Fraud

My smile slides in place, sinuous and psychotic, a warning rolling off my silver tongue as smooth as a silken promise.

“I won’t hurt you right now for bruising her, only because Ivy still loves you. But her loyalty to you is done. Her subservience to you is fucking over. For her entire life, all you’ve done is dress her up like a pretty trinket, something you can keep on a fucking pedestal instead of letting her be herself. You controlled her. And what you missed while dismissing her as a woman who needs to be in her place is that she is so far above you that you might as well be buried in the ground.”

The beat of our breath collides, anger painting his face red while I still wear a mask of casual indifference. The only change in the game is that I’m not fucking lying this time.

I’ve never been more honest before in my life.

“Don’t tell me to stay away from the woman who has been in my life since the begi

My forearm tightens against his throat and I slam him back against the wall once more before I release him and step away.

He steps forward to catch his balance, his hand moving to run at the skin of his neck.

“Get out of my house. Both of you. And I’d watch your backs after this. It’s not a smart move to piss me off.”

Ta

Letting ourselves out onto the porch, neither Ta

Ta

“We got it. He doesn’t know where Jerry is.”

Silent for a second, Ta

Fuck.

Jase is going to flip his shit.

It isn’t until we’re pulling off on the exit that leads to my house, that Ta

“Don’t fucking say it.”

“What? I have nothing to say.”

Liar.

“I just think it’s fu

“Nothing’s fu

He laughs softly again, a choked sound as if he can’t keep it in. “That was a very pretty speech you gave.”

My voice is a warning growl. “Fuck off, Ta

Another chuckle. “Seriously, I was inspired.”

“I swear to God, if you don’t shut your whore mouth-“

“You’ll what? Get mad and admit more of the truth about how much you love Ivy? I’m terrified,” he deadpans. “Please, stop threatening me before I shit myself.”

My head snaps his direction. “I didn’t admit anything.”

Mocking me, he speaks in falsetto. “So no. I won’t stay away from Ivy. From now on, I’ll be the person standing beside her, the strength following behind her, the person building her the fuck up so she doesn’t fall victim to assholes like you ever again...”

I can’t help my grin despite how pissed off I am. “You memorized it?”

“Like I said, it was inspiring. Seriously, statues should be erected in your honor. One with a big ass plaque engraved beneath calling you the world’s most pathetic liar.”

His laughter fills the car. “You’ll let her go, my ass. You’re such a fucking fraud, you believed yourself.”

We turn down my driveway just as twilight swallows the skies. Pulling up behind my car, he kills the engine and leans back in his seat, his head swiveling my direction.

“Well, shit. Now that I know you actually do love her, I almost feel bad.”

Suspicion douses me. “For what?”

If he tells me one of the twins touched her, there won’t be a corner on the planet they’ll be able to run to without me finding them and burying them in a shallow grave.

“Giving Ivy the key to your place.”

Fuck...

That’s even worse.

I’m out of the car and ru

No.

She fucking wouldn’t.

Not that shit again.

My eyes snap up to the house, my teeth slamming together as I crush the feather in my fingers and run up the steps to the porch.

Throwing the door open so hard it slams against the wall and rattles the windows, my heart drops into my stomach, anger gripping down on every muscle of my body to see piles of feathers covering the floors, several of them flying up and gently falling down from the breeze of the opening door.

Utter silence fills the house, my nerves on edge, my head tilting to the side when I hear a single muted cluck coming from upstairs.

Behind me, loud steps come to a halt, snorting laughter setting my teeth together harder before Ta

Ivy’s a dead woman.

Her and the fucking chickens.

Hauling ass upstairs, I hear another cluck coming from the direction of the guest rooms, a trail of feathers flying up around my feet as I run in that direction and turn right to slam a door open. My eyes lock with Ivy’s mischievous smirk, my hand balling into a fist as I take a few steps forward.

I’m almost across the room and on top of her when I get slammed from behind by two heavy bodies, my body spun, and my arms lifted above my head as I’m shoved against a wall.

It isn’t until I hear the metallic click that I remember the cuffs I had installed, and when I look down from where I’m now locked in place, I see Ta

“All of you. Dead. Don’t care what it takes. Knives. Guns. Nuclear warheads. A fucking lion I abduct from the Sahara that I feed you to after chopping you up in tiny pieces. You will all die when I get out of these.”

They stare at me silently, their faces red from trying not to laugh, their lips a thin line. It isn’t until the single fucking chicken in the room clucks again that they lose their shit and can’t hold it in anymore.

To my right, the feathered fucker walks around with a little head bob like it’s dancing in place, my fingers clenching the cuffs as a fake smile stretches my cheeks.

With as smooth a voice as I can manage, I lock my eyes on Ivy. “Where do you keep getting the chickens from, love? You never have told me.”

Tears are leaking from her eyes, Ta

They teamed up against me, I realize, and there will be hell to pay.

Tapping Ivy on the shoulder, Ezra turns to leave the room, Ta

“Why?”

“Why what?” she asks as she wipes a tear from her cheek.

“Why chickens?”