Chapter 48

FORTY-EIGHT

Three hours wentby quickly and before I knew it, a tinge of sunrise was hinting into the otherwise dark sky.

"Just walk down the dock, and you should see?—"

"Colorful powder in the sky?" I offered.

"Yes. Bradley's boat will be on the right, and I'm sure he'll be out there waiting for you. Good luck, Demi." Kealey leaned in and gave me a quick hug.

"How does Bradley know you?" I asked quickly.

"I was the only caged girl who ever escaped. And I guess in a way… you are too, now." She shrugged and before I knew it, she left.

"Wait!" I called out. I needed to go. I needed to find Bradley. Walking down the well-lit dock, I smiled as soon as I saw the color shooting up in the sky. It was so beautiful. It reminded me of the Indian holiday Holi. The festival of color and celebration of love. Everyone would be throwing colorful powder all over each other and into the sky.

"Dem?" His voice instantly calmed me.

I could hear his footsteps as he ran to me. Lifting me into his arms, he nuzzled his face in my neck.

"You're here. You made it. Dem, I'm so happy. I'm so proud of you!" I could feel moisture from his tears drip onto my skin.

"You're safe. You'll never be there again. We're safe." He showed me onto the boat and before I knew it, we were sailing. There was no time to waste since we couldn't risk the wrong person finding us.

The waves surrounding us provided solace from the otherwise cloudiness and trauma of my mind.

"Here, are you hungry? Thirsty?" He handed me a plate with a sandwich and chips and a can of soda.

"No… I'm just…" I began to cry.

"I know, I know." He wrapped his arms around me and let me cry for the next hour. I shook, I trembled, I bawled. I felt every emotion I had suppressed in order to survive. Tucking me into the bed below deck, Bradley kissed my forehead.

"Get some sleep, beautiful."

I tugged the fuzzy blanket under my chin. The rocking of the boat and the colors of the darkened wood all comforted me. Nothing was white here. My life was going to finally have color again. Closing my eyes, I let myself sleep without fear for the first time in a long time.

I jolted upright in panic the next morning. My body was covered in a cold sweat as I looked around. I couldn't believe I wasn't at the Ivory estate. I was actually free. I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean with Bradley.

We were both finally free. Getting out of bed, I walked over to the small bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My bridal makeup was mostly still intact along with my short blonde hair being perfectly curved underneath my chin with the endless hairspray holding it into place. But I was dehydrated, hungry, and felt the weight of the trauma I'd witnessed.

When I closed my eyes, I saw their faces. The caged girls. When I blinked, I saw Conrad forcing us to drink Ian and Daphne's blood. When I took a deep breath, I saw Becca laying in a pool of blood.

How would I survive? Washing my face, I tugged the lace dress off, and saw an oversized T-shirt lingering on the railing.

Pulling it over my head, I knew this was how I would heal. Bradley's scent was embedded in the fibers of this shirt, giving me comfort. Looking around the room, I glanced at the ceiling. I could hear Bradley moving around, but I needed a few minutes alone. I needed time to just be. I laid back down for a while with my fingers laced across my chest as I hummed a song to myself. The boat rocked harder against crashing waves and I decided I needed to get up.

Opening a nightstand drawer, I sat back on the bed and tilted my head as I tugged out a beautiful, cognac leather photo album. Flipping through the pages, my heart began to race. It was small images of children.

Two little boys.

With trembling fingers, I brushed them over the faces. Shaking my head, I flipped to another page and gasped. Slapping my hand over my mouth, I shuddered in shock.

It was an image of two little boys with Daphne and Ian Ivory.

Chills grew across my arms as I continued to flip through the pages and shake my head. This had to be someone else… but the faces were unmistakable. How? He couldn't be…

He couldn't be their son.

Something fell upstairs, a loud sound echoing from above. A door opened from the top of the small set of stairs. Shoving the album back into the drawer, I forced myself up.

"Dem? You up? I made us some breakfast… well, lunch. The sun's out. Come see it!" Bradley called down.

"Dem?" I heard a footstep.

"I'm coming," I whimpered, clearing my throat and looking around the small cabin.

There was nothing I could use to protect myself. I was, again, left weak. I was always the feeble prey.

This had to be some complete misunderstanding. There was no way Bradley was one of them. He worked for them.

I blinked away the tears and thought about his name. I didn't even know his last name.

Gripping the thin banister, I took a few steps up and immediately pulled my sunglasses on as the warmth of the sun beat on my face.

I can feel it.

But even though the sun was warm, I still felt cold. Once up, Bradley smiled at me and pointed at the two plates on a makeshift table.

"You wear it better than I do…" He winked at me and nodded at my T-shirt.

Walking slowly, I took a seat and looked down at the rice, plain yogurt, and boiled egg, meticulously cleaned of the yolk.

My breathing hitched as I felt Bradley's eyes on me.

An all-white meal.

"Sorry, it's all I had." He sat across from me and began to shovel the food into his mouth.

"Bradley, you know it's so interesting… I never asked you what your last name was?" I rolled my lips together as I looked up at him, thankful for the sunglasses that covered my eyes.

He clutched his fork tighter as his jaw clenched. "Why the sudden curiosity, Dem?" He jammed his fork viciously into the rice.

"Bradley…" My voice cracked as tears rolled down my cheeks. "What's your last name?" I repeated myself, pushing the plate away as my stomach flipped.

He slammed his silverware down and looked at me. "Ivory."

Sucking in a breath, I began to sob. "How…" I looked over his shoulder. There was nothing but endless ocean surrounding us. I had never felt more trapped than now.

"Ian Ivory was my father, and he raped one of the caged girls he had kept for himself. That was my mother. She ran away and got us out for years. Daisy has a different father. Eventually, Ian tracked us down and dragged us back. Daphne grew envious because Ian let her stay out of the cage and started to have feelings for her. So, Daphne slit her throat, drank her blood, and had me and Daisy help bury her body in the peony garden." Bradley stood and walked to the rail. My body shook as he spoke. His words blurring together as my head spun.

"Bradley, where are we going?" I stood and gripped the rail behind me.

"Florida first, then the Bahamas." He clutched the rail tighter.

"You don't want to be like them, right?" I trembled as I looked down into the water.

"Dem, it's not that bad… We don't have to be as brutal. But honestly, it's true. The women… well, they are perfect wives and mothers. My little bird, you are destined to soar next to me." He sighed. Before I could say anything else, he tugged a delicate silver necklace out and clasped it around my neck. I glanced down at the pendant that sat just above the locket he'd already given me. A diamond encrusted feather.

"Did you know that feathers are crucial for a bird because it helps them stay hidden and to blend in with their surroundings. That way they can protect themselves from predators. My love, blending in is a good thing. It's the safest thing. We must carry on this legacy."

My heart shattered as I looked back at the man I had trusted. He didn't mean this. He was groomed to be this way; he was raised by monsters. But the thing was, when you teach a wolf to hunt and kill, he'll never lose the thirst for blood. He'll never not enjoy the thrill the hunt brings.

He'll never stop.

Nodding, I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. Pressing my head into his back, I knew deep down there was probably some form of good in him—just like with Conrad. A little boy trapped and wishing he could have lived a normal life.

"Father had an entire business set up in the Bahamas. Even though we had a strained relationship, he put me as his beneficiary if anything happened. The pill you gave Conrad wasn't one that simply put him to sleep, it was strychnine. He's dead. The entire Ivory estate and financials are mine. The police will seize everything in Charlotte, but in the Bahamas, we have a completely different organization, and it's running steadily. It's time we take over, baby. You and me." He held my hands and turned, looking down at me with a smile.

"I love you, Dem." Leaning down, he kissed me. And I kissed him back, passionately, and with everything I had inside.

"Do you have any alcohol?" I kissed his lips one more time before brushing his face. "Let's get plastered and have sex. We deserve some fun, handsome." I pulled my sunglasses off, feeling so much peace in my heart.

The ocean breeze rippled through, picking up my hair and warming my body.

"I have champagne." Bradley smiled at me and pointed at a cooler. "I've been craving your body, badly." He dropped his hands to my hips and tugged me closer.

"I'll get the champagne, and you head down to bed," I whispered against his lips.

"Deal." Kissing my forehead, he went down the stairs and left me there. Walking to the rail, I gripped it and wondered how long it would take to drown.

Would I suffocate on the copious amount of water choking me? Would a shark feast on my body? Would my mind and body fight to float and try to survive until dehydration took over? How did one die in the ocean? How easy it must be, but so very painful? I wiped the tear that left my eye and looked out to the horizon.

I loved the sunshine, and I loved the ocean; two things I had so rarely experienced. It occurred to me that this was the first time I was seeing it.

The ocean.

I wanted to swim in it, I wanted to sunbathe, I wanted to feel sand under my feet. I wanted to do so many simple, mundane things.

But the family I was born to didn't let me, the people I was sold to weakened me, and the people who imprisoned me, well… they wrecked me. They stole the light from my life and now the only thing I could see was darkness.

I thought that was all I'd feel. But now, I could feel it. The warmth of the sun. Turning around, I opened the cooler and dug for the bottle of champagne. Next to the cooler was a tote box of cups and plates. Reaching in, I grabbed two cups and quickly popped the bottle, but as I poured the fizzy alcohol into the cups, I paused.

The desire to die was outweighed ever so slightly by the desire to live. But I didn't want to live a life chosen for me. No, that's the life I'd been living since I was born. Now, I wanted to live a life that I chose. That I created from the ground up, after being broken down, shattered, and crushed. I wanted to rise the way a phoenix does from its ashes. Brushing my fingers against my locket, I slid the chain off and looked down at it.

Popping it opened, I looked at the tiny white pill.

It didn't feel right, but it didn't feel wrong, either. It felt necessary and sometimes, necessary is the right thing to do.

Sliding the pill into one of the cups, I waited and watched as it dissolved completely.

"Dem?" he called out as my hands shook. I lifted both cups and walked down the steps to the bedroom.

"Sorry, I was soaking up the sun. It's been a while." I forced a smile out. Bradley was under the blankets, shirtless and grinning back at me.

"Come here, baby. After we get to the Bahamas, you can soak up the sun for a bit, but I do ask you go through the white-therapy program for a few weeks. Just to… help you be prepared to be my wife and the mother of our son." Bradley opened his arms to me. "Put the cups down. I want to make love to you."

The words triggered fear, anxiety, and panic in my body. They were the same words Conrad had said to me last night. They were two of the same. I placed the cups down and climbed into bed. Wrapping me in his arms, he began kissing my neck.

"You don't want to do a toast first?" I feigned disappointment.

"I know this isn't easy for you, making love after my brother… probably hurt you last night. Let's have that drink. It'll help loosen you up for me." He didn't even sound like the same man I had grown to love.

Moving over, I looked at the cups from a different angle and realized I didn't make note of which was which.

Fuck…

My heart raced as my mouth went dry.

"Dem, grab it, please." He nudged me.

It was ironic in a way. Maybe this was the only way to know if I was even worthy of living in such a destroyed world.

Grabbing the cups, I handed one to Bradley and looked into his eyes.

"Here's to the favorite girl." He let out a dry laugh before tapping my cup and tossing back the entire cup of champagne.

Looking down into my cup, I shook it around. "Drink it," Bradley ordered, sounding annoyed.

"Here's to the last Ivory." I smiled at him and drank every last drop.

Bradley's forehead creased as his eyes grew smaller.

"What do you mean…" He clutched his abdomen with one hand and his forehead with the other. "Demi…" He coughed.

I was shaking with nervousness, but I didn't feel any different. Was he feeling something?

Leaning in toward me, he yanked my necklace and opened it. "You… bitch," he wheezed.

I ran out of the bed and jogged up the stairs as quickly as I could. Looking around, my heart was pounding as I hugged myself. My eyes caught on the bright orange vest. Grabbing it, I put it on my shaking body and prayed. I didn't know who I was praying to or what I was praying for, but I prayed that if anyone, anything was out there, that they'd help me. That they'd protect me for the first time in my life.

Footsteps echoed behind me and suddenly, there was Bradley. His eyes were tinged red with sweat building across of his forehead.

"We're going to die together." Lifting a knife, he wobbled toward me. I walked backward to the rail and slid away. Bradley's eyes began to shut and before I knew it, he was close enough to the rail that I jumped on him, and with all my might, I shoved him over the rail, but he didn't go down alone.

He took me with him, wildly waving the knife in the air as we fell. He eventually met my flesh as we both slammed into the dark, thrashing waves.

Screaming, I saw my arm was bleeding profusely. I was still hooked to the boat by the chain attached to the life vest. Bradley grabbed at the chain, trying to unhook me, and I wiggled to stay out of his grasp. I didn't know how to swim, so I knew I'd drown instantly. I'd panic and forget how to even float.

Slapping his hands away, he stabbed the blade into my arm again so hard, I pulled back. The blade was semi-lodged into my flesh, and he let go.

He was growing weaker as I grabbed the knife from my arm with screams I didn't recognize leaving my body. I looked at Bradley as he began to float.

Blinking slowly, he whispered, "You were always my favorite girl…"

Just before a tall wave slammed into us both, I whispered back, "And you were always my favorite Ivory. There's just no room for Jack. And there never was." Tears fell from my eyes as I watched the wave take him under and into the depths of the ocean.

Grabbing onto the boat with all the strength I had left, I pulled myself up until my nails dug into the side, and I could see the small steel ladder. Clawing at it, I tugged it down and climbed up.

Falling onto the deck, I clutched myself and cried. The warmth of the sun beat down on my drenched, bleeding body. I wondered if the sun had the strength to soak up all my shed tears one day?

Will I ever stop crying? Will I ever stop feeling pain?

Eventually, I did stop crying.

Eventually, I did have the strength to stand up, find a flare gun, and shoot it into the sky for help.

Eventually, I wrapped my wounds, ate, hydrated, and waited. Rocking back and forth as I hugged my knees to my chest. I chanted to myself while thinking about everything in my life. My mind was shattered just like me. Maybe one day, these chapters of my life would become a memory. Or maybe, these chapters were setting the stage for who I'd always be.

Eventually, another boat came. And when they came, I tugged on the big, white hat and my reflective sunglasses, and then climbed into a true safe haven and grinned. I was standing there in my white lace dress full of hope.

"Where are you headed, honey?" A kind man asked with concern.

"The Bahamas." I brushed my hands against my pants before sitting down.

"Would you like to eat anything, sweetie?" the older lady on the boat asked me as she cleaned my wounds.

I smiled back at her. "Do you have any plain white rice and yogurt?"

Because, after all, I was the favorite girl.