Wicked Dreams

by Lily Harper Hart

  Gil backhanded Ivy, his hand lashing out quickly as he smacked her. Hard. Ivy reared back, grabbing her cheek as she cast murderous looks in Gil’s direction. “Don’t talk back to me,” Gil warned. “I can see you haven’t been trained properly. I’m looking forward to taking on that task myself.”

  “I’d rather die.”

  “That can be arranged,” Gil said. “Seriously, Ms. Morgan, how do you expect this to go? I’m the one in charge here. I’m the one with the gun. You’re either going to start towing the line or the line is going to tow you.”

  “Do what he says,” Kelly warned. “He’ll … hurt you … if you don’t.”

  Ivy had no intention of following one order from this man. She also knew she was in a precarious situation. She had to find a way to get Kelly out of the house. She couldn’t take on Gil Thorpe when Kelly was in the line of fire.

  Ivy was desperate for help, but she knew none was coming. Jack was at work. He was tracking down leads on Kelly’s case. He didn’t know anything was wrong. Max was at the lumber yard working. He wasn’t planning on painting her door until the weekend. Ivy was alone, and she knew it.

  Jack! I need you!

  “HOW did things go with Jordan Sisto last night?” Brian asked, moving over to Jack’s desk and studying his partner. “You look like you slept well again, by the way. Snuggling up to Ivy must be good for your complexion.”

  Jack ignored the barb. “Jordan and Kelly had a nice reunion,” he said. “I was worried at first, but Kelly didn’t even get a chance to be mean to him. The second she saw him she started crying.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “They hugged, and we all had a nice dinner,” Jack said. “Jordan pushed her to tell the truth last night, and Kelly said she needed a little more time. I have a feeling she and Ivy are having a long discussion right now.”

  “Will Ivy call when she knows what’s going on?”

  “That’s what she promised,” Jack said. “Do you have any leads on a new foster home for Kelly?”

  “I have a few,” Brian said. “I was kind of hoping we could keep her in town. Maggie Lawson takes in foster kids, and her house is empty right now. She’s a good woman. She’s strong, but fair. I’m going to go out and talk to her this afternoon.”

  “That’s good,” Jack said, focusing on his computer screen.

  “What are you looking at?” Brian asked.

  “Kelly’s school records.”

  “We’ve already looked,” Brian said. “There’s nothing there.”

  “I know,” Jack said. “It’s just … I have this feeling we’re missing something.”

  “Of course we’re missing something,” Brian said. “We have a teenager who was found hiding in a greenhouse. She had bruises all over her arms. She won’t tell us what happened to her. We’re missing something pretty big.”

  Jack made a face. “Thank you, Mr. Obvious.”

  Brian’s face softened. “What do you think we’re missing?”

  “I don’t know,” Jack said. “There’s something odd here, though. Didn’t that guidance counselor … what was his name, Gil Thorpe?”

  Brian nodded.

  “Did he tell us Kelly only did enough to get by in school?”

  “Yeah,” Brian said. “He said she was really smart, but since no one challenged her, she put in minimal effort so she wouldn’t get in trouble.”

  “That’s not what these records show,” Jack said.

  “What do they show?”

  “Up until the spring semester – this past semester – she was getting straight As,” Jack said. “Her whole transcript shows all As … except for a B in gym class two years ago. Her record is perfect until this most recent semester.”

  “And what does that semester show?”

  “All Cs and below,” Jack said.

  “Kids don’t just fall off the rails like that,” Brian said, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re usually pretty consistent unless something shoves them off the rails.”

  “Exactly,” Jack said. “Something happened in the last six months to shove Kelly off the rails.”

  “What do you think it was? Is this where the older boyfriend comes into play?”

  “Maybe,” Jack conceded. “What if the older boyfriend is even older than we think?”

  “Meaning?”

  “What if an adult started preying on Kelly?” Jack suggested. “What if the older boyfriend was really someone in a position of power over Kelly?”

  “You think an adult is having sex with her and using her for … something horrible, don’t you?”

  “I think it’s a possibility,” Jack said. “We both know sexual abuse is one of the things that can toss a kid off the rails.”

  “Do you think it was the foster father?”

  “No,” Jack said. “Don’t get me wrong, that guy is a jerkwad. Kelly wasn’t spending very many nights in their house, though. A predator wants access to his prey as much as possible. If it was Gideon, he would’ve forced Kelly under his roof seven nights a week.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Brian said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Kelly didn’t have access to a lot of adults. Although, to be fair, we have no idea where she was spending her nights.”

  “I think … .” Jack broke off, unsure he wanted to give voice to the suspicion rolling through his brain.

  “Tell me,” Brian prodded.

  “Why did the counselor lie about her grades? Why did he tell us she was a liar? He was laying the groundwork for us to disbelieve her. Why?”

  “You think it’s him?” Brian asked, flabbergasted. “But … why?”

  “Most guidance counselors and teachers are good people,” Jack said. “Predators try to infiltrate schools, though. Then they pick the most at-risk kids to … groom.”

  “The counselor would’ve known that Kelly was getting good grades until the most recent semester and he didn’t let on,” Brian said.

  “He lied to us,” Jack said. “Not only that, but he tried to make us think what he wanted us to believe.”

  “That still doesn’t explain how Kelly ended up in Shadow Lake.”

  “It doesn’t,” Jack agreed. “It gives us a place to focus, though.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait until Kelly tells us what happened?”

  “I’m tired of waiting,” Jack said. “The counselor being the one to abuse Kelly makes sense. She’s scared to tell us what happened in case we can’t protect her. People have fallen down on the job when it comes to protecting her for eight years.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I … .” Jack broke off, a whisper rippling across his skin. It was almost as if he could hear Ivy’s voice. Jack! I need you!

  Jack jumped to his feet, his heart racing.

  “What’s wrong?” Brian asked, surprised.

  “I don’t know,” Jack said. “I … we need to get out to Ivy’s house.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s just a feeling,” Jack said. “Something is wrong.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I can’t,” Jack said, grabbing his keys. “I’d rather be wrong and look like an idiot than be right and do nothing, though. Come on.”

  Twenty-Six

  “How long has he been abusing you, Kelly?” Ivy asked, her gaze never moving from Gil’s face.

  “I am not an abuser,” Gil said.

  “You’re nothing but an abuser,” Ivy countered. “You put yourself in a position of power, and then you watched … and waited. You were looking for a student to fit your specific needs. You needed someone who didn’t have overzealous parents. You needed someone who you thought the system had overlooked. That’s how you found Kelly.”

  “Shut up,” Gil seethed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I know exactly what I’m talking about,” Ivy snapped. “You’re a monster. You convinced Kelly that you loved her, because you knew that was the one thing she was most desperate for in
her life.

  “How did it start? Did you ply her with compliments? Did you tell her she was special? Did you isolate her from any friends she might possibly have?” Ivy asked.

  “We’re in love,” Gil said. “Once Kelly is of legal age, we’re going to get married.”

  “And then you can abuse her to your heart’s content, right? You make me sick.”

  “You have no idea the depth of the love Kelly and I share,” Gil countered. “We’re soul mates.”

  “Soul mates don’t hurt one another,” Ivy argued. “Soul mates don’t beat someone. They don’t leave bruises on someone. They don’t take them out into a field for a picnic and do … God knows whatever you had planned for her that night.”

  “He beat me all the time,” Kelly said, her voice small. “The first time it happened, he apologized. He said it was an accident. I thought he really loved me.”

  “No one blames you,” Ivy said. “He manipulated you.”

  “I knew what he was doing was wrong,” Kelly said. “It’s my fault. I could’ve gotten away before it got out of hand. I was too scared, though. I was too … needy. I wanted to believe he really loved me.”

  “I do love you,” Gil said. “I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  “How long have you been at her school?” Ivy asked.

  “What does that matter?” Gil was starting to get angry. “Love is love.”

  “He didn’t start until this past year,” Kelly said.

  “How long was it before he started having special meetings with you?”

  “A couple of months,” Kelly said.

  “How long before he started having sex with you?”

  “We spent Christmas together,” Kelly said, her shoulders shaking as she started to sob. “He bought me a necklace and told me he loved me. Then he gave me some wine. Before that, I would just go to his house to talk. I swear. I … still don’t know how it happened that first time.”

  “I do,” Ivy said, glaring at Gil. “He groomed you with words, and he made it so you were comfortable coming to his house. Then he got your inhibitions down with the wine. I’m betting the first few times he gave you wine he didn’t touch you, did he?”

  Kelly shook her head, her tears falling freely now.

  “He wanted to make sure you thought everything he was doing was above board,” Ivy said. “He wanted to convince you that he was a good guy. I’m betting, once Jack looks into his background, we’re going to find a lot of vulnerable girls in his wake. That’s just how he operates. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “I should’ve told someone,” Kelly said. “I should’ve told you. I’m so sorry.”

  “I know you are,” Ivy said. “Don’t worry about it. I knew something horrible happened to you. I had no idea it was this horrible, but that first day – when you screamed because men tried to touch you – I knew. I tried to convince myself I was wrong, though.

  “I didn’t want anything this bad to have happened to you,” she continued. “I made the mistake. I let myself believe something else was going on. You didn’t do anything wrong, Kelly. No matter what happens, you have to believe that.”

  “Are you done?” Gil asked, rolling his eyes. “Good grief. You like to hear yourself talk, don’t you?”

  “I don’t care what you do to me,” Ivy said. “You’re not touching that girl again, though. I won’t stand for it.”

  “How do you think you’re going to stop me?”

  “Any way I have to,” Ivy said.

  Gil chuckled hoarsely. “Let me tell you a little bit about yourself that you probably don’t already know, Ms. Morgan,” he said. “You fancy yourself as a crusader. You’re going to right all the wrongs in the world. You only have one way of looking at the world: your way.

  “You don’t care if you have a narrow belief system, and you don’t care if others have viable ways of living their lives,” he continued. “You’ve decided what’s right and wrong in this world, and there’s nothing that’s going to change your mind. You’re the problem here, not the solution.”

  Ivy scorched him with a look. “Is that what you really think?”

  Gil nodded.

  “Well then, let me tell you a little bit about yourself that you probably don’t already know,” Ivy spat. “You look at life like someone owes you something. You walk around with your chest puffed out and think the world has done you wrong.

  “You’re not handsome, and yet you think you are,” she continued. “You think people overlook your features because there’s something wrong with them, not you. It’s always someone else who makes the mistake. It’s never you. Do you know what that’s the definition for? Insanity.

  “You can’t interact with people your own age because you’re a narcissist,” Ivy said. “I don’t know if you were always sexually attracted to teenagers, but you realized a long time ago they were the only ones who would be willing to let you mold them. Real women – adult women – saw through you. You freaked them out. You disgusted them.

  “That’s when you decided to move on to teenagers,” she continued. “I don’t know who your first was, but Kelly clearly wasn’t it. I’m sure you’ve got a spotty record, and instead of calling attention to themselves, various school officials quietly cut you loose instead of reporting you to the cops. That’s on them, and they’re just as guilty as you are.

  “I don’t know what your endgame is here, but I can tell you it’s not going to play out how you think it is,” Ivy said. “Jack is going to figure out what you’ve done, and God help you when he comes for you.”

  “Jack isn’t smart enough to find his own ass with both of his hands,” Gil said. “He sat in my living room and let me lead him to answers that weren’t even true. So much for your beloved hero.”

  Ivy ignored the dig. “He’ll come for you,” she said. “He’ll kill you.”

  “Is that because he’s in love with you?” Gil asked. “I couldn’t help but notice that he’s been staying here the past few nights. He’s made it impossible to reclaim my love during the evening, which is why I had to approach you when he was at work. How smart was that? He left you alone and vulnerable.”

  “Please, don’t hurt her,” Kelly whimpered. “I’ll go with you. I won’t run away again. I’ll … let you do whatever you want to me. Just … don’t hurt Ivy.”

  “You’re not going anywhere with him,” Ivy said. “He’s never touching you again.”

  “Oh, you’re awfully sure of yourself,” Gil sneered. “Have you forgotten that I’m the one with the gun? I think you have.” He reached over and grabby Ivy by the back of her hair, gripping her ponytail and yanking her to her feet. He shook her viciously, and then pressed the gun to her chin. “Who is in charge now, you bitch?”

  “I’M GOING to kill him,” Jack snarled. “I’m going to … .”

  “Calm down,” Brian whispered, elevating himself slightly so he could look through Ivy’s window without calling attention to himself. “We need to make a plan here. Ivy is pushing him to focus his anger on her. She’s trying to protect Kelly.”

  “She’s going to protect Kelly by sacrificing herself,” Jack said, his voice cracking. “I … I’ll kill him.”

  “We can’t wait for more backup,” Brian said, forcing his voice to remain even. “What do you want to do?”

  Jack rubbed the back of his neck, his back pressed to the side of Ivy’s small cottage as he hunkered down. He scanned the front yard, helplessness washing over him, and then his eyes landed on the metal bistro table on the porch. “I have an idea.”

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” Brian said.

  “You’re going to go to the back patio,” Jack said, his voice eerily calm. “I’m going to throw that table through the front window and follow it inside. While I’m grappling with Thorpe, you’re going to go in through the back and get them out.”

  “What happens if Thorpe shoots you?” Brian asked.

  “It won’t be the first time.”<
br />
  “I know that,” Brian said. “I know all about your history. I’m not just going to stand by and let you get shot. There has to be another way.”

  “I won’t risk Ivy,” Jack said. “I can’t.”

  “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

  Jack didn’t answer the question. He didn’t know how to. He couldn’t put a name to his feelings for Ivy because he wasn’t sure what they were. The only thing he knew with absolute clarity was that he wouldn’t fail her. She’d saved him in his dreams, helping him put his past behind him. Now he was going to save her in reality, and hopefully ensure a future he didn’t even know he wanted until recently. “I won’t let her die,” Jack said, his voice grim. “Go to the back. Ivy and Kelly are your priority. Don’t worry about me.”

  “You and I are going to have a long talk when this is over with,” Brian warned, but he did as Jack asked.

  Jack gave Brian a few minutes to get into position, and then he scampered to the front porch on his hands and knees. He gripped the small table with both hands and heaved with all his might, tossing the table through the window and shattering the glass into a million pieces.

  IT WAS like an explosion inside of the house, and even though she was terrified, Ivy kept her wits about her and jerked away from Gil. Jack was here. She knew it, and more importantly, she felt it. She dropped to her knees, grabbing Kelly by the hand and directing her to the other side of the couch.

  “Crawl,” Ivy hissed.

  Kelly instinctively followed Ivy’s directions, cringing when the woman sheltered Kelly’s body with her own.

  “What the hell?” Gil asked, turning his attention to the front window. “I … what … ?”

  Jack launched himself through the front window, his hands empty of a weapon as he landed on Gil. His fists were furious as they rained punches down on the guidance counselor, and Jack used his left hand to wrestle the gun toward the ceiling. He was taller than Gil, and he was definitely stronger. He hit him one more time, toppling him to the floor, and then he confiscated the gun.