Wicked Warning (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 5) (2 page)

Ivy opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Finally she nodded and accepted Jack’s hand as he pulled her to a standing position.

“We’ll be back in a few minutes,” Jack informed Brian. “Watch our drinks.”

Brian’s smirk was obvious. “I’ll be here. Have fun, kids.”

J
ack’s hands
were soft as they wrapped around Ivy’s waist, the rhythm he picked slow as he pulled her close. She felt perfect in his arms, as if she always belonged there.

“You didn’t have to say that, Jack,” Ivy said, finally breaking the silence.

“Say what?”

“The trading down thing.”

Jack shifted his eyes until they locked with Ivy’s. “I meant what I said. I wouldn’t take it back.”

“It’s a sweet sentiment, but I think you said it because Maisie is the type of woman who bites the heads off her men after mating,” Ivy said. “I appreciate it, but I’m used to Maisie and her mouth so there’s no need to protect me.”

“Ivy, I meant what I said and you’re seriously going to tick me off if you question my feelings on the matter,” Jack said, not mincing words. “Any other woman in this town – heck, any other woman in this world – would be a step down from you.”

Ivy’s cheeks burned, but she didn’t drag her eyes away from Jack’s handsome face. “I think I might have hit the lottery and not realized it when I met you.”

Jack sighed, frustrated and mildly embarrassed by her heartfelt words. “I don’t think you were saying that after I disappeared while you were in the hospital.”

Now it was Ivy’s turn to scowl at the unwelcome memory. “Stop bringing it up,” she chided. “I know I do occasionally, but I’m going to stop. It’s not fair to you. You’ve more than made up for it.”

“Have I? I’m not sure I would be so forgiving in your shoes,” Jack said. “We’ve moved past it, though, and as long as you want to bring it up, I think I deserve it.”

“Oh, now I really need to stop bringing it up,” Ivy said, tilting her chin so it rested on Jack’s chest. “You’re too good to be true.”

“Right back at you.” Jack dropped a kiss on the tip of Ivy’s nose. “Tell me about your relationship with, Maisie, though. Why do you two hate each other?”

“Maisie and I went to school together and she’s always fancied herself the most popular girl in Shadow Lake,” Ivy replied. “In some ways she is … if you get my meaning, that is.”

“I get it,” Jack said. “I’m assuming she slept with everyone and ended up with no one and you slept with no one and everyone chased you. That probably made for some hard feelings.”

“People didn’t chase after me,” Ivy clarified. “People flirted with me because the idea of being around someone who is different is always appealing … until you have to deal with the real world ramifications.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jack was legitimately confused.

Ivy shrugged. “It means people think it’s great to have an odd girlfriend who marches to the beat of their own drum until they realize that means she doesn’t conform,” she replied. “That scares people away … and quickly.”

“It doesn’t frighten me.”

“That’s because you’re odd, too.”

Jack grinned. “I’ve never felt more adored.”

Ivy stilled. “I do adore you,” she said. “We’re odd and we found each other. I feel … blessed … that you came into my life.”

Jack moved one of his hands from Ivy’s waist so he could cup her chin. “I think you drew me to you,” he said, his voice low. “I think somehow … you called to me.”

“Like in our dreams?”

Jack searched Ivy’s face for a clue to how she wanted him to answer. In truth, they’d been sharing dreams since before they got together, magic bonding them in ways they never expected. Ivy claimed Jack called her to him, and he believed her. Now that nightmares no longer plagued him, though, he believed they met in a dreamland middle because it was where they were happiest.

“I think that maybe our hearts somehow recognized each other and latched on when we least expected it,” Jack said after a moment. “I think we never had a choice but to be together because our hearts wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I think that could be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Ivy said, pressing her lips to Jack’s chin.

Jack cupped the back of her head, his eyes intense as he studied her. “Do you want to go home?”

Ivy grinned. “I thought you said we needed to socialize.”

“I think we’ve done enough socializing with others,” Jack said. “I’m ready to spend time alone with you. We can socialize again in a month.”

“I like the way your mind works.”

Jack pressed his mouth against Ivy’s, sliding into a hot kiss that promised nothing but fun once they got away from prying eyes, and then regretfully pulled his head back. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll tell Brian we’re leaving.”

“He probably already knows,” Ivy said, slipping her hand into Jack’s. “He’s not an idiot.”

“He’s definitely not an idiot,” Jack said. “I … .” He turned to look toward the table they vacated upon deciding to dance and frowned when he caught sight of a disheveled teenage girl standing in the open doorway a few feet away.

Her long blond hair was so dirty it looked brown and her face was streaked with mud, as was the simple brown shift she wore as a dress. Her eyes were bright but terrified, and her outstretched hand told Jack she needed help.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked. “Is Maisie flashing her boobs?”

“Ivy … .”

Ivy shifted her eyes toward the door, immediately separating from Jack when she caught sight of the girl. Whatever Ivy sensed … or felt … remained locked inside her busy mind as the girl opened her mouth and bellowed.

“He’s coming!”

“
W
HAT
the
… ? She must be on something.”

“Shut up, Maisie,” Ivy hissed, ignoring the buxom librarian and keeping her eyes fixed on the disheveled teen. “We need to do something, Jack.”

“I know,” Jack said, releasing Ivy’s waist.

Maisie sidled up to the open spot next to Jack and shot a flirty look in his direction. “Do you want to trade up on dance partners yet?”

Jack ignored her as he took a step in the girl’s direction. “Do you need help?”

The girl’s hand flew to her mouth as she scanned the crowd. Ivy couldn’t help but notice the filth clinging to her, and the bruises and cuts on her arms. When she shifted her eyes toward the girl’s ankle, her heart lodged in her throat.

“Are you lost?” Jack asked, taking a step forward. “Do you need us to call an ambulance?”

The girl shrank in the face of Jack’s behemoth size and Ivy instinctively grabbed his arm to draw him back. Jack’s face registered confusion as he tore his eyes away from the girl. “What are you doing, Ivy?”

Ivy mutely shook her head and pointed toward the girl’s ankle, a chain wrapped tightly around it and the skin next to the iron cuff mottled and red. “I think she’s been through something horrible, Jack.” Ivy’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Oh, my … .” Jack sucked in a breath and glanced over his shoulder, only exhaling when he realized Brian was moving up behind him. “We have a situation.”

“I see that,” Brian said, his eyes wide. “Okay, um … here we go.” Brian held up his hands in a placating manner and slid in between Ivy and Jack so he could capture the girl’s attention. “My name is Brian Nixon. I’m a police officer here in Shadow Lake. We want to help you. Can I approach?”

The girl vehemently shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Stay away from me!”

Her voice was raspy, as if she hadn’t been able to drink anything in days, and the terrified look on her face clawed at Ivy’s heart.

“She’s high or something,” Maisie said. “You should lock her up for ruining the dance. Sheesh.”

“Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you,” Ivy seethed, the warning look she flashed Maisie hot enough to burn down the barn.

“Ivy, you should try talking to her,” Jack prodded. “She’s kept her eyes on you the entire time unless Brian or I made a move. I think … I think she’s going to respond better to a woman.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Brian said, moving to the side so Ivy could take his place.

Ivy wasn’t sure how to approach the girl so she forced a small smile and mimicked Brian’s previous stance, holding her hands up as she stepped closer. “My name is Ivy Morgan. I live here. I really want to help you. If you’re in trouble … .”

“She’s high, moron,” Maisie interjected.

Jack lifted a warning finger and extended it in Maisie’s direction. “One more word and I’ll gag you.”

“You can’t do that,” Maisie scoffed. “It’s against the law.”

“Not if I help him,” Brian warned. “Shut your filthy mouth, Maisie. Don’t you understand what’s happening here?”

Ivy forced the voices out of her mind and focused on the girl. “If someone hurt you … if someone is coming after you … I promise we’ll protect you. You can trust me. I swear it.”

The girl looked as if she wanted to believe Ivy, even going so far as to briefly extend her hand before snatching it back. Finally, she lifted her tear-filled eyes and locked gazes with Ivy. “He’s going to kill me for sure this time.”

Ivy hopped forward when she registered the girl’s eyes rolling back into her head, catching her before she hit the ground. The girl was rail thin, bones protruding out of her body as Ivy attempted to maintain her hold. Jack moved swiftly and caught the girl before Ivy could lose her grip, scooping her up in his arms.

“Let’s get her to the hospital,” Brian intoned, his face grim.

“What do you think happened?” Maisie asked, suddenly concerned.

“I think this town just lost its innocence,” Brian replied.

A
N HOUR
later Ivy paced the lobby of Shadow Lake’s small hospital clinic while Jack helplessly watched her fret. He tried getting her to sit with him, holding her hand as they waited for news on the girl’s condition, but each time she made it three minutes before returning to her endless walking.

Jack ultimately gave up trying to soothe her and instead settled for watching as she wore herself down. She would be exhausted before it was all said and done.

“You saw the ankle, right?” Ivy asked, tugging a hand through her hair. “Someone hurt her very badly.”

“We saw the ankle, Ivy,” Brian said, exchanging a worried look with Jack. “We all know what it means. Someone was keeping her captive.”

“She had bruises on top of bruises.” Ivy was mostly talking to herself. “Whoever had her must’ve taken her some time ago. He had her for weeks … months … maybe even years.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Ivy,” Jack said. “We don’t know who she is. We don’t know when or how she was held. We can only do one thing at a time. Please … try and relax.”

“You try and relax,” Ivy shot back, irritated. “Someone tortured her, Jack.”

“Okay.” Jack held up his hands and admitted defeat. “Keep pacing. Make yourself sick. See if I care.”

Ivy scorched him with a dark look. “You’re ticking me off.”

“All right, you two, that will be enough of that,” Brian warned. “I can see everyone is upset, but there’s no sense taking it out on each other. No one here caused this situation. We can’t do anything but wait.”

Ivy blew out a sigh, locking gazes with Jack. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too, honey,” Jack said. “I’m not trying to control you. I just … this is going to be a long slog tonight. I don’t want you burning yourself out.”

Ivy bit her lip and nodded, reluctantly ceasing her pacing so she could sit next to Jack. She slipped her hand into his, letting his warmth wash over her, and then hopped back to her feet again when restlessness washed over her. “What is taking so long?”

Brian shook his head as he lifted an eyebrow in Jack’s direction. “How do you put up with her?”

“It’s not as hard as it looks,” Jack replied. “She’s just … feisty … sometimes. That’s one of the things I usually like … except for times like this when I want to wrestle her down and sit on her.”

“How romantic,” Ivy deadpanned.

“It will be when we get some time alone,” Jack replied, unruffled. “Go back to your pacing, honey. It’s okay.”

Ivy opened her mouth, a nasty retort on the tip of her tongue, but it was cut short when Dr. Martin Nesbitt stepped into the waiting room. Ivy lost all interest in being mean to Jack when she caught sight of him.

“How is she?”

Dr. Nesbitt graced Ivy with a sad smile. “Lucky to be alive.”

“She looked rough,” Brian said, moving closer to the doctor. “What do we know?”

“We have her sedated right now because she woke up during the initial examination and began fighting us,” Nesbitt replied. “It’s nothing heavy, but we needed to be able to give her a cursory exam.”

“I understand,” Brian said, nodding. “I don’t blame you. What can you tell us?”

“She looks to be about sixteen or so, but we can’t be sure because the malnourishment could be skewing our estimates,” Nesbitt answered. “She’s gone long stretches without food and her bones are … brittle. She has two cracked ribs and we’re treating them.”

“She was starved, wasn’t she?” Ivy looked horrified.

Jack slid an arm around her shoulders, their earlier fight forgotten. “It’s okay, honey,” he said. “We’ll help her. She won’t be starved again.”

“We’re going to need to do a more thorough examination later on, but she’s been starved … and beaten … and sexually abused.”

Jack briefly pressed his eyes shut. “Did you do a rape kit?”

“We did, but there are no fluids,” Nesbitt said. “We did find a few hairs … and something else.”

“Well, there’s no reason to be shy,” Brian said. “What is it? Please tell me that girl doesn’t have some terrible disease on top of everything else.”

“Not that we’ve been able to ascertain so far,” Nesbitt replied. “We’re pumping her system full of antibiotics and vitamins. She’s Vitamin D deficient from lack of sunshine and natural light. She’s not going to be able to eat a lot of solid food all at once without making herself sick, so we’ll have to help her along.”

“What aren’t you telling us?” Jack asked.

“At some point, probably at least a year ago – maybe longer – that girl gave birth,” Nesbitt said.

“Oh, no.” Ivy felt like crying.

Jack drew her to him, wrapping his arms around her as he rocked back and forth. “Is there any way of knowing if the baby survived?”

“Not unless she wants to tell us, and the way she’s acting, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Nesbitt said. “If the baby survived, it’s out there, and we have no way of finding it.”