“I’m not a baseball card,” I barked out.
Ivan shook with laughter and released a snarly snort at the end. “I like her. If you change your mind, give me a ring. I got a few bitches you can choose from, unless you want cash.”
“She’s not part of the deal,” he said in slow, threatening words. When he took a step forward, I had to pull him back by the waistband of his jeans. His shoulders were stiff, his back straight, and his jaw was clenched so tightly it created a sharp shadow along his unshaven cheek.
“Fair enough,” Ivan said. “I’ll give you a ring tonight and I should have them in your custody in no more than forty-eight hours. How’s that sound?”
“Like a deal.”
They didn’t shake on it. In fact, I had yet to see a Shifter shake hands.
Ivan patted Austin on the shoulder and led us to the door. Austin held my hand, except now I looked like a hot mess with my hair in tangles. One of the men in the room flew down the hall and slammed a door so hard a picture fell off the wall.
“She’s in the car,” Ivan said in a private voice. “Didn’t want to make a production out of it because some of the men have had their eye on her. She’s a good girl, Austin. But she has an effect like poison in this house because of her beauty. I’ll be in touch to make sure you’re looking after her.”
We reached the car and a young woman peered through the window from the back seat. She appeared to be a little bit younger than me, but not by much. Her hair was pulled back in an untidy braid that fell past her shoulders. It was a beautiful shade of mahogany with a few faded highlights. Her lashes were dark, a soft glow warmed her skin, and she wore a long brown dress that tied around her neck. Very earthy, and Ivan was spot-on about her being beautiful.
“Hi,” I greeted her, sliding into the front seat. I twisted around and she didn’t lift her eyes. “I’m Lexi. This is weird and I’m sure you’re as freaked out as I am about it,” I babbled as Austin walked around the front of the car, glaring through the windshield. “Austin’s not a bad guy and… Good God, this is awkward. What’s your name?”
She lifted her warm brown eyes. “Ivy. My father likes to call me Poison Ivy, but don’t tell anyone. I’d rather no one call me that name again.”
“Did you want to come with us?”
Austin opened his door and got in. The car rocked a little and he sighed, turning around. “I’m Austin Cole. I run a small pack and they’re all good men. You have nothing to worry about in my group; they’re just a little rough around the edges because they’ve been on their own for a number of years. I’m very selective, and so far, it’s just my brothers and me. What do they call you?”
She clammed up.
“Her name is Ivy,” I said softly.
Then I turned around in my seat and wondered exactly what had changed regarding slavery. We had essentially just traded my mother’s life for a man’s daughter. No one was fighting it, which evidently meant these people played by rules, even though they still had free will. Austin had explained that women preferred to stay in packs because it offered them the protection they needed. Shifters who were panthers or other animal types didn’t have to be concerned with these things as much as the wolves because of our inherent instincts. After seeing how those men had behaved in the bathroom, I could see his point.
“Jerky?”
She glanced at the overflowing plastic bag in the floor and reached in to pull out a stick. “Love these,” she said. “Got any of the spicy peppered flavor? Something with a kick?”
I leaned around and rifled through the bag, then I glanced at her hands. “Ooo, I love that color polish,” I said. “Turquoise or green?”
“It has an iridescent quality, so it’s a little of both. I brought it with me if you want to borrow it later.”
Austin clucked his tongue and revved up the engine. “Women,” he murmured.
“Everlong” by the Foo Fighters blasted on the radio and we headed back home. Austin kept the air conditioner frosty and I reclined my seat back, kicked off my shoes, and put my feet on the dash. Austin sang under his breath and although the music was loud, he still outsang the shit out of that band.
***
Austin had Ivy’s bags slung over his shoulder when he unlocked the front door to his house.
“How many brothers do you have?” Ivy asked timidly.
“I got five in my pack. And do me a favor,” he said, twisting his body halfway around. “Stay away from Jericho.”
“Which one is he?” Ivy tugged the end of her long braid, which was wrapped around her right shoulder.
“The one with the hickeys all over him.”
I didn’t know what to make of Jericho, but he seemed like kind of guy you wouldn’t want your little sister hanging around. Although I still wasn’t certain how Austin felt about Ivy. She sure didn’t look like a little sister, and he wasn’t blind. I saw the way he appraised her when she got out of the car.