Page 67 of Clint & Ivy
I looked at Shay and Elle, both beautiful, strong women. They weren’t perfect, though. They had flaws. Elle seemed embarrassed by how Sutter was conceived. There was more to her than the cool woman on the surface.
People were complicated. I could choose to see that about myself, or I could hide in my head. The latter would feel so much better. I was safe in my imagination, where I always knew the right things to say and do. But I wouldn’t be able to keep Clint, or get to know Elle, or bond with Shay.
Steeling myself against the urge to hide in my head, I decided to yank off my blinders and face the real Ivy.
CLINT
Rowdy and I were halfwayto our parents’ community when I got a text from Lula asking me to meet her at her office. We made a U-turn and headed back downtown. Lula’s office took up the top floor of a shiny, three-story building. I waved at the receptionist at my mom’s business on the first floor before heading to the elevator.
Once inside his sister’s office, Rowdy sat his ass on the front desk and let me meet with Lula alone in a conference room.
Lula looked like an entirely different kind of beautiful when she was suited up like now. She felt untouchable, as if the expensive pantsuit acted as armor. She slid off her round reading glasses when I entered.
I dropped into a chair near her and rolled it closer. Lula smiled at me, looking not so different from the little girl I followed around when I was a boy. She’d been nine when I came along. Lula always seemed smarter than everyone else, and I trusted in her intelligence then like I do now.
“I anticipated the expedited court order would be dealt with quietly,” Lula explained. “But Linus Humphreys immediately filed a request for a full hearing. He claimed Ivy suffers from a health issue, and her current situation could be dangerous. He made a very dramatic yet vague filing. The Reno judge decided we should hash everything out in front of her.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m flying to Reno to ensure things work out,” Lula said and then added, “In the uncle’s filing, he claimed someone might be taking advantage of Ivy for her money.”
“I thought they were broke.”
“I didn’t get any specific details, but there was a mention of Ivy having a trust. Her financials and past are hazy. However, I learned her grandmother was the only child of a rich European fuck. So, at some point, these people were loaded. The uncle may be broke, and that’s the real reason he wants Ivy back.”
“But he was going to pimp her out.”
“Are you sure? Is it possible she was attacked to gain access to her money?
“I only know what Ivy told me, and that’s what she believed.”
“Well, if her money is in a trust, she can’t simply head down to the bank and empty it out for her uncle’s debts. But that doesn’t mean her money isn’t paying bills he needs paid. Either way, I thought you should know that she holds value to him beyond blood. Humphreys might not walk away easily.”
“Who are you taking with you to Reno?”
“I’d like Rowdy to go. Send whoever else you can spare. I don’t know what we’re walking into there.”
