Fraud

Ivy

Only Gabriel could be the cause of me becoming a fugitive two times in one month. Both times after acting out against him, of course, because nobody else has the insane ability to push me to that edge.

Gabriel has dragged the entire spectrum of emotion out of me through the course of our lives, the majority of which are clumped on the darker side, better known as the side psychologists warn people should be avoided at all costs.

Concern. Anger. Pain. Hatred. Vengeance. Intolerance. Envy.

Only in brief moments has he knocked me sideways to the opposite side of the spectrum.

Admiration. Humor. Joy. Excitement.

Lust...

If I were writing out an actual list, I would bold and underline that last word, then strike it out because where it leads means absolute disaster.

That’s what Gabriel and I are and have always been.

A natural disaster.

A destructive calamity.

A storm so devastating that any person caught in its wake is left confused and stumbling.

To come between us is to become collateral damage, which is why nobody has dared step in to stop our war.

Not that we would let them.

I’m going to be honest with you, something Gabriel will never do.

We like the war.

Crave it.

Need it in a way that will never make sense to most people.

But only because it makes us better.

Maybe it’s our matching personality types. Gabriel and I both need to be challenged. We often need a target, an opponent, a goal and a destination.

Without it, we’re lazy. We have nothing to prove and nobody who draws our interest. We wither and settle behind our masks with no drive to do anything else.

Our years apart proved it.

Without him, I’d succumbed to letting my father rule my life. And without me, he’d lost the spark that makes him unique.

He’d lost his edge and let everybody believe he was the nicest guy in the world.

I lied to you in the begi

I don’t entirely hate the monster I see beneath Gabriel’s charming mask because I see the same one staring back at me in my own damn reflection.

That’s fine, though.

I like it that way.

We’ll never stop fighting.

Never stop challenging each other.

And never stop the games we’re known for.

We’ll never stop improving each other until both of us are the best.

Which is why I’m surprised when Emily steps through the open French doors, steps up beside me and drops her phone on the wide handrail where I’m leaning.

“Three days and you’ve already won. Guess this means we can head home now since it’s safe.”

My eyes drag away from the sunset hovering over the distant horizon to snap down to the phone.

“What do you mean?”

Picking it up, I scroll down the article she has open, my eyes growing wider with every new paragraph, distrust unraveling in me because there is no way in hell Gabriel would have done this.

“He’s up to something.”

Soft laughter shakes her shoulders, her gaze focused on the distance where trees rustle in a passing breeze.

“I called Ava. She confirmed they gave that information to the papers because Gabriel is done messing with you.”

Taking a page from Gabriel’s playbook, I’d assigned Ava the task of keeping tabs on the guys. She was told to report the instant they left town because it meant they figured out where I am.

According to her, the guys weren’t doing anything different. Each one went to work and did whatever else it is they do. But none seemed interested in pursuing me.

Not even Gabriel.

“It’s right here in print, Ivy. They leaked it to the media that you broke off the engagement.”

She snorts at one line. “They even claimed Gabriel is depressed about it and won’t get out of bed for anything but work.”

My brow arches at that.

It makes no fucking sense. The fake engagement was Gabriel’s control over me when it comes to my dad and my finances. Why would he give it up?

I scan the article again. Obviously he did this. Nobody else but him feeds the news bullshit information.

Carefully scrawling through each line looking for a cryptic message, I find none and drop the phone back in Emily’s hand.

“He’s up to something,” I say again.

I know Gabriel.

Better than anybody.

He wouldn’t do this without a reason.

Emily shakes her head and brushes the length of her red hair over a shoulder.

“Or he’s letting this go. You wrecked his house, Ivy. And stole his car. Maybe he’s old enough now to realize this will just get worse if you two keep going.”

I think about that. Purse my lips. Glance out over the distance.

“Nope. He’s up to something.”

The only problem is I have no idea what.

“I can call Ezra or Damon. See what they have to say. We’ve only heard from Ava, and she gets limited information from Mason.”

I don’t bother glancing at her.

Emily has been more relaxed these past three days away from the twins. That alone is telling. It pisses me off, actually. What the hell are those two doing to her that can make her so upset?

There’s no telling with them. The twins have always been an issue. Always. And I feel bad I’d encouraged Emily to have fun with them in high school, instead of warning her not to get involved. Even if I had warned her, I’m not sure she would have listened.

Refusing to be the reason she reaches out to them now, I shake my head.

“No. This is between Gabe and me. And it should stay that way. I’ll call him myself. Offer my condolences for the failed engagement. Feel him out.”

While I watch, the sun sets behind the horizon, its dying fire a blaze of color spreading across a cloud streaked sky. Beyond the tree line, nocturnal animals begin their chorus, and I shiver at the memories that sound brings to mind.

“It’s probably best you avoid Gabriel. I can call the -“

My eyes snap her direction.

“What’s going on with you and the twins? You’ve been more like yourself the past three days we’ve been here than you have the past month.”

A question keeps screaming in my head, one I’ve kept from asking, but what kind of friend would I be if I left it alone?

“Are they doing something to you?”

I’ve never seen any physical signs that anything bad is happening. But you still have to worry about your best friend when she’s sleeping with men people call Violence and Anger.

Guessing where I’m going with this, her expression falls, and she blows out a breath.

“Not what you’re worried about. No.”

Suspicion fills me. I can’t tell if it’s because I truly don’t believe her, or that I’m on edge from everything with Gabriel.

“Are you sure?”

She better be sure. If she’s not, I’ll kick both their asses. How I’ll accomplish that, I have no idea. Those two are the poster children for Scary As Fuck, but I’ll figure out something.

She gives me a half-hearted grin.

“I might put up with a lot from people, but I wouldn’t allow that. I told you, it’s complicated, and I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

“Promise to tell me when you’re ready?”

Emily nods.

My shoulders relax at that.

“Fine.

Bracing her forearms on the handrail, she leans forward and laughs. “You’re stalling.”