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"I have Honor," Ava returned serenely

"And if Smith always keeps her? If she is never allowed out of that house?" Thalia scoffed "What then?"

"Honor will be acy; there is no question about that Nix wants Ivy enough that he will et Honor," Ava pro shiver washed down my back and I was sure I would be sick for a fewnausea slowed and I looked up in time to watch my o with you," I spat in a hushed tone before I even registered the words were being said

Oops

My lare swept towards e I possessed to sit up straight and stare her in the eyes A collective intake of breath could be heard around the roorew until I could feel it pouring off her in waves

"What a strong spirit you have, Ivy," Thalia broke the charged silence with the backhanded compliment "No wonder Nix wants to add you to his collection"

Strangled laughter erupted in Ava and her restrained fury turned her eyes wild "My daughter? Strong spirit?" et that this is the same child that needed to be sent away after her breakup One broken heart and she’s a s with her She is a tragedy waiting to happen No, Ivy has always been too weak for this world, too weak for anything of worth"

"Weak?" I choked on the word; it felt vile and repulsive in ,me weak! I felt the presence enter the room behind me and pause in the doorway, but I was too emotionally involved to stop myself now "No, not weak I have a soul That may be a weakness to you, but it is not tostandards and you call that weak! Of course I don’t fit in; I’ood person, to be better than this life you force me to live"

I juh instinct warned ood person, Ivy," Nix calrowrooape to stare at him He was picture perfect in his pressed suit and shiny shoes, but his tie was absent and the top button of his white oxford was undone He fiddled with one of his cufflinks and then continued, "You should be concerned about my expectations for you, ht, the rest is weakness, not anything else And definitely a waste of time"

"What isn’t a waste of time, Nix?" I asked with more contempt than I felt Not that I didn’t feel hatred but it was being severely overshadowed by fear at the moment

"Money, Ivy Money is never a waste of tih-back chair and I straightened outbeneath his powerful presence

"Oh, that’s right Because aze bravely As desperately as I wanted to look away from his dark, relentless eyes I wouldn’t allow myself to show the weakness they accused me of

Nix’s ser flashed in his expression and I felt his grip tighten against the chair all the way down to o round Me! And it would behoove you not to forget that" He reigned in his temper and smoothed out his features and it was like a tornado had been destroying the rooh aThe calm after the storm was as eerie and deadly as the storm itself and I shuddered despite my resolve not to show fear "Eva, call a cab for Ivy I want her out of ht for now"

With that last command he turned his back on me and stalked from the room The entire room stayed still even with his absence until Eva finally reached for her cell phone and followed his orders I had been banished for the rest of the evening And even though a pit of absolute terror started to grow in s, I was thankful to be excused fro If I continued to misbehave like this I kneould have to face discipline, but I couldn’t stop myself

I just didn’t want to knohat that meant for me

Chapter Thirty-Two

This time the ride to visit Honor was more tense than norht at Sloane’s, except to tellfor Honor’s She hadn’t left it an option to decline, but I didn’t plan on it anyways

We pulled up to Honor’s and went through the same routine as always She walked with me to the front door and raised her hand to knock, except at the last minute she pulled back

"Ivy, I’ardless of how you feel right now, you need to know that I am not your enemy I am your ally I have your best interest into understand that, but then you and I need to work together Alright?"

I thought over her words for aI needed to appear to She was right in that if worse ca away froht, ht and recently I just, what happened with Sam scared uess I’ Ok? I’ll try to be better though, I promise"

"Oh sweetheart, I understand," she cooed and then drew le away from her "I know you’ll try harder I know you won’t eave me an air kiss while I kind of stood there stunned Eventually she let go of me and turned her attention back to the door She pressed the doorbell with a long French nail and then waited tranquilly for Smith or one of his assistants to open the door

It was the assistant this week, a twenty-soht out of MBA school They all clamored to ith Smith, to learn from the master of business But Smith would only let women work for him Not because he was some pervy womanizer, but solely to protect his life and Honor He would never trust ato us, just moved out of the way and allowed us to enter She silently turned on her one inch practical puenerally all the same Not that he had a type, but ht, pant suit or skirt suit and low heels They all looked like uniforht attendants from the fifties, but I keptroom, ere alone for a fewherself onto one of the couches and crossing her legs impatiently I paced around the room nervously I felt itchy in my skin after the makeup session with ive and forget Was she putting on a show for Sout the punishesture of maternal instinct, possibly her first one ever?

"Ivy!" Honor squealed from the doorway She bounded across the space between us and threw herself into y was there before disappeared with my sister so close and so happy to see me

"Hey, little one," I whispered into her hair "How are you?"

"So good," she exclai auburn hair around her hand a few times and then lifted it off her neck She twisted around at the waist until finally I noticed the two blue sapphire studs in her ears

"Oh h and loud enough for any eleven year old to be proud of