Wicked Warning (An Ivy Morgan Mystery Book 5)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Marcia held up a wicker basket full of books, magazines, candy, clothing items, and other supplies.

  “That’s really nice,” Ivy said, fighting her weariness. “She’ll probably love that eventually.”

  “I wanted to take it back to her, but … this woman … won’t let me by.” Marcia cast a dark look at the secretary. “She’s been very rude.”

  “I was told no one could enter,” the secretary replied, unperturbed. “I may be rude, but I’m following orders.”

  “No one can go back there, Mrs. Simpson,” Jack said, reaching for the basket. “I’ll make sure she gets this, though. It was very thoughtful.”

  “Well, think nothing of it,” Marcia clucked. “It’s just … Thomas Spencer was talking about her nonstop and then she became all I could think about. I want to help take care of her. I think we should all pitch in and help her until she starts feeling well enough to talk.”

  “She’s talking,” Ivy said. “She’s in with her parents now, though. They need some time alone.”

  “Oh, she is talking?” Marcia looked surprised. “Ava said she wasn’t saying anything.”

  “Of course she did,” Jack muttered, disgusted. “Don’t worry about Ava … and don’t listen to a thing she says. This case is going to remain a private matter, though, and the girl isn’t taking visitors.”

  “That’s too bad.” Marcia looked momentarily disappointed before brightening. “Well, please give her our gift and tell he we’re praying for her recovery.”

  “We’ll do that,” Ivy said, smiling. “Prayers are always welcome.”

  Six

  Jack and Ivy were mostly quiet for the duration of the ride to Ivy’s house, silently holding hands and otherwise remaining mute. Jack didn’t know what to say to offer comfort, so he merely shared his warmth as a form of solace.

  Ivy let them inside, stopping long enough to pet an annoyed Nicodemus as he stalked the front hallway. He wasn’t used to being ignored for long periods of time and he made sure his disdain was known before skulking toward the bedroom.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Jack shook his head. “I probably am, but I’m more interested in sleep.”

  “Me, too.”

  Jack double-checked the locks before following Ivy to the bedroom. He technically owned his own house on the other side of town, a small fixer-upper close to the river that he’d lost almost all interest in fixing up. He spent every night with Ivy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Her home felt like his home and he was content sharing her roof every chance he got.

  The couple set about their usual evening grooming tasks, brushing their teeth and hair and climbing into pajamas. When Jack switched the bathroom light off, he found Ivy sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression vacant.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking, honey,” Jack prodded, pushing her hair away from her face. “You look … beat.”

  “I feel beat,” Ivy said. “I also feel … hopeful. Did you see how good her mother was with her?”

  “I think a mother instinctively knows how to comfort her child, even if she hasn’t seen her in years,” Jack replied, pulling the comforter back and gesturing with his hand so Ivy would roll under the covers. He flicked the light off before crawling in beside her, slipping an arm under her waist and tugging her head to his chest. He wanted her close to him. “I think the father is a good man, too. I know what he said about the baby upset you, but … .”

  “I understand where he’s coming from,” Ivy said, trailing her fingers over Jack’s muscular chest as she tried to relax. “He didn’t mean he wanted anything bad to happen to the baby. He just meant that he didn’t want his child to go through more pain. I get that.”

  “We’re still going to have to press her on the baby,” Jack said. “We’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “I’ll think of a way to approach her.”

  “It’s not your responsibility, Ivy,” Jack said. “You’ve already gone above and beyond. You don’t have to take the weight of the world on your shoulders when it’s not your battle to fight.”

  “I’ll figure out a way,” Ivy said, refusing to engage in a conversation that could potentially turn into an argument. “I hope you’re not too disappointed, but I was thinking maybe we could just sleep tonight.”

  Jack chuckled, the sound low and warm. “I don’t have the energy to do anything else,” he said. “I just want to hold you. We can get frisky in the morning if we’re both up to it.”

  “Not that,” Ivy scoffed, lightly smacking his chest. “I meant the dream walking.”

  “Oh.” Jack was glad the room was dark so Ivy couldn’t see the blush spreading across his cheeks. “I … am so sorry I made that leap.”

  Ivy giggled, the sound taking Jack by surprise. “It’s okay. That was the plan before … Jessica.”

  “Get some sleep, honey,” Jack said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I’ll be here all night. No dream walking tonight. I think we’re going to need our rest for what’s to come.”

  “I think so, too.”

  JACK was a heavy sleeper. Even when he dream-walked with Ivy he always woke feeling refreshed and relaxed. Something was different about tonight.

  Jack didn’t wake, but instinctively he realized Ivy was in distress because he could hear her whimpering. While Ivy controlled the dream magic, Jack occasionally managed to direct it to a place he wanted to visit. This time he focused on finding Ivy, wherever she might be in the hazy dreamscape, because he was convinced she needed him.

  Jack popped into being in a small rectangular room. It looked like a basement of some sort, or perhaps an underground cellar. There were no windows and the walls looked like they’d been cinder blocks at one point, but the roots and grime from the outside world eventually overtook them.

  There was a metal hook screwed into a plate in the middle of the floor, a chain attached to it. Jack followed the trail of the chain and wasn’t surprised to find Jessica cowering on the other side of a makeshift cot. Ivy, her eyes wild, covered Jessica’s body with her own as the girl’s body shook.

  “What’s happening?”

  Ivy snapped her eyes to Jack, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came for you,” Jack said, striding forward and frowning when Jessica shifted closer to the floor and mewled like a distressed kitten. “What’s going on, Ivy? Why are you here?”

  “I don’t know,” Ivy admitted, her eyes roaming the room. “I woke up here. Do you think this is … real?”

  “I think we’re in a dream, honey,” Jack cautioned. “Nothing can hurt you here. Nothing can hurt Jessica here either.”

  As if on cue, the sound of someone pounding on the other side of a locked metal door caused Jack to jolt. He shifted his attention from Ivy to the door, curious.

  “He’s going to kill me,” Jessica said. “He got me and put me back in here. He’s going to kill me.”

  “No one is going to kill you,” Ivy soothed. “I’m right here. He can’t get you. You’re in the hospital, Jessica. I promise. This is … a dream.”

  Jack arched an eyebrow. “Is that what this is? Are we in her dream?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Honey, I’m going to be honest, I don’t think this is Jessica’s dream,” Jack said, choosing his words carefully. “I think this is your nightmare. I think you’re imagining what happened to Jessica and it’s getting the best of you.” Jack extended his hand. “Come with me. I’ll take you to a better place.”

  “What if this is real, though?” Ivy argued. “What if this is Jessica’s memory? We might be able to see who did this to her because he’s standing on the other side of that door.”

  Jack gave the idea some thought. “Okay,” he said finally, striding toward the door and reaching for a handle. He came up short, frowning as he leaned over to study the flat surface. “There’s no door handle here.”

  “Of course there’s no handle,” Ivy snapped. “If there was a handle she could e
scape.”

  “See, this is what makes me think you’re imagining this entire thing,” Jack argued. “You’ve got a picture in your head of the awful things that happened to Jessica. We don’t know if this is real.”

  “I’m coming for you!”

  The voice on the other side of the door was menacing and Jack couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow. “That sounds like it came straight from a movie.”

  “Oh, well, fine,” Ivy hissed. “I’m imagining everything. If you think that’s the case, then leave. I don’t want you here. I’ll figure a way out of this on my own.”

  “Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Jack said. “We’re a team and we’re in this together. I’m not leaving you here.”

  “Well, I’m not leaving Jessica here,” Ivy said, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest. “I made a promise that he wouldn’t touch her again.”

  Jack was understandably frustrated. “She’s not here, Ivy,” he said. “You’re not really here. You can’t protect her from something that already happened. You can’t protect her from her dreams.”

  “But … .”

  “No.” Jack shook his head and extended his hand. “Come with me. Please. I’ll take you to a safe place. You need to rest, and that’s not going to happen here.”

  Ivy glanced at Jessica, but the dream girl didn’t appear to see her. Finally, Ivy took a step away from the terrified kidnapping victim and placed her hand in Jack’s. “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for being strong and brave,” Jack said, wrapping his arms around her. “Come on. I’ll take you to the safest place I know.”

  Ivy pressed her eyes shut for the trip, and when she opened them again she was dumbfounded. “This is my bed.”

  “It’s my favorite place in the world,” Jack said, tightening his arms around Ivy’s waist. “You know we’re already sleeping here in the real world, right?”

  Ivy bit her lip and nodded.

  “Rest, honey,” Jack said, kissing her forehead. “Turn your brain off. I’ll be right here. I won’t let you slip away again.”

  “I didn’t mean to slip away the first time.”

  “I know,” Jack said. “If you sneak away again, I’ll find you. I’ll always find you. That’s a promise I will never break.”

  Ivy didn’t think it was possible to relax and drift off, but she was wrong. The second time she slipped under was peaceful, and she didn’t wake again until morning.

  “WHAT do you want for breakfast?”

  Jack, the newspaper spread out on the kitchen table in front of him the next morning, cocked an eyebrow. “Are you cooking?”

  Ivy, her hair still wet from the shower, nodded. “I need something to do with my hands.”

  Jack had a flirty suggestion, but he thought voicing it was probably a bad idea. “I would love whatever you want to cook.”

  Ivy made a face that would’ve been comical under different circumstances. “Really? How about tofu and goat cheese?”

  Ivy was a vegetarian, although she didn’t balk at cooking meat for Jack. He often forgot her sense of humor was sharper than normal in the morning, mostly because they generally preferred spending their mornings in bed.

  “I’ll have an omelet with tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese,” Jack said. “Thank you so much for asking.”

  Ivy stuck her tongue out. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Come here for a second first,” Jack said, snagging her around the waist as she moved to pass and bringing her in for a hug. “Do you want to talk about last night?”

  “I … .” Ivy shook her head.

  Jack ran his tongue over his teeth as he considered how he wanted to proceed. “Ivy, I know what happened last night upset you,” he said finally. “I really do think it was a dream, though.”

  “I think you’re right,” Ivy said, taking him by surprise. She never said that. She usually preferred digging her heels in and picking a fight over admitting he was right. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t upsetting.”

  “It doesn’t,” Jack agreed, kissing the tip of her nose. “I’m about to say something that’s going to tick you off, though. I’m resigned to it.”

  “You want me to take a step back and leave Jessica to the professionals.”

  “You are the smartest person I know,” Jack said, shaking his head. “I forget how intuitive you are. That’s always a mistake.”

  “I’m not going to do that.”

  “And you’re the most stubborn person I know, too,” Jack said, blowing out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m worried, honey. I’m worried you’re going to get caught up in this and lose yourself.

  “You’re the most loyal person I know and I understand why you’ve taken it upon yourself to protect Jessica, but I need to protect you,” he continued. “I’m not going to ask you to stay away from her … .”

  “That’s good, because you couldn’t make me stay away from her.”

  “I could make you stay away from her,” Jack argued, refusing to release Ivy’s waist despite the fact that she wriggled against him. “I could make it so you’re barred from the hospital. I would be in my rights as a police officer to do that.”

  “If you do that … .”

  Jack cut her off. “I’m not going to do it because I don’t want to lose you,” he said. “I am terrified of you giving all of yourself to Jessica in a manner that will prove detrimental to your emotional health, but I’m also terrified of trying to dictate your life and scaring you away.”

  Ivy ceased struggling. “I don’t want to be without you, Jack,” she said. “Even if we fight, I promise not to do something like that.”

  “I’m going to take you at your word,” Jack said. “I don’t want to be without you either. I think it might kill me.”

  “That sounds a little dramatic.”

  “Tell me about it.” Jack pressed a soft kiss to Ivy’s mouth. “You can help Jessica, but I’m begging you not to let this overtake your life. Take the occasional breath. Take the occasional walk with your studly and yet sensitive boyfriend.”

  Ivy cracked a real smile. “Studly and yet sensitive?”

  “It’s a hard burden to bear, but someone has to do it,” Jack deadpanned, causing Ivy to giggle. “Don’t ever stop doing that either. I love that sound.”

  Ivy sighed. “I promised not to get too involved, Jack,” she said. “I can’t give up on Jessica now, though. She needs me.”

  “I need you,” Jack countered. “We both know you can’t promise not to get too involved either. Just … try and use your head. Don’t leap before you look. If something happens to you … .”

  “What’s going to happen to me?”

  “Nothing,” Jack replied. “I won’t let it. There’s still a dangerous man in this area and he’s going to be desperate to silence Jessica. You’re going to look like an appealing target because you’ll be with her.”

  “No one will hurt me, Jack,” Ivy said. “If someone tries taking me … .”

  “I’ll kill them.”

  Ivy offered Jack a rueful smile. “I was going to say that if someone tries taking me, we’d be able to dream walk and I’ll tell you where I am. I promise I’ll be careful. I promise I’ll be safe.”

  “I promise you’ll be safe, too,” Jack said. “I won’t let anyone take you. I’ll protect you with my life.”

  “You’ve already done that.”

  “So have you,” Jack said. “I want you to follow your heart, Ivy, but don’t do anything goofy and get hurt. That will break my heart.”

  “I promise.”

  “Good.” Jack gave her another soft kiss and then released her. “Now make my breakfast, woman. Throw some hash browns in there as well.”

  “That charm thing you have comes and goes, doesn’t it?”

  Jack smirked. “I want toast, too.”

  “Coming right up … schmuck.”

  Seven

  Brian met Ivy and Jack in the hospital lobby. He looked weary, but otherw
ise appeared relatively upbeat.

  “Did she tell you anything?” Jack asked, handing his partner a mug of coffee from the local deli.

  “No, but she seems to be thrilled to have her parents around,” Brian replied. “Thanks for this, by the way. The coffee here tastes like mud.”

  “I figured you needed something to jolt you awake,” Jack said.

  Ivy arched a challenging eyebrow. “You figured?”

  Jack shot her a flirty grin. “Who paid for it?”

  “I offered to pay for it,” Ivy argued. “I’m the one who told you to stop in the first place.” She extended the brown paper bag in her hand. “We got you eggs, hash browns, bacon, and toast, too. I know that’s your favorite breakfast.”

  Brian gladly accepted the bag, taking everyone by surprise when he planted a kiss on Ivy’s cheek. “You are the best woman in the world – other than the one I’m married to, of course.”

  Ivy beamed. “I’m pretty fond of you, too.”

  “Stop flirting with my woman,” Jack chided, sitting on the chair across from Brian. “Have the parents said anything to you? Have they asked her about the baby?”

  “I talked to Mitchell this morning and he said they haven’t talked about her ordeal at all,” Brian replied. “I can’t say I blame him. How do you ask your child what her kidnapping and torture were like?”

  “We have to ask her about that baby,” Jack said. “We have to know. The fact is, we’re allowing a horrible person to remain free out of fear of upsetting her. We have to press her on this.”

  “If you do that she’ll shut down,” Ivy argued. “She’ll feel trapped with everyone coming at her at once.”

  “On the flip side, if we approach her as law enforcement officials and say we absolutely need the information, she might be more likely to talk,” Jack pointed out. “We’re authority figures and she’s been trained to … listen … to authority figures for years.”

  “You mean fear,” Ivy corrected. “I won’t let you terrorize her, Jack.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes. “Yes, that really sounds just like me, doesn’t it?”