Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Thirty-Eight

This is the second chapter in a triple update. Make sure to read Chapter 37 first! Enjoy!

Ivy's father moved at a shocking speed. She backed up, heels tripping up on the rug, but she wasn't fast enough. Cillian, in all his rage, grabbed for her. Being just far enough away, he only got her shirt, but it was enough to make her stumble. She tried to catch herself, but she was too late, her head bouncing off the wall behind her.

Wincing, she stood up, but then her sight went black as a blinding pain hit her temple. All she could feel was a large, rough hand pushing her face up against the cold wall. Blinking the dots in her vision away, Ivy realized what had just happened. Cillian had slammed her head back into the wall. A trickle of blood was dripping down the side of her face from her temple where the majority of her pain was coming from.

Her father pushed against her, breathing into her ear, "Don't you ever fucking do that again. I am your father. You would be nothing..."

But Ivy wasn't listening. There was a letter opener sitting on the table next to her, her eyes pinned to it as her face was pressed against the wall. There was no hesitation, no second thought, before she reached for it. Her hand moved quickly, slashing it through the air blindly at the man pinning her in place.

A hiss of pain met her ear and the release of her head made her turn, setting her eyes on Cillian, as the room spun around them. His hand covered a small nick on his throat. Just a slash of red, sadly no blood. When he moved again, her instincts took over and the small blade arced, this time slicing open his cheek.

"Fuck!" He cursed, holding his hand to the open wound.

A flare of satisfaction rose in Ivy as a small bead of blood seeped out through his fingers. "What were you saying again?" She asked with a curious tilt to her head.

Cillian flicked the blood off his hand, a mix of his bloody nose and the cut on his cheek. Utter destain washed over his face, and for the first time, Ivy thought she saw how her father really felt about her.

The view was cut off by a large figure, her brother stepping in between them. He was facing their father, his back to her in a protective stance, although he still looked a little unsteady on his feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cara hiding in the corner, eyes wide in horror.

"You need to calm down." Finn said evenly, eyes narrowing in on Cillian, "You're acting rashly, father."

"Don't speak down to me." Cillian spat, pacing in front of them like an animal in a locked cage. "You'll understand once you're the one who has to deal with her insolence. Just like her mother." He muttered at the end.

Ivy furrowed her brows, the animosity in his tone catching her attention, but Finn continued before she could question it. "You're letting the stress get to you. They're trying to drive us apart. You know better than anyone that we're stronger together. That's what uncle Tully always said."

"And then they killed him." He snarled, but he stopped moving, the initial rage simmering.

"Yes, they." Finn said pointedly, "Our real enemies."

Cillian breathes deeply, "There's a rat in our house. Someone has betrayed us."

Ivy remained silent. Finn obviously wanted to deescalate the situation, and she understood why. There was no gain to spilling Malone blood tonight, even if she would like to see her father dead. She also knew that Finn had no objection to that future either, but it was smarter to keep the man contained at the moment.

Soon, he would have to go. But that day wasn't today.

They let their father continue his ranting thoughts. "All three of you need to take a look at who you're closest with. Finn, your men - and that girl you keep around -" Ivy saw Finn's jaw tick. "Cara, break up with that fool you met at the university."