Poisoned Ivy Page 2

  Fitzgerald speaks up. “You haven’t given us much to go on. You’ve no idea where you were, you were unconscious for most of the flight, and hooded when you were off the airplane, and inside some fortress until today.” He shakes his head. “We will do our best, starting with the airport. You had to be on a private plane, so there should be a record,” he continues.

  Please do your worst. The last thing I need is a visit from the monster.

  We thank them and they leave.

  “I need to go to bed. I am exhausted,” I say.

  My parents follow me to my room, and tuck me in. They each plant a kiss on my cheek. “We love you. You rest now, dear.”

  I am out almost the second they leave my room.

  Chapter Three

  Maeve: Reliving Nightmares

  Five of the seven bookcases slide open, revealing darkened staircases. The five of us who aren’t virgins are instructed to take the stairs. I am trembling so hard I might break my bones. Each step I take is a death march. The man downstairs who calls himself Mason makes this place seem like an amusement park, but I promise none of us are amused. There is a draft in the stone stairwell causing me to shiver more. My teeth begin to bang into each other without my control. When I hit the top of the stairs I see that there is a room. Everything is emerald green, accented with gold. A huge bed sits in the middle of the room. I don’t need anyone to spell out what that means for me. I realize that I am not alone when I hear someone clear their throat. I spin around and find a young woman standing near what looks like the entrance of a bathroom.

  “I am sorry to startle you, miss. I am Iris, and I will be your groomer during your stay here.”

  Iris is pretty. Tall and thin, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. She has a kind face. “What is that? A groomer?” I ask.

  She walks deeper into the green room. “I am here to make your stay bearable. I will keep you groomed and Chamber ready. After you meet your guard, I will take you on a personal tour.”

  As if on cue, a man walks into the room. He is very attractive as well. I am noticing a theme here. “I am Ridley.” He extends his hand and I take it. Even in shock I do what is customarily polite. “I am here to keep you safe. Unless, of course, you fall asleep in your Chamber. Then I am here to fuck your brains out.” I snatch my hand out of his. He offers me a menacing smile. “My post is downstairs at the base of your Chamber. There are cameras throughout your room and it is miked. If anything goes down, I will be up here in a flash.”

  I throw up in my mouth a little.

  Can you hold your breath long enough to die? I plan to give that a try. Ridley excuses himself and disappears into the staircase.

  “Okay, for the tour. This, of course, is your Chamber. Over here…” Iris walks me to a golden armoire. “Is your pleasure cabinet…”

  She opens it, and I cringe. It is filled with dildos, whips, beads—things I have never seen in person. She scoops up a huge dildo and walks across the room. I don’t follow her with my body. Only my eyes travel with her. I’m not sure I will be able to remain standing if I move.

  “This…” She is standing next to a horse that looks as if it belongs on a carousel. She screws the dildo onto the horse’s back. “Is your pleasure pony. You will most likely spend a great deal of time pleasuring yourself for the gentlemen during your stay here.”

  I hit the ground.

  When I wake up there are five men in my emerald room. One of the men picks me up and sets me onto the pleasure pony. “Work, girl,” he says.

  I can’t see his face. I can’t see any of their faces, only their erect cocks, all waiting for their turn with me. I sink down onto the pleasure pony. Over and over I plunge the large dildo deep into myself. Tears storm from my eyes. Another faceless cock pulls me from the pony and tosses me onto the bed and all of the cocks converge on me. What started out as five keeps multiplying until the room is full of them, in my mouth, in my ass, my pussy, full of cocks.

  I shoot up in bed, my own screams waking me. My door flies open and my ma and da are at my side at once. I can’t catch my breath. The sobs are coming out of me in force. My parents don’t say a word. What is there to say? They wrap me in love and protection. I can hear the tears they each fight catching in their throats. Their daughter may just be the most unlucky young woman alive. My ma and da get comfortable on each side of me and that is how we fall asleep. With the protection of them, I am able to sleep without any nightmares.

  Chapter Four

  Maeve: Added Protection

  When I make it to the kitchen the next morning I am flooded with warmth and familiarity. The boys run and wrap me in a big hug.

  “Maeve’s awake, Da!” Ailbhe shouts.

  “I see that, Lugh,” my da says, looking over the morning paper.

  “Lugh didn’t say it, Da, I did.” Ailbhe corrects my da.

  My da just shakes his head and smiles. It is hard for us to keep up with which twin said or did what. Even their voices are identical.

  I make it to the table with the boys still connected to me. “You boys take a seat and let your sister be,” Ma says, shooing them with her hands.

  “We can’t, Ma. We missed her too much,” Lugh says.

  “We wanted to sleep in her room, but when we went to sneak in you and Da were in there already,” Ailbhe says.

  “Well I guess we all missed her, then,” Ma says.

  We sit as a family and enjoy a breakfast of rashers, bangers, black pudding, white pudding, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, Irish beans, and soda bread. I missed my comfort foods of home more than I even knew.

  The doorbell chimes. And my da gets up from his seat. “Right on time,” he says and heads out of the kitchen. He returns moments later with two men dressed in suits. They are huge men, like over six feet tall and American-football-player big. “I would like you to meet Pierce O’Connor and Miles Standish,” Da says, pointing to each of the men.

  Pierce looks more like he could be my brother than the twins, with red hair and freckles to match mine, and skin even paler. Maybe my uncle. I can’t place his age but if I had to guess I’d says early thirties. Miles is of African descent. Closer to my age, very attractive, with dark skin and hair cut close.

  “Nice to meet you both,” Ma says. “This is our Maeve.” She points in my direction. “And these are the twins, Lugh and Ailbhe.”

  The three of us say hi to the men. My ma shoves a cup of Irish tea in their hands without even asking them if they want tea. She has that way about her and they must sense it because they take it without question. My da leads them into the parlor. We don’t follow. It is not unusual in his line of work for him to meet with people who we aren’t acquainted with.

  “Did you see them, Maeve? Your new bodyguards are ginormous!” Lugh shouts out in excitement.

  “My new what?” I ask, looking to Ma for answers.

  She is busying herself at the kitchen sink, and doesn’t respond to my question. “What have I told you and your brother about poking in on people when they are speaking, and worse, running away at the mouth about it when you shouldn’t!” She scolds both of them without turning around, even though only one of them said something.

  “Wasn’t me, Ma!” Ailbhe says.

  “Well that matters not.” She turns to me. “Yes, dear. Your da and I feel that this is necessary, unless you want your da to lock you away forever. We nearly died! Again! We won’t survive anything else happening to you. So don’t accept this for yourself, do it for Da and me. We still have a pair of seven-year-olds to raise.”

  What am I supposed to say to that? I completely get it. My family is full of love and we are as close as flour in a barrel. I imagine they all suffered as much as me. Maybe even more. I can’t imagine, as I go on with my life, them holding their breath each time I am in not in their sight, awaiting my return. That is no way for them to live. “Of course, Ma. I have no issue with the security.”

  Her body sags with relief and she lets out a breath. �
�Oh, that’s a load off, dear.” My mother crosses the kitchen and hugs me close to her. “You mean the world to us, Maeve. I love you all so much I could squeeze you to death.” She motions for the boys and we wrap ourselves in a group hug. I missed my touchy-feely-lovey-dovey family.

  “Ma, you’re bonkers,” Lugh says.

  We stand in an embrace of four in silence for a long time. I can feel their relief, because I share it with them. We are united again. I hope that Keegan is prepared to live close to my family after we are wed, because I need them in my life. Every day. After the year I’ve had, I want to see my brothers grow into men. I want to be there for my ma and da as they grow old. I will take nothing in life for granted. I can’t afford to.

  “This family is strong, but we can only have it tested so much,” Ma says.

  As if on cue, Da calls for us from the parlor. We all make our way into the room.

  “Thank you, gentlemen, for agreeing to keep an eye on me. It will be a great ease to my parents worries,” I say, taking a seat across from them. They nod agreement to me.

  “Maeve, Miles and Pierce will be living on the grounds. You are not to leave the grounds without at least one of them with you. That means the shops and visits to your friends, the fitness center, even on a date.

  A date? I will be married soon enough. With Keegan by my side there will be no need for any bodyguards.

  “They will ride with you at all times, and you will use a driver, since bloody kidnappers like to hide in cars,” my da says, recalling my recent story. Anger clouds his face.

  “Well that is fine. Can they drive me to Keegan’s today?”

  “Sure. I imagine that you would want to see him.” He and ma share a look that I don’t miss.

  I want to ask what the look is for, but fear stops me. What if he has moved on, has a girlfriend? It has been a year. I won’t let myself believe that. I am going to be his wife.

  The drive to Keegan’s parents is long. They live in Glasthule, which is only a stone’s throw away from us, but my anticipation makes it feel like we have been in the car for a week. I remember the million times Keegan and I hopped on the DART, which is the bus that transported us around the city, and to and from each other’s homes. The early years when we were just the best of friends.

  I don’t gaze out at the beauty around me. I can’t, because I am suffocating on nerves and men. The driver, Aiden, is as big and strong as my bodyguards. Pierce is in the backseat with me, and Miles is up front with the driver. Thank goodness—for a second I thought they were going to sit on either side of me, leaving me in the middle like a child.

  I am nervous and excited about seeing Keegan for the first time. If our reunion is anything like my reunion with my family, then it will be worth the wait. I have dreamt of this for a year. Being in his arms, his strong blue gaze holding mine, loving me. Keegan took after his ma’s movie star looks. Blond hair, dreamy blue eyes, and perfect poreless skin. Tall, with the kind of body that food doesn’t stick around and hide in. He will never have to worry about it stowing away in his belly, or on his hips. He burns it off before it fully digests. Lucky.

  My mind flies back to the day he proposed.

  We took a trip to London with his family. His mother always told me that I was the daughter she always wanted but never had, her career leaving her only time enough to have Keegan. The private dinner in the London Eye on the South Bank of the River Thames should have been my first clue. The river glowed a beautiful rainbow of reflections from the lights cast by the Ferris wheel. Keegan, down on his knees. He pulls the telltale Weir and Sons crimson ring box from his pocket. Tears fall from my eyes before he says a word. It was a fairy tale after that. Photos of every moment of our engagement, wedding planners with us every step of the way. Our engagement photo even made it in a tabloid magazine. Being a model, I am not unfamiliar with having my picture taken, but going on a shoot is for work—it’s not me, my personal self. I am just a nameless face, an unknown body selling a product.

  When we round the bend to the Flanagan estate, my stomach is in knots. I have no idea if he is even home. Some parts of me hope he isn’t home, because I am ill-prepared for this reunion.

  “Miss, are you ready?” Miles asks, holding my door open.

  I hadn’t even noticed that he opened it. I take his extended hand to help me climb out of the car, and make my way toward the front door with a bodyguard flanking me on each side.

  “May I help you?” the young woman who answers the door asks us. Her brogue is thick and musical. She was definitely born here. She isn’t dressed like domestic staff. She is striking, with dark hair that falls heavy to her waist, and the clearest blue eyes. Perhaps she is one of Mrs. Flanagan’s actor friends.

  “Sure. I am here to see Keegan Flanagan.”

  “Who may I tell him is calling?”

  “Maeve O’Malley.”

  Recognition lights her face. My face might not be familiar, but my name sure is. She makes space for us to enter, and I walk inside. This place has been home to me for a few years. Miles and Pierce follow me inside. I make my way to the parlor. I don’t sit. I am far too nervous for that.

  “I will go and fetch Keegan,” she says. Her smile is brittle, her cheeks warm.

  I gaze around at the familiar room. Pictures everywhere. Most of them have always been of Keegan’s ma with famous actors, her receiving awards. There are pictures of my love at various ages. There are no pictures of me and him? I remember when pictures of the two of us were scattered all around the parlor. I can’t find one. Perhaps with me missing, it was too hard for him, poor Keegan—but I’m here now, my love.

  Then I see a picture, one that makes my heart drop into my stomach, and my stomach drop to my knees. It is a picture of Keegan and the beautiful girl who answered the door. I realize, as my eyes take in the room, that there are many pictures of the two of them. Horseback riding, him helping her down from the steed. My steed, Henrietta. I was the only one who rode her. She was my gift from Keegan. A picture of them on a picnic. Another on the Liffey, relaxing in a canoe. The final picture I see nearly stops my heart. It is Keegan and the girl, whose name I don’t know, kissing in front of the London Eye. I am dizzy. I turn from the photo journey that is tearing my heart out.

  “Are you okay, miss?” Miles asks.

  “Not really,” I say.

  Light floods the entrance to the back door and I know that I am going to be face to face with Keegan. I want to run, but I can’t. I want to jump into his arms, but I won’t. I need answers.

  Who is this girl, this woman?

  Where do I fit into your life?

  But this is his dance to lead.

  “Maeve?! Is that you?” Keegan’s voice bursts into the room. The smile on his face says that he is surprised, but happy to see me.

  That is a good sign. Perhaps the photographs mean nothing. She could easily be someone to help him pass the time until my return.

  Keegan crosses the room and wraps his arms around me. “For the love of Pete. I am so happy you are okay.” He kisses my forehead. “You’ve no idea how I have worried. How we all have.”

  His words fill my heart. The woman is standing at the perimeter of the parlor. I can see from her pained expression that if she was someone for Keegan to pass the time with, she didn’t see it that way. She is worried, about me. I feel for her, because I felt that way only a moment ago. Being loved by Keegan in any capacity is a gift.

  “I guess I should leave you two,” she says in a small voice. Her exit is dramatic. Tears spill over her eyes and she runs out of the room.

  “Gemma!” Keegan calls out and runs after her.

  My stomach falls again. I believe I misread the situation.

  I sit on the nearest sofa and hug myself. I am at Keegan’s mercy. He alone has the power here. I wait for his return. The tension is palpable. Even Miles and Pierce can feel it, because I know they want to say something. Thankfully, they don’t. I shoot up from the sofa when he returns
.

  “Can we take a walk, Maeve?”

  I nod.

  He takes me by the hand. His thumb rubbing the back of my hand feels so familiar. My heart breaks for Gemma, because he must have told her it was over between them.

  As we make it out the door he turns to Miles and Pierce. “I need some time alone with Maeve, please.”

  My bodyguards do not stop following us. “That is not possible. We were hired to be wherever Miss O’Malley is,” Pierce says.

  Keegan looks at me. I can see he is pleading for me to ask them to wait. Give us some privacy. “Maeve, nothing is going to happen to you with me around.”

  “I can’t, Keegan. I promised Ma and Da that I would keep them with me at all times. They even live with us now,” I tell him.

  He exhales. I can see from the change in his expression that he is annoyed. He is used to getting his way, but doesn’t fight this. We walk into his mother’s enchanted garden—at least that is what I call it, because it is a dream garden, with every flower, root, and plant you can imagine. Vivid reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, blues, purples abound. And green, so much green. Even in one of the greenest places on earth, the enchanted garden is greener. So only magical things can happen here, and they do. This is where the pot of gold must be, but I haven’t found it yet. This garden is where angels must spend their free time. I run to my favorite spot in the entire garden and sit on my tree swing. The swing itself is attached to the tree by strong vines of the most beautiful ivy, which has always baffled me. Like I said, magical. And now, in the most beautiful place I know, I am prepared to reunite with the love of my life. My reason for surviving The Chamber is standing before me.