by M. J. Perry
True to his word, when I came down the stairs, Lee was in the car waiting for me, so were Maverick and Matt. I noticed they all looked solemn as I climbed into the back and took a seat next to Matt.
“What’s happened?” I turned to ask Matt.
“Put your seat belt on, Ivy,” Maverick ordered.
I slipped on my belt and turned again to face Matt.
He sighed. “The police found a woman’s body near our office this morning.”
I grimaced. “That’s sad news.”
“We didn’t know her, but she looked familiar.”
“I don’t understand.”
Matt grimaced. He gave Maverick a look before he brought his gaze back to me. “She was dressed similar to how you were yesterday when you came to the office. Her hair was the same colour as yours.”
I shivered. “Was she murdered because they mistook her for me?” Guilt settled in my stomach at the thought and fear pierced the nerves I thought I had under control.
“We have no proof, but we believe Ted has hired some men to find you, and because of her similarities, they thought she was you.”
“So when he realised she wasn’t me, he had her killed?”
“He couldn’t just let her walk away. She would have been a witness against him.”
“Oh god, that’s just so awful.” I cried.
“We’ll make him pay,” Maverick promised.
“How can he do something like this? He murdered someone.” I gasped.
“He’s an evil man with everything to lose. He’s getting desperate.”
“We shouldn’t do this. If we go to the bank and do your plan, what if he hurts someone else?”
“We can’t promise that he won’t, Ivy, but we need to take him down. We can’t be on our guard forever. He needs to be eliminated.”
“I can’t bear the thought of people getting hurt because he wants me.”
“If he’s allowed to continue this way, he’ll do more than murder one woman. He has to be held accountable. Ian thinks he might be able to link Ted to her murder, and we have someone on the inside of Sid’s network who will help.”
“Then the police will arrest him?”
“It won’t be enough.”
“Why?”
“He has friends in high places that can make evidence disappear. Our best bet is to make Ted desperate enough to do something stupid, and in turn, he’ll make his boss desperate enough to tidy up loose ends.”
“You mean they’ll take care of him themselves,” I stated. I still didn’t like the idea. It was ruthless.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Matt said in an icy voice.
I shivered.
“Concentrate on the plan, Ivy, and everything will work out,” Lee added.
“I’ll try.”
“That’s all we can ask.”
“Can we send some flowers to the woman’s family?”
“I’ll get that arranged,” Maverick said with a smile.
“Thank you,” I sighed as I laid my head against the rest and closed my eyes. I tried to gather my thoughts. I could fall apart because Ted hurt someone or I could pull up my big girl panties and help these men take the bastard down. I could fall apart later. Once this was over, I’d have time to grieve for my old life and the life of the innocent woman.
“How long will it be until we get there?” I asked.
“About an hour, maybe two depending on traffic,” Lee told me.
I sighed. “I wish I’d thought to bring a book.” I needed to occupy my mind. Having too much time to think was not good for me right now.
“Look in the bag between you and Matt,” Lee said.
I opened the zip and smiled as I pulled out one of the books I’d seen yesterday. “Thanks, Lee, you rock.”
“I know,” He chuckled.
I opened the book and settled down to read. Blanking my mind to all my worries, I let myself get lost in the story of unrequited love. I tried not to compare my situation to that of the heroine, because she was guaranteed a happily ever after. I was not.
Chapter Seven
Ivy
We pulled up at the bank, and my nerves turned into shakes. Matt grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’ll be fine, Ivy. Keep your chin up, and don’t show your fear.”
“He could be out there watching us,” I whispered.
“It’s a possibility. We’ve made sure there was a leak of information out of our office,” Matt said quietly. “It’s not the way we would have chosen to do it, but I’m sure Maverick has explained. It really is the safest way to take him down without you getting caught in the crosshairs.”
“You don’t have to defend the decision, I understand your reasons,” I told him.
“You shouldn’t worry, if he’s here, I bet my ass he’ll run as soon as he gets a look at me,” Lee chuckled.
“You crack me up,” I told him with a laugh.
He winked. “I’m a funny guy.”
“I see our guys behind us. Everyone’s in position, it’s time to go,” Maverick ordered. His voice was all business, and I sobered immediately.
Maverick turned to face me. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I said, and he nodded. I pressed the button to undo my belt, and Matt did the same with his.
“Stay in the car until one of us opens your door,” Matt ordered.
“Okay,” I agreed. I watched all three of them climb out and look around. I felt sick. Swallowing hard I turned to the door as it opened and took the hand Maverick offered.
“Smile, Ivy, don’t let him think he has you beat. Even if he isn’t here himself, he’ll have someone watching you, and reporting your every move.”
I plastered a smile on my face, and Maverick squeezed my hand. “That’s my girl.” He praised.
He closed the car door as I moved aside and we walked hand in hand to the bank entrance. Lee and Matt joined us keeping close. I didn’t lift my eyes from the floor because I didn’t want to risk seeing Ted. The thought of him being close to me again made me want to hurl. Maverick was still holding my hand, and I focused on that, on the strength and warmth I could feel. He made me feel safe, but I couldn’t let myself get used to it. When this was over, I would be alone. The thought made me sigh. Maverick squeezed my hand, and I looked up into his beautiful eyes. Sadness crept into my gaze, and he saw it right around the time I pulled my hand free from his. I had to stop relying on him to make me feel better. I would do this, but I’d do it without the pretence of him caring for me when he didn’t know what he wanted. He didn’t say a word at my action, but his eyes did. They flashed dangerously. For a split second, I thought he was going to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he pursed his lips and stared straight ahead. Why was he so angry? He had no right to be, especially when he couldn’t decide what to do with me. I’d already been burned I wouldn’t allow it to happen a second time.
When we reached the bank, a man wearing a tailored suit greeted us at the door. This bank was nothing like mine. It was nothing like I’d ever seen before. The floor was marble, an enormous reception desk sat in the centre of one wall, and expensive paintings covered almost every other wall I could see. It looked like a place in a movie. My heels clicked loudly as I walked, and the noise made me cringe, but no one else seemed to notice. The men were still on alert, all of them tense and ready for anything.
At the reception desk, a woman in a red suit gave a smile in our general direction. She didn’t raise her eyes until a man who I assumed was the manager came towards us. When she finally deemed us worthy enough to speak to, it was almost comical. Suddenly she was smiling hugely, and I could see all her teeth. I giggled, and Lee winked at me. I guessed it was an everyday occurrence for them. Each one of them was attractive, tall, dark, and handsome, but put them all together, and it was like a photoshoot for the world’s sexiest man competition. Lady parts could explode into instant orgasm, with no touch necessary.
The woman’s eyes ate the
m all up, but when her eyes landed on me, she gave me a spiteful smile. I blinked in surprise at the change in her. Lee put his arm around my shoulders, and I figured he’d seen the look because when she asked if she could help him with anything, he gave her a dismissive shake of his head and turned his back on her choosing to greet the man instead.
The newcomer ushered us into his office, and we trailed in one by one. Maverick offered me the seat nearest the desk, and he took the other one. Lee and Matt stayed by the door.
“Hello, Miss Robinson.” The manager said as he took a seat behind the huge desk.
“Hi,” I said politely.
“I have the money ready for you here. I just need a signature, and you’re good to go.”
“Okay.”
He slipped a piece of paper across the desk. “You just need to sign on the dotted line and then again on the back page.”
I did as he asked and pushed the paper back across to him. Maverick stood up, and I did the same. He held out his hand, and the manager shook it.
“Thanks for doing this so fast, Steve.”
“It’s not a problem. The officers are in the other room.”
“Good. We can get this done and get Ivy out of here.”
The manager, Steve, turned to face me. “I’m very sorry for your troubles. I have no idea how he was able to open an account in your name without your presence, but I assure you I’ve put measures in place, so it doesn’t happen again.”
“I don’t blame you. I understand that Ted is very good at getting what he wants.”
“Well, as I said, I’m very sorry.”
“Let’s go,” Lee ordered.
He took my elbow and guided me towards the door. I could sense his urgency, and I didn’t understand it. Once we left the office, and the door closed behind us, we turned right and entered another room. This one wasn’t as grand as the other was, but it was still luxurious. The constable I’d spoken to at the station stood up from behind the desk as we entered, and Maverick handed him a briefcase I hadn’t seen him pick up.
“Here it is,” Maverick said as he passed it to him.
“Thanks, Maverick,” The constable turned to face me. “Ivy, thank you for doing this, I know it can’t be easy. I’m glad you took my advice.”
“Me too, else I probably wouldn’t be around right now.” I grimaced.
“Do you need anything else?” Maverick asked.
“No, you can go. Do you have enough protection for her?”
“Yes, she’s safe. Will you be?”
“We have enough backup to make sure the money gets to where it needs to go.”
“Good. Any leads on the dead woman?”
The detective shook his head, “None that you don’t have yourselves.”
“We’ll pin it on him.”
“You know you won’t. The best we can hope for is that he set’s someone up for it. We’ll arrest that person and hopefully get them to turn on Ted.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic. We’ll put a stop to him one way or another. We won’t allow him to hurt anyone again.” Lee said, and the look he gave me was full of promise.
“I’ll do all I can to help even if it isn’t much.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve helped to save Ivy already.”
He nodded, his face full of sorrow. “It very nearly wasn’t enough.”
“We’ve been out in the open long enough. We need to get a move on.” Maverick said.
“Agreed. We’ll go out the way we came in,” Lee said. He looked at his phone, and his face tightened. “He’s close,” He warned, and I gasped in horror.
“Ivy,” Maverick said as he cupped my face, his own so close to mine. “Breathe.”
I tried to, but my heart was beating a mile a minute. Ted was here, he was close enough to be seen. How could I be okay with that?
“Do you trust me?” he asked, and I nodded. He closed his eyes briefly before dropping his hand from my face and gripping mine in his. “Stick to the plan.”
“Do you want me to back you up?” the constable asked.
Maverick shook his head. “You need to guard that money and yourself. Ted’s vindictive. If he sees you now, he’ll make sure he gets revenge on you somehow. He isn’t stupid enough to try anything here. He’s just pushing to see our reaction.”
“If you’re sure,” The constable answered. I could see the relief in his eyes.
“We’re sure, but thanks. We’ll keep in touch.” Maverick told him as he opened the office door. He kept his body in front of mine until Matt and Lee flanked us, then he dropped back to my side. “Remember, Ivy, keep your face blank. Don’t let him see your fear. You’re strong.”
“I won’t let him see,” I whispered. I wouldn’t give Ted the satisfaction, but just in case, I’d keep my eyes on the floor. My hand was shaking, and I fisted it. My other hand was tucked inside Maverick’s warm one, and this time I allowed myself the comfort of his touch. As we made it to the doors of the bank, my whole body tingled. I could feel Ted watching me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“I see him. Ten o’clock.” Lee murmured.
My body locked. Fear took over and Maverick, sensing this, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and pulled me into his body. I inhaled slowly, trying to slow down my breathing. The last thing I wanted to do was pass out.
“I wish I could go beat his ass now,” Matt growled.
“Me too, but you know the consequences of that.” Lee reminded him.
“He’ll get what’s owed to him soon,” Maverick added.
I let their conversation wash over me. I didn’t want to think too much about how close I was to the man who’d fooled me. He was a monster, he’d murdered an innocent woman, and even if they couldn’t prove it, we all knew the truth. I walked on shaky legs to the car and waited as Maverick opened the door and helped me inside. My eyes fixed on a figure through the windscreen. He was far away, but I could still make out the evil smirk on his face. Ted thought he was untouchable. I only hoped he was wrong and these men could take him down because if he got his hands on me, I’d be in for a world of hurt. Maverick closed my door and walked to the front of the car, his strides were angry and uncoordinated. I saw Matt’s hand shoot out and grip Maverick’s bicep. Lee was murmuring something to him. It looked like they were trying to talk him down. Ted must have realised how close he was to being torn to pieces because he suddenly scarpered. It would have been funny if it weren’t for the fact he was a dangerous man. He had to have a plan up his sleeve, and I was worried he’d go after Maverick next. When Maverick turned, and I got a look at his face, shock shot through my entire being. He looked furious enough to do some real damage, and it was on my behalf. I didn’t know how to feel about it. What I didn’t understand was the pain I could see under the fury.
I sat quietly as all three men climbed into the car.
“You did really well in there, Ivy,” Matt praised me, and I looked to the front seat where he sat. Lee was driving, which meant Maverick was taking the seat next to me.
I turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. The lingering sadness on his face made my heart hurt. I reached over and covered one of his fists with my hand, giving it a soft caress. As I pulled my hand away, Maverick surprised me by tugging it into his lap and holding it between both of his hands. He didn’t meet my eyes, but his thumb rubbed softly over my knuckles. I put my head back and closed my eyes. He needed comfort, and I could never deny him that.
“What happens now?” I asked.
“We go back to the safe house. We’ve left a trail for him to follow, so it shouldn’t be long until he turns up.” Matt told me.
“Do you think he’ll come tonight?” I shivered at the thought.
“He’ll need a bit longer than a day to find out the address, but I don’t imagine we’ll have to wait long.”
“He’s so evil. How did I not see that? I got so caught up in the idea of love that I was blind to everything.”
“There is no good in Ted. I should have realised that a lot sooner.”
“Karma will come around to get him, and we’re going to help it along.”
I opened my eyes and looked at Maverick. His thumb had stopped caressing, but his grip was tight. I didn’t try to pull my hand free. Instead, I turned it until I could tangle my fingers with his.
I was so tired of being on edge and just plain tired of my life. I wanted to get away somewhere that no one knew me. A place I could start over by myself, without any stress. I had a feeling the dream was out of reach, and why did the thought of not having Maverick in my life make me feel wretched? He was feeling something of the same. He touched me and held my hand every chance he got. I could accuse him of leading me on, but he wasn’t doing it on purpose. He was fighting something, fighting us, and I was afraid his fear would win, leaving both of us unhappy. I sighed. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
Chapter Eight
Ivy
My eyes flew open when a loud noise penetrated my chaotic dreams. I tried to get up but found myself trapped in a warm embrace. I looked to the side of me and saw a sleeping Maverick. He had his arm tightly wrapped around me, and my head was resting on his chest. We were still in the car, and it was still daylight. Confusion swept through me as I looked around. Matt and Lee stood outside the car, talking softly. I lifted a hand and cupped Maverick’s cheek.
“Maverick,” I whispered. “We’re back at the safe house.”
He frowned, and then his eyes opened. The piercing look he gave me made my breath catch.
