Complicated Risk

by M. J. Perry

  I stared at him in shock. “There is no way in hell that is going to happen. Didn’t I just tell you this?”

  “Ivy, I’m not giving you a choice. I let you get away from me before, but I won’t let that happen again.”

  I laughed with scorn. “You didn’t let me get away. You grew too confident and thought you’d browbeaten me into becoming a perfect housewife. You were wrong, though. How does that make you feel?”

  “You’ve turned into quite a mouthy trollop, haven’t you? These men have been a bad influence on you. No matter, I’ll have you back to normal soon.”

  I shook my head. “How do you think you will get me out of here without a fight? The house is surrounded.”

  “I got in here, didn’t I? It wasn’t hard; you should have used better protectors.”

  “Did you hurt them?” I asked him, remembering the gunshots.

  “I have them in my custody.”

  I bit my lip. I didn’t know if I believed him. I didn’t know this side of Ted, and it made him hard to read. “If I go with you, you’ll let them go? You won’t kill them like you killed that woman?”

  “She was a witness to that thick bastards fuck up,” he growled. “I don’t know how he thought she was you. She wasn’t beautiful. Her figure wasn’t curvy like yours, and her lips were thin, not like the luscious softness of yours.”

  I shivered in repulsion.

  He stepped closer to me. “She was a poor imitation of you right down to the cheap highlights in her hair.” He reached a hand towards me and gripped a few strands of my hair. “Your hair is completely natural and so soft.” He sighed as he moved to stand right in front of me. I had nowhere to go. Pressing my body harder into the door, I tried to control my shakes. I didn’t want him to see my terror, but he was much too close.

  He leaned down towards me, and I froze. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he lifted my hair to his nose and inhaled deeply. “I’ve missed your scent; the house isn’t the same without you. My life isn’t the same without you.”

  He sounded sad. How could that be? He was acting as if we’d just broken up. As if, our relationship had been normal.

  “You hit me,” I stated.

  “I regret that because the aftermath has caused me too much trouble, but you deserved it.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “I deserved it because I didn’t want to give up my job?”

  “You didn’t agree to do something important to me. You were denying my happiness.”

  “Jeez, you sound like a child, except instead of throwing your toys out of the pram, you lashed out at me. You put me through hell, and yet you’re standing here telling me you expect me to come back to that, to being treated like a piece of meat,” I shuddered. “You are out of your mind, buster.”

  “No, darling, I’m not. Do you imagine that I gave you twelve months of my life, made you into the perfect little woman I wanted you to be, only to have you leave me? I don’t think so.”

  “I’m not leaving this house. I refuse to go anywhere with you.”

  “Then I will make you,” he said simply.

  I shook my head. “How can you treat me like this? You hit me; you hurt me, and you left bruises. For two weeks you made me have sex with you, you treated me like I was there to please you. I was nothing better than a prostitute,” I raged tearfully.

  He took a step back from me. “I love you.”

  I stared open-mouthed at him. “You love me?” I choked. “How can you say that? Love isn’t cruel; it doesn’t make you hurt the person you care for. It doesn’t cause you to make them suffer. Love is kind; it’s soft, and it’s sweet. It’s exactly what you were pretending to be when we first met. That man knew how to love. He knew how to treat me. The man standing in front of me now is a monster.”

  He shook his head, “I’m not a monster. I am who I am.”

  “I don’t think you even know who you are anymore, and I pity you. You’ve been working in the dark for so long that the light confuses you. Your worlds have collided. The charming you and the evil you can’t both be real, they can’t live side by side, so you’ve choked the nice side away, leaving just your wickedness.”

  He grunted. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’ve met both sides of you, remember? The man I fell in love with might not have been a complete fake, but he’s gone now. The Ted I first met was charming, he was thoughtful, and he always put my happiness first. He may have even loved me, but you don’t. You want to own me, for me to be your possession, but I won’t let that happen.”

  “You are mine.”

  “I am no ones,” I replied fiercely.

  “I didn’t come all this way and risk Sid finding out about you to lose you now. We’re leaving, and I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense.” He ordered as he gripped my bicep painfully and dragged me close to him. He held me tightly, and when I struggled, he pressed the tip of the knife against my breast. “Keep quiet and do as I say, or I’ll hurt you. I have nothing to lose now.”

  I started to panic, the blade was sharp, and the tip was far too close to my skin for my liking. “Ted, you don’t have to do this.”

  He smiled grimly. “I have never let anyone get away from me, and I’m not about to start now.”

  Oh, god. I didn’t know what to do. He was already dragging me away from the door, so he could open it. I didn’t know where Lee or Matt was, and I was out of options. I couldn’t overpower him. He had a knife, and he’d sounded desperate, just as the guys had wanted him to be. This probably wasn’t what they’d had in mind, though.

  A bang from the window startled me. Ted spun around to the source of the noise, only to fall face down to the floor with a thud, the knife dropping from his hand. I caught a glimpse of a man walking towards me. I thought it might be Maverick, but before I could make out his face, everything went black.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Maverick

  Ivy fell to the floor, and I jumped over Ted’s motionless body to get to her. She was pale, and my heart faltered as I scooped her up in my arms.

  How the hell had he got in here? He should never have been able to get so close to her. I looked at the figure on the floor, fighting the urge to kick him. He was a piece of shit, the scum of the earth. He’d come here to hurt her, to take her from me. He deserved more than just a kick to his back; he needed a knife pushed in it.

  Footsteps raced up the stairs, and Lee came running towards us. He caught sight of Ted on the floor, then Ivy lying motionless in my arms. “Oh fuck, is she okay?” he asked worriedly.

  “She’s fine, she’s just fainted,” I answered. “But if I hadn’t turned up when I had, fuck knows what he would have done to her.” I gestured to Ted. “What the fuck happened?”

  “There were gunshots; we thought someone was shooting at the house, so we went to investigate.”

  “Leaving her alone, and unprotected?” I snapped as I walked into my room and laid Ivy on the bed.

  “We thought she’d be safe up here.”

  “Well, you thought wrong.” I retorted.

  “You really are a prick.” Lee snapped.

  “Excuse me.”

  “You left Ivy after spending the night with her, and you have the nerve to give me shit. YOU should have been here; you never should have left her vulnerable.”

  I sighed as my anger drained away. He was right. “I screwed up.” I brushed a few strands of hair off Ivy’s cheek. Her eyelids fluttered, and then she opened her beautiful eyes.

  “Maverick?” She said in confusion. Then she remembered, and she sat up quickly, almost head butting me in the process. “Ted was here. He was in my room.” She exclaimed hurriedly. “He had a knife.”

  “He’s out of action now.”

  Her eyes locked with mine. “You took him down. I remember seeing him fall.”

  “He’s not going to hurt you anymore, sweetheart,” I promised her.

  “Is he still in the house?”
>
  “I’m going to move him now,” Lee said. “I’m glad you’re okay, honey, I’m sorry he got so close to you. It should never have been allowed to happen.”

  She shook her head. “You couldn’t have known that he’d be so bold as to break in here in daylight.”

  He shook his head. “We should have been prepared for anything just like we’d promised.” He said before leaving to get rid of Ted.

  “It wasn’t his fault.” She said. “Ted told me he’d hurt them, I’m so glad that he was lying.”

  “You’re right. It wasn’t their fault, but it was mine. I shouldn’t have left you. It was a selfish thing to do.”

  Ivy smiled and lifted her hand to cup my cheek. “You came back, that’s all that matters. Thank you for saving me.”

  I crouched until our eyes met. “You’ll never know how sorry I am for leaving you. I just…” I shook my head. “When I woke up and saw you lying next to me, I freaked out. I felt so much, and I couldn’t cope with it.”

  She closed her eyes. A single tear slipped down her cheek, and my heart broke. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not, but we’ll save this chat for another time,” I said. She was in shock. She didn’t need me piling everything on her right now. “I want you to tell me what happened with Ted. Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “He caught me off guard. I heard what sounded like gunshots and I was worried Lee and Matt were hurt. The door slammed open, and Ted was suddenly there. He was crazy. Saying crazy things, acting like a mad man. The worse thing is, I saw a bit of the old Ted, the one that had charmed me and romanced me. He told me he loved me, can you believe that after everything he’s done to me.”

  “He may not always have been like this, but doing bad shit takes some of your soul.” I tucked her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of her knuckles. “He’s gone now, Ivy. He won’t bother you again.”

  “Are you sure?” She sniffed.

  “Positive.” I leaned down and brushed a kiss against her lips. They parted slowly, and I couldn’t resist slipping my tongue inside. It was a sweet kiss, full of tenderness. I cupped her face as I pulled away, locking eyes with her. “Do you feel up to going downstairs? I want to make sure everything’s under control.”

  “I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I won’t leave you,” I said as I picked her up gently.

  “Promise?” Her voice broke, and my heart almost broke with it.

  “I promise, sweetheart. I won’t ever leave you again.” I declared.

  She started crying, and I held her against my chest, rubbing her back soothingly.

  “Ivy, baby, stop crying. You’re breaking my heart.”

  “I’m sorry.” She sobbed. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”

  “I’m back now, and I’m not going anywhere. We’ll talk about us later, but for now, let’s get your nerves settled. I’ll make you a hot toddy.”

  She grimaced as she tried to pull herself together. “As long as it isn’t as strong as the one Matt made me.”

  I chuckled. “He goes a bit overboard with the alcohol. I’ll try to keep it to a single shot.”

  “I can walk.” She said as I picked her up and held her close to my chest. I started down the stairs.

  “I know, but I want to keep you close.”

  “Oh.” She settled her head against my chest and her cheek pressed against my heart.

  I inhaled her sweet scent, having her in my arms felt so right. I’d left to try and sort through my feelings, and when I hadn’t been able to, I’d visited Gwen’s grave. I wasn’t sure what I’d been looking for, but just being there felt like closure somehow. I would never forgive myself for not protecting Gwen, but the situation had been out of my control. My therapist told me that sometimes it’s just our time, and there was nothing anyone could do. I don’t know if I believe that, but it brings me some comfort.

  Lee was walking in the front door as we made it to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, he’s in a police car on his way to the station.”

  “What were those loud noises?” Ivy asked him. “It sounded like gunshots.”

  “They were firecrackers.” He shook his head. “It was a rookie mistake, but we thought it was another test. We never dreamed he’d have the nuts to enter our house.”

  Ivy struggled, and I let her down to her feet, holding her arm when she wobbled. “Ted surprised us all.” She said with a grimace. Squeezing Lee’s arm she gave him a smile before walking into the kitchen. She was telling him she didn’t blame him, and it showed what a sweet woman she was. We’d all promised to protect her, and we’d failed. She had every right to be mad at us, yet she wasn’t.

  Lee waited until she was out of earshot. “How is she?”

  “She’s in shock. She’s told me what happened, but only the basics.”

  “She’s still processing.”

  “It was a close call. If I’d been any later…” I trailed off.

  “It doesn’t bear thinking about. The main thing is you got here. Are you back for good?” He enquired.

  “I’m never leaving Ivy ever again.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I hope that’s true.”

  “Of course, it is.”

  “Good, because it was a dick move leaving before, it would be even worse now. I’d be forced to beat the shit out of you, and I know Matt wouldn’t hesitate to help me.” He warned.

  “I’m staying.”

  He nodded. “Matt’s in the kitchen probably plying Ivy with enough liquor to knock her out for a week.”

  “She could probably do with it. I don’t think she’ll sleep well for a while.”

  “She needs to talk to someone. I know more has happened than she’s let on, she should talk to a professional.”

  “I’ll make sure she does, but one step at a time. She needs to talk through tonight. By sharing with us, hopefully, she’ll purge some of the terror from her mind.”

  “I don’t know if it works like that, but we can hope.”

  A giggle came from the kitchen, and I raised my eyebrows at Lee before walking towards the sound. Lee followed hot on my heels.

  When Ivy saw us, she started laughing harder, and I made my way to her side. Matt moved carefully away from me, almost hiding behind the island. That’s when I saw Ivy was holding Matt’s phone in her hand and on the screen was a photo of me wearing a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt. I looked at Matt; his hands were out in surrender, and a grin still graced his face, but his eyes were wary. I looked at Ivy, her laughter still ringing in my ears, her face still holding a smile. I smiled back and moved towards her, slipping an arm around her waist, I rested my hand against her stomach. “Yes, I look ridiculous.”

  “I think you look cute.” She grinned.

  “I think he should wear yellow more often. The colour brings out his eyes.” Matt chuckled, and I gave him a look that would chill a normal person, but he was unrepentant. I shook my head, “You’re so lucky Ivy is here else I’d be rounding that island and knocking the crap out of you.”

  “Save it for the ring.” Lee grinned. “Hey, Ivy, can I have a look? The picture I have in my head is fading now.”

  “Sure, but you’re not allowed to take the mickey out of him.”

  “Sure, I won’t, honestly.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  He placed his hand over his heart, “Scouts honour.”

  “Were you ever a scout?”

  “Does it really matter?”

  “Kind of, yeah, you can’t very well say scouts honour unless you were one.”

  “Yes, I can. Anyone can say it.”

  She shook her head. “You can have a quick look.”

  I kissed Ivy’s hair and let go of her, making my way towards Matt. Seeing her laugh made me feel like everything would be okay. I hoped it would be. I hoped that Ted hadn’t scarred her, but if he had, I would do everything in my power to make sure she didn’t think about him for long.

  “W
hen the hell did you take that? I asked Matt.

  He grinned, “Obviously, when you weren’t looking. I thought it might come in handy one day.”

  “I suppose I should thank you,” I said quietly. I looked at Ivy, at the smile on her face and her pink cheeks flushed with happiness.

  “Don’t waste your second chance, man, she’s special.”

  “I won’t,” I promised.

  “Where did you go?”

  “I went to see Gwen.”

  “Do you feel better now?”

  “I’ve got my priorities in order.”

  “Good, because Ivy didn’t deserve you leaving her like that.”

  “I know. I’ll make sure I make it up to her.”

  “Just as long as you don’t disappear again, I think she’ll be happy. You hurt her. You’re lucky she forgives easily.”

  “I know.”

  He clapped me on the back. “Ted should be getting processed about now. I’ll ring the station and see what they’re charging him with.”

  “Trespassing and attempted assault, for starters. I’m still not sure what he was planning.”

  “The police will want a statement from her.”

  “She’ll do it tomorrow. I’m not having her go over everything right now.”

  “I told them that. They’re going to come here in the morning.”

  I grimaced. “I hate that she has to go over it all again.”

  “There’s fear in her eyes when she talks about him.”

  “I’ve seen it. She’s told me some of what he did to her. I want to track the bastard down and put a knife through his heart. I wish the tranquiliser I shot him with was a real bullet.” I admitted.

  “You’re not the only one. He deserves much worse than prison.”

  “I don’t think he’ll make it there.”

  “How come?”

  “Sid is aware of Ted’s indiscretions. He was apparently biding his time, but now Ted’s been caught he’s going to need him to disappear so he can’t rat him out.”

  “No one will cry over it.”

  I shrugged. He was right. No one would shed a single tear.