Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Yeah, I know,” Jack said. “I wanted to be manly and carry you, though.”

  “ARE you sure you’re okay?” Max asked, his face a mottled shade of red as he knelt down in front of Ivy and checked her arm.

  “I’m fine,” Ivy said. “I’m just sore.”

  “You didn’t recognize him?” Brian asked from his spot behind the couch where his head was bent close to Jack’s.

  “No. He had one of those black masks on. Why do people even sell those masks? Only criminals buy them.”

  “I’ll get to work on outlawing the masks first thing in the morning,” Brian said.

  “The first thing we have to get to work on is securing that door,” Jack said, exerting his no-nonsense attitude. “Max, is there any wood around this place that we can use to brace it?”

  “Yeah,” Max said, sighing as he got to his feet. “There’s some in the shed around back.”

  “Go see what you can find,” Jack said. “And … be careful. We can’t be sure this guy is really gone.”

  “I saw him run off into the woods,” Ivy said, weary. “When he heard your truck he took off.”

  “Maybe he came back,” Jack suggested.

  “I’m too tired to argue with you Jack,” Ivy said, resigned. “Wow. Those are words I never thought I’d say out loud. You win, though. He’s probably out there listening to us right now.”

  Jack thought winning an argument with Ivy would be more thrilling. He moved over to her side and sat down next to her, carefully reaching over so he could check her shoulder. “How badly does this hurt?”

  “It’s fine.”

  Jack growled, the sound reminiscent of a bear Ivy once stumbled across while camping with her family as a child. “Nice,” she said, making a face.

  “Are you sure your shoulder isn’t dislocated?” Jack asked, being as gentle as he could as he lifted her arm.

  Ivy grimaced, but when she displayed a full range of motion, Jack dropped the arm back down.

  “What do you want to do?” Brian asked.

  “Well, all we can do right now is make a report,” he said, lifting his eyes to Kelly’s frightened face. “I’m going to stay here for the rest of the night in case our friend returns.”

  “You can’t do that,” Ivy said, instantly more alert.

  “You can’t stop me, honey,” Jack said.

  “I only have one bedroom.”

  “And I think Kelly should sleep in there with you,” Jack said, not missing a beat. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  “But … .”

  “No buts, Ivy,” Jack said, his tone firm. “You two need some sleep. You’re not going to be able to get it if you don’t feel safe. I’m going to be sleeping on this couch the entire night. I don’t want to hear one word of argument from you.”

  “But … .”

  Jack held up his index finger in warning.

  “Fine,” Ivy said, crossing her arms over her chest and whimpering as the pain coursed through her.

  “We all need to regroup tomorrow,” Jack said, his eyes thoughtful as he focused on Kelly. “For now, though, everyone needs to get some sleep. Max and I will jerry rig the door. I’m going to get a new one tomorrow. One that has a deadbolt.”

  “Maybe I don’t want a new door,” Ivy sniffed.

  “Maybe you’re going to shut up and do what I tell you to do for a change,” Jack countered.

  Ivy glared at him. “You and I are going to have words tomorrow morning.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Fourteen

  Ivy found the energy to argue for another half hour, and then she dragged Kelly to the bedroom and settled in for the night. After Max and Jack worked to brace the door, Max left Jack with a rueful smile and let Brian drive him back to the bar to reclaim his truck.

  Jack didn’t think he could fall asleep. He was keyed up from his Ivy search, and Max’s disastrous attempt to dislodge the woman from his mind. Despite the long odds facing him, though, Jack drifted off within minutes of his head hitting the pillow.

  Not long after he woke up, a shuffling sound in the quiet house dragging him from his sleep. He’d stripped out of his jeans and shirt and was only clad in his boxers, but he’d placed his gun on the coffee table just to be on the safe side. He was reaching for it when he heard her voice.

  “It’s just me.”

  Jack lifted himself up on one elbow and glanced over the arm of the couch, his eyes finding Ivy in the darkness. “What’s wrong, honey?”

  “I … .”

  “You’re too scared to sleep, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not scared,” Ivy grumbled.

  Jack sighed and lifted the blanket, gesturing to the spot next to him on the couch. “Come on.”

  “You want me to sleep on the couch with you?” Ivy was surprised.

  “You’re going to invade my dreams anyway,” Jack said. “You might as well have a shorter route to take.”

  Ivy worried her bottom lip with her teeth, unsure. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Isn’t this why you came out here?”

  It was, but Ivy had no intention of admitting it. “I was just going to make some warm milk.”

  “Come on,” Jack prodded, his voice soft. “Kelly is in the other room. I promise not to molest you when you have a guest.”

  Ivy wordlessly closed the distance between them and climbed on the couch, rolling to her side so her sore shoulder wasn’t bearing the brunt of her weight. Jack cuddled up behind her, slipping an arm under her waist on the bottom, and the other over her waist on the top, as he pulled her close.

  She smelled like peaches today. The remnants of whatever lotion she’d slathered on clinging to her skin almost a full day later. He inhaled deeply and then rested his head on the pillow next to hers. “Try to sleep, honey.”

  “This is a terrible idea, isn’t it?”

  “Crawling under a blanket and snuggling up with me? Yes, it’s a terrible idea.”

  “Why are you letting me?” Ivy asked seriously.

  “Because I can’t bear the thought of letting you go right now,” Jack said. “I wasn’t lying when I said you scared me. I thought … I thought you sacrificed yourself for Kelly. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. Now, go to sleep.”

  “I know this doesn’t mean anything,” Ivy said. “I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m just … .”

  “Scared,” Jack said. He didn’t add what else he was thinking. He didn’t tell her he was starting to believe that every interaction they had meant something. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Ivy. I’ll be right here. Go to sleep.”

  “Okay,” Ivy said, closing her eyes and nestling closer to him.

  Jack didn’t fight the feelings. He wasn’t sure if he could. “Goodnight, honey.”

  “Goodnight.” Ivy’s voice was barely a murmur.

  “I’ll be right here,” Jack whispered into her ear.

  “DID you two … you know … do it?”

  Despite her current predicament, and the fact that a masked assailant broke into Ivy’s house hell bent on hurting her the night before, Kelly was bright-eyed as she stared at Jack and Ivy the next morning.

  “What are you doing up so early?” Ivy asked, rubbing her eyes as she tried to get her bearings.

  “It’s almost ten.”

  Jack groaned as he shifted next to Ivy, hating the fact that he was going to have to release her in a few seconds. He hadn’t slept so heavily since … well … since his world imploded at the end of a gun almost a year before. “I can’t believe it’s so late.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Kelly said. “Did you two do it last night?”

  “No,” Ivy said, pushing herself to a sitting position and lowering her feet to the ground. “Ow.”

  Jack reached up and rubbed her back, being careful to steer clear of her shoulder. “How much pain are you in?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re like a parrot who only knows t
wo words,” Jack grumbled.

  “So you didn’t do it?” Kelly looked disappointed.

  “No,” Ivy said, making a face.

  “That’s too bad,” Kelly said. “Max says it’s coming soon. I want to see if he’s always right like he says he is.”

  “Max is an idiot,” Ivy said, struggling to her feet and almost toppling over before Jack caught her.

  “Slow down, Speed Racer,” he said. “You need to move slowly until your body adjusts to its new reality.”

  “And what reality is that?”

  “The one where you’re not super human.”

  “I need to make breakfast,” Ivy said. “I promised Kelly pancakes.”

  “You don’t have to,” Kelly said. “You’re in pain.”

  “I’m not in pain.”

  “Shut up, Ivy,” Jack said, climbing off the couch and reaching for his shirt. He didn’t miss Kelly’s eyes as they latched onto the scars on his chest. He opted to ignore her overt interest. “I’m cooking breakfast.”

  Ivy arched an eyebrow. “You’re cooking breakfast?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Do you know how to cook breakfast?”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “I’ve watched you do it. I believe I find whatever vegetables you have in the refrigerator, toss them in with eggs, throw it in a pan on the stove, and then bitterly complain to whoever will listen. That’s the way to do it, right?”

  “You’re a butthead.”

  “You’ve told me,” Jack said, nonplussed. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you make the coffee.”

  “Oh, wow, you’re going to let me make the coffee in my own house? Thank you so much.”

  “I said you could make it if you were a good girl,” Jack said. “I’m still waiting for that to happen.”

  “BREAKFAST is served,” Jack said, sliding plates in front of Kelly and Ivy with a flourish.

  “This actually looks good,” Ivy said, grudgingly studying her plate and fluffing the omelet with her fork. “How did you learn to cook?”

  “My mother taught me.”

  As Ivy and Kelly dug into their breakfasts, Jack grabbed his own plate and mug from the counter and settled between them. Everyone ate in silence for a few moments, but Jack had a direction for their morning conversation, and he was going to head that way right from the start.

  “It’s time you told us what’s going on, Kelly.”

  Ivy froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She shifted her eyes to Kelly and found the teenager’s face turning from happy to sad in record time. “Jack,” she warned.

  Jack ignored her. “I know you don’t want to talk about this Kelly. I know you’re scared. It’s obvious you have a right to be. We need to know what’s going on if you want us to help you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kelly replied evasively.

  “Don’t do that,” Jack said, fighting to keep his anger in check. “Ivy almost died trying to protect you last night. You owe us the truth.”

  “I haven’t lied.” Kelly refused to meet Jack’s serious eyes.

  “You haven’t told us the truth either,” Jack said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not trying to rush you. Ivy wants you to feel comfortable, and I applaud her for it. We need to know what’s going on, though. Last night was proof that you’re in danger.”

  “I’m not talking about this,” Kelly said, dropping her fork on her plate and getting to her feet.

  “Yes, you are,” Jack said. “Sit down.”

  “No.” It was the first time Kelly had stood up to any of them.

  “Kelly, I want to keep you safe,” Jack said. “I need your help to do it. I won’t risk Ivy’s life because you’re too scared to tell us what’s going on. You need to have faith in us. We’re going out of our way to help you. Hiding whatever happened to you isn’t helping anyone. In fact, it’s hurting you … and it hurt Ivy pretty badly last night.”

  “That’s pretty rich coming from you,” Kelly said, lifting her chin as she defiantly met Jack’s studied gaze. “Ivy said you were mad at her the other day because she invaded your privacy. Something tells me it has something to do with those scars on your chest. Do you want to tell me how you got those?”

  “I … we’re not talking about me,” Jack replied, caught off guard by her vehemence. “I’m not the one in danger here. You’re the one in danger.”

  “Butt out,” Kelly said. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s none of your business.”

  “Kelly, this can’t go on forever,” Jack said. “This isn’t a game. I won’t just sit idly by and watch you get hurt. I won’t risk Ivy.”

  “Because you love her?”

  Jack clenched his jaw, frustrated. “Because if something happens to her – if something happens to you – I won’t be able to live with it.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to me,” Kelly said. “Ivy is here to protect me.”

  “She can’t save you if you don’t tell us what we’re fighting,” Jack argued.

  “Ivy can do anything,” Kelly said. “I have faith.” She moved away from the table. “I’m going to take a shower. Are we working in the greenhouse again today?”

  Ivy nodded wordlessly, flabbergasted by Kelly’s aggressive response. Jack opened his mouth to call Kelly back, but Ivy silenced him with a hand on his arm. Once Kelly disappeared down the hallway, and she was sure she’d given the girl ample time to get into the shower, Ivy turned her full attention to Jack.

  “Wow.”

  “That’s all you have to say?” Jack asked. “Why did you let her just walk away like that?”

  “She obviously wasn’t going to talk to you, Jack. You have to give her some space. She’s not ready to tell us what happened to her.”

  “Ivy, this isn’t a game,” Jack said. “Kelly is in real danger. Someone wants her. We don’t know if it’s because of something she knows, or something she’s done, but she’s clearly on someone’s radar.”

  “I know that,” Ivy said, her voice low. “She’s just … scared. Give me a little more time.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “I almost lost you last night,” Jack said. “You almost died on me. I won’t just sit back and let that happen again.”

  Ivy opened her mouth, her jaw working, but no sound coming out.

  “Don’t bother saying anything,” Jack said. “I know what I said. I’m not taking it back. I don’t care how ridiculous it sounds. I don’t care how much you’re going to fight me on this. I won’t let anything happen to you. I … can’t.”

  Ivy’s heart warmed at the admission even has her anger inflated. “Jack, I’m not asking you to go against what you know to be right. I’m just asking for a little more time. Just … a little. Please.”

  She was so earnest. Her face, bare of makeup and pale after a long night, was enough to break him. “Then we have to come to an understanding,” Jack said. “I’m staying here indefinitely. I won’t risk you again.”

  “If I agree to this, will you calm down?”

  “If you agree to this, I’ll try to keep myself from shaking her until answers start falling out like she’s a piñata,” Jack replied. “I can’t promise more than that. Not right now, at least.”

  “Okay,” Ivy said. “You can stay here.”

  “And you’re going to text me once an hour during the day so I know you’re safe,” Jack added.

  Ivy gritted her teeth. “Fine.”

  “And you’re going to hug me when I come back here after work today,” Jack said.

  “What?”

  “Oh, no, I’m in the power position now, honey. You’re going to hug me when I get back here tonight.”

  “Why?”

  Jack’s smile was cheeky. “Because I like it when you hug me.”

  Sadly, Ivy liked it, too. “Fine. Are you happy now?”

  “I’m as happy as I’m going to get until this is solved,” Jack said, turning his attention back to his b
reakfast. “Are you happy?”

  “I have no idea what I am,” Ivy admitted.

  “Eat your breakfast.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  “Eat your breakfast or I’m going to sit on your chest and feed you myself,” Jack said.

  “You’re going to be a real pain the ass while you’re staying here, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Fifteen

  “How was Ivy this morning?” Brian askedJacka few hours later, his eyes never moving from the road. The men were on their way back to Kelly’s hometown, intent on talking to any and all of her friends they could find.

  “She was sore.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “She’s okay,” Jack said. “She’s tough.”

  “She’s definitely tough,” Brian said. “Did she sleep all right? Did she wake up with any nightmares?”

  “Not that I know of.” There was no way Jack was going to admit he’d wrapped his tall frame around Ivy’s slighter one and held her on the couch all night. That was just begging for trouble. Now that he thought about it, Jack realized the previous evening was the first one he hadn’t woken up from his own nightmare in … well … he couldn’t remember the last time. He wasn’t fooling himself that Ivy’s presence wasn’t the key change in that scenario.

  “How was Kelly this morning?” Brian asked, opting to change the subject given Jack’s replies.

  “Belligerent.”

  “Do you want to expand on that?”

  Jack told Brian about the breakfast exchange. When he was done, the older police officer was stunned. “I’m surprised she was so aggressive with you,” he said. “That must mean she’s comfortable with you.”

  “I’m not sure that was it,” Jack said. “It wasn’t that she felt so safe with me she knew I’d never hurt her. It was more like she decided she wasn’t going to tell me the truth no matter what, and if I beat her to get answers, she was willing to put up with it.”

  “That’s kind of … chilling.”