Page 125 of Burning Ivy (The KORT)

Finally, she flips her dark hair over her shoulder while her eyes bore into me. “Even if that’s true, you broke her heart, erasing her best qualities in the process of stealing her reality. I’m not sure you can come back from that. Any of you.”

She glances down, and my body pitches forward out of instinct, halting rigidly when she peers up again, lips parted to continue, “I don’t know where she is. She wouldn’t tell me, but she left me with a message. If you want her, you’ll have to work for it.”

I shove my hands into my pockets, fixing a tranquil grin in place to camouflage my terror and aggression. “There’s nothing that could keep me from her. Deep down, she knows that.”

She swallows, eyes soft and despondent. “I think she does.”

“The message?” I ask, knowing every minute counts.

Rising, she strides to the closet, digs in her purse, and emerges with a slip of paper. I unfold it the second she hands it to me.

Like beauty, art appreciation lies in the eye of the beholder. So, when the storm retreats, look to the one who’s missing toclear the path.

My quizzical gaze shoots to Celeste, but she shakes her head at me.

“Ivy needs one person she can count on,” she says. “My advice is not to overanalyze. Resort to what workedbefore.”

I scan the clue again, honing in onart. Her paintings.

“Thank you.” Scribbling my number on the bottom of the paper, I rip it off and slide it across the counter she’s now standing behind. “Put my number in your phone. Now. If Ivy reaches out …” I pause, aware how deeply my wife loves Celeste. “You need to leave here. Go somewhere you can’t be—”

“Ivy told me that, too, and arranged it all. Now that you’ve arrived, the pilot will fly Dr. Kingston’s jet back without me. I’m going to visit a friend. He’ll see me home.”

Of course, Ivy handled it. My good, smart girl. Ten steps ahead.

We file out, Gage with a parting grunt and Liam spitting a rancorous, “Later,Carver.”

It’s the middle of the night in Ohio, so we have to wait six hours into the flight to speak with Suzanna at the gallery.

I’m too keyed up to sleep, so I drown my rage in scotch and candy, ranting incessantly. “She ditched her phone. Her car. She’s God knows where. I should’ve fucking chipped her like I wanted.”

After she was roofied, it was a serious consideration. I don’t know that Tom would’ve liked it, but he wouldn’t have faulted me either.

Ty gazes at me from his seat, steely and vexed. “We agreed that was a violation.”

“No.Youdecided it was a goddamn violation!” I lunge toward him, clamping on to his collar rough enough to drag him forward. “What if they find her, Ty? Rape her? Sell her? Kill her? What aboutthosefucking violations?”

His eyes brim with anxiety, and I don’t even care how close to home that hits. All the more reason he should’ve supported the idea instead of fighting me on it. But too caught up in Ivy’s feelings, I heeded his warning that she’d hate me for it.

Fucking pussy.

“I was trying to protect her sense of autonomy andyourrelationship. She wouldn’t have forgiven you for that,” he snipes as I release his shirt.

“Fuck that!” I spit, pacing. “She’d be hating me in the safety of my arms right now.ThatI could live with.” I guzzle my drink with a kick to the bar cabinet. The miniature door flies off the hinges. The screech and the burn of the scotch are mildly satisfying. I’d like to rip every inch of this plane to shreds.

“You’re three sheets, Chief.” Liam snickers. “Take a nap.”

Maybe I’ll tearhimto shreds. I pour another glass—not bothering with ice—analyzing the man who’s been a brother to me for nearly a decade. A lifetime in our case.

“Celeste was right.” I swirl the amber liquid with a festering venom. “Everything you said to Ivy was true. That’s why it had to be you.”

His eyebrows dart up, but instead of disputing my allegation, he stares at me.

My voice is drenched in serene ire as I drop into my seat. “Say it, Graves. I deserve to know what the hell I’m dealing with.”

“You’re not dealing with anything. Ivy and I are cool. End of story.” He swigs his beer, eyes boring into mine.

“Coward,” I bark.

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