by M. J. Perry
“You don’t need to reassure me. I trust you.”
“You trust too easily.” He growled.
He tugged me gently to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door for me to climb inside. He closed the door quietly once I was seated and walked back round to his side. I saw him wave to a car behind us before getting in beside me. The door closed quietly again, and he turned the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life. He was silent, I could feel waves of anger coming from him, and I didn’t understand why. We drove for at least twelve miles before he turned to me with a frown. I caught the look and opened my mouth to ask him if he was okay, but he shook his head.
“Ivy, I’m not sure if you know how much danger you’re actually in. I thought it best to keep you in the dark, but that’s not my decision to make.”
“Okay.” I drawled. I wanted to know what was coming, didn’t I?
“Ted is crazy.”
“I figured that.”
“He’s ruined lives, and he’s had people hurt when they’ve disagreed with him.”
“I know he’s dangerous, Maverick, I’ve seen him in action remember.”
His jaw tightened. “Don’t remind me. I have people looking for dirt on him as we speak. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“Then I can go back to my life?” I asked. Why did that thought make me sad? Not seeing Maverick again made anxiety set in, and that was silly. I’d just met him, and besides, he was way out of this plain girl’s league.
“Yes.”
“Great,” I said with no excitement what so ever. What the heck was wrong with me?
Maverick flicked the radio on, and rock music played softly. “Why don’t you rest your eyes for a while?”
“I could do with a nap. I haven’t slept properly for weeks.”
“You didn’t feel safe, it isn’t surprising.”
“I feel safe now,” I muttered.
Closing my eyes, I drifted off to the sound of Maverick’s fingers tapping along to the beat of a song.
Chapter Three
Ivy
A noise woke me, and I hesitated before opening my eyes because I wasn’t sure what I was waking up to. Images of Ted burst into my mind, and as a hand gently touched my cheek, I flinched. “Easy, Ivy, we’re here,” Maverick whispered.
My eyes flicked open, and I found myself staring into a pair of clear blue ones. I tore my eyes away and looked out of the windscreen into the darkness. With a frown, I looked back at Maverick. “Why is it so dark?”
“While you were asleep, we clocked a tail, so we took a couple of detours.”
I looked at the clock and realised we’d had four hours of detours and I’d slept that long. “Are we safe now?”
“Of course,” He said without hesitation.
Clicking off my belt, I shifted to get out of the car. Maverick took a step back, giving me room to climb out, and when he offered me his hand, I slipped mine into it. I stared at the house in front of us. It was gorgeous.
“This is what you call a safe house?” I asked Maverick.
He chuckled, “We were gifted it would you believe. Ian helped a very rich man in our early days. He was so impressed by us that he paid us double what we’d priced for his job and gave us this place as a bonus.”
“Wow, that was incredibly generous,” I said fascinated that anyone would just give a farmhouse away as a gift.
“His job was a complex one.”
“Can you tell me what it was?”
“Nope.”
“Oh,” I pouted. “I’m intrigued now.”
“I won’t tell you, sweetheart.”
I sighed. “I bet it’s just as wonderful inside as it is on the outside.”
“I think you’ll like it,” he grinned. We turned to walk up the path, and that’s when I saw two men standing by the front door of the farmhouse.
I stepped back until I was hiding almost entirely behind Maverick. The men at the door were smiling, obviously meaning to reassure me that they meant no harm, but the size of them had me cowering. I started to tremble.
Maverick squeezed my hand. “They’re my friends, Ivy, they won’t hurt you. You’re safe here.”
I felt stupid. I knew I wasn’t in any danger and that they were on my side, I just found it incredibly hard to be around men, except for Maverick. My first initial sight of him had frightened me, but I trusted him implicitly. If he trusted these men, then I would try to do the same.
“Okay,”
“Matt is the one in the green t-shirt, and Lee is the one standing there with a stupid grin on his face,” Maverick told me.
I gave them a little wave.
Maverick grinned and tugged me towards them.
“Hey, Ivy, I’m Lee, you can tell just by looking that I’m the good looking one.”
I giggled. “Hi, Lee, It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Matt. It’s nice to meet you, Ivy. I hope the ride wasn’t too uncomfortable.”
“I slept most of it,” I admitted.
“That’s understandable. You’ve had a rough few weeks.”
“They haven’t been the best.”
Maverick squeezed my hand to get my attention. “I’ve already taken your suitcase up to your room. If you want to freshen up, I can show you where to go.”
“I would love a shower,” I admitted.
“I’ll show you to your room.”
“Thanks,” I said shyly. It felt so weird to be with strangers, even if they were all so friendly. Lee and Matt moved so we could pass them, and I heard the door close behind us.
“It’s this way,” Maverick said as I followed him down a short corridor. I’d expected the safe house to be barren, to be devoid of any cosiness that it would be uncomfortable and cold, but I was wrong. It felt homely and lived in with bits and bobs cluttering the rooms. He stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. I peered inside and saw a suitcase was lying on the large bed with fresh towels neatly folded next to it.
Maverick didn’t enter, he stood outside the door, and letting go of my hand, he brushed my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Shower, Ivy, take your time, and I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
“Okay.”
“Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”
I shuddered. “Liver.”
He chuckled. “Nobody likes liver,” He paused as if he wanted to say something, but instead shook his head and closed the door behind him.
I sighed. I felt so protected with him, and it felt like he was going out of his way to make sure that didn’t change. I loved how he kept touching me, almost as if he was trying to reassure me. It was sweet for a guy who projected an air of danger. I didn’t flinch from his touch, and it surprised me. If it had been anyone else touching me, I would have. The thought of anyone being close to me made me feel queasy and panicked. Maybe Maverick knew that. Did he feel the same connection that I did, or was I imagining the entire thing? Was I on the rebound from the vileness of Ted and looking for a safety net? I couldn’t imagine Maverick went around caressing cheeks and holding hands with women all the time, but I didn’t know him. He didn’t seem the type, though. He seemed wary, closed off, but he let his guard down with me.
I sat down heavily on the bed. These last few days had been the worst of my life. I’ve never been so scared or felt so alone. To think I’d been planning to marry a man who could hurt me the way he did. How could I have been so stupid? I didn’t want to know what he’d done before, the awful things Maverick alluded to, but I felt I needed to know so I could try to understand him. How could a man have two faces, two personalities? One face, that was kind, thoughtful, and gentle, and the other face that was frightening and batshit crazy. More importantly, how could I have fallen for it? I had never thought myself a sucker for a bullshitter, but obviously, I was wrong.
I got up and opened the suitcase, pleased at the clothes it held. There were jeans, t-shirts, sexy knickers, and matching bras. Kate had packed this ca
se in less than an hour. How was that even possible? I selected a set of matching underwear, skinny black jeans, and a black V-neck t-shirt and headed to the en-suite bathroom. I turned the light on and sighed in delight at the sight in front of me. It was clean, it was huge, and the mirror on the wall showed me that I looked like crap. Oh well. Nothing I could do about that because I felt like it too. I dropped the clean clothes on the handy shelf by the sink and went to grab a towel from the bed. There was a toiletry bag in the case, and I grabbed that as well. Slipping my shoes off, I headed back to the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more than a hot shower. I stripped my clothes off and folded them up, placing them on the closed toilet seat.
Turning on the shower, I found it was surprisingly easy to work considering how many knobs there were. I climbed in taking the shower things with me. It felt so nice on my tired muscles that I groaned in delight. Knowing I was safe here, that I had three men looking out for me helped me to relax as the hot water beat down on my skin. Picking up the shower gel, I washed every inch of my body.
By the time, I’d finished washing and conditioning my hair, my stomach was rumbling loudly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. Getting out of the shower, I dried off and got dressed. I didn’t have a brush for my hair, so after I’d dried it with the towel, I used my fingers to comb out the tangles. I looked in the mirror and winced at my reflection. My face was too thin, and my eyes were sad. I didn’t look like me.
Scooping up my dirty clothes, I opened the bathroom door and came face to face with Maverick. I gasped in fright.
“Hey, sorry,” He said softly. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I don’t feel like me right now.”
“Honey, you’re still you. You’re just tired. Once you’ve eaten and had a decent night’s sleep, you’ll feel much better.” He promised.
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.”
I snorted. “How can you be so sure?”
“I’m always right.”
“Or you just don’t admit when you’re wrong.” I grinned.
He shrugged. “It’s the same thing. Are you ready to eat?”
“Yes, I’m starving,” I admitted. Putting my clothes down on the chair in the corner, I walked towards the door. Maverick didn’t move. His eyes on me made me nervous. I looked down, worried I’d forgotten to dress or something.
“What’s the matter?” I asked self-consciously.
“Your hair. It’s beautiful.”
I blushed at the compliment. “Oh, thanks. It’s too long, I need to have it cut, but I can’t seem to go through with it.”
“It would be a shame to cut it.” He said as he made his way towards me. His eyes lingered a second longer on my hair before he seemed to shake himself. Did he have a hair fetish? Was that even a thing? He grabbed my hand in his and pulled me along with him to the kitchen. I immediately loved the room as soon as I walked inside. The windows were enormous and let so much light in that it almost felt like I was outside. The worktops were black, the cupboards a dark brown with silver handles. It had top of the range appliance’s all shiny and new and right in the middle of the room stood a breakfast bar. Matt and Lee were already there, and they grinned as we walked in. “Hi,” I said to them with a smile.
Maverick gave my hand a squeeze before letting me go. If I weren’t so hungry, I would think more about why he kept holding my hand. I sniffed in appreciation. “Something smells yummy.”
“Chilli with garlic bread, easy yet definitely delicious,” Lee said as he served himself from the bowls Maverick placed in front of us.
Matt smacked his arm. “Ladies first, dude.”
“You’re right.” He said with a grin. “I’ve been around men too long I’ve forgotten my manners.”
I giggled, “It’s okay, you’re a big strong man, I expect you need it more than me.”
“Ah shucks,” he said with a hand on his heart, “she thinks I’m big and strong.”
“That might be so, but she never said you were good looking,” Matt smirked.
“Hey guys, cut it out. I can hear Ivy’s stomach rumbling from here. She needs to eat.” Maverick reprimanded.
“Our apologies,” Lee said with a grin as he stood up and pulled a stool out for me.
I smiled as I sat down. “Thanks.”
“No worries, my lady.” He said with eyes that twinkled with humour.
He pushed the rice pot towards me, and I took the spoon he offered, spooning some onto my plate. I handed it back to him. Maverick sat down next to me, and as he tucked in his chair, his thigh brushed against mine, making a shiver run down my spine. Lee pushed the chilli pot over, and I spooned some on to my rice before giving it back to him. It looked as delicious as it smelled. Picking up my fork, I waited until everyone else did the same and then I dug in. It was nice to sit with people. Ted wasn’t much for conversation while we ate, and usually, he wasn’t home to eat with me anyway, so tea was a lonely affair. These guys picked and teased at each other constantly. They made me laugh, and before I knew it, I’d cleaned my plate.
“That was the best chilli I’ve ever had,” I admitted as I patted my stomach. I was full, I felt content, and I felt safe.
“You’ll make me blush.” Matt grinned.
“You made it?” I asked.
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“In my experience men don’t cook.” I bit my lip. “I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
“I was just teasing, Ivy.”
“Oh.”
“I enjoy cooking, but even if I didn't, I’d still do it because neither of these two can cook.”
“I like cooking. It’s soothing.” I said.
“It is. It’s also tasty. I have to be careful else, I’ll become overweight.” Matt sighed. “Being such an excellent cook can be such a pain.”
“Oh yes, clearly it’s a huge problem,” Lee said deadpan.
Maverick chuckled, and I turned to stare at him. It was an incredibly sexy sound.
“So, what did you guys do before you started babysitting damsels in distress?” I asked them. Gosh, these men were sexy. Tattoo sleeves, beautiful eyes, toned and muscular bodies. They looked like they spent a lot of time in the gym. Maverick was the same minus the tattoos. Matt and Lee were also flirty, comedic. Maverick was brooding, serious, sad.
Lee chuckled. “I was in the army, but I didn’t enjoy taking orders, so after my tour ended, I bowed out.”
“You’re a bad boy.” I grinned.
“My mum died, and my sister needed me, so I got out as soon as I could,” Matt said.
I looked at Maverick, and the grief on his face pierced my heart. “I used to be a detective, but I decided it wasn’t for me.” He told me. His voice, like his face, was full of pain, and my heart broke for him. Something bad had happened to him, and he still wasn’t over it. He also didn’t want to talk about it. I reached over and covered his clenched fist with mine, giving it a squeeze before letting go.
“Well, I’m positive, Ted will regret it if he comes after me. You guys are intimidating,” I said as I got to my feet. “I need coffee. Does anyone else?”
“I can get it.” Maverick offered.
I shook my head. “I can do it. I need something to do with my hands.”
I made my way to the counter and the hi-tech coffee machine. Luckily, someone had already made a pot, so I grabbed four cups and poured them out.
When I turned to walk to the fridge to get the milk, I bumped into Maverick. My cheek went sideways against his chest, and I got a waft of his aftershave, it smelt of oranges. It made my legs weak. His hands gripped my biceps gently to keep me upright.
“Sorry,” He said gruffly.
I looked up into his blue eyes, and my pulse leapt. Trapped in his gaze, I had an almost overwhelming urge to kiss him. I could feel the strength of him through his touch, but I wasn’t frightened. My hands lifted to his ch
est, and I gasped at the hardness of him. I shook my head and tried to regain my senses. This was crazy. Dropping my hands, I made to take a step back, but he didn’t me let go. I looked up at him in question and shivered at the look of longing on his face. I felt pummelled by his rugged good looks. He had a face that would have even the most disinterested women melting for him. My eyes dropped to his luscious lips, and I dared to wonder what they would feel like against mine. A shiver ran down my spine as he captured my gaze. His hands tightened on my arms, but it wasn’t painful. His body was suddenly against mine, and I knew he could feel my nipples pushing through my t-shirt. I sucked in a breath, feeling unsure. I wasn’t sure what was going on here, but I did know I wasn’t ready for it. A beep sounded somewhere close, and I jumped in fright. It broke the moment, and I blushed as he loosened his grip on me until his fingers slid from my arms and he stepped back.
I looked over at the table and realised Lee and Matt had left. I was grateful and in awe that they’d managed it without me noticing, but as I’d been so caught up in Maverick, I shouldn’t be that surprised. I looked back at Maverick, and when he met my eyes, I could see he was different. The intense way he’d looked at me before had disappeared. Now it was as if he was looking through me. It hurt me to the soles of my feet because although nothing had happened, it still felt like a special moment. I gave him a small smile, which he didn’t return, and watched as he left the room. I didn’t hang around either. I didn’t want to see anyone, so I made my way up to the bedroom I was using. Hiding away seemed to be the best thing before I did something I would regret. I’d wanted to know how they planned to stop Ted, but that could wait until morning.
Maverick had secrets, and they were obviously painful for him. When he closed himself off from me, it felt like a kick in the teeth, but I had a feeling his pain was much worse than anything I could ever imagine. I had no right to be upset with him. It wasn’t as if he’d promised me anything. He’d been holding my hand and treating me sweetly, but he was probably just being kind after finding out what I’d been through with Ted. I shuddered.
It was easy to forget about him when I was here at this beautiful house. It was a safe haven, and I needed it badly. The thought of being close to Ted, to enduring his touch again made my skin crawl. I thought back to when we’d started dating, he’d touched me with what I’d thought was love and affection. He’d been so careful, so gentle. I’d really felt safe with him. There had been no warning signs, nothing out of the ordinary that had screamed danger. Ted had taken me for a ride, and I’d believed the lie he’d told me. Was I at risk of doing the same thing with Maverick? I knew he’d never physically hurt me, but emotionally he could without even having to try. I couldn’t allow myself to get involved with him, and I wouldn’t.