“I doubt you ever will,” Max said, refusing to let go of Sadie even when she went limp and dissolved into tears. “Nobody who’s even remotely rational could possibly understand this. It’s … too much.”
“Totally too much,” Mackenzie agreed, rubbing her hands over her frozen knees. “Hey, do you think my mother will let me out of the pageant now that I’ve been kidnapped? If that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”
Despite the surreal situation, Ivy couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “I think you’ve got a real shot.”
“Right?”
NEWS ABOUT SADIE’S VIOLENT actions spread quickly. Ivy called Jack and Brian and told them what happened. They were close to town, but they headed toward Peyton’s house first, finding the girl bleeding profusely but still alive. By the time they got to the police station, Max had Sadie in a headlock to keep her still and Simone was a sobbing mess when she caught sight of her daughter.
“Let her go!” Simone screeched.
“Shut up,” Jack snapped, striding to Ivy so he could give her a hug. “Are you okay?”
“She didn’t get near me. Mackenzie was the one almost hurt.”
“And where is she?” Brian asked, scanning the office.
“She went to the hospital with her parents,” Max supplied. “Ivy gave them permission. Mackenzie is using the attack to get out of the pageant.”
Jack chuckled hollowly. “That’s one way to do it. What about you, honey? Shouldn’t you be running the pageant?”
“Funnily enough, I’m not all that interested in being pageant coordinator,” Ivy said dryly. “I handed over my duties to Hannah. Not only is she interested … but she’s better at it than me. Aunt Felicity is helping because we were in a pinch, but I think she’s retiring from pageant life after this, too.”
“You can’t leave the pageant in Hannah’s hands,” Simone spat. “She’s a cheater. She’s always been a cheater. She’ll ruin everything. Do you have any idea how hard I worked at this? You’re totally mucking up my legacy.”
“We’re going to be mucking up a lot of stuff before the day is out,” Brian shot back. “Seeing as you’re both being charged with attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, and whatever else I can throw at you, you’ve got bigger problems than that stupid pageant.”
“But I have to compete,” Sadie seethed, lashing out with her foot as she tried to kick Max in the knee. “I have to do it. You don’t understand … that title is mine.”
“Knock that off,” Max ordered, his patience wearing thin. “How many times have I told you to stop doing that?”
“I don’t have to listen to you,” Sadie shot back. “You’re not in charge.”
“That’s right,” Brian said, grabbing Sadie’s arm. “I’m in charge and you’re going to wish Max was still around by the time I’m done with you. Come with me, young lady.”
“Where is he taking her?” Simone, her hands cuffed behind her back, seemed confused. “He can’t just take her away. The pageant starts in twenty minutes.”
Jack heaved out a sigh as he shook his head, running his hand over Ivy’s windblown hair as he wrinkled his nose. “Is it just me, or does this seem like it’s been a really long day already?”
“You have no idea,” Max said. “I got called a bunch of filthy names by a murderous teenager. I didn’t see that coming.”
“Well, at least she’s in custody and you showed up to save the day,” Jack noted. “Ivy and Mackenzie are safe because of you.”
“Hey!” Ivy balked. “I was just about ready to make my move. I could’ve saved myself … and probably Mackenzie in the process. I was just getting ready to tackle her.”
“And that right there is why you’re terrifying.” Jack pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you okay?”
Ivy nodded without hesitation. “I am. What about Peyton?”
“She was stabbed in the chest, but Sadie didn’t put a lot of effort behind it,” Jack replied. “Apparently she didn’t realize how much strength it took to get past the sternum. While Peyton bled a lot, she’s not in any danger of dying. She is, however, furious about missing the pageant.”
“The pageant.” Ivy pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. “I never want to hear about the stupid pageant ever again.”
“That makes two of us,” Jack said. “On a brighter note, Aubrey woke up. It happened before we left the hospital with Simone. We didn’t get a chance to talk to her – we were going to go back – but she was a little confused anyway. I guess that won’t be necessary now.”
“She’s awake?”
“And the doctors think she’s going to make a full recovery,” Jack confirmed.
“Oh, well, that’s great news.”
“It definitely is.” Jack lowered his forehead, briefly pressing his eyes shut as he rested it against Ivy’s brow. “I didn’t even know you were in danger this time until it was already over. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
“I was fine.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“Yeah? How about you make it up to me?”
Jack couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the glint in her eye. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, after you finish questioning the crazy twosome, I thought you might want to keep our romantic date and take me for Italian food.”
“I think that sounds like a great idea.”
“Then I thought we could come home, take a bath, and I’ll finally give you that massage I promised,” Ivy added.
“That sounds like an even better idea.”
“And then, when we’re done with that, I’ll … .” Ivy leaned close enough to whisper a sexy suggestion to Jack, causing his eyes to widen as Max mimed throwing up on the other side of his sister.
“And I think we have a winner,” Jack enthused, hugging Ivy to his chest as Max scowled. “I don’t see why you’re being so delicate. It’s not like we asked you to watch or anything.”
“This is why no one in town wants to be around you,” Max lamented. “People think you’re sick for a reason. I mean … that’s my sister, dude. Don’t make me smack you around.”
“Get used to it,” Jack said. “It’s not going to change.”
“No, it’s not,” Ivy agreed, resting her head against Jack’s chest. “We’re going to be like this forever.”
“And ever,” Jack agreed.
“Does anyone care that the pageant is going on and we’re late?” Simone asked, drawing three sets of incredulous eyes to her.
“No,” Jack, Ivy, and Max said in unison.
“No one cares about that pageant,” Jack added. “It’s time to face the real world, Simone.”
“It’s way past time,” Ivy corrected. “I doubt very much that the people in prison are going to care that you’ve deemed yourself a winner.”
Jack leaned over and smacked a quick kiss against Ivy’s mouth. “I’m the winner. Me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bit of work to do. If you hang around a bit, though, I think we can both be winners tonight.”
Ivy beamed. “That sounds like a plan.”
“It does indeed.”
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, plac
es, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Lily Harper Hart
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
Deadly Waves
Deadly Forever
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
Grave Seasons
Grave Holiday
Grave Haunting
Grave Paths
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
Wicked Fog
Wicked Season
Wicked Winter
Wicked Hearts
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Ghostly Images
Ghostly Wrecks
Ghostly Asylum
Ghostly Tricks
A Rowan Gray Mystery
Welcoming Seas
Murky Seas
Stormy Seas
Sunken Seas
Wicked Hearts (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 9) Page 20