“Yeah, still fuck you.” Dace sealed the deal with a middle finger for his littlest brother as the rest of the guys chuckled at his expense. “Can we get back on task here?”
Liam paused. “Some of us are still working, and here’s where I’m at. I can break this phone, just got to find the servers it’s on. There’s definitely something on here; I can practically see it under all this other shit. It’s kind of like taking down a wall one brick at a time. Take the wrong one and the thing comes crashing down. We don’t want that.”
“This is some mission impossible shit.”
“Sort of, but this is real and nowhere near Hollywood BS. This is a well-designed, highly secure system, almost familiar like I designed it, but to what and why does Ivy have it?”
“Good question. Did you find anything on her parents yet?”
“Dad’s a dead end. I can’t find him alive or dead. It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth,” Liam added.
Dace said in a near whisper, “Like Ivy did.”
“Just like Ivy did. I turned up something on her mom, though, or it’s what I didn’t turn up that has me concerned. She was killed in a car accident, but there’s no accident report and no crime scene pictures, just a picture of the car she was in. I found a death certificate, and it looks like she was cremated.”
“Convenient. Cover-up?” Dace asked.
“Maybe. I have C.T. working his end just in case it’s a mislabeled file or something, but he saw red flags with the missing investigation as well. We don’t even have a responding officer to question. The only thing we have is a date, time, location, and brief description in a police report that was filed by an officer who doesn’t exist. The name belongs to a retired vet…who’s dead. He was never a cop.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Dace asked.
“Good question. I pulled up the scene of the accident and used the data I could grab from my evaluation, combined with the notes on the report, and tried to recreate the accident with simulations, but it doesn’t work. Not even close. What he wrote in that report couldn’t have gone down the way it’s described.”
“We need the investigative report, if there ever was one,” Dace said. “This shit just keeps spinning further and further out of control.”
“Are we looking at a murder then?” Wylie asked.
“I think we’re looking at a lot of shit.” Dace took a seat and looked at each screen on the wall in front of him. “We have Ivy’s attack, a mystery man with a kid, Ivy’s missing dad, Ivy’s dead mom, missing reports, missing people, a phone with Pentagon-worthy security, and a victim who won’t talk.”
“Don’t forget the exchange at the coast Eva’s working on. Cartel? Not cartel?” Wylie added. “We don’t have anything connecting it all, but those black SUVs in both places are enough for me to keep it on the radar.”
“Jesus.” Dace nodded. “And the fucking coast. What the hell is she running from? She had a breakdown last night – bad one – whatever this is, she’s scared shitless.”
“How do we know she’s the one running?” Declan asked.
“Are you serious?”
“As a fucking heart attack,” he replied. “She’s been in town a handful of days and look at all the shit surrounding her. We don’t know where she’s been or what she’s been doing. We can’t forget, keep your enemies closer. What if we’re her enemy?”
“You can’t really believe that Ivy is capable of any of this,” Dace defended her, his voice full of warning.
“I think we’ve learned over the years that nothing is as it seems and trust no one until trust is earned. I want to believe she’s the victim here, and the same girl we all loved like a sister, but man, don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. She’s the only one on the suspect list right now.”
Dace slammed his fist on the conference room table. “For fuck’s sake, she almost died. Those assholes tried to kill her.”
“But they didn’t.” Luke shrugged. “Sorry, Dace, but Dec’s right.”
“So she took a beating for show? That was a hell of a performance.”
“Maybe. We’ve encountered some deceitful bastards who will go to any length to accomplish their end goal, so – this theory wouldn’t be too far-fetched.” Declan didn’t like riling Dace in this way, but reality checks in their line of work were important. “Let’s also not forget that high crime comes with big enemies, and maybe she was a target, but until we know, we need to tread carefully and leave all emotion out of this.”
“This is bullshit, and you know it.”
“I want to believe that, Brother. Believe me when I say that. But facts are facts, and our enemy might be right upstairs. Our job is to prove her guilt or innocence.”
Dace stood and paced the room. “Fine. Say she’s trouble. Then what?”
Wylie met his brother at the other end of the room and rested a supportive hand on his shoulder. “Then we do what we always do. Figure out what she’s guilty of and bring her to justice. And if she’s innocent in all this and the victim, then we fucking fight for her.”
Dace’s jaw tensed, his eyes looking everywhere but his brothers’ because he knew they were right. Deep down, he fucking knew it. He had to separate personal from business, and she was business right now. As much he wanted his brothers to be wrong, they weren’t. Not until they could prove it, one way or another.
“Fine. But let it be known that I believe she’s the victim, and someone wants her dead. We are going to get justice…and it will be for her. Mark my fucking words.”
10
“She’s still not taking her pain meds, though I know she could use them,” Carly told Dace. “But she finally gave in and fell asleep a little bit ago. It’s a little fitful, but rest is rest.”
“I don’t get why she won’t take the meds. She’s so tired; you can see it. The pain makes it hard to rest…”
“And that slows the healing process,” Carly confirmed. “She’s sweet, but she’s a stubborn one. Says she doesn’t like how they make her feel. She said they make her loopy.”
“I think she’s afraid to feel loopy and out of control. She’s dealing with a lot of fear.”
Carly guffawed. “Watermark Tower is likely the safest place on earth. You guys have this place tighter than Fort Knox.”
“I wish I could get her to understand that.” Dace walked Carly to the door. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for her the past few days. I think she really enjoys your company.”
“Oh, no need to thank me. It’s been a pleasure to spend time with her. She’s going to get through this, Dace. You hang in there.” She patted him on the back as she exited the apartment. “Oh, hey…if you need me through the night, call me on the landline or come get me. I misplaced my cell phone again. I swear I wasn’t meant for technology.”
“If you let Liam know, he can shut it off in case someone got ahold of it, and we’ll just have him set you up with one of ours. It’s faster and easier than going down to one of the stores or ordering a new one.”
“That would be awesome. I appreciate it. You have a good night.” And Carly left.
Carly had been living in Watermark Tower for several months and served as a personal nurse to Daisy O’Reilly’s grandmother. Originally a nurse in McKenzie Ridge, Carly took a leave of absence when the man she loved and thought she’d spend her life with turned her world upside down in a very bad way. She’d been desperate for a quick change of scenery to clear her head, and since she was a close, trusted friend of the O’Reillys, it was a win, win.
Dace was there when Carly’s world fell apart and saw her heart break. She was kind, giving, and didn’t deserve what happened to her. He was glad Carly was there for Ivy too. It had to be just as healing for Carly as it was Ivy. Perhaps a bond would develop, and Carly could get Ivy talking if Dace couldn’t. That was his hope, anyway.
A moan caught his attention and had him moving in the direction of Ivy’s room. When a guttural scream emerge
d next, his quick steps turned to a run as he made his way to her. Night terrors. That was the only explanation for what he walked in on. Ivy was clearly still asleep but fully engaged in a physical war with someone or something as she sat up in her bed, blankets tossed about, swinging her arms, and screaming. Bloodcurdling screams. The kind in horror films that nightmares were made of, literally, in Ivy’s case.
Dace heard the front door open behind him with quick steps that matched his own.
“Don’t touch her,” Carly said. “Let me grab something to help her.”
Dace stood at the edge of Ivy’s bed and watched her flail around with no real organization. Was she hitting at something in this lucid dream? Running maybe? Whatever was happening in her head was violent and left her full of fear. She was fighting.
“I’m going for her thigh. This will calm her down,” Carly said as she prepped a syringe. “It’s a quick injection and acts quick. Doc Charles left these when he was here. Somehow, he knew this was coming.”
“Should I hold her arms? What if you get hit?” Dace said frantically, pained by his inability to help.
“No,” Carly said. “It’ll only make things worse. If I get hit, I get hit. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
In a quick motion, Carly took her chance and landed the syringe on Ivy’s thigh that was closest to her. With a quick push of the plunger, the meds were delivered but not before Carly took a solid punch to the eye.
“Cashel!” Ivy yelled.
Carly pulled the syringe as quickly as she’d administered it and stepped back to catch her breath while they let the meds kick in. “Had a feeling that was coming.”
“You okay? You should have let me hold her or something.”
“Nope. It would’ve only added to whatever trauma has hold of her right now. Wasn’t the first hit and likely won’t be the last I take.” Carly snickered. “She’s already settling down. Don’t leave her side. I’m going to go dispose of the needle and get her some fluids.”
“I wouldn’t think of leaving,” Dace said sincerely.
He’d stay by her side through anything, though it was hard to see what she was going through at that very moment. He’d been reminding himself for several days that she may not be as innocent in all of this as he’d hoped. Though he valued what his brothers said on the matter, and with little more to go on than they had days before, it was hard to justify the gut feeling he had that she was innocent. The fact was, the more they investigated, all they had uncovered thus far had pointed back to Ivy. Until this.
Seeing her like this had him wavering on guilt versus innocence once again. Did a guilty person deny medication that would promote healing just so they could stay vigilant and aware? Or was that fear? Did a guilty person have uncontrollable emotional breakdowns? Or was that fear? Did a guilty person suffer from night terrors because of their misdeeds and sudden conscience? Or…was that fear?
Though the small nuggets of information – that could hardly be called evidence – didn’t point to Ivy being guilty of anything, it also didn’t clear her name or implicate anyone else. It just linked back to her. That could mean nothing or it could mean everything. Hell, they didn’t even know what there was to be guilty of.
“There she is,” Carly said as she entered the room with a cool cloth and glass of water. “You’re awake.”
Dace abandoned his thoughts, his attention trained on Ivy. She was breathing heavy, and sweat beaded at her brow, causing her hair to stick to her neck. She looked around the room, regaining her bearings. He took the cool cloth from Carly and moved to the edge of Ivy’s bed where he brushed the hair from her face. He first placed the cloth at her brow, then cheeks, cooling her down before sweeping her hair to the side and resting the cool rag against her neck.
“How’re you feelin’, darlin’?” he asked Ivy with a gentle deep timbre.
“I-I guess just…tired.” She shook her head as if to clear the cloudiness that filled her mind. Ivy pulled at her shirt in an up and down motion to cool off. “I-I had a bad dream? I’m so hot.”
“You had a bad one, honey,” Carly said.
“Oh my God, your eye. Did I do that?” Ivy was mortified.
“Oh, I’m fine. Don’t you worry about me for another second. Do you want me to get you a fresh change of clothes?”
“No. No. I’m okay. Just thirsty, I guess.” Ivy let out an awkward chuckle. “Did I, uh…say anything?”
“You were just really upset. Nothing to worry about.” Carly jotted a few notes on a pad of paper that had been on Ivy’s bedside table. “I gave you a little something to calm you, but don’t worry, it shouldn’t make you feel anything but maybe a little tired, okay? Drink some water, it’ll make that cotton mouth go away that you’re probably feeling right now.”
“You had to…medicate me?” she asked.
Dace handed her the glass of water. “Only so you wouldn’t hurt yourself. You’re still pretty banged up and healing, and you were thrashing around a bit too much.”
“I’m so embarrassed.”
Carly smiled. “Don’t be embarrassed. You’ve been through a lot, and this is all very normal. We’re here to get you through it, though, missy. You just rest, heal, and we’ll handle the rest. Right, Dace?”
“Yeah. We will.” Dace wanted to say so much more at that moment, but it wasn’t the time nor around the proper company to do so.
“Alright, then. I left some notes on the pad right there with instructions on when and how much she can take should she decide to take anything for the pain. Just need to be a little careful the next few hours while this stuff wears off. If you need me for anything, you know where to find me, guys.”
“Carly…” Ivy’s mouth opened, but it was void of words. Her internal struggle continued to be apparent when she finally slacked her shoulders and gave up on whatever she was tempted to say. “Thank you. I really do appreciate you. And I’m so, so sorry about your eye.”
“Sure thing, honey. It’s my pleasure to be your nurse…and your friend. This shiner will heal. In the meantime, we can match.”
An authentic smile found its place on Ivy’s still bruised face. Dace hadn’t seen that smile since before she left, years ago. It did something to him inside, something he couldn’t explain. Was it a breakthrough, maybe? Carly’s kindness clearly went a long way with Ivy to provoke such a response.
With a quick wink, Carly turned and left.
“She has to be the sweetest person I’ve ever met,” Ivy said.
“She’s got a big heart. You can trust her with anything.” Dace wanted to reinforce any ideas that Ivy might have about Carly in hopes she’d open up.
“Everyone here is, really. Your ma came by again and had all the ladies with her this time.”
“At least she warmed you up and eased you back into things around here. Now that you’ve met them all one on one, expect to see them in a pack now. That’s how they travel, and Ma is their pack leader.”
Ivy laughed. “I could see that.”
The ladies Ivy referred to were Dace’s sisters-in-law: Declan’s wife Lydia, Liam’s wife City, Luke’s wife Daisy, and Eva, who wasn’t attached to any of the brothers but was just as much family.
“Ma is really happy to have you here.”
“It’s been nice catching up with her and her ladies, as she calls them.” Ivy giggled. “They’re all really special. You can tell how much they love each other. Even Carly.”
“You know how it works around here. Everyone is family.” And when that sparkle he was starting to see emerge dulled, he said, “You know that still includes you, right?”
“Dace, you don’t have to say that.”
“It’s not up to me. Once you’re Ma’s family…it’s for life.”
“That’s what makes her special. She knows how to make you feel loved and like you belong.”
“That’s because you do belong.” Dace realized his words struck a chord, and he was losing his poker face where she was concerned. He w
as revealing far too much, so he tried to lighten it up with what he thought would be a funny joke. “Good luck getting out. She’s like her own little one-woman Irish mafia.”
Ivy’s gaze quickly shifted from Dace, and a subtle gasp escaped her. He’d triggered her. Ivy’s face paled, eyes went wide, and her breathing quickened. What he had said startled her somehow, but she was quick to recover.
“Mafia, good one.” Her voice tremored. “I can think of worse places to be trapped.”
He knew there was more to that comment – a hell of a lot more. “You want to talk about it?”
There was a long pause before Ivy shook her head. “There’s nothing to talk about, Dace. I’ve already told you that.”
“I meant the nightmare.” He’d been hopeful her stalling was a good sign, but yet again, she remained quiet, unwilling to let him in. “You yelled a name, Cashel.”
Ivy stiffened. “I-I did?”
“Yeah. Someone you know?”
“I, uh…don’t think so,” she said unconvincingly. “Are you sure that’s what I said?”
“Clear as day. Irish name, isn’t it?”
“Um, I would think so. S-Sounds like it,” she stuttered.
“Cool name. Sounds like a biker name. Cash sounds even cooler…”
“Wh-Why would you say that?” Ivy’s tone went from light to something sharp and accusing.
He’d hit another nerve, triggered something. Cashel, or Cash, meant something to her, and she was protecting whatever that was. Was Cashel the man in the picture? Maybe the kid? Who was he to her, and why did his name matter?
“Just conversation, Ivy. Or is it?” The last thing Dace wanted to do was further upset her, but if this was the route to get him answers, then so be it. “It’s okay if you, you know, had someone.”
“Had someone? You mean a relationship? No. No, I didn’t have someone, Dace.”
“Then?”
Her hesitation told him more than her words could at this point. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired. It’s…nothing.”
Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included! Page 99
