number.
"Thank you, Shane." I turn on my heels and jog back inside.
The theme from Mission : Impossible plays in my head as I pull on my black motorcycle jacket. The security system beeps on, and I take my steps two at a time. Shane nods in my direction. I give him a grateful wink and shuffle down the street.
***
Ivy
Me: Arrived safely, thank you.
Rap, rap, rap.
My knuckles sting from knocking on the door to Bryn's condo. I may have hit it a little too enthusiastically. Come on, Bryn. Answer the door.
Rap, rap.
The door swings open. Bryn stands before me in a white tank top and red flannel pajama pants. I raise her arms and circle her, scrutinizing every inch. She's in one piece. No bullet holes or stab wounds. I lunge and wrap my arms around her shoulders.
"Thank goodness! I was so worried." I can't hug her tight enough. My best friend. My family. She smells of expensive department store perfume. Daisies and sunflower extracts.
"I'm fine. Settle down, crazy woman." She tugs me through the door. "Sit down and start talking."
I stumble a few steps but eventually gain my footing. Avoiding the corners of the glass coffee table, I plop down on her comfy oversized chenille couch. Bryn sits opposite me and turns.
"Let's go, chica. Spill it."
I yank on the sleeves of my wool coat. "Where to start, where to start..."
"How about, why the hell this man was going to kill me to get to you?" She purses her lips.
"I'm not exactly sure." I don't know why Viktor wanted me.
"Cut the crap, Ivy. It's me you're talking to."
"I don't. I'm not lying. Viktor and I dated a long time ago. Before Uncle Bernie and Aunt Helen found me, I was homeless and alone. I was a naive teenager, only sixteen years old, Bryn. Viktor preyed on me. He knew I was desperate. After two years with him, he proposed to me, and stupidly, I accepted. I didn't have another choice. I wasn't ever going back on the streets."
"You were engaged to him?" Her voice rises. "Wow, he's a certifiable lunatic. Why haven't you ever told me this?"
"I don't know. Back then, my life was a mess. I was doing anything I could to survive. Unfortunately, Viktor was one of those things. Bryn, I'm sorry I never told you. I should have. I never meant for anyone to get hurt from my mistakes. Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I have a few bruises. I was in shock at first, but I'm bouncing back. No point dwelling on it or letting it get me down."
She wraps her arms around me in a warm hug. She ends our embrace but keeps her hands on my shoulders. Her face morphs as she contemplates what I've said.
"Okay." She keeps her hands on me but relaxes the tension in her biceps. "I have a couple of things to say. Number one, no more secrets between us. Ever. Even old ones." We both nod, but I'm not sure I can tell her the details of my past. I can't lose Bryn. " B ." She smiles at her own joke. "I don't know what Viktor wants with you, but we need to find out. I did mean to say we ." She raises her brows at me. "And C , I'm getting a divorce. Greg and I are done and over."
"Wait, what? Back up the train, Bryn. What happened?" She drops her hands to her lap and slouches.
"Looking back, I think we married too young. You'd think traveling the world would be so romantic. But it's not. The poverty we saw, the people we met, changed my perspective. In the end, Greg shacked up with a sexy little Venezuelan girl, and I decided I want a man with more depth. I want to be cherished and thrilled and protected. Not just a girl he met in college he's stuck with forever."
"That's understandable, Bryn. You deserve to have the best. This must be so painful for you."
"I'm fine. I've already had rebound sex with someone else."
"What? Who?"
She nibbles her bottom lip. "Shane."
"Shane? What? When?"
"Wasn't intentional, but just sort of happened."
"Oh sure, and I kinda did a one-handed cartwheel and landed on Jacade's dick. It happens."
We both giggle, and her familiar smile warms my
"Thank you, Shane." I turn on my heels and jog back inside.
The theme from Mission : Impossible plays in my head as I pull on my black motorcycle jacket. The security system beeps on, and I take my steps two at a time. Shane nods in my direction. I give him a grateful wink and shuffle down the street.
***
Ivy
Me: Arrived safely, thank you.
Rap, rap, rap.
My knuckles sting from knocking on the door to Bryn's condo. I may have hit it a little too enthusiastically. Come on, Bryn. Answer the door.
Rap, rap.
The door swings open. Bryn stands before me in a white tank top and red flannel pajama pants. I raise her arms and circle her, scrutinizing every inch. She's in one piece. No bullet holes or stab wounds. I lunge and wrap my arms around her shoulders.
"Thank goodness! I was so worried." I can't hug her tight enough. My best friend. My family. She smells of expensive department store perfume. Daisies and sunflower extracts.
"I'm fine. Settle down, crazy woman." She tugs me through the door. "Sit down and start talking."
I stumble a few steps but eventually gain my footing. Avoiding the corners of the glass coffee table, I plop down on her comfy oversized chenille couch. Bryn sits opposite me and turns.
"Let's go, chica. Spill it."
I yank on the sleeves of my wool coat. "Where to start, where to start..."
"How about, why the hell this man was going to kill me to get to you?" She purses her lips.
"I'm not exactly sure." I don't know why Viktor wanted me.
"Cut the crap, Ivy. It's me you're talking to."
"I don't. I'm not lying. Viktor and I dated a long time ago. Before Uncle Bernie and Aunt Helen found me, I was homeless and alone. I was a naive teenager, only sixteen years old, Bryn. Viktor preyed on me. He knew I was desperate. After two years with him, he proposed to me, and stupidly, I accepted. I didn't have another choice. I wasn't ever going back on the streets."
"You were engaged to him?" Her voice rises. "Wow, he's a certifiable lunatic. Why haven't you ever told me this?"
"I don't know. Back then, my life was a mess. I was doing anything I could to survive. Unfortunately, Viktor was one of those things. Bryn, I'm sorry I never told you. I should have. I never meant for anyone to get hurt from my mistakes. Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I have a few bruises. I was in shock at first, but I'm bouncing back. No point dwelling on it or letting it get me down."
She wraps her arms around me in a warm hug. She ends our embrace but keeps her hands on my shoulders. Her face morphs as she contemplates what I've said.
"Okay." She keeps her hands on me but relaxes the tension in her biceps. "I have a couple of things to say. Number one, no more secrets between us. Ever. Even old ones." We both nod, but I'm not sure I can tell her the details of my past. I can't lose Bryn. " B ." She smiles at her own joke. "I don't know what Viktor wants with you, but we need to find out. I did mean to say we ." She raises her brows at me. "And C , I'm getting a divorce. Greg and I are done and over."
"Wait, what? Back up the train, Bryn. What happened?" She drops her hands to her lap and slouches.
"Looking back, I think we married too young. You'd think traveling the world would be so romantic. But it's not. The poverty we saw, the people we met, changed my perspective. In the end, Greg shacked up with a sexy little Venezuelan girl, and I decided I want a man with more depth. I want to be cherished and thrilled and protected. Not just a girl he met in college he's stuck with forever."
"That's understandable, Bryn. You deserve to have the best. This must be so painful for you."
"I'm fine. I've already had rebound sex with someone else."
"What? Who?"
She nibbles her bottom lip. "Shane."
"Shane? What? When?"
"Wasn't intentional, but just sort of happened."
"Oh sure, and I kinda did a one-handed cartwheel and landed on Jacade's dick. It happens."
We both giggle, and her familiar smile warms my
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