentless (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 2)

She pulls her phone out and opens the group text. A strangled grunt comes from her throat as we step off the elevator. One tear falls, and her lip wobbles, but then she takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. When she looks up again, a mask of indifference is firmly on her face. She walks past Con and Hoodrat into the apartment and goes straight back to our room.

We all look at each other.

“Should I talk to her?” Hoodrat asks.

“Probably one of us should.” I send a nervous glance down the hall.

“Or just give her a minute,” Con interjects. “It sounds like she might on the phone.”

I pull my phone out to read the articles. Each one is pure lies and trash. I shouldn’t be surprised that Jennifer would do this, but as she’s proven before, she lacks even the most basic maternal instinct. In one, she claims that Ives slept with me in high school to break up her marriage to my dad and that now she’s sleeping with my dad to get a job. Gross and wrong. Another says she’s set her sights on Con now.

The door opens, and Griff walks in. He looks at the three of us with a question in his eyes. He must the get the answer just from looking at us because he starts rolling his sleeves up and pulling his phones out.

“I’ve already informed all our affiliated newspapers and magazines that they are not to take stories from Jennifer.” He looks over at me. “I can put a catch and kill out though, if that’s better.”

Ivy chooses that moment to walk out of her room and join us. She still has that blank look on her face, and it’s starting to worry me.

“Dad and Isaac are working on stopping her,” she says stepping up beside me.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding when she loops her arms around my waist. I wrap my arm over her shoulder and kiss the top of her head. “Are you okay?” I whisper into her hair.

“No, not even remotely. I’ll probably go to Connecticut this weekend, hide out with Dad and Isaac. I don’t want to bring all this attention on you guys.”

“Fuck that,” Con says. “This is a family, and we face our problems as a united front.”

“Yeah,” Griff adds, “we just got you back. Levi just got you back.”

“Exactly. I’m done dealing with his whiny ass when he doesn’t have you.” Con grabs his phone, “I’m ordering dinner.”

“No running, Ives.” I look down at her. “Remember your promise.”

“Plus, we have an appointment to go look at wedding dresses this weekend,” Hoodrat reminds her. “I know you are dying to dress me up in hideous poofy white dresses.”

That comment makes her lips curl into a soft smile. “It would be a shame to postpone that appointment, especially since we slid into a cancellation.”

“Exactly. Text your dad and brother and tell them to stand down. They can focus on a legal way to get your mom to stop. Griff will cast a net for any other possible stories. I’ll increase security around the building.” She hugs Ives. “We’ll take care of this.”

26

IVY

The restof the week was a complete nightmare. Even with the announcement of Connor and Lilith’s engagement, the media still finds me every day, asking more and more intrusive questions and making crazier allegations. No one has seen Jennifer in several days. Dad hired a PI and is gathering everything he’ll need to file a defamation lawsuit against her.

I finish the Friday afternoon meeting I have with several of the finance VPs and head toward Frank’s office. I want to double check that there’s nothing for me to do before I leave. If I make it out before everyone else leaves for the weekend, I have less of a chance of being mobbed out the building. Saul is driving Levi and me every day, so getting into and out of VI isn’t an issues at all, but the walk from to the door to curb here has been awful.

I bypass Frank’s assistant and knock on his door. There’s muffled male voices and then he raises his voice to tell me to come in. The sight that greets me is perhaps one of the most shocking I’ve ever seen. Frank is sitting around his office conference table with Levi, my dad, and Isaac. Unlike the last time my dad and brother were in the same room with Frank, no one seems to be throwing punches. That’s a positive development.

“What’s this about?” I look around the room at the most important men in my life.

“We’re just discussing what to do about Jennifer,” Dad answers.

I take a close look at each of them. They look like they’ve been at it awhile. I walk over to Levi and run my hand through his hair. He tries to pull me into his lap, but no, we’re not playing that game. I have questions.

“How long has this little strategy session been going on?” I ask keeping my tone neutral.

Isaac and Levi share a glance. Dad and Frank seem oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

“We’ve been here since lunch,” Dad answers.

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