Page 9 of Harvest Maze

“I know how to fish,” she said dramatically. “But the worms are stinky and the fish are slimy.”

A sound barked up my throat. It was so foreign, it took me a second to realize it was a laugh.

Ivry recognized it immediately. Her smile brightened ten megawatts.

“Well, I’m going to get back to my movie night, but it was very nice to meet you….” She paused, seeming to wait for something.

When I didn’t speak she laughed lightly. “Oh, I’m Ivry by the way. Ivry Ravello.”

A name. I had plenty of those, but some delusional part of me gave her the one I was born with.

“Demyan.”

“Demyan.” She tasted it, and my jeans tightened. “Is that Eastern European?”

Alarm bells rattled in my head. I didn’t want her to know my nationality. If she made some off-handed comment to the don, he would poke around. He would wonder why someone born in a small rural village of Slovakia was in San Pietro Cove, New Jersey. That wouldn’t be good.

I was supposed to kill him soon.

The Russian Bratva in Trenton didn’t have much patience.

“Yeah,” I grunted, not knowing what else to say.

“It’s a good name.” Ivry took a deep breath. “Well, Demyan, have a great rest of your night.”

With a flippy little wave, she sauntered off. I let the storm door close then scrambled to the kitchen window which gave me a direct view of the backyard. Ivry bent and scooped something back into the bowl before settling into the makeshift bed.

I watched.

I watched until the screen paused, asking if she wanted to continue the show. Nothing happened and I realized she was asleep. I didn’t stop watching. No job, no force on earth was strong enough to tear me away from the slumbering sight.

Chapter 6 – Ivry

Idrifted off to sleep in my pool. There was only so much Dean and Rory drama a girl could take. Plus…I was team Jess. I remembered thinking I should skip ahead to the good parts, the season where the bad boy came to town and showed the book girly just how much he adored her, but then my eyelids started drooping and before I knew it, I was out.

And why not? Sleeping outside never hurt anyone.

A shiver rattled me, and I snuggled deeper into the warm pillow. It breathed softly against me, a gruff, rumbling noise. I rubbed my cheek against it, trying to find just the right spot.

This pillow was hard.

A bit lumpy.

I stirred just enough to realize I was going to have to order a new one from Amazon.

I rolled over and then things got softer. But the warmth was gone.

It was gone, and I was in bed.

Huh, I must have sleepwalked.

That was new.

***

“I dreamed last night about being chased through the woods.” I sighed, finishing off the blended caramel cooler with a healthy dollop of whipped cream.

Maria stared at me. “That’s messed up, Ives.”