by Rebecca Deel
“Couple of possibilities. They might have used the patio railing as a ladder and climbed onto your balcony.”
“Or?”
“Or the maintenance man left a ladder out again.”
“Josh never had any problems, did he? He never mentioned anything.”
“Angel, he’s a cop and Delta. Only a fool would go after him.” He glanced at her, smiled. “And frankly, sweetheart, Josh’s picture wouldn’t have nearly the appeal. Dude’s not photogenic.”
“Del would disagree with that assessment.”
“She is blind, then.” He dropped a kiss on her hand, then clicked out of the email program. His father had always been a shutterbug. He wondered if his schedule had allowed him time to learn digital photography?
Alex opened one desk drawer after another, riffled through the contents, searching for a USB cable.
“What are you looking for?” Porter asked.
“USB cable. Someone’s been sending Ivy pictures as well.”
“You serious?” His brother’s voice rose in shock. “But I thought…” He trailed off.
Alex eyed his brother. “You thought what, Port?”
“I thought they were after you. Why follow Ivy? She’s not important.”
Not important? His eyes narrowed.
“No offense intended, just an observation from their point of view.”
“If I had a target who was hard to take out, the best way to send a message is through someone who matters to the target. Ivy is everything to me, Porter. She’s also the easiest target to reach. I’m a hard man to kill and I haven’t had any contact with family since boot camp. If you wanted to hurt me, what would you do?”
His gaze skated to Ivy, then back to Alex. “Check the bottom left. Dad stores most of his photos on the computer now. That’s the last place I remember seeing the cable.”
He dragged open the drawer, found what he was looking for. Alex connected Ivy’s cell with the computer and transferred all the images. He didn’t bother trying to study them on her phone, wanted a full-size picture to see if he could spot anything to help them figure out who was stalking them both.
Porter came to the desk, but to his credit didn’t come around behind Ivy. Alex angled the screen so all of them could see. He clicked on the first picture. What he saw made his stomach clench. Ivy in her empty classroom, unaware she was being photographed.
One by one, he brought up all the pictures, over twenty of them. Every one of Ivy. The grocery store, church, the bookstore, the park with him. He remembered that day. Hadn’t been long after he’d met her. He’d been nuts about her even then, never dreaming she felt the same way. Whoever took the picture had caught her laughing, her arms around his neck as he carried her to a park bench. Her badly sprained ankle was still wrapped at that point and she had been pretty klutzy with her crutches.
“Did they send anything else, angel?”
Ivy’s hand clenched on his shoulder.
He took that for an affirmative. “Tell me.”
“Texts,” she murmured.
Alex unhooked the cell from his father’s computer and called up the text messages. His eyes widened at the volume she’d saved. Several from him. Unable to resist, he called up his text conversation with her and learned she had kept every one. Maybe he was a sap, but that made him feel valued. He’d done the same with hers. He glanced up, grinned at her red cheeks. “Same here.”
She laughed softly.
“Do I need to leave?” his brother muttered wryly.
Alex returned to the message menu, called up the only other conversation she’d saved, this one from an unknown number. He scrolled up to the beginning. They started out innocuous enough. He was glad to see Ivy hadn’t responded to any of them. As time progressed, the messages grew more pointed, strident in tone. The last few railed at her for letting Alex touch her, that he’d sullied her. “Oh, baby,” he murmured. With her recent history, those texts must have scared her to death.
“I was going to show you this weekend,” she whispered. “Don’t be mad at me.”
At that, he swung around, stood and pulled her into his arms. Patience, he counseled himself. She was still shaky with men in general and the shift in their relationship was new. “I’m not mad at you, angel. I’m furious they came after you to get to me and terrified you. However, now that you’re mine to protect, I want to know the minute something like this happens. I still would have wanted to know as your friend. Now, it’s even more important. Promise?”
A tear spilled over her cheek as she nodded her agreement.
He brushed it away with his thumb. Man, he hated it when she cried. Her tears killed him.
“May I see the messages?” Porter asked, his voice subdued.
With a raised eyebrow, he handed over Ivy’s phone, surprised his brother was so interested in a series of texts. Then again, growing up Porter had never liked it when bullies picked on those weaker than themselves. Maybe he saw Ivy that way and his protective instincts were kicking in. Suited Alex fine as long as he kept his hands off Ivy.
“This is ugly,” Porter muttered.
“Something we agree on,” Alex said.
Ivy swiped at her face. “Did you notice the quality difference in the pictures your father received and those sent to me?”
“No.” And he should have. He’d just been blindsided by the threat to his girl. Porter handed the phone back.
“She’s right,” Porter said. “And it almost seems as if there are two photographers.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s two different cameras.”
He leaned over, keyed in a few strokes and sent the new batch of pictures to Fortress with a message to evaluate them in light of the others he’d sent earlier. Maybe they’d see something he missed. No question his objectivity was shot.
Another text message popped up on Ivy’s phone. He glanced at it, smiled. “This is a message you’ll want to answer.” Alex handed over her phone as the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it.” Porter left the room.
A deep rumble of voices drifted down the hall. One of the balls of ice in his stomach melted. Durango had arrived.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ivy grinned at the text and pulled up a familiar number. Her call was answered on the first ring. “Stella, how are you?” Stella Grayson was a U.S. marshal assigned to protect her and Del when they stumbled into a federal case during the summer. She’d turned out to be a good friend, one Ivy enjoyed spending time with.
“On vacation. Want some company?”
“I’d love it, but I’m not in Otter Creek at the moment.”
“Oh, man. I so wanted to sit in the bookstore with you, drink way too much coffee, and gossip. Where are you?”
“Washington, D.C.”
Silence greeted her statement for a few seconds. “Why? What’s going on, Ivy?”
“Alex’s father was shot yesterday. I came with him.”
“Alex’s father? Wait, his father is Senator James Morgan?”
“That’s right.”
“The capital’s been buzzing about that all day.”
“How do you know that?”
Stella laughed. “I’m in D.C. at the moment. I just wrapped up a case. Would you like help?”
“That would be great. Here, talk to Alex about where we are.” She handed her cell to him. “It’s Stella. She’s in D.C.”
Alex pressed the phone to his ear. “Hey, Stella. How are you?”
Ivy tuned out the rest of the conversation when Durango walked through the door. She drew in a deep breath. So much testosterone in this too small room. Alex laid his hand on the small of her back, a nonverbal reminder that he was close. And the uneasiness vanished. These men would take a bullet for her in a heartbeat. She would not let PTSD ruin her friendship with these fine men.
He handed Ivy her cell. “She’ll be here in an hour.”
“Who?” Porter asked.
“Stella Grayson, U.S. marshal. She’s a friend of ours,” Nate
answered. His eyes sparkled.
That made Ivy grin. Unless she missed her guess, professional chef Nate Armstrong, Durango’s bomb expert, had a sweet spot for the pretty marshal. Ivy’s new mission in life was to find out if the feelings were reciprocated. She had a suspicion they probably were. Every time she talked to Stella, the marshal asked about Durango, begging for stories and the latest news. The only member she brought the conversation around to each time was Nate. She couldn’t wait to ferret the information from her friend.
Porter rolled his eyes. “Anyone else going to be staying at the house? Mother’s going to have a fit, you know.”
“She’ll have to get over it,” Alex said shortly. “We don’t know who the enemy is, but we know who they’re going to target. My family and Ivy. That’s not happening on my watch.”
“Yeah, I get it. You don’t have to beat the super soldier drum in my face. Now answer my question. Anybody else joining the party?”
“Yep,” Rio Kincaid said. The team’s medic leaned his shoulder against the wall. “Josh and Del are due to arrive in a couple hours.”
“No,” Ivy moaned. “They’re supposed to be on their honeymoon.”
“I’ll call him,” Alex said. “We’ve got this covered.”
“Yeah, you go ahead and try that.” Quinn Gallagher, Alex’s spotter, chuckled. “Doubt he’ll listen to you any more than he did us. He and Del insisted they had the rest of their lives for a honeymoon. He told me to pass on a message.”
“And that is?”
“Shut up and deal.”
Ivy burst into laughter. “We need to tell Maria to set more places for dinner.”
For the next few minutes, Alex got an update from the team on the bodyguard trainees. “How’s Carson doing?”
Nate snorted. “Hasn’t been a lick of trouble since you dressed him down. Should have done it sooner. Even his partner is shocked at the turnaround. That boy just might earn the top spot the right way.”
Alex didn’t say anything, but Ivy knew he was pleased. On the way here, he’d talked about the recruit, worried that he might die on the job if they couldn’t turn him around fast enough. Looks like maybe they had. She’d seen the trainee in the school’s gym when she and Alex worked on her self-defense lessons. Carson had stood at the edge of the mat, watching. He made Ivy uncomfortable enough that Alex simply looked at the recruit. The man held up both hands and backed off. And the lesson had resumed.
When the update on the recruits was finished, Alex asked, “Do you want a sit rep now or when Josh arrives?”
“Wait,” Nate said. “No need telling it more than once.”
“How’s your father?” Rio asked.
“Holding his own. Maybe you can find out more. I haven’t even seen his doctor yet.”
“Did you see him?” Quinn asked, his voice soft.
Alex cleared his throat. “Yeah.” His voice still sounded thick. “Talked to him a couple minutes.”
“Let’s show the guys where they’re bedding down,” Ivy suggested. Alex needed a breather. She was happy to run interference. He’d certainly done that enough for her.
He slid his arm around her waist, hugged her to his side. “Where’s your gear?” He kissed Ivy’s temple.
One by one, his teammates started smiling.
“What?” Alex snapped.
“About time, buddy,” Quinn said. “We’ve been taking bets on how long you would hold out.”
The man holding her with such tenderness gave a short laugh. “Who won?”
“Who else?” Nate groused. “Josh.”
“Nice. Glad I could be a source of entertainment for you clowns.”
More razzing ensued as they led the team to their assigned rooms. “We should let Maria know about Del and Josh. We’ll need another room for them,” Ivy commented.
“She’ll love it. Nothing Maria likes better than a houseful of people to take care of.”
Ivy hoped he was right. Seemed like an awful big imposition on the poor woman with almost no notice.
After Alex had shown his teammates where they were staying, the men traipsed down to the foyer and retrieved their gear. Rio hung back, waiting for the others to clear out before he stepped to her side.
“How you holding up, sugar?”
“Fine.”
“Ivy.” His gaze held hers.
She sighed. The team’s medic was way too observant for her comfort. Guess that made him excellent at his job. He also had some idea of what she’d been through with Lee, though not the particulars. “I had another panic attack a few minutes ago.”
“The trigger?”
Ivy glanced around, then whispered. “Alex’s brother, Porter.”
Rio stiffened. “Did he hurt you?” He shook his head and answered his own question. “Of course not. If he had, he would even now be on the way to the hospital or the morgue.”
“He has a temper. He just scared me.”
“Alex has been training you in self-defense, sugar. I’ve seen you work out with him. You’ve got skills. Don’t be afraid to use them.”
“But most men are so much bigger and stronger than I am. I know Alex is holding back.”
“Sure. He doesn’t want to hurt you. If he did, you would lose your trust in him and that would devastate him. Honey, you don’t have to be strong as an ox. Your goal isn’t to defeat an opponent, but to get away from him. In the event you can’t escape, Alex is teaching you simple things that will make a man wish he’d picked on someone else. Your size is not a problem. Smaller people have a lower center of gravity. It’s all about momentum and pressure points. You can throw a man twice your size and weight over your shoulder if you have the right leverage and use his momentum against him.”
“That’s what Alex has been trying to drill in my head.”
“He’s right.”
“What am I right about?” Alex said as he walked into the foyer.
“That I’m the best looking member of Durango,” Rio said.
Ivy laughed.
Alex smirked. “Guess that put you in your place.”
“Oh, that hurts, sugar. And here I thought I was your favorite.”
“Take your gear upstairs,” Alex said.
“Spoilsport. I was trying to convince the beautiful lady to dump you and take off with me.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
Rio chuckled and made good his escape before his teammate clocked him.
Ivy raised on her tiptoes and kissed Alex. Nothing intense this time, just a gentle reminder of where her interest lay. “I’ll check with Maria, see if I can help her with dinner.” She was no chef like Nate, but she could slice and dice. She’d been drafted into helping Del and Serena, Josh’s sister, on more than one occasion in the last few months. “Come get me when Stella and Del arrive.”
She glanced back as she turned the corner. The dark-eyed sniper winked at her and turned toward his father’s office.
In the kitchen, Maria glanced up as Ivy crossed the stone floor. “Need anything, Miss Ivy?”
“Put me to work. You’re feeding a crowd on very short notice. Let me help.”
“Can you cook?”
She shook her head. “I make a mean salad, though.”
“Ah.” Maria dragged a large glass bowl from a cabinet. “This should do for your salad.” She gestured to the refrigerator. “Find what you need.”
Ivy did as directed and was soon chopping and slicing ingredients. Just as she added the final ingredients to the salad, Alex strode into the kitchen. “Stella’s here and I think Josh and Del just arrived.”
She glanced at Maria. “Need anything else from me?”
“No, no, Miss Ivy. Go, be with your friends. Dinner will be on the table soon.”
Hand in hand, she and Alex went to greet the newcomers.
Stella turned from the very attentive chef. “Ivy. You look great.” She grinned as her gaze dropped to their clasped hands. “Well, that’s about time. Good job, Alex. Who won the
pool?”
Ivy’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? You were in on that, too?”
Stella laughed. “Anybody with eyes could tell you and Alex were made for each other. See that you don’t mess this up, Morgan.”
“Don’t worry. I intend to spoil her so much she won’t ever be tempted to leave my side. I’m not letting this beautiful lady get away.”
Footsteps on the porch, then Quinn and Rio bumped through the doorway loaded down with luggage. Right behind them came Josh and Del.
“Oh, man, look at you.” Ivy grinned at her cousin. “You’re tanned.”
Del laughed, her eyes sparkling. “That’s what happens when you spend time on a private beach on the Florida shore.” She hugged Ivy and Stella. “I missed you guys.”
“I’ll bet you didn’t.” Ivy didn’t believe that for one minute. Her cousin was positively glowing. Married life definitely agreed with her.
“Mr. Alex, dinner is ready.”
“Maria, meet my friends.” Alex performed the introductions. “While we’re eating, I’ll bring you all up to date. Got to warn you, though, we don’t have much to go on.”
Josh snorted. “What else is new? We never do things the easy way.”
Chill bumps formed on Ivy’s skin. She hoped this situation wasn’t as dire as when she’d met Alex. Looking as his dark expression, she wasn’t holding out much hope.
Alex dropped onto an Adirondack chair on the patio. He handed a bottle of water to his best friend, who was seated on the other side of the low table. “You shouldn’t have cut your honeymoon short, Josh.”
His partner broke the seal on the bottle and drank before replying. “Wasn’t about to let you face this without me.” He glanced Alex’s way. “Just like you wouldn’t let me deal with Granger and Wright alone.”
“This is different.”
“How? The woman I loved was in danger. You dropped everything to help me protect her. Now it’s my turn to return the favor and help you protect the woman you love.”
“You deserve time off, time with your new wife. If we couldn’t handle this without another person, Maddox volunteered Fortress’ help.”
“Durango has each other’s backs. That’s why our unit was so successful. Del and I agreed. I’ll make it up to her later.” He paused. “Does Ivy know how you really feel?”
