Ivy's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 4)

by Elle James

  “Okay, but I still would rather Luke followed you out to make sure you get to the car safely. A lone woman is always an easy target.”

  “If it makes you feel better, then okay.” Ivy really just wanted to walk out of the building, get into Gwen’s car and drive home by herself. She didn’t need another person pitying her because she’d managed to scare off a big burly Delta Force soldier.

  Her ego had taken a hit. Yet, she refused to feel sorry for herself. But if one more person said he or she was sorry it hadn’t worked out, she might start feeling sorry for herself.

  For a few short minutes, she’d thought they had something going between them.

  Boy, had she been wrong. It must have been completely one-sided. She’d obviously read more into their dance and conversation about the kiss than was actually there.

  “Go on, get Luke. I’ll wait for him by the exit,” Ivy said.

  Gwen hugged her. “I really am sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Ivy said. “You’re not responsible for someone else’s reaction to me.”

  “Yeah, but I’m responsible for bringing you here. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

  “It’s your car. If you don’t mind picking it up at my place tomorrow, I don’t mind driving myself home.”

  Gwen smiled. “I don’t mind picking it up tomorrow. I’d like some alone time with Luke.”

  “Then it’s settled. Have fun.” Ivy entered the restroom, did her business quickly and washed up afterward. Then, with the keys to Gwen’s car in hand, she headed toward the exit, making a wide berth of the table full of Delta Force soldiers.

  She should have gone back to the table and joked with the others, just to prove to them she wasn’t affected by Duff’s sudden departure. But she couldn’t. The way he left disturbed her. She wasn’t sure if it was her, or if being with her had triggered something else in him.

  To go from hot to cold so quickly, he had to have something else going on in that head of his.

  Luke was waiting by the entrance. He smiled and opened the door for her, waiting for her to walk through.

  Once outside, he walked her to the car. “Are you going to be all right driving home alone?” he asked. “I could have one of the guys follow you.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Ivy said. “I’m used to getting around on my own.” She smiled as she unlocked the car. “Go back to Gwen. You two are so good together. I’m glad you found each other.”

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you tonight.” Merlin shook his head. “I’m not sure what got into Duff. He’s never flaked out like that.”

  “It’s okay. You can’t force someone to like you. We just weren’t meant to be.” She gave the man another smile. “Really, it’s okay. I came into the evening with no expectations. I’ll go home and have a nice glass of wine and forget all about it.”

  “Be careful. Text Gwen when you make it inside your house.”

  “I will,” she said. “Thank you.” She climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine.

  Merlin waved and walked back to the bar.

  Ivy put the car in gear and started to pull out of the parking space when a man sprang out of nowhere and came at her vehicle.

  Ivy’s first thought was that he might have broken down and needed assistance. She lifted her foot from the accelerator automatically.

  The man circled his finger. “Roll down the window. I need your help.”

  She shook her head, unwilling to comply. She didn’t know this man wearing dark clothes, with dark eyes and a ski beanie in the Texas heat. “What’s wrong?” she called out through the closed window.

  He leaned his hands against the car, placing something against the driver’s side window. The next second, the window shattered, scattering tiny shards of glass over Ivy’s hair and clothes.

  “What the hell?” she cried.

  Before she could smash her foot onto the accelerator, the man reached inside her door, grabbed the handle and opened it from the inside. The next thing he did was hook his hand in her seatbelt and apply the tool he’d used to break the window to cut the belt.

  Fear ripped through Ivy as she slammed her foot onto the accelerator. But it was too late.

  The man had her arm, pulling her from the car as it rolled forward.

  He yanked her from the car seat and onto the ground.

  Ivy rolled over and tried to get up, but the stranger still had hold of her arm. He pulled her toward him, bent down and flung her over his back.

  With his shoulder wedged into her gut, she could barely breathe. He ran away from Gwen’s car, holding firmly to her legs.

  Ivy screamed and fought, trying to free her legs.

  But she couldn’t shake free of the man. His arms were clamped so tightly against the backs of her calves and thighs, she couldn’t move them.

  With her legs useless, she pounded her fists against his back and screamed as loudly as she could. “Put me down! Help! Help!”

  He slowed as they neared the back of the building.

  Ivy pushed against his back and twisted, trying to see where they were going. A car sat alone in the alley behind the bar, the trunk open.

  She knew she had only seconds before he threw her in and took her to who knew where. No one would know she was missing until morning when Gwen came to collect her car. No one would know what had happened to her until they found Gwen’s car still in the parking lot with a broken window and a cut seat belt.

  Though the man was stronger and outweighed her, Ivy fought with every ounce of determination she possessed. She fought for her life.

  Chapter 4

  Duff had given up watching for Ivy to leave the Ugly Mug. The whole thing was a bad idea, start to finish. Starving, he thumbed through his phone looking for an open restaurant where he could pick up a quick bite. When he found one, he put his phone away and grabbed the key to his motorcycle. He was about to start it and get the hell on the road, when he heard the scream and saw someone disappear behind the bar.

  Immediately, he left the bike and ran around the back of the building where a trash bin and a vehicle occupied the dark alley. A man ran toward the vehicle, carrying something over his shoulder.

  The trunk lid stood wide open.

  His burden twisted and turned, and she cried out, “Put me down! Help! Help!”

  Duff tensed and pushed off the ground, sprinting toward the man.

  “Hey!” Duff yelled. “Let her go!”

  “Help me!” the woman cried. She pushed against her captor’s back, her face catching the limited light shining from a light over the back door of the bar.

  Ivy.

  Duff increased his pace, racing toward her.

  The man leaned over the back of the trunk and dumped her in like a sack of potatoes.

  She didn’t stay still for long—her legs kicked out and she sat up, raising an arm to keep the trunk lid from smashing down on her head.

  Her captor swung his fist, connecting with her face. She jerked back and sank into the trunk.

  The man slammed the trunk lid down and turned to face Duff, a handgun pointing at Duff’s chest.

  Duff dove to the right as a shot rang out in the alley. He rolled to his feet and darted toward the heavy trash bin, using it for cover.

  His heart raced and adrenaline pulsed through his veins. Unarmed, he was at a terrible disadvantage, but he couldn’t let the man get away with Ivy in his trunk. He searched the area around the trash bin for anything he could use as a weapon.

  He found a broken two-by-four with nails sticking out of it. Grabbing it, he looked around the corner of the trash bin.

  When Ivy’s captor yanked open the driver’s door, Duff made his move. He raced forward with the two-by-four and swung it hard before the man could aim properly.

  The gun went off as the board hit the guy in the arm.

  The bullet nicked Duff’s thigh. He barely felt the sting, the adrenaline pumping through him carrying him forward.
He balled his fists and swung hard, connecting with the man’s chin. With his free hand, he gripped the man’s wrist and directed the weapon away from his body.

  “Drop it!”

  The man fought for control of the gun while swinging his fist at Duff.

  Duff ducked his head, receiving a glancing blow to his temple. He blinked and drove a right uppercut into the attacker’s jaw.

  His head snapped backward, and he staggered, falling against the car.

  Duff held tight to the wrist of the hand holding the gun. It went off again, the bullet going wide of Duff’s legs, hitting the pavement behind him. With a quick twist, he jerked the guy’s arm up and slammed it against the car, knocking the gun loose. It clattered to the ground and skittered beneath the car.

  Duff and the attacker struggled. Duff had the advantage of standing over the guy.

  Then the man pushed away from his seat and hit Duff in the gut with his shoulder, sending them both away from the car.

  Now on relatively equal footing, Duff’s hand-to-hand combat training kicked in. He twisted the man’s arm around and spun him to face away, shoving the arm up between his shoulder blades.

  The man kicked out behind him, catching Duff’s ankle, making him loosen his hold to maintain his balance. He dove to the ground, jerking his hand free.

  Before Duff could grab him, he rolled to the side, scrambled to his feet and ran into the shadows.

  Duff started after him but stopped, afraid that if he went after the man, he’d circle back and get away with the car and the precious cargo in the trunk.

  Duff ran back to the car and reached inside to trigger the latch release for the trunk. When the lid opened, he hurried around to the back.

  Ivy sprang up and swung her fist, smashing it into Duff’s jaw.

  The blow stung, but Duff was pretty sure the force of her punch hurt her hand more than it hurt his face. “Hey, it’s me.”

  She blinked several times, focused on his face, and raised her arms to him. “Oh, thank God.”

  He lifted her out of the trunk and held her close, his pulse only just beginning to slow as a residual tremor shook his body with the aftereffects of almost losing her to a thug.

  “I didn’t think I’d get to you in time,” he admitted.

  “I didn’t think anyone would miss me until it was too late,” she whispered, her breath warm against his neck. “Thank you.”

  He buried his face in her hair, his arms tightening around her. For a long moment, they remained locked in each other’s embrace.

  Duff would have held her even longer, but she spoke.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “I should be asking that,” he said, leaning back to peer at her face. “Looked like he hit you pretty hard.”

  She raised a hand to her temple where a lump and bruise were forming. “He did. I think he knocked me out. When I came to, it was dark. It took a moment for me to remember where I was. About that time, the trunk opened. I thought it was him coming back.”

  She looked up into his face. “I hit you pretty hard. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  He chuckled. “I’ve been hit harder. I’ll live.”

  She cupped his cheek gently. “You’re going to have a bruise.”

  “It’ll match yours.” He looked up. “We should call the police and report this incident. They might be able to trace the car and gather fingerprints.”

  She nodded but didn’t move her cheek from where it lay against his chest. “I guess that means we have to go back inside.”

  “Or we could use my cellphone and call from here,” he suggested.

  “Yes, please. I don’t want to cause a stir.”

  “Sweetheart, you didn’t cause it. Whoever that was who attacked you did.” He let her legs slide to the ground and held her with an arm around her waist, pressed against him while he pulled his cellphone from his back pocket and dialed 911.

  After he reported the attack to dispatch, he brought up Merlin’s number. “I’m going to let the guys know what happened. Are you okay with that?”

  Ivy glanced around the back alley behind the bar and shivered. “The more the merrier, I always say. Or would it be closer to the truth to say there is safety in numbers?”

  “Safety rules.” He hit the call button and waited for Merlin to pick up.

  “Miss us already?” Merlin answered.

  “Need backup. Outside behind the bar. ASAP.”

  Merlin didn’t question. “On it.”

  A moment later, the back door burst open and his team piled out.

  “What happened?” Merlin asked.

  Gwen appeared behind him. “Oh, dear God, Ivy!” She rushed toward her friend. “Are you okay?”

  Ivy nodded. She didn’t move out of the circle of Duff’s arm. If anything, she leaned into him, and he liked it. “I’m okay. Thankfully, Magnus was here.”

  Duff explained what he’d seen and how he’d responded.

  “Son of a bitch,” Merlin muttered. “He might still be out there.”

  Immediately, they split up and searched the alley, going around the nearby buildings, bushes and shrubbery in yards close to the bar.

  They returned, each shaking his head.

  Merlin stood in the glow from the bulb over the back door of the bar. “Why would he go after Ivy?”

  “Good question,” Duff answered. “Could be a crime of convenience. Bastard could have been waiting for any female to exit the bar alone.”

  “I should have stayed outside watching until she got clean away,” Merlin said. “I thought she would be all right since she was inside Gwen’s car, all the windows rolled up. Hell, she was pulling out of the parking lot.”

  His team automatically turned, forming a perimeter around them. A siren blared, getting louder, heading to their location. Zip ran to the front of the building and directed the police and an ambulance to the rear where they waited.

  The policemen questioned Ivy and Duff.

  “The car was stolen,” the policeman in charge of the scene said. “We’ll take it to the impound lot and dust it for prints.”

  Emergency medical technicians checked Ivy and Duff. Ivy shook her head when they asked if she’d wanted them to take her to the hospital.

  “We’ll get her to the ER,” Duff said.

  “I don’t need to go to the ER,” Ivy insisted.

  “Oh, honey.” Gwen touched her arm. “You were knocked unconscious. You could have a concussion.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Duff’s arm around her waist tightened. “You’re going.”

  She stiffened in his arms and frowned up at him. “You’re not my boss or my mother.”

  “No, but you don’t have a vehicle.” He nodded as a couple of wreckers arrived.

  “I could drive Gwen’s car,” she said. “It’s only a broken window and seatbelt.”

  Duff shook his head.

  “He’s right, Ivy,” Gwen said. “At the very least, let the ER doc decide if you’re fine.”

  Ivy drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Okay.”

  “Merlin and I can take you,” Gwen offered.

  “I’m taking her,” Duff announced.

  Ivy leaned into him. “He saved my life. I trust him to get me there.” Her brow puckered. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “It’s not.” Duff’s arm remained around her waist. So far, she hadn’t objected, and he wasn’t letting go. The image of the man hitting her and dumping her in the back of the car stuck with him, making his chest tighten.

  He couldn’t help thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t gotten to her fast enough. If he’d left before she’d been attacked.

  The scenarios that could have been triggered those feelings of desperation he’d had when he’d tried to find Katie in the water after their boat capsized. He’d dived down numerous times, to no avail. He hadn’t been able to save Katie, but he’d been there for Ivy.

  He didn’t want to let her
go, afraid something else might happen to her if he did.

  Ivy had always been an independent woman, raised by a fiercely independent mother who knew her own mind, was educated and refused to bow down to any man, including her husband. Thankfully, Ivy’s father knew what he was getting into and appreciated that his wife was strong and capable.

  Because she’d grown up with a commanding mother who was insistent on the value of education, Ivy graduated high school at the top of her class. She went on to attain her undergraduate degree in three years—with honors—was accepted into law school, finishing and passing the bar the first time she took the test.

  Working for one of the top law firms in Dallas, she’d been on the fast path to following her father and mother into politics.

  Her law degree hadn’t kept her client from being murdered by the man who’d raped her. The degree hadn’t kept her attacker from throwing her into his trunk tonight. For that matter, it hadn’t kept her from falling off the step ladder into the arms of a stranger. A dour-faced, sexy hulk of a stranger who’d saved her twice.

  As independent as she’d always considered herself, she couldn’t deny she felt safe in the curve of Duff’s arm. She looked up at him, admiring his strength and the courage it took to run into battle, not away.

  He glanced down at her, his gaze meeting hers. “Ready?”

  She nodded.

  “We can follow,” Gwen said.

  “No need,” Ivy said. “I’m just going to have the doctor tell me what I already know. I’m fine.” She hugged Gwen. “I’m sorry about your car.”

  Gwen snorted. “My car is the last thing I’m worried about. I’m more concerned about you.”

  “I don’t like that the man got away,” Merlin said.

  “I’d have followed him, but that would’ve left Ivy alone and exposed if he’d doubled back.”

  Merlin laid a hand on Duff’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. I’m just worried that he’s still out there and might attack another woman.”

  Destiny nodded. “Hopefully, the fingerprints will help them locate him.”

  “If he has a prior arrest record,” Ivy’s lips thinned. “All too often, criminals get away with crimes until they’re finally caught red-handed or caught for a lesser crime. Once they have their fingerprints on file, they’re easier to identify at a crime scene.”