Poisoned Ivy

by D W Marshall

What would my father say? I know what he’d say. He’d say I’ve lost my fucking mind if I think it is okay to take her away from here. That this is not the job I signed up for. But then, he didn’t look into her eyes and see the fear and the pain. All I want to do is take that away from her.

  No more pain for Maeve. For some reason she has put that faith and hope in me, and I think if we can keep things platonic between us we may have success. She is fucking beautiful and full of life. I can see that without the fear and pain she would twinkle and sparkle like a star in the sky.

  Helping her is a gift.

  To make her whole again is my new life’s mission. She deserves the chance to live the rest of her life without fear. She deserves to walk with her head held high, no matter who she comes in contact with from her past. More important, she needs to know how to make a motherfucker pay in blood for any ill-will he intends her. I will make sure that happens.

  It doesn’t matter that I have so obviously turned into the savior and fallen for the damsel, because I can’t help but love her. Damn. If something grows from this in the future, it’ll be interesting to see how her father would take to his daughter falling for a black man.

  Now that Maeve and I have a plan. I need to set things in motion. Working in security I have friends everywhere. I need their discretion though, because if my dad catches wind of my plan, that’s my ass.

  I decide on Vegas as the city of choice, because it is easy to get lost in that crowd. I put in a call to my friends at a local gun range. I put in my order for weapons. Two Glock 22s, a Beretta 93R, and a Glock 43 for Maeve. Also, an array of my favorite knives.

  The last piece of the puzzle is sneaking away from Dublin with the girl who considers herself the unluckiest girl in the world, and whisking her off to America. I know I have lost my damn mind.

  Chapter Ten

  Maeve: Time to Heal

  It takes a full week before I get to come home from the hospital and a complete psychiatric workup. I passed enough that I don’t have to be locked down, but I have a schedule of appointments with my new psychiatrist, group grief counseling, and a prescription for anti-depressants. All of which I’m sure would work for me, and even help me get better, but they are not on my menu.

  I am surprised that they are trusting me enough to let me sleep alone in my room tonight. But Ma will no doubt check on me all night, which will make slipping out a challenge.

  Miles has already secured tickets out of Ireland for tonight after everyone is asleep, including my guards. I am not a child. I am leaving of my own free will. So while my folks will worry, it won’t be like the second time or the first.

  Thankfully, I have four million dollars which means I won’t have to call upon my folks for aid during my recovery. For the second time in a very short time, I write a note to my family.

  I’m okay.

  I am not going to harm myself. I am leaving to find myself. Please do not blame Miles. He came with me so I wouldn’t be alone because I know Da wants me to have protection. I was going to leave with him or without him, and, knowing that, he chose to accompany me so that you would know I would be safe. Please don’t come to get me. I promise I will be home when I am well enough and strong enough to stand on my own two feet. I will keep in regular touch with you.

  Love,

  Maeve

  When the house is sufficiently quiet, I make my way to our meeting point, only a two-minute walk outside my family’s property. I don’t bring anything with me beyond what will fit into my medium-sized handbag.

  The air outside is cool and wet—May in Dublin. I can’t explain the reason, but the closer I get to our meeting spot, the higher I can hold my head up. The freer I feel. This is exactly what I need.

  The taillights glow bright through the foggy night and I can hear the low hum of the engine.

  My escape.

  I open the passenger door and climb in. Miles offers me a nervous smile. I ask so much of him for doing this for me because I am costing him his entire career in the protection business. He will be known as the man who ran off with the girl he was assigned to protect. It won’t matter that I asked him to accompany me. It won’t matter that I am an adult, because that is not the job he signed on for. I am not his employer, my da is, and in this case proper protocol would be for him to report my intentions to my da. I will have to figure out a way to thank him. Perhaps a large portion of the money Mason gave me. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about employment for a long time. Who am I kidding? In this economy, at least for a little while.

  “Are you sure about this, Miles?”

  He doesn’t blink when he gazes at me. “Yes, I am very sure. You?”

  I nod.

  We pull out onto the small road and I don’t look back. The airport is about an hour’s drive from my home. The car is thick with nerves and fear because we are not in the clear until we board that plane. And even then, we are not clear until we land on U.S. soil. My folks are going to have a hard time with my decision, but I hope they understand.

  We make it through security without a hitch. I feel like I am in an action movie.

  Miles and I are on the lam. I am a material witness and he is trying to get me into the U.S. before we are captured by the bad guys.

  My pulse is racing while we sit on the plane. Still, I have not spoken, because at every step of our journey I have expected my folks to come busting in to stop me from leaving. It is only when our plane begins taxiing on the runway that I begin to allow myself to calm. When we are airborne, I breathe, letting out the deep breath my body wouldn’t allow me to release before.

  Miles reaches over and squeezes my hand. When I look into his eyes I see that he is more relaxed. Who knows what would have happened to him if we were intercepted before leaving.

  “Thank you,” I say to Miles, my hand still in his. “Is it strange that I feel better already? I mean, it doesn’t hurt so much to breathe.”

  “Don’t think of it, Maeve. You deserve a fresh start. You can always return home when you are ready.”

  I squeeze his hand. He has no idea the gift he has given me, asking nothing of me in return. I am so lucky to have him in my life. Wow, that was the first time I have ever considered myself lucky. “Where are we headed?” I ask when I realize that I was in such a hurry to get out of Dublin I never found out our destination. Not that it matters. Anywhere will do.

  “Las Vegas. I figured it’s touristy and thousands move there every month. We will blend right in.”

  The idea of that makes me smile. No exes lurking around every corner, accusing me of stalking them. No unknowing, long-lost friends asking the dreaded questions. No family members hovering over me with worry, and no three-man security team following me everywhere I go. I mean, sure Miles will be with me and I am sure my safety is of the upmost importance to him, but somehow these terms seem closer to my own.

  “I have a friend in Las Vegas. Her name is Vivian. She was there with me.”

  “You should connect with her. It’s good for you to spend some time with someone who understands what you went through.”

  I nod.

  The farther we travel away from my home, the more possibilities I can envision in my life. The idea that I only have to worry about me is wonderful. I fall into a dreamless sleep as we coast toward my new future.

  Chapter Eleven

  Maeve: Viva Las Vegas

  We touch down at McCarran Airport in the middle of the day. I can feel the Vegas May heat when we hit the tarmac. It is an arid heat, so different from the moisture of home. Yes.

  Without checked bags Miles and I head to the curb for a cab. I have heard of the casino-like atmosphere in the airport here, but never seen slot machines up close and personal before.

  “MGM, please,” Miles instructs the driver.

  The smile on my face must be infectious because Miles is sharing it. He really has turned out to be a great friend, saving me. It takes minutes to get to the MGM.

  “We’
re here!” I shout when we exit the cab. I wrap Miles up in a squealy hug. His arms fold around mine. My excitement gives way to something deeper: utter gratitude and appreciation. We stand at the entrance with our arms around each other. To any onlooker, we are a couple who are probably coming to Vegas to tie the knot. The reality is that Miles is my savior and I owe him everything for giving up so much for me. “Thank you,” I say again but this time in his ear.

  “You are so welcome. Let’s go get checked in,” he says, taking me by the hand.

  There is an open checker-inner person, so we walk right up. I speak before Miles can. I want to splurge on him in thanks. “We will be needing an extended stay in your finest accommodations,” I say. I steal a look at Miles and offer him a smile. He knows that he isn’t going to win here.

  “How long do you plan on staying with us, ma’am?” the man asks.

  Ma’am? I’m only twenty-two. “At least a month. Right, love?” I check with Miles.

  He nods. “A month, possibly two. A two-bedroom suite.” He holds up two fingers.

  “You heard the man,” I say. I couldn’t hide my excitement if I tried.

  The man nods. “We have just the thing in our Signature suites. Strip view, very upscale and comfortable. Just need a credit card and photo ID. I will have to charge the first fifteen days of your stay.”

  I hand the man my Chamber bankcard. “Not a problem.” The man hands me back my card and busies himself gathering things for us. “Oh, and, please do not send calls to our room. We will come down and check for messages.”

  “Understood.”

  We are given keys to our suite, the spa and the pool, along with VIP passes for this or that.

  “Enjoy your stay with us,” he calls after us.

  “Ready?” Miles asks me.

  “Very.”

  We thank the gentleman for his assistance before making our way toward the suites, hand in hand.

  Our room is gorgeous. The view of the Strip is amazing. I bet when the sun goes down we will feel like we are in the middle of Las Vegas’s craic. I feel it—I know I can be anyone here. Not Maeve the ex-kidnapping victim, twice. Not ex-Chambermaid. And most important, no one will ever walk up to me here and say, “Hey Maeve, when are you getting married?” or “I heard what happened to you and Keegan.” I won’t have to see his evil face forever if I want. This was the best decision I could have ever made.

  “So, I am going to take the room closest to the entry door. Any intruder will have to pass by me to get to you.”

  I am too busy dancing around the room with joy to care where he sleeps. Or myself, for that matter. “Sounds wonderful, love.”

  “Come here, Maeve.”

  I skip to him and he wraps me into another surprising hug. “You do not know how good it makes me to feel that you are happy. I think this was an excellent decision.”

  I squeeze him tight. “I agree. Let’s go eat! And buy some clothes! Oh please tell me you like sushi?” I ask.

  “Love it.”

  Miles and I make our way like any other excited tourists toward the nearest sushi spot in the hotel. I am starving. When we are seated I order salt and pepper calamari, potstickers, and lettuce wraps. When the waitress puts them in front of us I pick up my chopsticks and go to town.

  “Sorry, I think I might physically be dying of hunger right now. I hijacked the appetizers,” I say and giggle.

  “I’m good. I am happy to see you eating,” he says and follows it up with the most amazing smile that travels all the way up to his eyes. His face is everything.

  He doesn’t even pick up his chopsticks, he just watches me eat. I would have had to fight Keegan for a share of food.

  When the waitress returns with cucumber salads, I also order a couple of Sapporos. “Please have one beer with me.”

  “Nope.”

  “Come on, you can’t always be on. Hell, I’ll drink them both. I’m not driving.”

  Miles laughs at me and leans back in his seat and watches me. “I will have a couple of beers with you, Maeve.”

  “Yay,” I say. I dig into my salad. Mmm, so good. “So you must have a hard time keeping a girlfriend in your line of work?” I inquire between bites.

  He picks up his chopsticks and begins eating. He doesn’t look up when he answers me. “The traveling makes it nearly impossible,” he says, and finally looks up at me.

  I can only imagine. “Are you planning to do this career forever? I mean, you are an amazing man. Wouldn’t be fair to keep yourself single and deprive a nice young woman of your company.” I flirt. I can’t help myself around him. Miles is beauty, sex, and chivalry wrapped into six foot two, one hundred and eighty-five pounds of fecking wonderful.

  “You have any nice young woman in mind?”

  Oh, he flirts back. “I may know a nice young gal. She has some healing to do, but if you don’t mind a little damaged package…”

  Miles’s playful smile evaporates and he sits up straight in his seat. “Stop, Maeve. You are no more damaged than anyone else on this planet. Sure, you’ve been through some shit, but you have to start seeing yourself as more than the shit you’ve been through. No man, and I mean no man worth anything is going to want to be with you.”

  I blanch.

  “Let me finish. Not because of what you’ve been through, Maeve, but because of how you see yourself. A man isn’t going to treat a woman who loves herself like shit. You know why?”

  It must be a rhetorical question because he doesn’t give me the chance to answer.

  “He won’t treat that woman like shit because she won’t let him. Why do you think you were willing to be with Keegan? Why you still wanted him after he dumped you? Maeve, you have to fall in love with Maeve first and I promise you will be fighting off some pretty awesome fucking guys. I know I would be in that line,” he says and relaxes back into his seat and takes a long draw of his beer, his eyes not leaving mine.

  I almost leap over the table to put my lips to his. “Well, damn. I can’t argue with that, and I get it.” I pause to take a sip of my beer. He is absolutely right. I would have taken Keegan back without a thought. I don’t see myself the way I should, but after everything I have been through, I don’t know how. But I am willing to try. “I am a work in progress. But when I finish my little self-improvement project, your ass better be in that line,” I say, not able to hide my smile.

  “I’m so glad I met you,” Miles says.

  I raise my glass, he raises his, and we tap them against one another.

  The waiter interrupts us, placing more appetizers in front of us on the table. “You can order the rolls,” I say to Miles.

  “Thanks, madame,” he teases. “Bring us your six most popular rolls, and two more Sapporos,” Miles says, smiling and obviously proud of himself. “I’m going to excuse myself to the restroom. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Of course. What could happen to me here?”

  Miles’s eyebrow raising into his scalp tells me he thinks differently.

  When he returns, our main dishes start showing up and it looks more like a table of food for five or six, not two.

  There isn’t much conversation now that the food is in front of us. We devour all of it. All of it. “I don’t think we have to worry about walking back to the room because we should be able to swim there,” I say.

  Miles laughs at my joke. Wow. Where did he come from? I mean, with Keegan, I felt like I had to be on all of the time. The perfect future wife of this man who believed he was going to be important. You know, the “order a salad and be sure not to finish my food” girl. I would never ravish my food like I just did. I made all of this sushi my bitch, as one of my Chamber sisters, Sapphire, used to say. Who am I?

  The more time I spend with Miles, the more I realize I was not truly myself with Keegan. I was being the woman he wanted me to be. Miles wants me to find myself and fall in love with me. Like I said, where did he come from?

  “When they bring the check it’s mine!
” I say. “You risked so much doing this for me, so I don’t want you to spend a dime as long as we are here,” I continue.

  “Understood.”

  I sit back in my seat, completely satisfied. Miles does the same. I could see myself loving him. In fact, I think part of me already does. How could I not? I don’t know how much we have in common yet, besides loving sushi, but he is so easy to talk to.

  The waiter comes with the check and sets it in front of Miles. They always assume the man is going to pay.

  “Your receipt, sir,” the waiter says. “Your tip was most gracious,” he adds.

  My mouth flies open and Miles can’t help but laugh. “Sneaky, very sneaky,” I say.

  “You are welcome. Let’s go get some clothes.”

  “Thank you, and you may have to roll me. Can we sleep instead of shop?”

  “We sure can.”

  We make our way to our room and I fall into my bed, clothes and all.

  Chapter Twelve

  Miles: Sacrifices

  Maeve is out the second she climbs into bed. She asked me to keep the door ajar. It makes me feel awful that she is so afraid, and it makes me feel special that she really trusts me. I have to make sure that I am always deserving of that trust.

  I plop down on the sofa, my stomach bloated from our sushi gorge-fest. I never knew a girl so small could eat so much. Maeve is forever surprising me. All I want for her is her complete happiness.

  My phone vibrates on the table and when I flip it over my stomach drops when I see my father’s number flash across the screen. Shit!

  “Hey, Pops,” I say into the receiver. I was waiting for this phone call.

  “Have you lost your damn mind? You can’t go running off with your assignment, Miles! Peter O’Malley called me and said you disappeared with his pride and joy! What the hell would possess you to risk your entire career for this girl?”