Creed
Ivy was no longer inside the Edge’s clubhouse.
Somehow, not a single person saw her leave. Not a single person seemed to know where she could have gone. She vanished as though she had never been, and I quivered with a combination of fear and rage. Didn’t I go through all of that trouble to get her back just a few hours ago? Where could she have gone this late at night?”
Josh fidgeted, playing with a bread tie he’d picked up off of the floor somewhere. “She looked really tired, so I thought she went to go lay down. She got really tired after Christine was talking shit to her. I don’t like that lady; she looks like some kind of circus performer.”
Bax laughed. “And what do you know about the circus?”
“The TV talks about it,” Josh said, sticking his chin out in defiance.
The smile faded from Bax’s face as quickly as it had appeared. “I saw her get up, too, but she just looked unhappy, Creed. I thought she’d gone for a smoke or a walk or something. She didn’t want to be bothered, so I didn’t bother her. I didn’t think she’d bail.”
“Maybe she’s gone out for food or something?” Josh asked, trying to be helpful.
I just nodded; I didn’t want Josh to worry about Ivy, so I just agreed with him. As soon as he was back to playing, his mind at ease, I sought out anyone else who might have seen her leave. One of the Edge women saw her leave but hadn’t thought she’d gone out for a cigarette. Another saw her walk around the building, but didn’t really watch her walk away.
Not a single person could think of anywhere she would have gone.
I finally found Pearl; she was resting against her husband. The two of them looked worse for wear after this week. I couldn’t blame them. They were getting to the point in their careers where they would be looking to retire if they were out in the world. My eyes ran over the two them, worried at the new lines on their faces. Pearl looked too pale and Patrick looked strained, his face red and beaded with sweat.
If I end up pushing Kelly off of his throne, I will give them the option to retire with honors. The two of them had served loyally for decades. Although the current Devil’s Edge charter didn’t allow for retirement (since most of us didn’t even live long enough to consider it), I would see to it that they had the option. We are a family first and foremost. Or at least we were once. When did we lose sight of that?
I put most of the blame on Kelly’s shoulders. It was his ascent to the top ranking that had made my father want to leave; I was old enough at the time to remember the man who held his position before him. I didn’t remember much about him, but I remember thinking him fair and level-headed. He wasn’t kind; anyone kind in our line of work would never make it to the top.
“Pearl, Patrick; have you seen Ivy?” I asked.
They turned to me with tired eyes, their expressions slack. “I thought she was with Josh?” Pearl said as she blinked over in that direction. “Did she wander off?”
Patrick grinned at me, patting me gently on the arm. “You just changed her life completely around, boy. Give her a chance to adjust. She is probably just hiding somewhere and working out her feelings.”
I stared down at him, feeling a weight lift off of my shoulders. “Maybe you’re right. You don’t think she left the Edge, do you?”
Pearl took a deep breath like she wanted to speak, but then just let the air out, her eyes uncertain.
“Is there something you know, Pearl?” I asked, my voice icy.
She frowned, her gray brows furrowing. “Well, I sort of laid into her before about being weak. She seemed to be forming up some sort of plan; if she heard you and Christine insulting her for not grabbing what she wants, Ivy might have left to try and prove you both wrong.” Pressing her lips into a thin line, Pearl looked around the room. “I don’t think she would have gone into hiding inside of the Edge. I think she’s probably out and about, making plans if I had to guess.”
I could feel a rise of cold in my chest like my organs had somehow turned to ice in a second. “What was she planning?”
“If I had to guess? Something about that business that was taken from her. Taking it back would be an asset not only to her character but a financial asset for the Edge, too.” Pulling her grey curls back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. “Odd, though. If I were her, I would have recruited some of the boys to help.”
I swallowed hard around a sudden lump in my throat. “Unless she was aiming to kill two birds with one stone. Ivy is the one who has been pushing for me to meet with Carlos and end the cartel deals.”
Patrick paled. “She’s been what?”
“Quiet.” I glanced around; it didn’t look like anyone was listening in on our conversation, but I still kept my voice low. “She might be calling Carlos in, trying to lure me into a meeting with him.”
Pearl’s fingers knitted together. “Would she do that?”
“If she thought it would fix things here? Yes, absolutely yes.” I didn’t know how I was so certain, but the truth of it seemed to echo in my bones. “So where is this business of hers?”
Pearl shook her head. “I never learned where it was. I know it’s over by the canal, on the west bank, but I don’t know exactly where.”
Patrick seemed to find his tongue again, and his face was filled with red rage that seemed to inflate every vein in his forehead. “So you are going behind Kelly’s back and meeting with the Carrion Club?” He seethed with anger, his eyes burning with it. “And you never thought to come to me?”
“No one else in this place would dare stand up to him. I’m going to fix what Kelly has done. If that means going behind his back, throwing out the cartel, and putting two in Kelly’s skull, I’ll do it. If I don’t comply, Carlos has promised a full-on blood war. Either way, I’m dead, Patrick.” My hands curled into fists. I didn’t like not having a choice. I liked it even less when I had two choices and they were both shit. “Ivy has been pushing me to fight back against Kelly for days.”
All of the anger seemed to deflate out of Kelly’s second in command. I never would have described Patrick as old until I saw his face when I finished my speech. “You’re right. I should have stopped him, Creed. But he’s mad for power. Literally, he’s gone insane. I can’t reason with him anymore.”
“He’s not fit to lead,” Pearl whispered. Her voice was a monotone. She wouldn’t look at me or her husband.
“I’m starting to agree with you, Pearl. Are you going to stop me, Patrick?”
The second looked like a deflated balloon, his face suddenly pale and incredibly sad. He was silent for a long time, his eyes losing all of their luster in seconds. It was like a vampire was slowly drinking the life from him. “No,” he answered finally, his voice low and dark. “No, I can’t stop you anymore. I’m too old to be stopping anyone anymore. I will leave this up to you.”
I nodded. “You won’t regret this.”
“I hope not, boy. I hope not.”
“Regardless of what I choose to do, though, Ivy belongs to the Edge.” I frowned, looking up at the ceiling. “It’s time she learns where her boundaries are.”
“Don’t rope her in too much, Creed,” Pearl said, her voice still empty and tired. “I think she will surprise you, if you give her the opportunity.”
With that weird bit of advice stuck in my mind, I left. My bike was totaled in the attack on our clubhouse, so I took someone else’s. No one said a word to me as I picked a bike off of the rack and demanded the keys. No one argued, no one tried to stop me. No one reported me to Kelly.
I think they are all secretly hoping I’ll get rid of Kelly. Starting the bike up, I sped out of the clubhouse before Kelly could demand anyone stop me. I was out on the road in a moment, the wind whipping through my hair as I rode. It wasn’t as good as my bike; I really mourned her loss. She was perfect: perfectly calibrated, perfectly put together. Perfect in every way.
But this bike still would get me where I needed to go. And it still filled me with the joy of riding. I like the way the wind felt through my hair and across my skin. Even in this cold, the ride was thrilling. I could think more clearly on the bike, the rush of colors streaming by me as I raced through the night time streets.
I’ll start with Carlos’ hideout. Perhaps they’ll be leaving to meet her and I can follow them. I headed over to the hideout trying not to think too hard about what I was about to do.
About how I was about to turn traitor and throw away everything I’d ever believed it.
As I sped closer to the hideout, the grayish color of predawn started to rise over the world, casting the city in colorless grays and blues.