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Eighteen

  Jack didn’t want to leave Ivy, especially since she hadn’t regained consciousness. He had to, though. Amy’s life was on the line.

  He dropped to the floor, pressed a kiss to Ivy’s forehead, and moved his lips close to her ear. “I love you. I’ll be back as soon as I can. You’re going to be okay. I’m going to be okay, too. Susan is here. She’ll lead us to Amy.”

  When he pulled back, he found Michael watching him with curious eyes. “Take care of her.”

  Once back on his feet, he jerked his head for Max to follow. “Let’s go. We need to save your girlfriend.”

  Max was obviously still bewildered, but he nodded without hesitation. “Yeah.” He waited until they were outside, until Jack was scanning the tree line for something only he could see to speak again. “Is she really married to Jeff?”

  “Yes.” Jack nodded at the ghost when he saw her standing on the trail. “This way.” He inclined his head in that direction of the woods. “It’s a long story. Ivy got it out of her this afternoon. Suffice it to say, Jeff is a bad guy and he’s hurt Amy for years. She ran from him, took her son and fled when he wasn’t looking one day, and has been looking over her shoulder ever since.”

  “Her son?” Max slowly shook his head. “I would know if she had a son.”

  “His name is JJ.” Jack increased his pace when Susan started beckoning from in front of them. He had the feeling she was impatient, which didn’t bode well for Amy. “He’s five or six. I don’t think she outright said how old he was. He’s with Caroline right now. When Amy realized what was happening, that Jeff had followed us from the campground, she sent them away to make sure they were safe while she packed.”

  “Packed?” Max wanted nothing more than to slow down and absorb what Jack was telling him. There was no time for that. He recognized the urgency in Jack’s movements and stayed with him even though he felt as if he was muddled in a cloud. “She was packing?”

  Jack didn’t have time to hold Max’s hand. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel sorry for him. “She was afraid. She’s a mother. The most important thing to her is keeping her son safe. Jeff is an abusive jerk who beat her so many times she lost count. He wants that boy … and what sort of man do you think Jeff will create if he has a chance to mold JJ’s mind?”

  “But she was going to leave me, without saying goodbye.”

  “She was. She didn’t want to, though. Once Ivy confronted her, everything spilled out. She was going to tell you all of this tonight, after your parents left. She knew you deserved the truth. She didn’t want to get into everything when your parents were around to absorb it, though. I don’t blame her on that front.”

  “I don’t either. I just … how could she keep this from me?”

  Jack’s patience was wearing thin. “Max, you’re going to get a chance to ask her all of these questions. The thing is, we both know you’re going to forgive. Once you hear her story, you’re going to be angry to the point where you want to hurt someone. The someone you’re going to want to hurt is the one who has your girlfriend right now, though, and I guarantee he’s not going to be treating her well.

  “Look what he did to your sister,” he continued, his temper bubbling up. “I’m going to kill him just for that. Amy is a victim. She might not have always made the best choices, but she’s trying to protect her son. She deserves kudos for that.”

  “I’m not saying she doesn’t,” Max shot back. “It’s just … I don’t know how to absorb all of this. It’s not what I was expecting.”

  “You’re going to have time to absorb it. I promise you that. We need to get to Amy first, though. If he manages to get her in a vehicle and take off … .” He left the sentence hanging because he didn’t want to finish it. The possibilities were simply too horrifying.

  “We have to find her.” Max was firm. “Although … how do you even know where to go?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  IVY SURFACED QUICKLY, AND WITH A VENGEANCE, back at the cottage. She jerked to a sitting position as consciousness reclaimed her and looked around with wide-eyed terror.

  “Where is he?”

  “Jeff?” Michael was relieved to see her awake and alert, to the point where he wanted to wrap himself around her and act as a protective shield for the foreseeable future. She was his daughter, after all. Even though she was an adult, that didn’t mean he wasn’t game to protect her. “He took Amy. Your brother and Jack have gone after them. I don’t know what direction they’re heading.”

  Ivy did. A familiar face showed her a vision when she was unconscious. “He parked at the nursery,” Ivy volunteered, her head pounding as she rubbed her temple. “He’s heading there now. You need to call Brian and have him meet us there.”

  “Us?” Michael arched an eyebrow. “We’re not going over there. You were just unconscious. I have no problem telling Brian where to go to help Jack and Max, but you’re officially on the sidelines of this one from here on out, young lady.”

  Ivy refused to play that game. “No.” She struggled to her feet, swaying back and forth a bit as she regained her equilibrium. “We’re going to the nursery … and we’re going to take your truck. We need to block off the exit.”

  “You’re not going on an adventure,” Michael barked. “It’s not going to happen.”

  “Oh, it’s going to happen.” She patted his arm in a soothing nature. “The only question is: Are you going to help me or make me go alone?”

  Michael scowled. “We’re going to have a really long talk later tonight. You just wait.” He scrolled through his contacts until he found Brian. “A huge talk, and you’re going to be in trouble.”

  “Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to it.”

  MAX AND JACK WERE OUT of breath when they hit the nursery. Susan motioned them to move faster several times, and Jack knew better than to fight the ghost’s instructions. She knew what she was doing. She’d helped them before. They needed to move faster … so that’s what they did.

  By the time they cut through the center of the property, which was empty and shut down for the day, they realized they were just in time because Jeff was already in the lot, grappling with Amy as she fought him tooth and nail.

  “Stop being like this,” Jeff barked, grabbing a handful of hair and jerking Amy’s head as far as he could.

  She cried out at the sharp pain, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t stop fighting, though. She knew her life depended on it. “I’m not going with you. You can’t make me.”

  “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong.” Jeff almost looked amused that she would dare fight with him. “I can make you do whatever I want. That’s who I am. I’m pretty sure we both came to the same conclusion years ago. Unfortunately, you forgot your lessons and have to go through another tutorial. How sad is that?”

  Amy’s heart gave a lurch. She would rather die than go through that with Jeff again. “I’m not going.” She dug her fingernails into the soft skin of his wrist, and when he hissed and readjusted his grip, she slammed the heel of her hand into his nose.

  He was so surprised he released her and immediately reached for his nose, which was bleeding. “You whore! I’m going to make you pay for that!”

  Amy was already scrambling back toward the woods. She was hopeful she would be able to slip away, hide from him underneath the full bough of leaves and branches. Instead of escape, though, she found Jack and Max closing the distance.

  She’d never been so happy to see anyone in her entire life.

  “Max.” She burst into tears as she raced toward him.

  Max caught her in mid-air and brought her to him, her feet a good six inches off the ground. He kissed her forehead and cheeks as he held her tight, offering the solace she desperately needed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

  “Hold it right there,” Jack ordered, leveling his weapon on Jeff. The other man looked to be unarmed – that was his guess at least – but he wasn’t taking any chances. “P
ut your hands up.”

  Jeff was incredulous when he realized he was no longer in charge of the situation. “Oh, you have to be kidding me. I should’ve hit that dumb broad with a brick to shut her up forever. I didn’t think she would be waking up so soon; otherwise I would’ve killed her.”

  Fury he didn’t know was possible for him to feel flooded Jack like an angry river of lava. “Ivy is fine.” Jack believed that with his whole heart. “She’s going to be fine. When I get back to her, we’re going to have a long laugh about how dumb you were thinking you could get away with this in our territory.”

  “Your territory, huh?” Jeff arched a challenging eyebrow and shook his head. “I didn’t realize you were the territorial sort, Jack. That day at the campsite, I assumed you were just some mook in love with a woman, vulnerable to her. Are you telling me you’re stronger than that? Are you saying Ivy doesn’t have full control over you?”

  “Ivy and I are a team,” Jack replied calmly as Max lowered Amy to the ground and carefully shoved her behind him so he could act as her protector. “She doesn’t control me any more than I control her. Relationships are about compromise, give and take. That’s what we do for each other because our relationship is the most important thing in either of our lives.”

  Jeff let loose a derisive snort. “Oh, what a load of crap. Relationships are about who is in power. Ask Amy. Our relationship ran much better when she acknowledged that I was the one in charge and acquiesced to my discipline.”

  Amy let loose a shaky sob as Max squeezed her hand. “Just go away, Jeff. I don’t understand why you won’t let me go. We don’t belong together. We never did.”

  “Let you go?” Jeff rolled his eyes in a playful manner. “Why would I do that? You’re my wife. We married each other forever. Besides that, you’ve got my son.” His voice turned frigid, icy resentment practically dripping from his tongue. “I want my boy. Where is he?”

  “I’m not telling you that. You can kill me and I won’t tell you that.”

  “Care to place a wager on that?” Jeff challenged. “You will tell me before it’s all said and done. I will have my boy back. He belongs with his father.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Jack said calmly. “You’re done here. You’re never going to see that child again. He probably doesn’t even remember you, which is a good thing. We’ll make sure it stays that way.”

  Fury, hot and fierce, tore across Jeff’s ragged features. “You will give me back my son! She took him from me. I want her arrested for custodial interference … and stealing my property. She took money from the bank before she left, money she hid from me, that I didn’t find out about until after she was already gone. She’s a criminal … and a liar.”

  Jack snorted, genuinely amused. Now that they had Amy back with them he wasn’t in a hurry to take Jeff down. He wanted to do it in the smartest way, not the fastest way. “Sure. I would be happy to take Amy in and charge her with custodial interference. That will last exactly thirty seconds, until the prosecutor hears her story, and then she’ll be free.

  “You, on the other hand, are facing two murder charges,” he continued. “I’m betting there might be a few other cases to pin to you before it’s all said and done. We have a profile we’re going to send out to police agencies in Minnesota and Michigan. Back in Idaho, we’re also going to ask that they re-open the deaths of Amy’s parents.”

  Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. Jeff’s mouth dropped open as he worked his jaw. No sound came out, though.

  “Did you think we wouldn’t be able to tie those murders to you?” Jack challenged. “You weren’t very smart when carrying them out. In fact, you were a blooming idiot. I still can’t figure why you did it. Did you think Stacy Shepherd was Amy? Is that why you attacked her at the campground?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” Jeff smiled in such a way it made Jack’s blood run cold. “I was looking for her. I saw her leave the campground. I thought she might try to disappear into the woods so I planned on following her there. I got confused, though. I saw the other woman and she was coming from the right direction … although she was wearing a different coat. When I caught up with her, she told me to get lost, was extremely rude. I can’t abide rude people. I decided to shut her up when she wouldn’t stop yammering at me. I needed the quiet.”

  Jack merely shook his head as Amy tried to swallow her sob. “What a great specimen of the male gender you are,” he muttered. “We should all try to be just like you.”

  “I happen to agree.” Jeff made a clucking sound with his tongue. “Honestly, I felt better after doing it. I would’ve been angry if I killed Amy before she told me where my son was – after I would be fine with, mind you, but before is a different story – but it felt good to end Stacy.”

  “Is that why you went after Becky?”

  “That was just dumb luck. I was driving to Shadow Lake – you two were so helpful when you told me where you lived so I didn’t have to worry about following you and being caught – and I stopped at a rest area. There she was. I didn’t even know she had been staying at the same campground until the news reported it. That was a coincidence.”

  “How lucky for Becky,” Jack drawled, shaking his head.

  “No one cares about Becky. No one is going to miss her. That husband of hers is better off. I know I’m much happier without a wife to drag me down. A son, on the other hand, is something to celebrate. Just give me my son and I’ll go away, Amy.” His tone changed as he made the offer. He almost sounded reasonable. “You’ll never see me again.”

  “You’re not going to touch him,” Amy spat. “I won’t ever let you near him.”

  “He’s mine. I won’t let your new boyfriend raise him. Although … I’m pretty sure Max didn’t even know he existed.” Jeff’s laughter was hollow and bone-chilling. “I’m sure you’ll lose him in a few hours. No one likes a lying woman, Amy. I’ve told you that multiple times.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Max challenged, finding his voice for the first time. “I can’t wait to meet Amy’s son … and he is Amy’s son. You had nothing to do with raising him. I’m sure he’s a bright and friendly boy because she was a wonderful mother. You’re not going to have any part in his future.”

  “Do you want to bet?” Jeff’s voice came out in a screech. “I have plans for him. He’s going to be mine regardless. Just give him to me and I’ll be on my way.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Jack assured him, his weapon still clutched in his hand. “This ends here. All of it. You have two choices. You can put your hands in the air, drop to the ground and lace your fingers behind your head while I arrest you, or I’ll shoot you. No other options are up for debate.”

  “And what if I don’t want to do what you say?” Jeff shot back. “What if I want a third option?”

  “You’re not going to get one.”

  “Well, I don’t happen to believe that.” His eyes shone with keen interest as his fingers edged toward the back of his jeans. “I think I have one other option.”

  “He has a gun,” Amy warned, her voice high and squeaky. “He’ll shoot you. Don’t let him.”

  Jack had no intention of letting the man draw on him. He had a fiancée waiting for him, a woman who was probably right now on her way to the hospital. He wanted to sit vigil by her bedside, be the first thing she saw when she woke up. Those were the things fueling him.

  “Don’t do it, Jeff,” he warned. “I will put you down. I won’t be sorry about it either, not even a little.”

  “I won’t be taken alive,” Jeff warned. “I have a plan. I have to stick to the plan. That’s the way I operate.”

  “Well, then I guess we’re at a stalemate. I’ll be the one to end that stalemate, just so you know.”

  “I’m not afraid of you. In fact … .” Jeff didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying because a loud noise from the parking lot behind him drew his attention. There, a big gray truck barreled
forward, seemingly coming from nowhere, and there was a furious woman behind the wheel.

  Things happened in quick order. Jack barely had a chance to register that Ivy was driving her father’s truck directly at Jeff before he found himself shoving Max and Amy out of the clearing and toward the trees.

  “Get out of the way,” he ordered at the same time Ivy plowed directly into Jeff.

  She honestly wasn’t going all that fast when she hit him, probably about twenty-five miles an hour. It only seemed faster because she appeared out of the blue, didn’t hit her brakes, and they had no time to react.

  Jeff flew about three feet in the air and then hit the ground hard. Ivy slammed the truck into park and hopped out so she could stand over him, offering Jack a wave as he breathlessly scurried to get to her.

  “Is he dead?” she asked hopefully.

  Jack was dumbfounded. “I don’t … what were you thinking?”

  “He had a gun,” Ivy replied calmly as Michael hopped out of the truck to join her. “He was going to shoot you. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “I had everything under control,” Jack barked. “I mean … you didn’t have to run him over.”

  “I didn’t run him over. He didn’t end up under the tires at all. I ran into him. There’s a difference.”

  “I just … ,” Jack broke off and dragged a hand through his hair before moving to Jeff to check his pulse. Oddly enough, the man was still alive. His heartbeat was steady, if a little rapid. “He’s alive.”

  “Bummer.” Ivy, her face swollen from being struck, looked sad at the prospect. “Do you think I can maybe try a second time?”

  Jack couldn’t stop himself from laughing even though he was determined to be stern. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Just one more time. I promise I’ll do better.”

  “No.”

  “Please?”

  “No.”

  “Fine.” Ivy rolled her neck. “So, is anyone else hungry, or is that just me?”

  Nineteen