Ivy Morgan Mystery 18 - Wicked Wedding Read online

  Oliver glared in her direction, seemingly surprised to have been caught. Jenny was slung over his other shoulder, unmoving, and Ivy could only hope the girl was unconscious and not something worse.

  “Who are you?” Oliver demanded as he slowed his pace. He seemed more bewildered than fearful. “Are you the pink-haired police or something?”

  Ivy was in no mood to play games. “Put her down,” she insisted, not stopping until she was only five feet from her prey. “I’m not messing around.”

  “Oh, really?” The smile Oliver let loose was crooked. On a different man, it might’ve been appealing. Ivy hated this man with everything she had, though, so there was no charming her. “You actually look like the sort of woman who might want to mess around. I have a few minutes if you’re that desperate.”

  Ivy’s stomach turned, but she kept her expression neutral. “I prefer real men, the sort who don’t beat their wives and children. I think I’ll pass.”

  Oliver’s smile slipped. “Whatever stories Dana has been telling in there aren’t true. She’s a liar. She makes things up in her head.”

  “Did she make things up for the X-ray machine, too?”

  Oliver’s eyes narrowed. “The woman is clumsy. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

  “I don’t care what story you’re spinning.” Ivy found she was surprisingly calm despite what she was facing. None of the panic she would’ve felt years prior even threatened to surface. Instead, she raised her hands and marveled at the spark she felt bubbling under the surface.

  It was the magic.

  She’d been opening herself up to it, trying to learn. She was embracing being a witch for a change instead of running from it. The magic seemed to enjoy her enthusiasm because it whispered to her.

  Let me out. I can take him.

  Ivy held strong. Jenny was the most important thing. She had to get the girl away from Oliver. If he willingly turned her over, it would be better. If Ivy had to take her, she was ready, although it wasn’t the ideal outcome. Exposing herself — and it was possible that would happen with so many people inside the building — would never be her first choice.

  “It’s not a story,” Oliver insisted. “It’s the truth. I’ve been ... alienated ... from my daughter. That’s a thing. I’ve researched it. It’s called alienation of affection and that’s what that bitch in there has done to me. I’m not going to stand for it a minute longer.

  “Now, I don’t care about her,” he continued. “She’s not important to me. She never has been. This is my daughter, though.” He gripped the girl tighter. “She belongs with me.”

  Ivy shook her head. “We’ve seen her X-rays, too. Are you about to tell me she’s clumsy like her mother?”

  Oliver worked his jaw. “She ... Dana ... it’s not my fault!”

  “Just give me the girl,” Ivy insisted. “I won’t try to stop you from leaving if you give her to me. You need to run. The police are already here.”

  That was enough to earn a hollow laugh. “Oh, really? The police are here, huh? How did they manage that?”

  “The alarm goes straight to a security company. They call the police.”

  “And why would the police even bother to come out and check on these whiny women? Guess what. They wouldn’t. Nobody is coming.”

  “My fiancé is a detective in Shadow Lake. He’ll come for me. In fact, he’s already here.”

  That news seemed to bother Oliver more than anything else. The dark cloud that stormed his eyes had Ivy stiffening. “I won’t let you take my daughter from me. I’ll kill you before that happens.” He moved to shift the girl.

  Sensing trouble, Ivy took three deliberate steps forward and grabbed his arm, intending to give it a vicious twist. Before she could put some muscle into it, however, the magic that had been clamoring for release burst out, causing her hands to heat ... and Oliver to whimper.

  “What are you doing?” His expression contorted as he tried to rip his arm away from her. “That hurts. I ... what are you doing?”

  Ivy gripped him harder. “Let her go.”

  “No.” Even though defiance remained in his eyes, Oliver’s determination was waning. “Stop that.” He tried pulling away from her one more time. When that failed, he did the only thing he could. He used his free arm to toss Jenny’s limp body toward Ivy.

  The witch’s instincts kicked in and she had to release him to catch the girl. Jenny’s body collided with Ivy, hard, and the two of them went down.

  In terrible pain, his eyes watering and hatred coursing through him, Oliver hesitated at the tree line. It was obvious he needed to run. It was equally obvious that he didn’t want to leave his daughter behind.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Ivy warned as she tried to crawl on top of the girl in an effort to serve as a shield. “I’ll kill you this time.” It was an empty threat. She had no idea if she was capable of carrying it out.

  Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Oliver was too frightened to stick around. Still cradling his arm, he glared at her one more time, and then he disappeared into the woods.

  Ivy let out a pent-up breath and turned back to Jenny when she was certain Oliver wasn’t coming back. “Well, that was interesting, huh?”

  3

  THREE

  Ivy was unsure what to do with the girl until she started stirring. Slowly, Jenny’s green eyes opened. Confusion caused her to squint, as if trying to figure out if she was in a dream ... or maybe worse. Then she opened her mouth, and Ivy was convinced it was to scream rather than thank her.

  “You’re okay,” Ivy offered hurriedly, hoping to head off a meltdown of monumental proportions. “Your mother is inside. She’s okay, too.”

  Jenny took a breath, her forehead wrinkling. “Mom? I thought ... um ... I thought he killed her.”

  Sympathy washed over Ivy at the girl’s pained expression. “I found her right before I chased after you. She was only knocked out. I talked to her and she was alert. I’m sure they’ve found her by now.”

  “And ... him?” Jenny didn’t refer to Oliver as her father, something Ivy found telling.

  “I scared him away.” Ivy offered up a wan smile. “I’m a total badass when I want to be.”

  Jenny pressed her lips together, as if debating.

  “It’s okay,” Ivy reassured her. “You don’t have to laugh. It’s really not funny. How are you feeling?”

  “My head hurts,” Jenny admitted, her hand automatically going to the back of her head. “He hit me.”

  A burst of potent rage had Ivy’s blood pressure climbing and she momentarily wished she’d done something worse to the man. Not wanting to further traumatize Jenny, though, she kept her smile in place. “Well, we’ll get you checked out.” Gently, she moved her hand to the girl’s head. “Do you mind if I look?”

  Jenny was uncertain. “It hurts.”

  “I’ll try not to make it worse.”

  “Okay.”

  Ivy’s fingers were nothing more than a whisper as they danced over the back of the girl’s head. The lump she found was large, and Jenny winced, but it didn’t seem to be bleeding. “We’ll have a doctor check you out,” Ivy promised, glancing around the woods as she debated what to do next. The building wasn’t all that far away, but she wasn’t certain if she could carry Jenny. “Can you walk?”

  “I don’t know.” Jenny was shaky as Ivy helped her to a sitting position. “I feel kind of ... weird.”

  “Weird how? Do you feel as if you’re going to pass out?”

  “No. It’s more like my legs feel like they’re not all that strong.”

  Ivy nodded in understanding. “I’ll help you.” She braced herself as she helped pull Jenny to her feet, wrapping her arm around the girl’s waist and taking as much of her weight as she could manage. “We’ll take it slow.”

  It took three times as long for Ivy to walk back to the building as it had for her to chase Oliver into the woods. Once inside, she thought she was going to have to use her phon
e to call for help, and then she saw Jack step out of Dana’s room.

  His eyes lit with emotion so fierce it nearly stole Ivy’s breath when he caught sight of her. Then he registered Jenny and slowed his pace, plastering a smile on his face. “Hey, guys.” His voice was rusty and Ivy recognized he was fighting off tears. “I was just coming to find you.”

  “Is my mom in there?” Jenny’s lower lip trembled and she curled into Ivy as Jack grew closer.

  Reading the way the girl hid her face correctly, Jack stopped his advance. As much as he wanted to hold Ivy, check her over himself to make sure she was okay, he knew better than frightening the girl. “She is,” he confirmed, his smile never wavering. “She’s awake and very worried about you. We have doctors on the way to check on her.”

  “Okay.” Jenny didn’t make a move, instead remaining glued to Ivy. “Can I see her?”

  “Of course you can. I think she wants to see you more than anything.”

  Jenny didn’t move to close the distance. Instead she eyed Jack with trepidation.

  “I’ll take you,” Ivy offered, moving so she was on the other side of the girl and serving as a shield. “Jack is just going to wait by the wall over there while we go inside.”

  Jack nodded in agreement and took a step back. “I most definitely am. I happen to love walls.”

  The statement was absurd enough it elicited a small giggle from Jenny. “Who loves walls?” she asked Ivy, genuinely curious.

  “Weirdos,” Ivy replied.

  “Is he a bad weirdo?”

  Ivy shook her head as they slowly began moving down the hallway. “He’s a policeman. He’s a good weirdo.”

  Jenny’s voice was barely a whisper. “My dad always said policemen were bad.”

  Ivy frowned. “Well, he was wrong. Policemen are good. And this particular policeman?” She inclined her head toward Jack. “He’s one of the best.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I’m going to marry him in a few days.”

  “Oh.” Jenny looked perplexed. “He seems a little big for you,” she said finally as they paused in the doorway that led to the room. “He could really hurt you.”

  Jack thought his heart might break. “I would never hurt Ivy.”

  “My dad said that before. He promised. Then he always broke his promise.”

  Jack worked his jaw, uncertain.

  “Jack has to keep his word,” Ivy volunteered. “It’s part of being a policeman. I swear you can trust him.”

  “I don’t know.” Jenny’s wary eyes seemed older than her actual age.

  “Do you trust me?” Ivy queried.

  “Yeah. You beat up my dad and didn’t let him take me.”

  “Well, I trust Jack. He would never hurt me.”

  “Even if he was mad at you?”

  “Even if.”

  “Okay.” Jenny gave Jack a wide berth as she slipped inside the apartment. “I’m going to see my mom now.”

  “I’ll be out here,” Jack promised.

  From inside the room, Ivy smiled when she heard Dana let loose a relieved screech. Jenny immediately burst into tears and rushed to her mother, the two of them embracing on the couch. Ivy watched them for a moment, smiling, and then retreated to give them privacy. “Where is Brian?”

  Jack didn’t immediately answer. Instead he drew her into his arms and pressed her head to his chest. “I want to threaten to kill you — and I was making noise about it about five minutes ago — but now I think I’m in the wrong place for that.”

  Ivy lifted her chin so she could stare into his face. “I know you don’t mean it.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I need to be more careful what I say.”

  “Does that mean you’re not mad at me?” Ivy was hopeful.

  “No. I’m absolutely furious.”

  “Oh.”

  He tried to stay strong but couldn’t hold out in the face of her piteous blue eyes. “You suck,” he muttered, lowering his mouth to give her a soft kiss. “We need to have a talk when we get home, though,” he warned when they separated.

  “I’m really looking forward to that,” Ivy deadpanned.

  He chuckled as he pulled her tight again, briefly shutting his eyes as he rested his cheek on her forehead. “I was really afraid, Ivy. I wasn’t certain where to look for you.”

  “You would’ve found me soon enough. It looks like he used a crowbar to open the door at the end of the hall.”

  Jack followed her gaze, never releasing his grip on her. “How did he find the place?”

  “I don’t know.” That had been bothering Ivy, too. “We didn’t have a lot of time to chat. He was carrying Jenny, had her slung over his shoulder. I’m assuming he has a vehicle out there somewhere.”

  “We have backup coming. We’ve instructed them to stop every vehicle they see.”

  “He’s probably already gone.”

  “Probably.”

  Ivy took a moment to look around and make sure they were still alone. “Jack, something happened out in the woods.”

  He shifted his eyes to her, fury returning with a vengeance. “Did he put his hands on you?”

  “No. I put my hands on him.”

  Puzzlement replaced the rage. “I’m going to need more context, honey.”

  She laughed — something that felt really good given the circumstances — and then turned serious. “I burned him, Jack.”

  “Like with fire?”

  “Kind of.” Ivy related what happened as quickly as possible. It was only a matter of time before they were no longer alone. When she was finished, Jack looked as baffled as she felt.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “Did you know what you were doing?”

  Let me out. The whisper haunted Ivy. “I knew I was going to do something,” she replied. “I had no idea what, though. I just knew I couldn’t let him leave with Jenny. I read her file when I was inputting it yesterday. I know what he did to her.”

  Jack stroked his hand over the back of Ivy’s head in an effort to soothe her. “We won’t let him get near her again.”

  “How are you going to stop it?” Ivy was genuinely curious. “I don’t even understand how he managed to get inside in the first place. This building is supposed to be a secret. They just moved in. If he found them already—”

  “Shh.” Jack kissed her. “We’ll figure it out,” he promised. “Let’s not get worked up just yet, though, huh?”

  “How can I not get worked up? I totally burned that dude. I think, if I’d put enough energy into it, I could’ve killed him.”

  The statement took Jack by surprise. “I ....”

  “Now you’re freaked out,” Ivy groused under her breath.

  “No.” He refused to let her drive an unnecessary wedge between them. “I’m impressed. I’m gratified that you managed to keep yourself safe while rescuing that girl. I’m thrilled that you made that guy cry like a baby.”

  “You are?” Ivy was understandably dubious. “I thought this was going to turn into a thing.”

  He chuckled. “This is hardly the first magical thing you’ve done. I very much doubt it’s going to be the last thing you do. I love who you are. I don’t ever want to change you.”

  “Then why do I feel a but coming on?”

  “Because I’m really mad that you took off by yourself inside a building where a kidnapper turned out to be lurking. You should’ve waited.”

  “I couldn’t. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve gotten away with Jenny. Then what do you think would’ve happened?”

  Jack hesitated. He thought he had the high ground in the argument and now he wasn’t certain.

  Sensing she had the advantage, Ivy pressed it. “I totally took care of myself and saved the day. I should be treated as a hero.”

  He laughed. He couldn’t stop himself. “Is it any wonder that you were it for me from the moment I saw you?”

  “I rememb
er it taking a bit longer than that.”

  “My heart knew. My head just thought I was nuts at the time.”

  “And now?”

  “My heart is happy and I have frequent headaches. I’m willing to put up with them forever, though, because you’re worth it.”

  “Good answer.” Ivy rolled to the balls of her feet and gave him a smoldering kiss. “Does that mean you’re going to treat me like a hero later?”

  “There’s a very good chance.”

  “Yay.” Ivy was giddy.

  Brian and Serena picked that moment to appear at the hallway ell, and while Serena looked thrilled to see Ivy, Brian was already rolling his eyes.

  “Can’t you guys hold it together for five full minutes?” Brian complained, slapping his hand over his eyes. “You’re freaking horny little devils and I can’t stand it.”

  “Oh, I love you, too,” Ivy drawled as she pulled away from Jack. “Do you want to lecture me?”

  “I’m assuming Jack has already handled that part of the conversation.” He paused. “Although, you guys don’t usually make up this fast. You didn’t turn into a marshmallow, did you?” The question was pointed at Jack.

  “She was a hero,” Jack protested. “She saved Jenny Taylor and fought off the father without an ounce of help. I think she’s earned the right to be revered.”

  “Oh, geez. You’re such a pushover.”

  Ivy grinned at Jack before focusing on Serena. “Is everybody else okay? Did Debbie find you?”

  Serena nodded. “She did. It was smart of you to send her back. Although, when she showed up without you, I was worried. Then I got that text. Your fiancé was not happy, by the way. He showed up about three minutes after I received the message. I see what you mean now about the way you two fight.”

  Jack frowned. “What did you say?”

  “That you’re the handsomest man in the world,” Ivy replied, not missing a beat.

  “Oh, sure, I totally believe that.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Let’s change the subject and talk about safety procedures, huh? We’ll save the fake fight and making up for home.”

  “Can we do it over pizza?”

  “Is that what the hero wants?”