Wicked Times (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 3) Read online

  “I honestly didn’t have anyone spit in your food,” Brian said. “I’m not twelve.”

  “It’s not that,” Jack said. “It’s just … Ivy’s was better.”

  “Oh, good grief,” Brian grumbled. “Are you going to spend the next week mooning over Ivy?”

  “Probably.”

  “Why don’t you go to her house, fall to your knees, and beg her to take you back instead? That way we can focus on the case instead of your lovesick heart. How does that sound?”

  It sounded exactly like what Jack wanted to do. That didn’t mean he should do it. “I can’t do that until I know she won’t be in danger because of me,” he said.

  “Have you considered that she’s already a target and that putting distance between the two of you is only going to make her easier to get to?” Brian asked.

  Jack balked. “No. Why would you think that?”

  “Everyone knows you were together up until … this,” Brian said. “That’s all anyone can talk about.”

  “I didn’t realize I was so popular.”

  “It’s not you,” Brian clarified. “Ivy Morgan has been the ‘girl to get’ for years. Every man in her age group has tried and she shot them all down. You’re the only one to get close to her since … well, it’s been a really long time.”

  “That makes me feel worse.”

  “Good,” Brian said. “I talked to her the other day. Did she tell you that?”

  “We were too busy fighting … and then sleeping … and then fighting some more,” Jack replied. “I knew someone told her what happened. I figured it was you.”

  “You slept together?” Brian was stunned. “You broke up with her and then slept with her? What kind of deviant are you?”

  “We didn’t sleep together that way,” Jack hissed. “That’s none of your business, by the way. We just … Ivy took her painkillers and they knocked her out. I was tired from the hangover so I kind of … slept next to her.”

  “Oh, well, that makes it perfectly all right,” Brian said, nonplussed. “By the way, it is my business because I happen to love Ivy. As long as you’re going to be moody and pining for her it affects our partnership. Suck it up.”

  “I’m not pining for her.”

  “Son, if you were pining any harder you would turn into a literal tree,” Brian countered. “I’m not joking with you. I think we’re kind of stuck here because you can’t think outside the box as long as Ivy is on your mind.”

  “I won’t put her in danger,” Jack snapped. “What kind of man does that?”

  “Jack, she’s already in danger,” Brian argued. “Just because you decided to dump her in the dirt like a jackass, that doesn’t mean whoever is after you cares. She’s still a target.”

  Jack’s heart rolled. Was that true? Was he making things worse by staying away from her? Could he keep her safe if he was close?

  “Just think about it,” Brian prodded. “Finish the rest of your sandwich. If we’re lucky your stomach will outsmart your brain and go running to Ivy for comfort.”

  Jack chuckled hoarsely. “Maybe.”

  “Make sure you beg her good,” Brian said. “She’s going to be mean as all get out to you when you go crawling back. I think we both know you deserve it, but she’s going to take a lot of convincing.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  IVY was shaken when she left Felicity’s. She knew it was juvenile to run out on her aunt like that, but she couldn’t get the feeling of “touching” something she knew shouldn’t be there out of her head. She’d never experienced anything like it. She could hardly process what she was feeling.

  Her mind was muddled for the duration of the ride back to Shadow Lake. Ivy couldn’t get her hands to stop shaking until she pulled onto the road that led to her cottage.

  She was anxious to get home. She wanted to lock the doors, grab a blanket, and curl up with Nicodemus and a good book so she could close out the rest of the world for a few hours. She was almost to her driveway when a loud “bang” jolted her. She didn’t have time to focus on it, though, because her car careened toward the ditch in front of her house.

  Ivy couldn’t control the car, and she was thankful there was no oncoming traffic when she sailed across both lanes and into the ditch. Her momentary feeling of relief didn’t last long when she realized what happened: Someone shot out her tire.

  Twelve

  “What about Simmons’ mother?” Brian asked, opening his bag of potato chips. “Would she be willing to talk to you?”

  Jack shrugged. “I honestly don’t know,” he answered, pushing his potato salad around the container. It didn’t look half as good as Ivy’s had the previous day. “Janet was a good woman. She was always nice to me. She used to bring in a homemade lunch for us once a week, and she always teased me about finding a woman to settle down with.”

  “Well, you’ve done that,” Brian said. “You just have to get her to forgive you.”

  Jack scowled. “Do you have to keep bringing up Ivy? It’s bad enough that I can’t stop thinking about how much better her potato salad was … or how much better her sandwich was … or how much I miss her smile. You’re making this worse.”

  “Ugh. You’re wrecked, son. Give in and do the right thing. You’re not going to feel better until you do.”

  “And what happens if Ivy dies because I can’t stand to be without her?”

  “What happens if she dies because you were being a horse’s ass and staying away from her?” Brian challenged.

  “I … .”

  The sound of Brian’s desk phone ringing cut off Jack’s answer, saving him from the prospect of having to admit he was desperate to do exactly what Brian suggested. “Saved by the bell,” Brian muttered, lifting the receiver. “Brian Nixon.”

  Jack watched his partner, the man’s eyes narrowing and causing Jack to straighten in his chair. Something was going on.

  “Ivy, slow down,” Brian ordered, causing Jack’s heart to roll.

  “Is that Ivy? Give me that phone.” Jack reached for it, but Brian pushed his chair back and slapped Jack’s greedy hand away.

  “Are you sure that’s what happened?” Brian asked, his tone grave. “Where are you now? Okay. No … Ivy, do not get out of that vehicle. Make yourself small and get down as close to the floor of the car as you can. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Don’t risk getting out of that car and trying to run to your house. You’ll only make yourself an easier target.”

  Brian disconnected and jumped to his feet. “We have to go.”

  “What happened?” Jack felt as if he was swimming in quicksand.

  “Someone shot out Ivy’s tire and caused her to fly into the ditch by her house,” he said. “She’s okay … the front window shattered … but she’s exposed. We have to get out there.”

  IVY wasn’t having the best day. Between losing Jack, feeling a ghost brush up against her, having to listen to her aunt extol all of Jack’s virtues, and now being shot at … again … she was pretty much at her limit.

  She heard a vehicle approach from her spot on the car floor, but she was too terrified to look up. When the driver’s side door flew open, Ivy instinctively covered her face. The next thing she knew she was being hauled out of the car and into Jack’s arms.

  Jack cried out when he saw her, pressing his face against hers as he rocked her. He’d almost convinced himself she would be dead by the time they got to her. He was sure he’d never get a chance to apologize. “Honey … I … .”

  He was crying. For a second Ivy couldn’t understand why he was shaking. That’s when she realized what was happening. “I’m okay, Jack. I’m … shaken up, but I’m okay.”

  Jack sobbed as he held her, opening his mouth to offer her reassuring words and yet finding none.

  “Jack, you’re smothering her,” Brian said, tugging on his partner’s arm. “Let her breathe.”

  Jack refused to relinquish his grasp.

  “It’s okay,”
Ivy said, her expression rueful. “It’s probably the best thing that’s happened to me all day. How sad is that?”

  Brian offered her a sympathetic smirk, but the expression didn’t make it all the way up to his eyes. “You’re cut up a little on your cheek there, kid. Does anything else hurt?”

  Ivy shifted her eyes to Jack. “Just my heart.”

  After a few more minutes of incoherent crying, Jack finally released his grip on Ivy so he could walk her back to the cottage. Brian moved with them to the front porch, his eyes alert, but then he left them to a few moments of privacy as he moved back out to the road to take care of Ivy’s vehicle and wait for backup.

  Jack checked Ivy’s house to make sure it was empty, Nicodemus shooting him a disdainful look as he waited next to his food bowl, and then Jack turned his full attention to Ivy. “Let me see your face.”

  Ivy’s hand flew up to her cheek, flinching when she made contact with the cut. “Well, I guess this is the frosting on top of the cupcake of my day.”

  Jack pressed his lips together. “It’s not bad. I’ll clean it up and make sure there’s not any glass in it, but … it won’t scar or anything.”

  “That’s good,” Ivy quipped. “It’s going to be hard enough to get a man when I have pink hair and a gunshot wound. When you add a disfigured face into the mix, I’m going to be considered the new hunchback of Shadow Lake.”

  “I don’t want you to say that.” Jack swallowed hard. “I … .”

  “Oh, lighten up, Jack,” Ivy chided. “If now isn’t the time for inappropriate dating humor, when is?”

  “I don’t want you joking about dating anyone else,” Jack admitted. “I … we’re going to fix this and then you’re going to be dating me. I don’t like to share.”

  “How are we going to fix this, Jack?” Ivy challenged. “You don’t want to be with me. I’m not going to force you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. We’re … done.”

  “Shut up and sit on the table,” Jack instructed, striding down her hallway so he could gather her first aid kit from the bathroom – and his nerve. When he returned to the kitchen, he was surprised to find her doing exactly what he asked. “I guess you’re more shaken up than you want to admit, huh? You’re actually doing something I told you to do. It must be a day for miracles.”

  “Yeah, I’m feeling pretty miraculous,” Ivy sniped. “I spent the morning with my aunt and listened to her tell me that I was giving you a raw deal. Then she tried to conduct a séance to talk to Marcus Simmons’ ghost. Then I got shot at and wrecked my car on my way home. That’s miraculous for sure.”

  Jack frowned as he dabbed peroxide on a cotton ball. “What do you mean when you say she tried to do a séance?”

  “Oh, well, she lit candles and told Marcus he had some explaining to do and then … well … I left and came home because it was all so ridiculous.” There was no way Ivy was going to admit to brushing up against a ghost. She was already in a vulnerable position. There was no need to exacerbate it.

  Jack gently touched the cotton ball to Ivy’s cheek, his eyes locking with hers. “What did you see when you were coming home?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Ivy nodded. “I was kind of lost in my head,” she admitted. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “It was the front driver’s side tire that was shot out,” Jack said. “That means the shot came from your left. Try to think. Did you see any movement … maybe something you brushed off as an animal or something … or did you see a person?”

  “Yes, Jack. I saw a person and failed to mention it after I got shot at. Whoops.”

  Jack sighed. Brian was right about her being angry. Now was not the time for petulance, though. “I’m just trying to … protect you. I’m trying to get answers so we can find out who is doing this. Then we can … .”

  “Don’t finish that sentence,” Ivy warned, wagging a finger in Jack’s face. “You either want to be with me or you don’t. I’m pretty sure that leaving me in the hospital after I was shot means you don’t. It’s … okay.”

  Jack pressed his eyes shut. “Ivy … .”

  “I’m sorry I’ve been ragging on you,” Ivy offered. “I can’t explain it. It’s not fair. Technically we had one date. I’m being mean to you over one date. I have no idea what’s wrong with me.”

  Jack knew what was wrong with her. It was the same thing eating away at him. “We’ve had more than one date,” he corrected. “We’ve had quite a few of them in our dreams. I already know you better than anyone else I’ve ever been with.”

  “Yes, but that wasn’t real, was it?” Ivy asked, her voice cracking.

  “It sure felt real,” Jack replied. “I … this is all my fault. If you think I’m not taking responsibility, then you’re wrong. I have no idea who is doing this. I’m so desperate to keep you safe that I’m putting you in danger. I … don’t know what to do.”

  “You don’t have to do anything,” Ivy said. “You made your decision. I’m the one who has to live with it. I kept telling myself that you would regret it, but … .”

  “I do regret it,” Jack rasped out. “I regret leaving you at the hospital. I regret getting drunk and spending six straight hours watching your back in a dream. I regret fighting with you … and scaring you … and hurting you. I regret all of it.”

  Ivy stilled. “When did you watch my back in a dream?”

  “You were in your fairy ring the night of the shooting. I drank because I didn’t want you to find me in our dreams. I found you, though. I was too afraid to approach you because of what I did.”

  “I felt you,” Ivy murmured, her blue eyes stormy. “I told myself I was imagining it because I was such a wreck when I finally fell asleep. I wouldn’t turn around because I was afraid you weren’t really there. I wanted to comfort myself with the delusion that you were watching over me.”

  “It wasn’t a delusion,” Jack countered. “I did watch you. I was a coward, but I watched you.”

  Ivy bit the inside of her cheek. “You realize that I’m still a target whether you’re with me or not, right?”

  Jack nodded.

  “I don’t want you to protect me out of a sense of obligation,” Ivy said. “I want you to want me.”

  “Oh, honey, I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything,” Jack said. “I’m so scared that I’m going to screw this up, though. I need to know you’re safe before we can move beyond this – and I desperately want to move beyond this. I need to know that my past isn’t going to kill our future. Do you understand that?”

  “I guess I do,” Ivy conceded. “I need something from you, though.”

  “Name it.”

  “I need you to go,” Ivy said, causing Jack’s heart to flop. “I need you to leave. I don’t want you to come back here until you’re sure that I’m what you want.”

  Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Ivy shushed him with a look.

  “You can say you want me, but I don’t think it’s true,” Ivy said. “It hurts to feel like I’m the one doing all of the caring while you do all of the walking away. I don’t want to let you go, but I’m afraid it will kill me to try and hold onto you when you don’t want to stay.

  “So, I want you to go,” she continued. “If you come back here, you have to be ready to be with me. Make sure that’s what you want. I can’t go through this again. I can’t be with someone I don’t trust, and if you keep walking away from me I’ll never be able to trust you.”

  “Ivy … .”

  “No,” Ivy said, cutting him off. “You have some thinking to do. You have a decision to make. I’ve already made mine. I want you, Jack, but I don’t want you walking in and out of my life whenever you feel like it.

  “You’re either with me or you’re not,” Ivy said, her voice firm. “Make a choice.”

  Thirteen

  “How is Ivy?” Brian asked, scanning Jack’s pale face as his partner joined him by the road.

  “S
he’s okay.”

  “How are you?”

  “I’m … I don’t know,” Jack answered, his mind busy. “I have no idea. She’s so strong. I’m a coward and she’s a hero. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You know what to do,” Brian countered. “You’re right about being a coward, though. That’s why you’re out here with me instead of in there making things right with her.”

  Jack ran a hand through his hair, yanking on it for good measure to draw him back to reality. “How bad is her car?”

  “I’m having it towed to the garage in town,” Brian replied, knowing Jack needed to talk about the investigation as a front so he could internally wrap his head around whatever went down with Ivy inside of her house. “I don’t think it’s too bad. She’s going to need a new tire and windshield … and she’ll probably need a front-end alignment … but she got off lucky.”

  “Did she?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if whoever is doing this isn’t trying to kill her but scare her away from me,” Jack suggested. “Both of the shots had to come from some distance … and with a handgun … that means whoever this is has training. If they’re that good, they should be able to deliver a kill shot. They certainly wouldn’t miss twice.”

  “I think there’s merit to that theory,” Brian said.

  Jack nodded, relieved Brian had faith in his pronouncement.

  “I also think you’re floating it because it gives you a reason not to run back to Ivy and get what you want,” Brian added.

  “But … .”

  Brian shook his head. “It doesn’t matter if this person is trying to kill her or not,” he said. “She could’ve died from the impact if she hit a tree. She could’ve moved her face at the last minute and took that bullet in the cheek and died in the middle of your picnic. No matter how you try to justify staying away from her, she’s a target.”

  “I know.” Jack glanced back at the house, wishing Ivy would at least stand in the window so he could see her.