by Rebecca Deel
The shooter tucked away the weapon, reached back, pulled paper out of his pocket and stuffed it inside his father’s suit coat, looked straight at the camera for a second and ran off, leaving his father to die. Only it didn’t work out that way. His father had pulled through. Another few millimeters to the left and Cynthia Morgan would be planning her husband’s funeral right now instead of attending whatever society or charity function she had going today. He scrolled back to focus a still shot of the shooter.
“Shooter wanted you to see his face,” Josh murmured.
“Taunting me.”
“Recognize him?”
“No,” he answered, the word a slow drawl.
“But?”
“There’s something about him that’s familiar. Can’t place it, though.” He frowned.
Ivy walked back in, saw the computer monitor, and gasped.
“Ivy, what is it?” Alex got to his feet. “Do you recognize him?”
“That’s Brenden Frazier, a reporter from the paper in Knoxville. He came to interview me at school a couple weeks ago about art education.” She looked puzzled. “Why is his picture on the computer?”
Alex went to her, cupped her shoulders with his hands. “Because that’s the man who shot my father.”
CHAPTER TEN
Alex hugged Ivy tight, shuddered at what could have happened to the woman he loved. The shooter was close enough to touch her and yet he’d done nothing but interview her? Screwing with his head, another subtle threat against her. He could have lost her before he was even aware someone was after him.
Again, he questioned the wisdom of letting her into his life, knew it was already too late. He couldn’t live without her now. And after spending so much time with her the past couple months, he also knew how stubborn the woman was. She wouldn’t walk away from him now that she’d made up her mind to give them a chance as a couple, a chance he wanted with every beat of his heart. She had no idea how much she meant to him.
“What did he want to know, kitten?” Josh asked.
“The classes I taught and the value of art education.”
“Come sit down,” Alex murmured when he felt her start to shake. He led her to the couch, sat beside her and pulled her close. She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Did he ask anything personal, angel?”
“He wanted to know about my background in art, my own education in the subject.”
“Did he ask about Alex?” Josh crouched in front of her. “Or the rest of Durango?”
“Not specifically. He asked if I had anyone special in my life.”
“And you said?”
“I had a lot of very good friends that I was blessed to have in my life. I didn’t give names.” She blushed. “Even had I known how Alex felt at the time I wouldn’t have said anything.” Ivy raised her head so she could look into Alex’s face, her expression earnest. “I would never do anything to hurt you, never compromise your safety. You have to believe me.”
Alex brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. “I know, sweetheart. We’re not accusing you of endangering me or Durango.”
Josh patted her knee to draw her attention back to him. “Ivy, we need every bit of information we can dig up. The sooner we find this guy, the sooner we can put him behind bars.” He smiled. “Then you and my partner can get on with this courtship.”
“What else did he want to know?” Alex asked.
She frowned. “About my family. I told him if he had questions, he could ask them, that it wasn’t necessary background information for his article.”
“Good girl,” he murmured. He tilted his head. “Where did he interview you?”
“School cafeteria. He caught me on my lunch break. I thought the school administration had arranged the interview and let him in.”
“Were you by yourself?”
“I was sitting at a table with other faculty members and we were surrounded by over a few hundred students. He asked to move the interview outside where it was quieter. I refused.”
“Excellent.” Josh smiled. “Smart lady.”
“He did ask about your bodyguard school. I told him to contact the school for information.”
“If he did, he would have gotten nothing.” Alex kissed her temple. “Security is pretty tight and we don’t spread info around. Wouldn’t be safe for us or Fortress.”
“How did he react when you refused to answer his questions, kitten?”
She grinned. “He was frustrated, but with so many people around, what could he do?”
“How tall was he?”
“About your size, maybe an inch or two shorter.” She shrugged. “Everybody’s tall to me.”
“That’s because you’re a pint-sized wonder,” he teased. “Did he have an accent?”
“Texas.”
“You’re positive about that?”
“I have a student who grew up there. I’m sure.”
“You’re doing great, kitten. Now, did you notice any scent, like a cologne?”
“I didn’t let him get close enough for that.”
“Any mannerisms that stuck out?”
“Nothing. He seemed nice, just a little intense for a simple interview. I figured he wanted to impress his editor or something.”
“Age?”
“Mid thirties.”
“Could you draw his face?” Alex asked. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a clear image of him, though Fortress would be able to clean up the image pretty well.
She scowled. “I do landscapes, not faces. He’d look like a rabbit or something by the time I finished. I’m terrible with portraits.”
Josh stood. “You’ve been a big help, Ivy. I’ll track down Clay, bring him up to speed. He’ll want to talk to you, as will the detectives on Senator Morgan’s case.”
“Okay, as long as one of you stays with me.”
Like he would let her out of his sight with other men in the room. She’d already been through the wringer with his brother. No way would he leave her to face police interrogation by strangers. “If I’m tied up, Josh or Rio will stay with you.”
After Josh left to find Clay, Alex wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?”
“Just disappointed with myself.”
“Why, baby? There was no way you could have known.”
She sighed. “My judgment skills where men are concerned seem to be skewed.”
He kissed her, deep and slow. When he pulled back, he smiled. “I think your judgment is right on target.”
Soft laughter. “You’re a little biased, Alex.”
“I must not have kissed you properly because I am very biased where you’re concerned.”
“Hmm. Maybe you should convince me.”
He chuckled. “Minx,” he murmured, then kissed her again. This time, he let the chemistry rev up. When he drew back this time, her eyes were unfocused. Oh, yeah, courting his angel was going to be a lot of fun.
Footsteps in the hall warned him they were about to have company. Sure enough, Clay walked through the doorway followed by Josh. “You recognized the shooter?” he asked without preamble.
“I know the name he went by,” Ivy confirmed. “I assume Brenden Frazier is not his real name and that he doesn’t work for the Knoxville newspaper.”
“We’ll check it out, but you’re probably right.” Clay eyed Alex’s hold on Ivy. “Why don’t you get some coffee or water for all of us.”
“Not happening,” his said, voice flat.
“The detectives will want to question her, Alexander.”
“They can, as long as one of us is with her.” Alex stared down his friend. “No compromises.”
“We’ll see.”
“She’s a cooperative witness,” Josh said. “As long as we don’t answer questions for her, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you make it a problem, we know some very good lawyers who will be happy to remind you of her right to the counsel of her choosing.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get on with this.” He glared a
t Alex. “Not a word out of you unless I ask you a direct question.”
Alex inclined his head in agreement. As long as Ivy was okay, he’d cooperate. If the interrogation became too much, he would insist she get a break. The blue uniforms and suits would have to give her the time she needed to settle.
And so the questions began. Clay took her through the same steps as Josh. The results were exactly the same. Evidently, he had called the detectives, because an hour into the questioning, two other men arrived. The detectives covered the same ground multiple times, looking for any small piece of information that might help them solve his father’s case.
Finally, four hours after the interrogation began, it was over and the local law enforcement was gone.
Ivy’s gaze went to Josh. “How did I do?”
He grinned. “Perfect.” He shifted to the computer. “Want me to forward this to Fortress?”
“Yeah, along with that partial plate. Tell Zane to put a rush on the facial recognition. I want to know who this guy is.” And when he found out, he’d go hunting.
Ivy glanced up at Alex, saw he was watching her. “What is it?”
“Are you sorry?”
Worry twisted through her gut. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, angel.” He cupped her cheek. “Are you sorry you took a chance on me, on us?”
She pressed a kiss to his lips, a butterfly soft brush. “No, never.”
“Even with danger stalking you?”
Ivy smiled. “Danger was trailing me when we met. How is this different?”
“This time it’s my fault, my past that’s putting you in danger.” His voice was grim. “Worse, I can’t guarantee this will be the last time, baby.”
“To have this chance with you, I’ll take any risk.”
“Ivy.” His eyes glistened. He tugged her close. “I will always treat you as the most precious gift in my life because that’s what you are to me.”
So long she’d waited to hear words like that. Her eyes filled with tears. Her parents hadn’t said anything of the kind in years. Lee said things similar until he felt secure enough to show his true colors. How could she have stayed in a relationship with him so long? She had only known Alex for a few weeks, but he never made her feel less than adequate, even when she was plagued with those stupid panic attacks.
He wiped the tears from her cheeks with such gentleness. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, angel.”
Ivy threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you for giving me you.” They remained wrapped in each other’s arms long enough for her tears to subside and the tension in his body to dissipate.
Her stomach growled.
Alex drew back with a chuckle. “Guess I need to feed you. Let me take you to breakfast.”
“An official date?”
“The first of many.” He walked with her to her room and, with another heart-stopping kiss, left her to ready himself for the day.
Ivy hurried through a shower, dried her hair and slapped on some light makeup. After dressing in jeans and a long-sleeved cotton sweater, she laced up her tennis shoes. Figured she better be prepared to run since someone was already taking potshots at them. She glanced at her purse, decided to grab what she needed from her wallet. Not knowing what she and Alex might be doing today, it was probably better if she didn’t have to worry about lugging anything extra along.
She opened the door to find Alex waiting for her. His gaze dropped over her quickly before returning to her face.
“You look beautiful enough to nibble on.”
Her cheeks burned. “Fair warning. I get to return the favor.”
“Looking forward to it.” He clasped her hand in his. “What would you like to eat?”
“Something light with coffee.”
“I know just the place.”
As they descended the stairs, she asked, “What about the others?”
“Chef Nate and Maria are taking care of them. Josh and Quinn are scouting the neighborhood to see if they can pick up anything our shooter may have left behind. Rio will be with my mother.”
“Will she go along with that?”
“She doesn’t have a choice. Besides, Rio can be very charming when he wants.” He grinned. “At least he claims the ladies say that about him. Says he’s left a trail of fast beating hearts in his wake.”
Ivy didn’t know about that, but she suspected the charm covered a man very capable of protecting those under his care. She had a feeling there was a lot more to the handsome medic than he let on. “What about Del and Stella?”
“Shopping. Del wants to pick up a few things for her mother while she’s here.”
She thought about what he didn’t say. “Stella’s going along to protect Del, isn’t she?”
Alex waited until they reached the front door before answering. “If the shooter is connected to my time in Delta, Durango as a whole is a target, including our families. Josh didn’t want to keep Del in seclusion since I seem to be the target. Stella will take good care of her.”
At the SUV, he lifted her up into the vehicle before coming around and settling behind the wheel.
“Where are we going?”
“Kate’s Deli has the best breakfast in town. After we eat, I’d like to check on my father.”
Ten minutes later, they were seated in a bustling deli. Ivy studied the menu, wondering what she should choose. Everything looked so good. She probably shouldn’t get too much even though she was so hungry. And she immediately became aggravated with herself.
“Ivy.”
She glanced up.
“Order anything you want, as much as you want.” His gaze remained fixed on her until she nodded.
She had to swallow hard before she could give her order. How did he know exactly what to say? Somehow he’d known. Her former boyfriend had consistently told her she needed to lose weight. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t a size 2 despite her short stature. But Alex didn’t seem to mind that she wasn’t model thin.
He paid their bill and led her to a nearby table. Alex gave her a chocolate chip muffin and the yogurt parfait, went back to retrieve their coffee and settled down to eat his breakfast sandwich.
“So,” he said between bites, “tell me about your college days.”
Over the course of the next hour, she shared some of the more funny moments during her school days. “The last semester of my master’s program, I painted a mural for a final project.”
“What was the subject?”
She grinned. “A landscape. It was a really beautiful pastoral scene.”
“Wish I could have seen that.”
“You have my phone on you?”
He dug in his pocket and handed the phone to her. Ivy flipped through her photos and brought up the picture she’d taken of the mural, handed the phone to him.
Alex whistled softly. “Angel, that is incredible. Why aren’t you painting for a living?”
“I’m not good enough to make it.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that your idiot ex I’m hearing?”
She shook her head. “That’s the art critics you’re hearing. I’m good, yes, but I’m not gifted.”
“That’s not what it looks like from where I’m sitting. I would love to have you paint something like this on one of my walls.”
Stunned, she sat silent a moment. Echoes of Lee’s mockery of her paintings began to fade. “You really mean that,” she said.
“Absolutely. Maybe you can come up with something for a playroom for children.”
“Children?” Her heart clenched. She could see him surrounded by dark-haired, brown-eyed boys, maybe a girl. He would be an incredible father.
“I want a family someday, angel. My home is big enough for a large family, one filled with laughter and love. I’ve got enough land I can expand the house if it’s needed.”
She understood what he didn’t say. He wanted a home very different from his own. Different from hers, too. As an only child, she’d been lonely gro
wing up. Del had become the sister she’d never had. “I would love to paint a playroom. Let me think about it a while, come up with some ideas. I’ll sketch it out so you can see if it fits what you want.”
“That sounds perfect.” Alex glanced at his watch. “Ready to go? The traffic should have cleared out some by now.”
An hour later, he turned into the hospital parking lot and again chose a space away from the crowd of reporters. He handed over her sunglasses. “Let’s brave the crowd, angel.” Slipping his shades in place, he came around the SUV and helped her down.
Holding hands, they crossed the parking lot, headed for the hospital entrance when one of the reporters shouted, “There he is!”
Alex sighed. “Knew it was too good to last. Don’t let them goad you into an interview, baby.” He kept them moving at the same pace.
Right. Like she was interested in something like that. Her mother would have enjoyed the spotlight, but it was something Ivy loathed. Besides, what possible questions could she answer? She simply came to support her boyfriend.
Within a minute, they were surrounded by reporters, microphones, and cameras. A jumble of questions were thrown at them, most of them shouting over one another.
“Where have you been for the last fifteen years?”
“Is it true that your father disowned you?”
“Do the police have any leads on the shooter?”
One woman shoved her microphone in Alex’s face. “Is it true you shot your father?”
Silence fell over the crowd as they waited for his answer. Still moving toward the entrance, he said, “No.”
“Isn’t it true the police arrested you?”
“No.”
Frustration evident on her face, the reporter swung her microphone and attention to Ivy. Moving in close, she asked, “Are you his wife or girlfriend?”
Alex shoved the mike away from Ivy. “No more questions.”
“Aren’t you afraid of being with a murderer?”
Ivy’s cheeks burned. She longed to turn around and set that woman straight. She figured, though, she’d make matters worse. As much as she wanted to defend him, proclaim his honesty and integrity, anything she said would likely be turned around to paint him in a black light. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Alex.
