Phantom's Fight

Chapter Three

Ivy

If running late was an Olympic sport Ivy Grace would win first place every time. Forgetting to set an alarm turned her half hour cat nap into a three hour snooze session. She hated rushing, she always forgot something important and tonight it was her jacket. She had worn her off the shoulder black dress that rested just above her knees and completed the outfit with a pair of plain black heels. She had tried to dress 'girly' but she could already tell the shoes would be a problem for her. Without the forgotten jacket she knew she was going freeze if there was a queue at Diamond's later. At least she remembered to pick up her purse and phone this time.

Prospect Ryan was her taxi driver tonight and dropped her outside O'Brian's Irish Bar. Ivy had discovered O'Brian's about a year ago when she was looking for somewhere to meet her friends away from the club. She was not so naïve to think the club didn't have people dotted around to alert them of trouble. It was only two blocks away from Diamond's after all but she had never seen too many brothers frequent the place. Although she had a sneaky suspicion that Ron the bartender had the clubhouse number on speed dial. She had asked him many a time to call for a cab home only to have a brother or a prospect had always turn up to take her home.

"Thanks for dropping me off Ry; we'll walk to Diamond's so there's no need to wait around for me," she turned to him as he parked the truck. Knowing what his response would be before he even uttered a word, she left the car and started towards the doors to find her friends. Hearing the truck doors lock behind her and the heavy footsteps confirmed Ivy's suspicions that the prospect would be accompanying her inside.

"With all due respect Ivy, I'd rather piss off you than your father. I was given orders to look out for you all night and that is exactly what I will be doing. Look I'll stay by the bar out of your way but I will be keeping you within eyesight."

She smiled in acknowledgement. Ryan was a good prospect, he always followed orders down to a tee and she had no doubt that he would be patched in soon. She was used to being shadowed by prospects; her father had always been the same, wanting to know all of his kids' whereabouts. Johnny went straight from school to the club and her sister; Pearl didn't ever spend much time around the clubhouse after she turned eighteen. She went to college and married her high school sweetheart. She deferred a couple of years to give birth to her gorgeous little girl Jade and she was currently studying her final year to be a nurse. Ivy only ever saw her sister these days when she would babysit or sometimes in a family function much like tomorrows barbecue. Pearls husband didn't approve of their father's biker 'gang' so she didn't come home very often anymore. Ivy missed her but as long as her sister was happy then she was happy for her.

Ivy however was very much still around the club which made her an 'easy target' for the club's enemies, her father's words not hers, so she was always stuck with the babysitter. It only really got annoying when they stepped in stating that she'd had too much to drink or when a guy got too 'handsy' on the dance floor. Hence the reason why she believed she was still single.

Looking over to their usual table Ivy could see Louise, Alex and James already seated and waiting. Louise and Ivy had met in their first week of college; they were living in the same dorm and soon realised they shared the same classes. She met Alex through Louise a couple of months later when they started dating and they all joked that James just turned up one day and never left. It had been the four of them ever since and they'd all moved into together for their final year.

Everyone used to think that Ivy and James had a thing going on but they were never attracted to each other, besides, James was gay. He didn't advertise that fact much. It wasn't that he didn't want people to know, he was happy with whom he was, even though his parents said otherwise, he just didn't shout it from the rooftops which was potentially why he was hit on by more girls than guys. Ivy and James had bonded over their mutual love for Vin Diesel and had a The Fast and The Furious marathon at least once a month. He was her confidant about all things Jasper Cole and was present when Jasper stopped calling and in turn Ivy was the support he needed to come out to his family. He was her Jamie and she was his Ives.