by Angela Blake
And he did.
He took her with him to the ground floor which was overflowing with men. The entire ranch was here. There were men outside, standing in the rain, noise was rampant, tempers running high. A dead man lay outside on the ground, while another unconscious one was hogtied on the kitchen floor and occasionally somebody would spit on him.
“Boss!”
“Who shot this bastard?”
“How’s Sam?”
“Little puta, how dare he?”
“Is Miss Ivy okay?”
Everyone was shouting out questions at the same time in a bid to be heard.
“Shut it down, you morons!” Billy’s voice roared over the lot of them, making everybody settle down. Their eyes still demanded blood, and Zack knew that none of his men were responsible for what happened.
The men made room for Ivy and someone pulled out a chair for her. Zack stood next to her, “Sam’s asleep.”
“Who shot the one outside?”
Zack looked down at the quiet woman who was full of surprises. She was an excellent marksman. The bullet had hit the man in the centre of his forehead, an instant kill.
“You’re looking at the wrong person,” He stated, when his men looked at him, expectantly. “Ivy was the one who did it.”
“The little miss?”
Following the stunned silence, a new found respect found its way in his men’s eyes. They touched their hats in reverence, and Zack wondered at the back of his mind, how many of them would fall in love with her.
For form’s sake, he put a possessive hand on Ivy’s neck, claiming her.
She looked up at him, startled but let it go.
“Are you all right, Miss Ivy?” One of the men asked her.
“Yeah,” She nodded. Then she took a breath, before continuing, “Somebody drugged us. All three of us.”
Billy stilled, “Are you sure?”
Zack nodded, grimly, “I don’t know what prompted Ivy to get up, but I still had a hard time getting my wits together.”
“What did you eat?” It was Billy who was doing the talking now.
Ivy shook her head, “I prepared all the food myself. And Sam ate with you guys. It’s only after we went to bed-“
Ivy froze.
The teabags on the table.
From the look in Zack’s eyes, he had also come to the same realization.
“Billy, when you brought Sam back, did you see anything out of the ordinary in the kitchen?”
Zack asked, his tone hard.
Billy rolled his shoulders, “Nothing. The fridge was ajar so I shut it, but nothing else.”
“What about the teabags?” Ivy pressed,
“Those fancy things?” His cheeks actually turned a little red, “No offence, Miss Ivy, but I just assumed they were yours. My niece has a thing for fancy tea as well, so I didn’t pay it much mind.”
“Those weren’t mine.” Ivy clenched her teeth. “And they weren’t here when we left. When Billy was leaving, I thought I saw a shadow move outside, but I thought I was imagining things.”
Zack’s jaw tightened, “They had no certain way of knowing that we would drink the tea, or the milk. There’s a good chance everything in the fridge is contaminated.”
He looked at his men, “Take the dead guy and this one to the barn on the outskirts. Keep this one tied, and keep four men on him at all times.”
Finally having something to do had the men clearing out, leaving the kitchen with only a few stragglers.
“Boss, you’re exhausted.” Said one of the men, “Why don’t you and Miss Ivy go get some rest? We’ll replace everything in here?”
The effects of the drug were starting to catch up to both of them and the only thing that Zack did before they fell asleep was to make sure, both their wounds were disinfected and bandaged.
And then they just collapsed into bed.
CHAPTER 10
When Ivy woke up, Zack was already up. However, he had his surly face on, and she was sure she resembled him because she had the mother of all hangovers. She glanced out the window and the sight of rain beating against the window and the black clouds outside had her snuggling into her blanket.
“I don’t want to get out of bed,” She mumbled, closing her eyes and trying to go back to sleep.
Zack didn’t say anything, just stared at her, as if he wanted to climb into bed with her as well. But he walked out of the room and came back, holding a drowsy Sam in his arms. Tucking the sleepy child next to her, he exited the room again.
Ivy wondered what he was up to, but her eyes were already drooping.
The sound of the door opening had her forcing herself awake.
This time Zack brought in a flask and a mug. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers, “Go back to sleep. There’s some coffee in the thermos. Have that when you feel up to it.”
Ivy nodded, but her mind was becoming more hazy as sleep overtook her.
Zack watched her till she was out, and then ran his fingers through her hair. Before pressing a kiss to her forehead. She was going through one emotional rollercoaster after the other and he prayed that by the time this whole mess was sorted out, she came out of this, whole.
There was not a shred of doubt in his mind that he loved this woman.
She was kind, prickly, loving, smart, and more dangerous than she looked. She had killed a man today to protect a child that she cared about and she hadn’t flinched. It would eat at her later, but he would be there for her, and make sure she got through it.
His world was shaken. It was like the day Ivy had stepped into his life, she had slowly started erasing the memories and impressions the women in his childhood had left on him, and on that blank slate, she had started leaving parts of herself.
Lily’s description of her did Ivy no justice.
He wondered what his sister would have to say if she could see him now.
She would have been smug, telling him that this was all her doing.
His heart ached at the loss again, but it occurred to him that Ivy’s presence had lessened the pain of losing both Tom and Lily at the same time. She had been right when she had called him out on being angry all the time.
The unfairness of his loss had left him bitter and raging at the world. However, he had concealed that anger under a rough temperament, not wanting to damage Sam any more than the child already was.
But Ivy’s smart mouth and suspicious looks had amused him and then later on, despite the fact that he had been in love with the portrait of her that Lily had painted in his mind, he had not realized how shallow those feelings had been till he had interacted with her.
This woman was selfless and although she had doubts about herself, she had that kind of personality that left even his men charmed by her. He didn’t want a woman who was weak. He needed somebody who could contend with him at his worst and Ivy was just the person for the job. She would not hesitate to call him out on his bullshit.
Zack closed the door behind him and his expression hardened, all the softness leaving his face.
It was time to get some answers.
***
Billy was waiting at the door of the barn, armed with a rifle. He stood under an umbrella stand to protect him from the pouring rain.
He nodded at Zack and stepped aside to let him enter.
When Zack entered the barn, he did not enter as a rancher. No, he entered as a former SEAL, his eyes hard. He tossed his raincoat aside, and cracked his knuckles. All his SEAL training was fresh in his mind and when he approached the man tied to the pole. Now that his mind was clear, he recognized him.
It was one of the three men who had approached him at night the other day. Zack kneeled on the ground, one leg supporting his arm, the other on the ground.
“Well, hello.” Zack said, pleasantly. “We’ve met before.”
The man did not respond, instead scowling and spitting in his face.
Zack took out a handkerchief and wiped the spit off his face, not the least bit bothered. Putting the piece of cloth back in his pocket, he gripped the man’s jaw, the smile on his face not matching the cold look in his eyes, “By the time we’re done here, you’ll have secrets pouring out of your ass.”
***
When Ivy came downstairs, it was nearing afternoon and she was starting to feel hungry. To her surprise, it was still raining. Sam bounded down the stairs before her, while Fabian limped down, by his side.
When the boy looked up at her, his eyes questioning, Ivy shook her head and lied, “Fabian fell down at night. Be nice to him, okay?”
Of course that meant Sam was going to pamper his best friend and he rushed to get all the dog treats he could get his tiny hands on.
Ivy walked into the kitchen and saw Zack sitting there, a dark expression on his face. If she was a smart person, she wouldn’t poke that right now.
But she wasn’t a smart person.
“Did you have something to eat?”
His reply was short, curt, “No.”
She rolled her eyes, and took out some eggs. Everything in the fridge had been replaced and there were also some burger buns and sausages with a small note taped on them, which read, ‘If Miss Ivy would please’.
Shaking her head, Ivy just reached for the loaf of bread and then shut the fridge.
In a matter of minutes, the entire kitchen was filled with the sound of sizzling as she fried the eggs and the smell of warm toast.
Sam rushed in, his hands dripping with water, and he pulled at the fridge door, attempting to take out the juice box. Ivy restrained him, pointing at the table, “There’s fresh juice there.”
The cup of coffee she had had when she had finally woken up had jolted her senses into full awareness, so Ivy declined the coffee and Zack poured the juice for all three of them.
Ivy waited till breakfast was over to ask Zack what was eating at him.
“Where did you learn how to shoot like that?” Zack asked as he cleared the dishes, not letting her broach the subject of his broody mood.
Ivy shrugged, “I was adopted once for about a year,” – one year and ninety five days, to be exact – “before I was returned.”
The memory still cast a shadow over her heart, “The couple was in their late forties, and I was ten. My foster dad had served in the army at one point and he owned a shooting range back then. He told me that I should be able to defend myself. So, he taught me how to shoot a gun at his range. He also taught me self defence. He was wonderful.”
Her voice was thick, and Zack approached her and reached out to run his hand through her hair in a comforting manner, “Why did they return you?”
“He had a heart attack one morning. Just like that. And then he was gone. And his wife couldn’t live alone so she went to live with her son in Australia. She hugged me and told me to write. I think she was genuinely sad that she had to return me to the orphanage. I told her it was okay and that I understood, but she still cried.”
There was an odd acceptance in her voice that Zack didn’t really like.
“Did you? Write to her, I mean?”
Ivy shrugged, “For a few months. But then the letters stopped coming and when I left the orphanage, I found out she had passed away around the same time the letters had stopped coming.”
“I’m sorry, Ivy.” Zack wanted to erase the pain that radiated from her, but she just shook it off and gave him a bright smile, “It’s okay. I’m not ten anymore and that’s all in the past.”
Zack sighed, and sat down, dragging her into his lap, “No, baby. It still hurts you. I wish I could erase all of these bad memories that you carry with you.”
It was odd to see Zack sound so miserable, and that snapped Ivy out of her own bout of self pity. She framed his face in her palms and pressed a tender kiss on his mouth, “How do you know you don’t?”
They sat in silence for a while, holding each other, and putting the memories of the past in their respective boxes.
“It was the first time I ever held a gun after he died.” Ivy studied her hands, contemplating. She shook her head and stood up, “It’s done. I don’t want to think about it.”
She didn’t want to think about the fact that she had taken a life.
A little unsettled, restless, she glanced outside, “It’s still raining.”
Then she glanced down, her brow furrowed, “Why are there wet tracks here? Did you go out in the rain?”
Zack looked at her, his gaze steady, “I had some work to do.”
And Ivy knew it was something to do with the man who had attacked her in the house. And she also knew that whatever ‘work’ he had had to do, was not something she wanted to hear.
She looked outside again and then moved to the cupboard, her soul restless. She heard Zack’s chair scrape against the floor as he got up, and then his shadow fell over her. He was reaching into the cupboard and he brought out a small box.
“What’s that?”
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently towards the living room, “Go sit there. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Zack closed the door after her and stared for a few minutes at the small horizontal markings that his father had done for both him and Lily on the door. He raised his hand to touch the scratches and for a few moments he stepped into the past, where Lily was holding him still because he was jumping up and down, and his father was measuring his height, chuckling.
Those had been simpler days.
He turned around and moved to the stove.
Hearing his cell phone ring, he looked at the number and then answered, “Sir.”
Trey’s voice was grim, “Your friend, Damon Price, was run off the road by a few men who wanted him to come with them. Fortunately, he managed to flag down a car. They were college jocks and they gave him a hand. My people have been in touch with him. He’s fine, but I’m coming down there today.”
Zack put on the water to boil and stared outside at the rain.
It didn’t look like it was going to let down anytime soon.
“Zack?”
“I’m still here.”
A hint of something in Trey’s voice, “I’m landing in a few hours and I’m coming straight down there. Did you know that your friend is not listed in any database?”
“Let’s talk when you get here,” Zack said.
A sound of agreement from the other end and the line closed.
The tea was ready within minutes and Zack carried out two mugs with the steaming liquid to Ivy. She was huddled on the couch, looking a little lost and he set the mug down in front of her.
“Is this coffee?” Ivy asked.
Zack smiled, “Black tea. I added a little milk and sugar. It’s very soothing.”
Ivy lifted her mug and took a sip and blinked, “It’s actually very nice.”
They enjoyed their tea in comfortable silence, both having a lot on their mind, till Zack said, “We have a guest coming today.”
When Ivy just looked at him, he said, “Ronald Trey, the man I told you about. Damon was waylaid off the road but he was lucky cause some kids saw him and helped him out. Trey will be here in a few hours and hopefully by then, this whole mess will be sorted out.”
Ivy hoped so, but there was something that was nagging at her, “Why did they try to take Sam? And how did these people get in, in the first place? I thought the house was surrounded by your men.”
Zack’s expression blackened, “The guys trade spots every three hours. Someone told them the exact time the change happens, and that is when they slipped in.”
Ivy stilled, “Do you know who it was?”
Zack’s face was stony, “They didn’t know the name of the bastard. He overheard them talking at the local bar and slipped them information about your whereabouts and later on, about the change in times.”
Ivy tugged at his sleeve, making him looks at her, “Why Sam
? Why not me?”
Zack downed the rest of his tea in one go, before putting the mug down with a loud clatter on the coffee table. “They couldn’t be sure whether we had ingested the drug which was actually a date rape drug. Figures that’s what they would have handy. If you had been sleeping alone, they would have come for you, but I was in your bed. Sam made an easy target since they thought they could negotiate him for you.”
Ivy didn’t say anything.
What could she say?
Zack told her not to feel guilty, but how could she feel anything but. None of this would have happened had she not decided to interfere in something she should have stayed away from.
She kept her thoughts to herself, however, and wondered if it would be that easy for this whole mess to settle down as Zack said it would be.
***
Ronald Trey was an imposing man.
Not physically.
But in the way he carried himself.
He had salted hair, black with silver streaks, that was carefully slicked back. His suit was sharp, a black color, with not a wrinkle in place. He was a handsome man. Where Zack had those rugged good looks, Trey was conventionally handsome, the kind of man you would think belonged on the cover of a modelling magazine.
But as Ivy greeted him, she felt no hint of attraction, only wariness.
“So, this is what you’ve been up to,” Trey commented as he stood on the wooden porch and looked at the ranch.
Zack stuck his hands in his pockets, “Yeah. It’s a good deal.”
Trey eyed him, his sharp grey eyes assessing Zack, “You know you’ve still got a place back with us. You’re a damn fine SEAL.”
Zack shook his head, “Don’t tempt me. I’ve got too many responsibilities here.”
“We could work something out. You could come back as a trainer at the academy.”
Zack just stared at him, till Trey shrugged, “I had to try. You’re still an asset to us and letting you retire isn’t something that’s got us too thrilled.”
He turned to look at Ivy, “Well, Miss Mills, as much as I would really like to hear your side of the story, and have a look at this data that you’ve procured, I’m afraid we have to wait for the DA to show up. I would be grateful for a cold beverage, though.”