Sins of a Bad Boy (The Original Bad Boys Book 1) (22 page)

Part 2

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. - Marcus Aurelius

CHAPTER 23

William

William sprinted over unknown darkened, drab landscapes in the pouring rain.

Where the hell had Markson locked them up?

For a second, he stood motionless, catching his breath and deliberating whether or not he should return. His entire being repelled the idea of leaving Ivy alone in the middle of nowhere. Her voice still ricocheted through his eardrums. Yet, he understood that they wouldn’t stand a chance against Markson in there. So he marched on, following the lights in the distance, hoping they would lead him to the populated area of the Loop or, at least, familiar surroundings.

***

Hours passed, and the rain had stopped.

The wind blew by his ears. Sweat poured down the side of his face. He’d tugged off the constricting golden-colored bow tie and black suspenders. Every inch of William’s body hurt when he prowled through the familiar area of the Loop. Only five more streets until he reached his home.

He could tell that dawn would break soon since the sky was turning from black to a blueish hue.

A pedestrian walking his dog spotted William. “Sir, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m almost home where help is waiting.” William continued on.

At the front door of Charles’s building, William rang the bell incessantly as he leaned with a palm against the bricks. The bell only alerted the gambling club. For the tenants, there was a different entrance around the corner.

The door flew open, and Silk dragged William inside the hall, propping him in a chair.

But William jerked up and spoke, out of breath. “Silk, where’s Charles? We need to get Ivy.”

“William, calm down. Charles has been driving around for hours looking for you two. What happened? You and Ivy just disappeared.”

“Markson took us. She’s in a warehouse somewhere. I fucking ran for hours to come back here, but I need to get to her.” William swayed on his legs.

Silk supported him by his shoulders. “William, you’re bleeding like crazy on your jaw and your stomach. You need to go to the hospital to get your wounds stitched.”

A servant came into the hall and Silk ordered, “Get water and towels. Now.”

“Christ! Silk, I don’t have time to visit the hospital first. Markson could be torturing Ivy as we speak. I’m not abandoning her there. Fuck!” He plowed both hands through his sweaty, rain-soaked strands of hair. “I need Charles’s car to drive to the warehouse.”

“Do you know how to get back?” Silk asked as the servant handed William a towel and a tall glass of cold water, which he gulped down.

“Yes, I made sure to remember landmarks and memorize most of my path—”

The entrance burst open, and Charles heaved a sigh of relief when he saw William. Then relief turned into concern as he gave him a once-over. “Where have you been? What happened?”

“We need to go get Ivy. I’ll explain on the way. Silk, get us three pistols. You’re coming with us.”

Silk ran off to get their weapons.

“Come. The car is out front,” Charles instructed and held open the door for William.

CHAPTER 24

Ivy

“I’m not who you think I am. I’m not who William thinks I am. I’m not Ivy Ravensdale.”

It felt strange to reveal the truth after being in character for a week. After acting and ensuring she made no mistakes with William so that he wouldn’t discover she wasn’t Ivy Ravensdale, it was slightly exhilarating, yet also sad. She had relished being with William too much.

Markson wasn’t shocked by her admission, which puzzled Ivy.

“I know that. I returned because I just found out that Ivy Ravensdale is in England at the moment.”

“So you know I’m telling the truth?”

“Yes, but I don’t understand why William thinks you’re her and why you’ve claimed to be her?” he clarified, targeting his weapon at her chest.

It had all been one enormous misunderstanding which led William to believe she was Ivy Ravensdale. “He assumed I was Ivy Ravensdale, and I never contradicted him when we met accidentally a few times at different parties.”

“So, who are you?”

“I’m Ivy Hunter. My first name is truly Ivy. Once, I took Ivy Ravensdale’s nametag at a party. I think William must’ve seen that. He
or
Charles assumed me to be Lady Ravensdale, because they both think I’m her.”

Markson’s dark brows dipped low. “Why did you take another woman’s nametag at a party?”

“Because I’m not part of that rich society. I don’t get invited. I scheme my way inside to pick pockets, to steal money. I’m a con woman. I scour the events of the elite.”

Ivy didn’t disclose the entire truth. It was true her name was Ivy Hunter. And Ivy Hunter had a brother, named Sean. With her brother and his best friend, Ben, they scammed and stole from people to buy food, to pay medical bills, to survive while living in their crappy one-bedroom apartment in the poorest part of the Loop. Ivy, Sean, and Ben were orphans, and she and Sean had met Ben while living on the streets during their teenage years. Since then, the three of them had worked together to make ends meet.

However, it was not true that William and Ivy meeting was a complete accident. Ivy had been instructed by Sean and Ben to cozy up to the rich William Kade; get to know him on a personal level. A plan that Ivy had loathed, but they’d urgently needed money, and the small amounts they were stealing weren’t enough to cover all the bills anymore. William was going to be their last scam. A big one before Ivy didn’t help her brother rip off people anymore; or at least, not the way she’d been doing all her life.

Ben had known William when he was younger and had said that he would always have the upper hand on William. Ivy suspected Ben knew something about William that he’d never told Sean or Ivy. Ivy had also seen how deeply Ben envied William for becoming successful, which had set off warning bells in her head regarding their plan for William. Her first rule as a con woman had always been to never make it personal.

But when William mistook her for the wealthy Ravensdale and she and William started their taunting, Ivy soon realized that William would be difficult to swindle, since he was suspicious of everyone, so they’d decided to just steal money from the gambling club, hoping that were would be a huge amount in the office. There had been a big amount, but not huge. And yes, Ivy
did
steal that money – William had been correct all along. Only, Ivy couldn’t resist gambling some of the stolen money to increase her winnings of that night because she needed more, much more. Unfortunately, William had caught her at the blackjack table. And apparently that, and Alfred’s supposed debt, had set in motion William’s vendetta against the Ravensdales. A family Ivy was part of, according to him. A family he sought retribution from.

In that regard, William had been partly right. He had kidnapped the woman that stole the money from the office. He hadn’t kidnapped Alfred’s daughter though.

Ivy had decided to play along after the first night William took her and fabricated a new scam against him. Perhaps if she could get close to him, she could embezzle a fortune from William.

Being con men, Sean and Ben knew that Ivy disappearing the night of the heist in the gaming club had been William’s doing, and it was only days later that Sean had found her in the fight club. Sean was the man Ivy spoke to when William caught her. Again, he was correct, but she had convinced William of her lie. Ivy, who was now executing a new plan, had told Sean to let her continue to deceive William, and she would contact Sean when required. She’d expressed to her brother that she was getting close to William. That things were going well, and she would somehow find a way to steal money from William. But first, she needed to learn more about the dealings inside both clubs. And while, initially, that had been Ivy’s plan, she had fallen head over heels for William. Ivy had broken her first rule of conning: never make it personal. While William had only known her for a few weeks, she’d had a crush on him from afar for ages. William the Unconquerable was the man she dreamed about when she lay in bed at night. And he was also the man that had saved her from her first beating ten years ago, which was also the day that she and Sean had met Ben. He’d been her savior when she was ten, and she’d been able to stay updated on his life when she found out that the boy who’d saved her was William the Unconquerable. And then she saw him around town more often as she grew up and started to con. Over time, her infatuation had blossomed into a kind of distant love. And when they met, she knew she needed to shield her heart from him. But by that time, she was powerless to resist. 

After he took her, she was afraid but also intrigued to be in his life. And she’d failed to protect her heart.

I’ve known you for longer, William.

She’d almost confessed to William hours earlier, nearly revealed her true identity. She hadn’t though. She wanted more time with him. Ivy had grown too attached to William. Her crush had altered into something much deeper. Ivy often hurt under her growing attachment to William. Sometimes, she despised him; other times, she hated herself for falling in love with her enemy. She detested when he cuffed her, and her overconfident mouth couldn’t be contained in those moments. William thought her inconsistent behavior was the result of Ivy’s confused mind, but, in actuality, it was the result of Ivy Hunter’s feelings for him. She’d coveted his touch for so long that she easily allowed him to have sex with her, even the first night. And because she had desired him for a long time, jealousy materialized the night with Morgan. For years, she had witnessed William flirting with and fucking everything in a skirt, never imagining he’d notice her. Never in her wildest dreams thinking that she’d be able to ignite such intense passion in a man as experienced as William. And now, he’d finally noticed her – as Ivy Ravensdale. Still, the person behind Ravensdale
was
Hunter, and Hunter was the woman he was captivated with. Ivy could feel it in her bones that she and William had been going through comparable stages of attraction. Tonight, he even admitted his feelings to her. That pull between them was an undisputable force; he felt it too.

But hesitation still plagued her because William was a mastermind as well. Maybe he’d faked those emotions entirely? Of course, her feelings were more profound, but she chose to believe that William had a palpable weakness for her. And if he uncovered she wasn’t Ravensdale, their growing relationship would be ruined, which is what Ivy truly sought to avoid. She wished to prolong her stay with him as long as she could. Especially after tonight. As awful as the night had been and as much physical pain as she’d endured, this night had elevated their relationship to new heights. William had opened up to her. If he learned the truth, she’d lose him forever.

Moreover, a new issue had arisen: Ivy was certain that Sean had been the mugger in the fight club a few days ago, but she didn’t have anything to do with that. Clearly, Sean and Ben had also pursued their own plans.

Nonetheless, Ivy was at a loss in that moment with Markson. Since William left, and she had no idea if he’d come back, she was speculating her next move.

Markson was inclined to believe her story. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Perhaps you and I can rip William off together now?” she lied.

Secretly, she prayed William would return. But if he did, she’d have to eliminate Markson.

He was receptive to her idea, turning it over in his mind before he said, “How would we con him?”

“I’m not sure exactly. But if he returns, then I can continue my Ravensdale scam, which will ultimately get me loads of money. I’m being held captive in William’s apartment. I know insider facts regarding Sins – facts that would lead to jail time for William and Charles if word ever got out.” She’d witnessed a murder that had been covered up by William, Charles, and Dechamps.

Markson’s aim abated, lowering slightly before he brought it up again. “Why do you want to work with me?”

“Because William obviously deserted me to seal my own fate. William has manipulated me, and everything between us has been a lie. But no more. I demand retribution.”

“But what if he returns to rescue you?” Markson impaled her with an icy star
e
– he didn’t trust her.

“That doesn’t matter. He still left me alone in the first place without knowing if you’d come back to finish us off,” she tried to convince him, depicting a woman scorned. Without giving him time to overthink matters, she added in a hurry, “By the way, how did you find out Lady Ivy is currently in England?” If Markson was able to discover it so easily, then it was only a matter of time before William did as well.

“Oh, that was just a stroke of good luck. A friend of a friend is acquainted with the Ravensdales, and he informed me. The elite themselves would never reveal personal information to just anyone. They like to feel special and be secretive. So William would never find out unless he went in deliberate search of information about her via people who personally know her.”

This was exactly the information Ivy needed.

Markson and Ivy startled when a noise resonated throughout the warehouse, and Ivy kept her hands in the air in a conceding motion, praying it was William. The door had opened again, and boots clicked off the ground.

“It’s William,” Ivy stated. “You need to leave so we can execute our plan. I’ll go back into the container.”

The sounds gained on them, and Markson lowered his gun, nodding his head for her to get into the container.

Without giving it a second thought, Ivy advanced on him and knocked the weapon out of his hand.

“You stupid bitch!” Markson shouted.

She ducked to retrieve the gun from the floor as Markson jumped on her back, causing her to fall to her knees, all but howling from the terrible pain. Then she hurriedly gripped the weapon with all her strength and managed to roll over.

Wrapping both hands around the handle, she had a steady aim while lying on her back on the cold concrete, pointing it into Markson’s thunderous face as he held up his palms while backing away from her.

Ivy determined she only had one option left to guarantee that her con with William could continue. Markson would rat her out, and she wasn’t willing to give up and lose William yet. And she also wanted vengeance against Markson for beating her up.

So she pulled the trigger.