Page 7 of Hero of Havoc

His words hit my stomach like a punch, knocking the wind from my sails as I fight to contain the tremble that runs through my body. I shouldn’t be shocked, not when it comes to this man, but here I am, reeling from his truth.

“And if I don't agree?” I ask, and he shrugs.

“Then you saw her condition.” He cocks his brow as I gulp, unable to form a response on my tongue, but he speaks again before I have the chance anyway. “I don't want that for you, Ivy,” he adds, and I huff.

“That's not the vibe you're giving,” I mumble, and he grins.

“I don't want you as my prisoner. I want you at my side, just like your father promised me.”

I rear back, no longer fazed by the dead bodies behind me, putting as much distance between us as I can. “And you expect me to hold up my father's end of a bargain after he killed me?”

His face turns to stone as he slams his fist on the arm between us. “No. No one shall forgive that man for his actions. Not when I wanted to be the one to do it.” A shudder runs down my spine, my veins turning to ice, despite the angered heat that continues to pulse through me. “I would have been gentler.” He tries to reassure me, but it doesn’t connect. “More than that, I want other things,” he pushes, and my tongue is like lead in my mouth. I try to speak as he leans in closer, using his palm as a rest for his cheek again, but he beats me to it. “Like the way you smile at Hugo.”

“Huh?”

He hums with a slight nod. “It's special, the way the corner of your mouth meets your eyes. It's reserved only for him. I want it for myself.”

I blink at him a few times, bewildered. “I don't understand.”

“I want you to stare at me with intention, fluttering those long lashes of yours as you do repeatedly when you're anxious.”

I shake my head, realizing I'm doing exactly what he's murmuring about already.

Nausea churns in my stomach.

“And I want you sleeping at my side with your left knee cocked and your hand under your cheek.”

It's me that turns to stone this time, acutely aware this man knows exactly how I sleep every night, but more than that, I understand how dangerous this man is, and how close he's been able to get already.

The ice catches fire in my veins, bubbling over as it reaches its peak.

He's in my head, and the grin on his lips confirms that's exactly where he wanted to be.

Despite my knowledge growing, I feel like I'm drowning, or maybe I'm simply sinking, letting the current take me without the strength to fight against it.

“There's an alternative path for you, Ivy. One no one else can walk,” he vows as the door explodes open and Hugo bursts in. The energy quickly shifts at the intrusion, and Leonardo stands, disappointment lingering across his features. “You're lucky I know just how much he means to you. Otherwise, he'd be dead. I've killed for less,” he declares, my pulse thundering in my ears as the room blurs through my stuttered vision, my brain malfunctioning at his words. He shakes his hands out at his sides as he stares down at me. “He's your savior today, but tomorrow, he just might be your downfall.”

His words consume me as he disappears from sight, stealing my sanity along with him.

3

IVY

Despair clings to me, but I don't get long to linger on Leonardo’s exit before Hugo takes a step toward me.

“Wait, is that a dead body?” he blurts, gaping down at the mess beside me.

“Two,” I correct as he brushes a hand through his hair with a sigh.

“Right,” he mumbles, shaking his head before his eyes return to mine. “Are you okay?”

“Nope.”

My sass gets the better of me, popping the P like it’s my life’s purpose, but I don’t hate the way it makes my brother squirm.

“That's to be expected,” he states, taking a deep breath, as if filling himself with oxygen will fuel my recovery. He shuffles his feet awkwardly as he points over his shoulder at the closed door. “The guys mentioned what Father said. He⁠—”

“You knew,” I interject, tilting my head a fraction so my gaze can absorb every inch of his reaction, and a familiar flash of guilt shines in his eyes. It was in Baron's eyes, Sax’s, Archer’s, and Teddy’s… now his. There’s no denying it.