Without A Trace

Seventy-Four

Michael walks into his bedroom, finding his wife angrily sitting in the bay window. Her back is to him and shes staring through the big windows watching the big snowflakes fall gently to the ground.

"Ivy," he says darkly as he makes his way over to her closing the distance between them. Watching her ignore his request he reaches around and grabs her chin, pulling it towards him. Forcing her blue eyes to look up at him. "You will look at me when I speak to you," he says lowly, deeply and greedily staring into her gaze.

Ivy licks her dry lips and swollows hard, coating her now dry throat, "Sorry," she mutters out after a few moments.

"You will be involved somehow, that's a promise. But you will not be a front runner until it's time for her to die. Do you understand me love?" He asks with a slight growl in his voice.

Ivys face is hot and rosy. Her eyes once filled with fire and anger are now extinguished to hunger and lust. She whispers out between her lips, "Yes."

"Good girl," Michael says with a grin before sliding his free hand into her brunette hair, tangling his fingers in the back of her head. He grips it softly while leaning down and planting a deep kiss on his wifes lips. Breaking away from her he releases her chin before reaching down and grabbing her hand. "We will not discuss this again Ivy. Now come back downstairs," he says before placing a few light kisses across her knuckles.

Ivy doesn't say anything in response before she stands up out of the window and follows her husband back down to the family room.

I meet her gaze and she meets mine with embarrassment. Anna and I chuckle to each other as I slap my three cards down on the table, "I don't know how many times you think you can beat me Anna. I will win every fuckin time."

Anna throws her cards down, "You're such a fuckin cheat! You fuckin bitch," she says before angrily shooting up out of her chair.

"Well, I learned from the best," I say tilting my head to the side to meet my husbands gaze who just pulled up from the paper hes reading in his hands.

I turn my head back to her, "Lewis could never beat him either. I hate to tell ya Anna," I say while reaching for my coffee mug in front of me. "Lewis is the worst fucking person to learn to play cards from, poor kid," I say with a giggle taking a sip of my coffee.

The phone rings and John answers it before meeting my gaze. As the other person speaks Johns smile slowly fades and hardens. He holds out the phone, "Its for you Cora," he says angrily.

The room falls silent for a moment. I look over at Thomas and he gets up at the same time I do. I walk over to the phone with my husband hot on my trail and take it from Johns hand.

"Cora Shelby speaking," I say leaning back causing my back to press up against my husbands chest. I can feel his heart racing against me.

"I hope you didn't need much use from your little Russian friend," An American voice speaks back to me.

My heart pounds in my throat, "Who the fuck are you."

The woman laughs in response, "Why I feel offended you don't recognize my voice with the campaign being so close and all."

"What the fuck did you do to Harper," I say as my breathing deepens and gets faster the agrier I become.

"Got her out of my way. The same thing will happen to your little pregnant sister in law if you don't stay out of my way too," she threatens. I listen intently to the background and can hear sputtering and groaning. Harpers alive.

"I'll see you at the devils doorstep Zamira," I say before slamming the phone down. I spin around to the girls and Thomas, "Get your fucking shit on. Get your guns and dont be longer than 10 minutes. Thats a fucking order so hurry the fuck up," I say before heading towards the stairs.