CHAPTER 16:
Ivy's POV
I froze where I stood, and with the way my heart thudded so hard I wouldn't be surprised if it burst out of my chest, but the shadow at the far end of the alley didn’t move.
I spun around quickly, ready to hurry back to the street I’d come from, and my breath caught. A second shape blocked that way, too. Two of them now, and I was trapped.
“Great,” I whispered under my breath. “Smart, Ivy. Real smart. Take the shortcut…Brilliant idea.”
The men stood in silence. The one ahead was taller and broad-shouldered. The one behind leaned a little to the side, as if waiting for me to make the first move. My palms were wet with sweat, and I rubbed them against my hoodie and balled them into fists.
“Hey!” My voice cracked, but I forced it to sound steady. “You have a proble
