Without A Trace

Thirty-Eight.

The next evening its almost time to leave for the party.

I clip in my earrings and walk down the hallway towards my husband with his mask in my hand. I walk over to the fireplace in the livingroom and take the whiskey out of his hand, "You don't need that right now," I say before downing his drink and handing him the mask.

"I can't have it but you can? Funny how that works," Thomas says annoyed before checking his watch, "Come on for fuck sakes."

"We're comin, don't get your fuckin panties in a bunch," Lewis says walking over to us with Anna followed by Michael and Ivy.

"Remember, go in as a group, leave as a gr-" Thomas starts before I cut him off.

"Yes group effort we fuckin got it," I interject before walking out the door to the car. I look behind my shoulder and take the vile and slip it in the bust of my dress.

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At the party we step out of the car. I tie my gold mask on and place my hand in Toms before we all walk in. I can't lie when I say I was blown away at how extravagant the party actually was. We make our way to the back of the room and scan the crowd. I stop when I see Sabinis man having a cigarette and flirting with a whore.

Thomas locks eyes with Father Hughes before wrapping his hand around my waist and pulling me in close.

"Can I help you?" I ask looking up at him.

"Girls, Hughes is that way," Thomas says motioning discreetly towards him.

Anna and Ivy walk away and head towards the direction of the two men. Immediately they put on their charm with them. Ivy runs her hand down her mans chest and smiles at him as he hands her a drink. Anna takes the cigarette out of her mans mouth before puffing off of it and seductively smiling at him.

While the girls are doing their work I take out the vile and dump it into one of the champagne glasses. I walk across the floor towards Sabinis man and smile at him while biting my lip.

"What do I owe the pleasure?" The man smiles at me wrapping his hand around my waist.

I hand him the drink and whisper in his ear, "Just a little love note," I say before placing a kiss on the inside of his neck, leaving a lipstick mark and walking away to disappear in the crowd.

Ivys man snakes his hand around her waist and pulls her into him, "Lets go out to the garden eh?" He says darkly with a smile.

Ivys heart beats out of her chest as she follows the man across the room towards the back door. She frantically searches around the sea of people passing her for any of us but unfortunately isn't able to spot anyone.

Thomas dances with me while watching Hughes, he makes a break for it and walks towards him during the break between people. He taps him on the back of the shoulder before dragging him to a secluded room with the boys. I watch across the room and watch the man I gave the drink to start to choke and suffocate before collapsing on the ground."

Outside the party the man shoves Ivy over a bench, "Mighty fine luck being in the presence of such a beautiful whore as yourself."

Ivy tries to shove the man off of her, "Get the fuck off me, PLEASE GET OFF ME."

The man punches Ivy on the back of her head and shoves her down against the ground before starting to pull her dress up, ripping it off parts of her body, "You stupid fuckin whore. You think you can fight someone like me?"

He slaps her across the face and holds her face against the cold wet grass, causing her to scream even louder as the tears flow down her face.
Ivy screams at the top of her lungs for Michael. Tears fall down her face as she thrashes underneath of the man trying to get him off of her but its little to no avail.

Inside Thomas and the boys beat Hughes to death. Walking back to the meeting table I look around at everyone, "Wheres Anna and Ivy?"

Anna makes her way over to me finally with Lewis. Worry grows across my face, "Tom wheres my fuckin girl at WHERES IVY?!" I say snatching the masks off each of their faces.

I look over at Michael, "You better find your fuckin wife if you intend on keeping your fuckin promise," I say with fear before leaving them and looking for Ivy in the crowd.

The boys disperse and start weaving through the crowd looking for her. Michael breathes heavily shoving past people looking for his wife. He starts yelling her name but the music is so loud you can't hear anything really.

John grabs Michaels attention and points to the backdoor being open. Michael runs outside along with the rest of us. We hear Ivy screaming bloody murder as Michael runs through the yard towards the garden.

He tackles the man off of her and starts beating the absolute shit out of him. Anna and I run over to Ivy and hold up her torn dress as much as we can. Aurthur gives me his jacket as I take it and drape it over Ivy and hold her against me.

Ivy cries as I push the hair out of her face and feel her tremble against my body. My heart shatters into a million pieces as Anna and I go with John back to the car and lay her gently in the back seat.

Thomas and John pull Michael off the man once hes dead. Thomas pinches his nose, "Call Johnny dogs, now. Tell him to light a fire in the woods. One big enough to burn meat." He grabs Michael and walks back towards the car.

Michael swings the door open and looks in horror at his wife. Ivy sits up and reaches across for Michael and drags him into the car.

She starts punching him over and over again, "YOU BROKE YOUR FUCKIN PROMISE TO ME MICHAEL." She cries as she really lets him have it. Michael puts his hands above his face and tries grabbing her hands.

"DONT YOU FUCKIN TRY AND CONSOLE ME," She screams at him as Thomas reaches in from the other side and pulls her off of Michael. Ivy lays against Thomas and sobs.

"YOU WERENT THERE MICHAEL," She sobs to her husband, "You weren't there like you said you'd be," she manages to say inbetween sobs.

I shoot daggers at Michael and lean over slapping him across the face before shoving him out of the car.

"Take us home Aurthur," I say grabbing Ivy from Tom and laying her head in my lap.

Anna takes the jacket again and drapes it across Ivys shoulders as she trembles from fear still sobbing as Aurthur pulls away.

Michael sits there and runs his hands through his hair with tears in his eyes. Blood drips off of both sides of his face where Ivy was beating the absolute piss out of him.

Thomas looks over at Michael and shakes his head before walking down the driveway in the direction of the house. Leaving Michael standing there alone, bloodied, and in disbelief that he broke the sole promise hes always kept to his wife.