“You want me to stick around? Help put him to bed?”
“No, I’ll be okay. Have a friend coming over later.”
“I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“You know what? Take the morning off. Come in around noon.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you deserve a little break. These past few days...” Ivy trailed off.
Sarah’s smile became strained.
“Thank you.”
Ivy watched Sarah get into her car and drive away.
She entered her home. Found the man in the mask seated at the kitchen table. The small chess table was in front of him. He was clutching the rook in his right hand.
Ivy walked over and gently unfurled his mangled fingers. Set the chess piece down.
“Come on, let’s get you ready for bed.”
It took a good half hour to get the man’s teeth brushed and into bed. Sarah had already helped him into his pajamas.
The last thing Ivy did was carefully removed his mask and set it on the nightstand.
“You’re not going to need this anymore.”
Ivy kissed him on the forehead, said goodnight, and went back downstairs.
Grabbed two beers out of the fridge, opened one, set the other on the table beside the chess board.
Sat and sipped.
Despite what Vaughn Ryan had surprised her with tonight, and the subsequent tears and raw emotions, things had been easier for Ivy over the past few days. It was hard to believe that after three years, it was over.
There was a knock at the door.
It opened.
“Hey, bitch! I’m home!”
“Hey, Abs.”
Ivy didn’t get up.
Her feet hurt. Back, too. Wrists were still a little red, even though it had been a week since Tristan had bound her and thrown her in the trunk.
In time, these, too, would fade.
Abby was wearing all black. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she kept one arm hidden behind her back.
“Got you a beer. Did you—”
Abby grinned as she moved her hand out in front of her.
“Right where you said it would be, cooking in the oven. Cops did a number on the place. But they never looked in the oven... they were probably men, never seen the inside of one before.”
