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Nix, noticing runted a short puff of air in disapproval "You brought this on yourself, Ivy I would have been happy to have trained you… personally But I cannot ignore your disruptive behavior or your disrespectful attitude So you’re going on a job to you won’t be capable of, just a friendly dinner with so to be an escort

"Nix, I am sixteen," I hissed frantically My nails bit into the underside of the table, any more pressure and I would rip them off

"Ivy, it’s dinner That’s all Trust et that you are mine" His words were a heavy bark of an order before his eyes flickered to Ryder as setting our drinks down on the table

"Thank you," I aze I couldn’t acknowledge him in front of Nix, not after this conversation, not after what happened in the kitchen

Ryder disappeared back behind the counter but I could feel his concentrated stare as he watched us

"Let’s take these to go," Nix stood with his coffee "We have more to discuss"

I obeyed What else could I do? I was still a prisoner Still chained to this Godforsaken life

I dared a quick glance at Ryder on ot to the door and held it open forback I expected Ryder to be righteously pissed But instead his gaze was soft and steady He narrowed his eyes in an expression of support and he tilted his chin down as if to proht

If it had been fury staring back at me the shame would have overcome me, and left me useless

But his silent show of support had the opposite affect and instead of soul-eating guilt I could stand up straighter and square h this

I had Ryder, I would be just fine

Chapter Thirty-Five

I looked at the clock for the hundredth tirettably noticed only five er, I stood up and started pacing the foyer S out invisible lines on e Anaxandra and Evaleen

They sat uns crossed and hands neatly folded in their laps, like they had done this plenty of times before Hell, maybe they had

Technically they weren’t supposed to be assets yet, but you couldn’t tell that frohed i on the plush bench seat, their slinky stilettos dangling froe too high and exposing s Eva’s stems were ivory porcelain underneath her silk pink off the shoulder dress Her long chestnut hair hung down to the lossed and kept strategically away froeous tonight, with herloosely over one shoulder and her bright blue strapless dress the exact color of her eyes They were minxy perfection

And I was a jumbled ball of nerves

My palms were sweaty,and too s on the back of s swept over my forehead, a lot like Eva’s My botto, so I was forced to bite on it which in turn dissolved

I was not supposed to be here

I had plotted etmouth one too many times, I had been punished by my worst fear

I absently wondered if Nix knew that If somehow he had actually seen into ly Even if he would have taken me two years earlier, it would not have co paid to be some old man’s arht

Only instead of kidnapping and an unwanted addiction to drugs, iven birth to acy Her whore legacy

I shuddered as the reality, more than ever before, sunk in

"Would you stop?" Eva finally snapped "You areme nervous Just sit down!"

I let out a rush of breath but obeyed I sat onthe shakes to the rest of my body and then stared down at ement Ryder had whispered tonment" and because he already knewI laid out ive him an idea of what I would face and myself peace of ood, would knohere I was tonight Because he would be concerned about ht, Ivy," Ana put a co hand on my back She was a little aard since my dress was backless down to my lowest vertebrae and it eird with the skin to skin contact of her hand But she was maternal and sweet and I sank into her tranquility "This isn’t a real job Think of it like… riding your bike with training wheels"

I thought about that for a minute and then said, "I was never allowed to ride a bike, training wheels or not"

There was a moment of silence before Ana said, "Me either,"

"Too risky for scars," Eva added

"Ugh, what kind of pathetic childhoods did we lead?" Ana groaned and then all three of us burst into laughter

"How about another analogy that doesn’t remind me of why I’m in therapy?" I asked, but already I felt more relaxed

"Ok, how about this?" Ana seemed to think about it, "You’ve been on dates before? Lots of dates, I bet, right?"

"Yes"