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

by Naomi, Soraya

  “Possibly. But all that aside, what’s your next step with her? I say we contact Alfred now.”

  William’s mind screamed no. He wanted more time to spend with Ivy. Inside Ivy. “I haven’t made enough progress with her that she’d be entirely in our corner and convince her father to just pay up. Give me more time?”

  Charles’s eyes thinned into narrow slits. “Fine. A few more weeks. Then we end this. I want our money back from Ravensdale, William.”

  Only a few weeks? William concealed his disappointment. “So do I,” he replied honestly. Regardless of what was brewing between him and Ivy, William would still execute their plan to call in Alfred’s debt.

  Charles picked up his ledger. “Are you able to fight again? It would be a good publicity stunt for the fight club if you could make your comeback after being missing from the club for so long.”

  Charles was rewarded with a smile. “I’m able. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to return.”

  “Then start your preparation. Your opponent is Jeremy Dechamps. He’s been wanting to challenge you forever.” Before William could ask the question, Charles stated, “Yes, his father requested several fights with you. Since he’s our sole liquor supplier, and we’re his accomplices in disposing of a dead body, I didn’t want to decline. I have to keep our association with him an amiable one for all parties involved, so you’re going to be fighting Jeremy more often.”

  “I get that. But are they fixed matches?”

  Now it was Charles’s turn to smile. “Of course not. No one knows about our fixed fights except you and me. And with our profits from Sins, we won’t ever have to fix a fight again. Do your best. Knock him out.”

  William’s mouth turned up into a thrilled grin.

  CHAPTER 28

  Ivy

  Ivy had been right. There was a change in their relationship. William had been affectionate and even sweet at times in the weeks after Markson’s attack. Nothing like the captor he’d portrayed before. It took her being beaten badly for him to accept that she meant more to him.

  Weeks turned into months of Ivy living with William. She didn’t miss being outside much. Actually, she didn’t miss anything from the outside world – except her brother – since her life out there was one of impoverished misery. Inside William’s apartment, she was being taken care of by the man she’d dreamed of for so long. He brought the best food every day. And she played in the gambling club and Sins. She was only allowed in Sins with William though. He never wanted her in there alone, and they only played their sex games in a bed with closed curtains. He was very adamant that no one could see them.

  Throughout Ivy’s time with William, her crush evolved into love. She’d come to love the man he was to her. He fucked her; she made love to him. For a woman who’d always worshiped him from afar, she treasured these moments with him. But all these changes messed with Ivy’s head, and she grew more worried about when this bubble would burst. It was only a matter of time before Charles or William breached the subject regarding the stolen money. Or contacted Alfred Ravensdale and found out that Ivy wasn’t his daughter.

  What she didn’t comprehend at all was why William hadn’t inquired about the money stolen from the office. What was his angle? His plan?

  She didn’t have any plan. And she really needed to somehow get a message to her brother. Only she had no clue as to how?

  In the meantime, she wasn’t being detained by William completely. When she was allowed to gamble, she’d picked pockets, hidden the money in her dresses, and then hidden the bills in different cupboards in his apartment. She had accumulated a sum, not much, but at least she did have some funds for when she needed to run, and it wasn’t William’s money. She couldn’t bring herself to steal from him.

  Therefore, Ivy’s time for a plan was now, because when her cover was eventually blown, she would need an escape route. And as much as she loved William, she knew him to be merciless.

  Currently, she was trudging through the fight club in her cloak and a tight-fitting cerise dress, hoping Sean would be there somewhere. William had given her the usual instructions: stay with the guard and don’t dare speak to anyone. But if she found Sean, she would take the risk.

  Fortunately, the throng of people made it difficult for Ivy’s assigned guard to keep up with her.

  The club reeked of booze and sweat. So different from the decadent gaming hall or sex club above.

  William caught her attention when he powered through the door, and people went wild.

  “William! William the Unconquerable!”

  Two brunettes with their backs to her spoke. “He’s so handsome. I’ve been trying to get his attention for months. We need him to notice us because I want to try and fuck him tonight. Don’t let anyone push us aside as he comes by.”

  Ivy’s lips thinned. She often wondered if William still had sex with other women since he wasn’t with Ivy in his apartment at all hours of the day and night.

  The other woman answered, “Good luck. I heard that getting his attention lately is difficult. He isn’t as flirty as he used to be.”

  The friend waved a hand as if to dismiss the remark. “Oh, please, men like him don’t change.”

  As William walked a straight path to the boxing ring, Ivy had to stand there and watch dozens of women swoon over him. It irritated her immensely.

  “William, kiss me,” most of them begged pathetically as he passed.

  In all honestly, it thrilled her that he didn’t grant their requests but paraded forward, slapping their hands away as he stepped onto the podium.

  He turned his head just enough to smile at Ivy as though they shared a private joke, and her heart gave a traitorous thump. William made her weak in the knees, and these were the moments that were precious to her. But how long would it last? Every day, she worried more.

  Then Ivy was being pushed back into the crowd and took the opportunity to wander around. Even though the chance of Sean being here was slim, she scanned every inch of the club, every face.

  The audience was riveted by the fight as soon as the bell rang, and Ivy kept up her pace, checking behind her for the guard, who still shadowed her.

  Suddenly, the view of her guard was blocked and she was thrust forward.

  Ivy struggled as someone held her shoulders and heaved her toward the wall.

  “Ivy.”

  To her great relief, she heard Sean’s voice and whirled around.

  They hugged as she breathed in the scent of her brother. Something familiar. Sean looked tired, and his dark brown hair was in disarray.

  “Little sister, how are you? I worry about you constantly. I’ve come here every night for so long in hopes of finding you. I thought you were dead when I only saw William and Charles, without you.”

  “I’m fine, Sean. I’m so sorry. There wasn’t any opportunity for me to get to you sooner.” Since she didn’t have much time, she asked her question, “Did you rob this place a few months ago?”

  He shrugged. “Of course. Ben and I have done it several times.”

  “So have I. Well, I’ve been picking pockets in the gaming club.”

  “How much money have you gotten?”

  “Not much. William’s clever and quite private, and it was difficult to get him to trust me, so it took some time before I got the chance to roam around the clubs by myself.” She omitted the fact that she’d been busy breaking her own first rule and how she’d fallen in love with her target. “It’s only a matter of time before William finds out that I’m not Ivy Ravensdale. When it comes to that, Sean, I’ll need an escape route from this place. You and Ben need to check the corridors and where they lead to, okay?”

  “I already did that when we started investigating William to con him. The passageway into the second underground floor has an exit that leads to the ‘L’ train station. But, Ivy, I’m not liking how long we’re having to be apart.”

  Ever since they were kids, Sean and Ivy had always been there for each other
, and she missed her brother deeply too. “Me either, but I’ve been with him for this long; I might as well see it play out.”

  “But you’re keeping two major secrets from him, and from what I’ve learned, he’s not a man to mess with, sis. I hate that you’re alone with him. I feel so useless and am worried constantly about whether or not you’re safe.”

  “I know, Sean. But I’ve got this; I promise you. He’s infatuated with me, so I can handle him. I just need to come up with a plan.”

  Sean waved his hands in agitation. “Do you even realize how dangerous it is not to have a definite plan in place with a man like him? The second he finds out, he’ll probably kill you. Look, Ivy, I’ve spoken to people. He and this Charles are like the Loop’s Mafia. There are countless rumors about how brutal they can be. How they can make people disappear.”

  Ivy had already learned that those rumors were true. “There’s another side to him, Sean—”

  Her brother, who could read her easily, probed, “Please don’t tell me you’re falling for him?”

  She looked away.

  “Ivy!”

  “I’ve got this under control.”

  “No, you haven’t; I can tell. Just leave with me. Right now.” Sean glanced around nervously. “Ben’s still blocking your guard. Come with me, and we’ll find another target. Another way to get money.”

  His desperation made her cry. “How? I need the money for my medical bills! I can’t abort the scam at this stage.”

  Sean cupped her cheeks, rubbing away her tears. “How are your eyes, Ivy?”

  “Not good, Sean. I’m seeing less and less every day.”

  He gritted his teeth. “I hate leaving you again!”

  “I’ll be all right.”

  “If anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself. Promise me you won’t get hurt.”

  She couldn’t break his heart and disclose the Markson incident. “I promise you. Whatever happens, I’ll come back to you in one piece. With money.”

  “I don’t care about the damn money. Just make sure you come back to me alive!”

  When confronted with Sean’s eyes pooling with tears, something inside her shattered and indecision cursed her for a second. Maybe she should leave with her brother? Truly, what good could come from staying with William? Perhaps he would murder her when he found out the truth?

  In the end, her heart overruled her mind, and she decided to prolong her stay with William. “Sean, you need to leave the fight club immediately. The guard’s coming, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Go back upstairs to the gambling club.”

  He nodded. “Motherfucker! I hate this, Ivy. I’ll be here every night if you need me, okay?”

  They hugged, too long. The risk was too high, but it was difficult to let her brother go. She died a little, having him walk away from her.

  “You come back to me,” he mouthed.

  She drew a cross over her heart as he dissolved into the crowd.

  The guard was on Ivy within the next minute wearing a fuming expression. “If William finds out I lost you, we’ll be very sorry.”

  He clasped her bicep while Ivy frantically searched for one more glimpse of her brother. Sadly, fate was working against her, because she didn’t spy him.

  Only then did Ivy focus on the fight going on in the center of the club. William was pounding his opponent, who was obviously weaker than William, and was in a state she’d never witnessed him in before. William continued hitting the man, even as he swayed on his legs. She hadn’t seen his opponent until then and recognized Jeremy Dechamps.

  Her heart rate accelerated, and she pulled her hood tighter to hide her face. What if Jeremy saw her? Jeremy knew Ivy Hunter very well. They had some unfinished business.

  The referee counted down, and William won. Pumping his fists, he made a victory round in the ring. He smiled, but there was little pleasure in the expression. William perused the crowd and passed Ivy without stopping, and Ivy’s heart dropped with his dismissal.

  Of course, countless women were hanging against the ropes with extended arms. And to her surprise, William’s demeanor transformed.

  Before the fight, he’d hardly given them any attention, yet now, he welcomed the frisky, flirtatious behavior, which annoyed Ivy tremendously. Ladies stroked his arms and tried to tug him to them as he walked by. Then he gave Ivy a derisive glance when one woman hooked an arm around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. She had no idea what he was thinking. He was unreadable.

  Her annoyance turned into anger, and he arched a brow as if to challenge her.

  William broke the kiss, tore off his gloves, and tossed them to another swooning girl. Then he signaled another guard to join him on the podium and whispered something into his ear, still watching Ivy with icy eyes. He didn’t look pleased as he stared at her, his glare pinning her to the spot.

  The guard beat a path to her. In reaction, she took a step back, and she could tell that the guard next to her was just as shocked as she and William locked eyes.

  It dawned on Ivy that William knew she’d disobeyed his orders. Whether he’d caught the guard without Ivy or Ivy with Sean, she’d soon find out, because she felt in her bones that his cold conduct was the result of his rage. Only, his rage was scarier than usual. It was a contained fury that she realized would soon be unleashed on her.

  Fuck! Doesn’t William miss anything?!

  For a long time after Markson’s attack, she and William had lived in his ivory tower together, practically in an isolated world. But in reality, they would never be together. He’d kidnapped her, and she’d conned him. The truth was closing in on Ivy. She was running out of time.

  “You come with me,” the other guard ordered her, and she was propelled toward the entrance.

  When she stretched her neck to see what William was doing, he was in conversation with Jeremy. William and he were calmly speaking while William looked around angrily, but not in her direction. Ivy’s nerves spiked. What if Jeremy had spotted her? The hood had only hidden her auburn curls, but her face had been in perfect view, since she’d been looking for Sean.

  No, calm down, Ivy, she told herself while being heaved through the corridor. Even if Jeremy identified her, why would he mention Ivy to William? They were just adversaries who were discussing their match.

  But what was William’s next step? If William had seen her with Sean, he’d probably ordered another guard to capture Sean. Maybe he’d been perusing the room in search of Sean? Shit! Of course! William had recognized Sean from the last time he’d caught her talking to him. When she’d lied and said he was just a random man inquiring about why she wore the cloak.

  The guard led the way to William’s private room while he dragged Ivy behind him. Once she was in his room, she’d have nowhere to go and would be at William’s mercy. Ivy decided she needed to run. Now. So she dug her heels in and pulled him to a stop with all her weight. Then she twisted her arm, breaking free from his hold. Spinning around, she ran as fast as her legs could go, her hood falling back.

  “There’s nowhere to run, lady!”

  The guard was right behind Ivy as she sprinted through the hall, gaining speed at the staircase that would take her to the first underground floor that housed Sins.

  She heard voices as she took the steps. Thank goodness there were people milling around this passageway; it was the waiting line for Sins.

  Ivy pushed through the people at the front of the line, realizing she was going in the wrong direction, but she could still run to the other secret door inside Sins. She had to get rid of the guard trailing her.

  At the entrance to Sins, the guy recognized her. “Miss, isn’t Mr. Kade with you? He isn’t in the club yet.”

  She looked behind her, and the guard was gone. “No, I’m supposed to wait inside for Mr. Kade,” she lied, trying her best not to come off as desperate.

  “Very well.” He stepped aside, allowing her inside.

  Sins wasn’t crowded yet. The
cushions in the center of the club were unoccupied; no orgy had started. But, as always, beds were filled with people performing sexual acts. A woman was splayed out on a bed to Ivy’s left, dress up around her stomach and two men leaning over her. One had his hand between her legs. The other had his cock out, and she sucked it ravenously. Various girls in skimpy plum dresses were being spanked or tied to bedposts or the crosses.

  As Ivy hurried through the room, she stopped.

  What if Sean was still in the fight club?

  She had to warn him. Indecisiveness stressed her, but eventually, she continued forward. Sean would’ve been smart enough to leave the fight club immediately.

  Her path was blocked as she passed the bar by the last person she wanted to encounter at the moment.

  “Well, look who we have here,” Jeremy Dechamps said, still in his fighting boxers, with bruising on his face and side from his match with William.

  Ivy went to step around him, but he mirrored her, effectively blocking her again.

  “In a hurry, Ivy?” He gripped her upper arm and pulled her close to his face, nose-to-nose. “I bet the owners here would like to know that there’s a con woman in their establishment.”

  She didn’t cower. “I bet they’d also like to know there’s a rapist in here.”

  He chuckled dismissively. “Oh, my dear Ivy, it isn’t rape when you willingly obliged.”

  “Obliged? You blackmailed me into having sex with you. Between sex with you or jail, I had no choice, asshole!”

  “You shouldn’t have stolen money from me!”

  “Let me go.”

  “No. How did you get access to a decadent place like this? You must be a better con woman than I thought. And why are you in such a hurry?”

  “None of your business.” She struggled in his hold.

  He smiled cruelly. “Since you’re here, I think I’ll play with you.” Jeremy was much too strong for her, dragging her easily and pushing her back against the St. Andrew’s Cross that was situated between two vacant beds; there was no one around she could ask for help.