The Ivory stares expectantly while I work up the nerve. And it’s actually not as hard as I thought it’d be.
I hack it up, like a hairball. “I quit.” He cocks a light eyebrow. I take a breath. “I’m done.”
Exhaling slowly, I close my eyes, seeing the sad, scared boy. Alone and…needingme.
No. Not me. He’s not… for me.
“I can’t do this anymore. I’m out.”
The Ivory is glaring. Unmoving. It doesn’t even look like he’s breathing. “Are you now?”
“Yes,” I croak, projecting confidence, though it’s not lost of either of us that my voice is extra hoarse and unsteady. “I need to leave, Ivory. And I think you know why…”
“No one leaves, Kellan,” he murmurs. “Unless I say so. You know that, don’t you? You’ve been here since the start, after all…”
“Yea, I have. But it’s not…” I pause to gulp down the sorrow of what I’m about to say. “It’s not good for me to be here. Not now…”
He takes a step closer. “And if I say no?”
“I’m leaving, regardless.” I shrug. “Do your worst.”
He smirks, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I must say, I’m surprised, Officer. I assumed this was what you wanted.”
Fuck…
My heart is bleeding. Like I’ve been stabbed; a sharp puncture, right through the chest plate.
“It’s not…” I clear my throat. “No. I don’t… want this. I don’t want any of this.”
The lies on my tongue are so sour, rancid, they fill my mouth with saliva.
“After everything I did for you?” He hisses in my face. “Just like that?”
I nod slowly. “Thank you for not letting me die.”
“Not for lack of trying,” he growls.
My jaw tics, but I spin away fast before this can go any further.I just need to get out of here. Now.
Sauntering to the door, his voice catches me, “I wonder what will happen to him…” I come to a halt. “Without you here. He’s quite pretty, isn’t he? Dascha the luscious broken doll… These men will be ravenous. And he will besovulnerable.”
No…
My fists tighten, feet weighted to the floor like they’re wrapped in cement.
Fuck, no…
He’s… she should be…
My teeth are clamped so hard I’m almost unable to wrench them apart to reply. But I manage it. A rough, ragged whimper rips up my throat, brows zipped and tears burning.
But I blink hard, choke it down, and force myself to croak, “Goodbye, Ivory.”
Saying goodbye to Joy was the hardest. Especially with what I asked her to do.
It’s no small favor. She’ll be putting her life at risk to do something for me that barely makes any sense. At least, not to her. But she’s a great friend, and an amazing person. She’s stronger than anyone else on this island.
And with that, I know she’ll be alright. Delivering goods to Dash. Looking out for him, for me.
