by Day, Laura
That was easier said than done. How was Blake not supposed to worry about a mad man harassing and stalking his girlfriend? His connections had allowed him to be released from prison and who was to say how far those connections go. He could still flee the country; he could still come after Ivy. The only way Blake could possibly stop worrying was if Darryl was behind a set of very strong bars.
Chapter Forty-Four
“Rich Boy Goes Free”
“Linden Family Uses Connections So Son Can Avoid Jail Time.”
“Questions Raised When Judge Connected to Linden Family allows Son To Avoid Jail.”
Ivy read the headlines and couldn’t help but smile at them. Her sex tape had faded from the internet’s consciousness. People were far more concerned with the fact the Darryl had conned his way into a cushy institution. There were calls for the judge to be removed from his bench; there were cries of corruption, nepotism and favoritism.
Pictures of the fancy institution where Darryl had been sent were front page news. Beautiful suites with televisions and four posters beds and claw foot bathtubs, it looked like a fancy hotel, which is basically what it was. It was a place where the wealthy went to treat the addictions under the guise of being treated for “exhaustion.” There were protests outside of the facility as dozens of people demanded to know why a violent law breaker was living better than most hard working citizens of the city.
Ivy didn’t quite know what to make of all it. All of these people she had never met were fighting for her or, at least, fighting for justice on her behalf. She had been so worried about what would happen when her name entered the press. She was terrified of people rummaging through her personal life for their own entertainment. She would never have expected this. That other people would rally to her side and fight for her.
Tim had released a statement thanking everyone for their support and promising to go after Darryl to the full extent of the law. Their court date was a still far in the future. The DA was gathering all his evidence. He was determined to see Darryl see actual jail time; there would be plea deals offered, but each one came with a minimum five-year sentence.
Ivy wondered what Darryl was thinking and planning in his fancy room at the asylum. Was he planning to flee the country? Was he planning to fight the charges? All Ivy knew was that she hadn’t seen or heard from him since he had tried to set the gym on fire and destroyed Blake’s car. One last violent gasp from Darryl before he was finally captured.
She didn’t look over her shoulder anymore. She didn’t check the backseat of her car before entering. She didn’t check the apartment for intruders. She let her mace sit in the bottom of her bag. It felt good. The sun was brighter; the air was fresher. Everything was better. She felt like she could walk with her head high and face anything. She had worried the sex tape ruined her, but, instead, in some strange way, it only made her more powerful.
Blake was at the gym training. She was surprised at how hard he worked. Entire days spent in the gym. Hours and hours of weightlifting and sparring and jogging and he still came home with energy for her. He never skipped a training session, never slept in or tried to get out of it. It was hard work and he loved it and she loved him for how hard he worked.
Ivy was still in bed. Sipping coffee and reading the headlines as she snuggled down into Blake’s thick comforter. She needed to finish moving in. Not that she had much, a great deal of her possessions had been covered in red paint and were ruined. She didn’t miss them as much as she expected. Now that she had someone so strong and stable in her life, she didn’t feel like she needed much more.
She was sitting back against the pillows reading about the many ways that the judge could be removed from his bench when she heard a rattling noise coming from the hall. She looked with concern towards the door. Was Blake home already? Had he forgotten something? He should have called; Ivy would have brought it to him.
She stepped out of bed, wearing a short pair of shorts and simple t-shirt. Ruffling her hair, she padded to the living room and saw the doorknob jiggling. For a moment she was frozen in place. Something was wrong. It wasn’t normal. Whoever was on the other side of the door wasn’t using a key.
Ivy’s eyes went wide and she took a step towards the door, but then she froze when she heard a click. The lock was undone and the chain was hanging, dangling from the door, swinging back and forth as the door was pushed open. She took a step back, but she had nowhere to go.
Darryl stepped calmly into the room and closed the door quietly behind him. Ivy was frozen in place. She felt ill, like she was going to be sick. She was frozen and shaking at the same time. She took a shuddering step back and Darryl smiled at her as he looked around the apartment and then smiled at her.
“I’ve missed you, darling,” he said. There was a gun resting on her hip and Ivy stared at it in open-mouthed horror.
She looked up at him and didn't know what to do. She wanted to beg him to leave her alone. She wanted to launch herself at him and strike him and hit him. But in reality, she could do nothing and she stood frozen in he living room. “You...you’re supposed to be in an asylum,” she sputtered at him.
“I left,” he said with a shrug, “Got bored in there. Nothing to do. I heard you said no to my mother’s very generous offer. She was trying to help you, Ivy. You should have let her.” He looked unwell. He was wearing clothes at least two sizes two big and there were bandages on his hands and arms. His hair was long and messy and he was thinner. His aquiline profile had gone from handsome to gaunt in the time he had been on the run. Heavy bags sat under his eyes and his hands shook when he gestured with them.
“Your money can’t buy me,” Ivy said.
“No, you are very principled and very noble and blah, blah, blah. But mostly what you are is annoying.” His voice took a dark tone. “You ran to the press and your high school ex-boyfriend/stepbrother and ruined our game. I hope you’re happy.”
“This wasn’t a game for me. This is my life and you were ruining it,” Ivy screamed at him. Was he really that self-absorbed that he only thought about himself and his own amusement. Did he ever think about anyone else, ever?
“What about my life? I had it all planned out. We were going to be very happy and have a lot of money and you ended things with me and then what was I supposed to do? I had a plan, Ivy. A good one and you ruined it.”
Ivy glanced quickly towards the kitchen where she knew knives and other sharp items waited, but Darryl saw her and he quickly put himself between her and the kitchen. He was equal distance between the kitchen and the door; if Ivy tried to make a break for either he would grab her. Ivy stared at him. Why was he here? What did he want? She didn’t know what to do. Could she run past him?
“Come here, Ivy,” Darryl said, taking a step towards her.
She moved backwards, her whole body shaking. Darryl was walking towards her with slow, patient steps, like she was a cat he was trying not to spook. But Ivy was smarter than that. Without any hint of what she was going to do, she darted back towards her bedroom, Darryl ran to follow her, but she was too fast and she entered the room slamming the door close and locking it behind her
“Ivy!” Darryl called, through the door, his voice had a teasing quality to it, but it was undercut with danger. “Open the door, dear. I just want to talk to you.” Ivy didn’t respond. She grabbed her cellphone and called Blake.
It rang once and then twice and from behind the door Darryl began to try and turn the knob. She could see that he was pushing against the door, trying to push it open. The phone rang a third time and, thankfully, Blake answered. “He’s here,” Ivy whispered into the phone. “He’s in the apartment.” From behind her came a loud bang and she knew Darryl was throwing himself against the door. There come another loud bang and, to Ivy’s horror, the door was already starting to give.
“I’m on my way. Did you call the police?” Blake asked.
“No, I’m in the bedroom, he has a gun, but he’s trying to get in.” She was
crying now and the tears that blurred her vision were frustrating her; she needed to be able to see.
“Ivy, I have a gun.” Ivy stomach dropped as she heard the words. “In my closet in a safe, the code is 2292, go there now and open it.” Ivy took a step towards the closet when from behind her there came a loud crash. She twirled around and saw Darryl as he finally broke the door down and strode into the room.
He walked over to her and Ivy tried to back away, but he was on her before she could move. He grabbed the phone from her hand and dropped in on the floor and stomped it on the floor. He was right in front of her and without thinking Ivy reared back and let loose with a punch that landed right on Darryl’s left eye.
“You bitch!” he screamed as he backed away.
But Ivy was relentless. She swung a kick at his middle and it connected and she followed up with another punch to his face. Her knuckles were aching and bruised and bloody, but she wasn’t going to back down now.
Ivy reared back to punch him again, but he was ready that time. He grabbed her arm and brought her close and then with his other hand he grabbed her by her hair. Ivy screamed as Darryl slammed her against the wall and then he threw her out of the bedroom and into the living room.
Ivy was dizzy, her head aching, and she struggled to her feet, but Darryl kicked her in the stomach and she cried out as the kick laid her out on the floor. She was on her back and she looked up at him and he was looming over her. Her vision was going in and out and she could hear her own loud breathing in her ears. She struggled to move; she tried to raise herself, but he pushed her down. Her entire body was screaming in pain. Her eye was swollen almost shut and her wrists and knuckles were in agony.
Darryl smiled down at her as he pulled his gun out of its holster and lazily pointed it at her. Ivy stared at the gun. She didn’t want to die. It felt like she had only just started to live. How was this happening? They had come so close. She had felt so safe and now he was here and he was winning. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She scrambled back and away from him, but Darryl followed her.
He raised a hand to his eye and wiped away a spot of blood she had drawn. He looked down at in almost in confusion and then looked back at her. “I thought you were a sweet girl, someone kind and generous. But you’re just another slut like all the rest.”
He aimed the gun at her. She stared down the barrel into the black hole that was so soon to take her life. A tear slipped down her eye for everything she would never have and everything she would never get to do. She stared at Darryl as he aimed and then to her right the door burst open and suddenly, Blake was there.
Chapter Forty-Five
It was his worst nightmare laid out in front of him like some sick and violent painting. Ivy splayed out on the floor, splattered with blood and Darryl standing over her with a gun in his hand. His entire life had been a grand preparation for this moment. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t pause. He ran at Darryl. He swung his gun towards Blake, but he was ready. Blake grabbed the barrel of the gun and pointed it towards the floor as he brought his head back and then slammed it forward.
Blake headbutted Darryl. The other man cried out and his grip loosened on his gun. Blake grabbed it, reared back, and punched Darryl hard on the left temple. He punched him again and again until Darryl finally fell back on the floor—unconcious.
Ivy was on her feet and stumbling towards him and she fell into his arms as he held her tightly against him while he watched Darryl to make sure he didn’t move.
“Are you all right? Are you all right?” he asked, but he spoke swiftly and she nodded as she leaned against him and sobbed into his chest. He heard sirens outside. “The police are here. It’s going to be okay,” he whispered as he ran his hands up and down her back and tried to stop her shuddering and sobbing.
The police poured into the room and ambulances were called as a dazed Darryl was placed in handcuffs and was led out. Blake and Ivy watched him, still holding each other close. He gave one last angry look back at them, but it bothered them not. He was nothing more than a petulant child. He had no more power over them. He had gone too far and the state would see to him now.
***
“Does it look bad?” Ivy asked as she looked in the mirror, turning this way and that. There was a large purple bruise over her right eye. It had gone down somewhat in the last few days, but it still looked painful and was a mottled purple and yellow color.
“Don’t worry about it,” Blake said as he walked up behind her and kissed her neck. “It will fade soon enough and it won’t leave a scar.”
She looked at him in the mirror as he traced light kisses up her neck and she smiled softly towards his reflection. Together they faced the throng of reporters and protesters outside of the courthouse. Cameras and boom mics pushed into their personal space as Blake held Ivy’s hand and guided her into the far quieter courthouse. This wasn’t a trial; it was a sentencing. Darryl had pled guilty. Now all that was left was to see how long of a sentence he would get. The prosecution was asking for twenty years; the defense was asking that Darryl be sent back to the mental institution he had escaped from.
Ivy had her day in court. She sat on the stand and told the judge everything. Every horrible terrible thing Darryl had ever done to her. There was evidence piled up in front of him. Blake watched her, he encouraged her with her eyes, he told her anytime she became nervous she should look at him and remember he was always with her. A few times in her testimony when words failed her she looked over Blake and with a deep breath she was able to continue.
His co-conspirators and the various people he had paid to help him came forward and spoke against him. In the end there was no one to speak for Darryl. The defense had only a lone psychologist claiming wealth had corrupted him and he was just as much a victim as Ivy.
Blake watched the judge as the psychologist gave his ridiculous and paid for testimony. But through raised eyebrows and frowns the judge showed that he was less than interested in what the man was saying.
Blake sat next to his mother and next to her was Jonas. He hadn’t spoken to the other man since their last confrontation and neither had Ivy. But he was here and that was all that mattered. When Ivy was done she came back and they all sat together and waited. As the evidence was counted, the judge left to deliberate and the room was emptied.
Outside they stood at a street vendor and sipped on oversweet coffee. Blake stood off to one side with his mother while Jonas turned to face his daughter. “I’m sorry,” he said looking down at his coffee. “I’m sorry about what I said about you and Blake. Blake is a good lad and I’ve always liked him. I just...Ellen and I have talked about it a great deal and I just wanted to apologize. You are both adults and if being together makes you happy I won’t stand in the way of that.”
“He does make me happy,” Ivy said taking Blake’s hand. “Very happy.”
“And he protects you. A father couldn’t ask for anything more. I only hope you can forgive me.”
“Of course, Dad,” Ivy said. She put her coffee dad and the father and daughter walked towards each other and embraced.
Jonas held Ivy in his hands and they stood like that for a moment as the rain fell lightly around them. Weights were being lifted from from Blake’s shoulders. Darryl was in jail, Ivy and Jonas had reconnected. Things were falling into place. All their trouble, all of the things they had been through. Was it possible that soon it was all finally be over?
When the judge declared his sentence a tear slid down Ivy’s face. Fifteen years in prison. She wiped the tear away and smiled at Blake and they hugged as Darryl, in his handcuffs, was led away. Blake watched him go and breathed a final sigh of relief. He was gone and Ivy was here. It was over, it was finally over. They were safe and happy and could be together.
Chapter Forty-Six
Ivy gave a half-smile to the cameras that kept zooming to her face. Every now and then she would look up
at the large screen and she would see her own face looming over her. Her blush would creep up on her cheeks and she would quickly look away hoping the camera could find someone else to put on the screen. She refused to do anything interesting; she still hated to be on camera.
The crowd was loud to the point of deafening. People were talking and shouting and standing at their seats. Next to her Ellen and Jonas were talking quietly to each other. It was one of the strange things where you could only hear someone if they were whispering. The big fight. Ivy wasn’t quite prepared for how big it was.
The arena sat ten thousand people and it was filled. Every last seat was taken up by someone. There was a large VIP section where celebrities and politicians mingled and sipped champagne and ate canapés. The air was festive. There was a live band playing and confetti fell from the ceiling like snow.
In front of her on raised dais was the cage where Blake would fight. But it didn’t rattle her like it used to. She knew there was nothing to be frightened of in there. Blake could handle himself; she had seen that first hand. Darryl had been standing over her with a gun and Blake hadn’t hesitated. He had disarmed him and beaten him easily. Blake versus a man with a gun and Blake walked away unscathed. She felt bad for the man who was about to fight him. He had no idea what he was in for.