Page 34 of Ivy’s Poison

At that very moment, I prayed that God would help me escape with these women and that I could protect them properly so they would never have to huddle in fear again.

After shutting the hatch, I pulled down my cap to further hide my face in case the bikers came out looking for the girls, then threw the phones in the dumpster. I didn’t bother to remove the apron and got into the driver’s seat. I chose to back out of the alley instead of driving forward to avoid anyone exiting the building seeing my license plate. Louisiana only required one on the rear of vehicles. Not that I had a legal one. I had swapped it out. I wanted to buy myself as much time as possible. Even though I hadn’t seen surveillance cameras in the alley, I knew the president would soon be checking street cameras. He would eventually see my plates, but hopefully, that would end up sending him on a wild goose chase to California.

I was already pulling forward on the street by the time the biker was rushing out the front door of the restaurant. His expression was perplexed as he scanned the sidewalks. He wasn’t even on his cell yet. I didn’t blame him. Stain was most likely going to kill him for this epic fuck up.

Trying to appear as casually innocent as possible for any witnesses or cameras, I prepared myself for the drive home. “I’m sorry you have to stay down for a while.” The planned route was a straight shot south to Texas, then I would veer left to Louisiana and take back roads to my home in New Orleans.

“Champ,” Ivy said, “being snuggled and safe is hardly anything worthy of an apology.”

I gripped the steering wheel, nodding, even though they couldn’t see me. I was still trying to process all the feelings ripping through me. If somehow I failed them, if the club were to recapture them, Stain’s punishment would be ruthless. Of that I was sure.

“Do you hear me?” There was firmness in Ivy’s voice that I had no choice but to admire.

I was glad they couldn’t see my pleased grin. “Yeah, babe. I hear you.”

For a few hours, there was a lot of giggling in the back of the SUV. I almost felt like I was intruding by listening, but we were in the same vehicle. I heard wrappings of snacks crackling, and then soon a little mouth making popping sounds as if little Jade was licking her fingers clean.

I explained, “I will pull over soon to get you guys some dinner.” A few ventures off the highways were in place so we could eat at small-town establishments that didn’t have city surveillance cameras to monitor the public. I was doing my best to keep the girls out of sight, but they’d need to have blood moving in their cramped legs and use the restroom, and they’d need decent food.

At a little mom and pop diner, I parked on the side of the building to open the SUV hatch without peering eyes. The women crawled out first, arching and stretching, moaning through the much-needed movement. Jade stood in the cramped space easily. She was doing tiny jumps, squealing with the permitted exercise. I watched itty-bitty legs bend and straighten, pink toddler Doc Martins finding air each time. My mouth gaped at the sight. I was positive she would someday be an Olympic gymnast and win the gold medal, of course. Then, she took a step toward the opening.

Dumfounded, I pointed. “It walks?”

Ivy and Beth busted into laughter, questioning my wording. “It?”

Ignoring them, I rushed forward to catch the jumping bean in case she had a misstep, which was highly unlikely since she was clearly a genius; not every toddler could jump with such perfection. When Jade’s eyes widened at my approach, I stopped immediately, believing I had scared her, but the damn adorable child did a high-pitched shriek. I recoiled at the horrendous sound until her smile took over her face and her chubby arms reached out for me.

“W-What does it want?” I asked in a panic.

“I thought you said he was smart?” Beth asked Ivy.

Laughing, Ivy told me, “First of all, she’s not an ‘it’. Second of all, you dimwit, she wants you to hold her.”

“Me?” I stared at the bravest child in the whole world. “But people think I’m scary.”

“You are scary, Champ, but she’s a great judge of character. My dad couldn’t get within ten feet of her without automatic tears.”

Just the mere thought of that wicked man near my kid had my whole body going rigid. But that ended as soon as the little one started jumping again, her demanding arms bouncing in the air. Jade’s rosy lips made a shape with effort, and she said, “Pa-weeze. Pa-weeze.”

I grabbed my chest and fell back a step. “It talks?”

Without warning, the bravest kid in the whole fucking universe leaped from the back of the SUV, smiling, and completely full of faith that I would catch her. Which I did. Always would.

Propped on my bent arm, Jade sat at ease, tiny fingers playing with my beard as we walked into the diner. She happily yanked off my glasses and attempted to put them on her own itty-bitty face. So entranced by Jade, I didn’t notice the looks we were getting from patrons. I don’t think I barely noticed Ivy. I was so enraptured by the mini-me with huge grey eyes that I was sitting in a booth before I knew it. In awe, I watched Jade quickly discard the sunglasses to seize a cardboard coaster and shove it in her mouth, immediately gnawing on it. My chest rumbled with a chuckle until I realized Ivy and Beth were staring at me with dislocated jaws.

“What?”

Ivy swallowed. “You’re smiling.”

My upper lip snarled. “I don’t smile.”

Ivy grabbed her chest. “Now, I know where Jade gets her smile from.”

I looked back to the coaster destroyer, who was now slamming her hands on the table as if demanding food. She had yet to sit and barely had to bend over to use the table as her dinner bell. In awe, I said, “It’s so small, like you.”

Ivy smirked while grabbing a menu. “‘It’ is about to have a ‘Champ’ meltdown.”

Beth was already studying a menu. “Her temper tantrums make more sense now knowing who her daddy is.”