by Donna Grant
The worry and fear had taken their toll on her mother, aging her seemingly overnight. Then there were the nights her mother spent at the hospital so Ivy wouldn’t be alone.
Even when Ivy was released and had returned home, things had been hard. She couldn’t be left alone since she was too weak to do anything herself. Her mother had worked odd jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and pay for a nurse to help care for Ivy.
Ivy could never put someone else through that. She might have been ill, but she’d watched everything unfold from her bed, helpless to do anything for her mother. How many nights had she heard her mother cry herself to sleep?
Ivy dashed away tears of her own. It did no good to cry. She might hate being alone, but she knew it was for the best.
Ivy rose from the bed and grabbed her phone. Stacy had been calling and texting, and Ivy’d had to lie to her friend to keep her from the truth. She hated that. Stacy was one of the few who knew of Ivy’s past illness.
She’d told Stacy she was staying with friends, which was about the only thing she hadn’t lied about. It’s also the only thing that had kept Stacy from trying to see her.
After checking her phone again, Ivy decided to give her mind a break and play some games on her phone.
It didn’t take long before she was absorbed in a game of backgammon. Ivy had no idea how long she played before there was a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said.
The door opened and Davena poked her head inside. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore her usual smile. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Ivy replied as she set aside her phone.
“When you get a chance, come downstairs. Beau thinks he has an idea.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, by the way, here are some clothes,” Davena said as she walked into the room and set them on the bed. “You’ve been in those for a couple of days already.”
Ivy laughed and looked down at herself. “Thank you.”
“See you in a bit,” Davena said and left.
Ivy rose and looked through the assortment of sweats and loungewear. She finally decided on a pair of black sweats and an ash gray tee.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and shrugged before walking out. There was no sound made as she walked barefoot down the stairs to the office where she heard voices.
Ivy stopped when her gaze clashed with Christian’s as he once more sat behind the desk. They shared a look before he nodded in greeting.
Hoping no one else saw the awkwardness, Ivy decided to remain at the entrance. “So, what’s this idea?”
Beau shut the book he was reading. “I’ll be the first to admit it’s not a good one. It’s called transference. There is a way that we can transfer your scent to someone else.”
“And send the Hell Hounds after them?” she asked, confused. “Absolutely not.”
“It may be the only way to save you,” Christian said.
Ivy shrugged. “Then I guess I’m going to die because I refuse to give this problem to another innocent.”
Vincent asked, “Even if we find someone who deserves it?”
“Even then,” she said. She swung her eyes to Christian, expecting him to put up a fight. That’s when she realized they were all smiling. “Did I miss something?”
“Just that you’re worthy of saving,” Beau said and opened the book again.
Ivy came to the conclusion that the Chiassons were a bit off their rockers.
CHAPTER NINE
“You’re awfully quiet,” Olivia said as she stood by Christian at the desk.
He glanced up from the book he was reading to find that Vincent was with her. Christian shrugged off their words. “I’m busy.”
“Since when are you too busy to give us your opinion on anything?” Vincent asked.
Christian released a breath and covertly looked at Ivy, who was standing with Davena at the doorway. “I’m not. I just have nothing to say.”
“A first for you.” Vin rested a hip on the corner of the desk. “You and Ivy were gone a long time last night.”
Christian leaned back in the chair and met Vin’s gaze. “What did you expect? For us to start dancing right along with all of you?”
“Y’all do make a cute couple,” Olivia said with a smile.
Christian shoved the chair away from the desk and stood. He gathered his books and shouldered his way between Olivia and Vincent to walk from the office.
He needed to be alone, to stop thinking about and looking at Ivy. She clouded his mind so he couldn’t sort through things properly. And his family wasn’t helping in the least.
Christian took the stairs three at a time and shut himself in his room. He locked it to prevent anyone from barging in then he sat against his headboard and grabbed the book he had been looking through.
~ ~ ~
“What the hell was that?” Vin asked Olivia in a low voice.
She shook her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say he likes her.”
Beau leaned over the desk and whispered, “Because he does.”
Vin frowned. Christian? That couldn’t be possible. He was so against forming attachments that he went out of his way to ensure no woman would ever want anything lasting with him.
Vincent turned his head to look at Ivy. Then again, Ivy hadn’t started out as someone Christian took to his bed. She had been in trouble, and Christian had brought her to the house to keep her safe. Obviously, things had progressed from there.
“What are you thinking?” Olivia asked.
Vin looked down at her. “I think Beau may be right.”
Olivia’s dark eyes widened. “It would explain why he’s so...sensitive about her.”
“I honestly never thought Christian would find someone he cared about.”
Olivia smiled and rested her hand on his chest. “Things happen for a reason.”
Vin frowned then. “If Christian is falling for her, it’ll crush him if the Hounds get her.”
“We won’t let that happen.”
No, they wouldn’t. It wasn’t just about trying to save Ivy, but Christian, as well. Vincent knew his brother would fight against his feelings for Ivy. Vin prayed Ivy was strong enough, smart enough – and cared for Christian enough – to get him over his trepidation.
~ ~ ~
Ivy’s eyes burned from staring too long at the computer screen. Hours later, she was still reeling from the “test” she had been put through.
It had made her feel better when Davena told her that Christian hadn’t been happy about the test. Davena had assured Ivy that it was only a precaution, but Ivy had the feeling that everyone wanted to make sure she wasn’t just worthy of their help, but of being with Christian.
The Chiasson family was a tight-knit group. Ivy spent half of her time watching their dynamic because it was so foreign. As an only child with one parent, Ivy didn’t know what it meant to have so many people looking after her.
The family’s love for Christian was visible. Their worry was, as well.
Ivy looked at the ceiling. Christian hadn’t left his room since that morning. Lincoln had gone up to try and talk to him. So had Olivia, but neither could get him to come out.
“This isn’t normal for Christian,” Ivy overheard Ava whisper to Lincoln.
Ivy frowned as she lowered her gaze back to the computer.
Lincoln kissed Ava, then said in a low voice, “It’ll be fine in the end. Christian just needs some time.”
Time? Time for what? Ivy’s mind raced. Surely, she wasn’t the culprit. She and Christian had agreed on how things would be. He didn’t want any entanglements any more than she did.
Ivy squeezed her eyes closed because she knew that for the lie it was. Why had she found Christian now? Why did he have to be so damn charming and handsome? Why did he have to be so caring and brave?
She opened her eyes and blinked several times. Ivy couldn’t look at another website. She closed the laptop and set it aside
as she rose and walked out of the office to the front porch.
When she spotted the swing, she smiled and sat. With one leg tucked, she used her other foot to move the swing.
The gray clouds hadn’t departed the area. No doubt there was more rain on the way. Ivy braved the mosquitos to have a moment to herself.
The humidity was thick, making her skin sticky and her curls tighten even more. She shoved her hair back and savored the beauty around her. There were live oaks with their thick limbs branching out like gnarled fingers, and crepe myrtles with bright pink blooms still on them.
Christian’s truck had been parked with the others off to the side, giving her a clear view of expansive green lawn and the driveway.
How many more days would she get before the Hell Hounds got to her? Was this her last one? If so, why did she even bother talking herself out of whatever feelings had begun to surface for Christian. Who cared if she felt something for him if she was about to die?
Based on everything she had read about the Hell Hounds, if someone did manage to elude them, it wasn’t for long. The Hounds always found their scent and took the souls that belonged to Hell.
“Oh, Mom,” Ivy murmured.
It was hard for her to even imagine her mother selling her soul. Then again, Ivy had seen how her mother fought to keep her alive. How many times had her mom told her that a parent would do anything for their child?
Ivy didn’t completely understand because she didn’t have a child of her own, but she knew the depth of her mother’s love. Her mother had sacrificed so much for her. It wasn’t a stretch to think she would sell her soul for her daughter to become healthy.
Ivy wished her mother had told her so she could’ve been prepared. But that wasn’t her mother. Her mom preferred to keep her worry to herself. Besides, Ivy knew her mom would never have revealed how far she would be willing to go to save Ivy’s life.
Movement out of the corner of her eye drew Ivy’s attention. She stared at Christian as he walked across the soggy ground to his truck. He opened the tailgate and pulled a large box to him. After he unlocked it, he threw open the lid and rummaged through it.
Ivy watched as he pulled out a crossbow and a set of arrows. Suddenly he stilled, his head swinging to her. Their gazes clashed.
Then he went back to looking in the box. “You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
“I’m on the porch. It’s safe.”
“I’d rather you were inside the house.”
She raised a brow, giving him her most annoyed expression that he didn’t even bother glancing at her to see. “I’d rather be out here.”
“Did someone say something to send you outside?” he asked as he shut the lid and relocked the box. Then he closed his tailgate and rested an arm on it as he looked at her.
Damn but his blue eyes could impale her. His black hair was tousled, as if he had been running his fingers through the length.
Ivy realized belatedly that he had asked her a question. “No,” she answered. “I’m just not used to so many people around all the time.”
“As an only child, I suppose not.” He pushed away from the truck and walked to the porch.
He set the crossbow and arrows down and sat on the top step to lean against a column and look at her. Ivy grew self-conscious under his perusal.
“I can’t imagine being an only child,” Christian said. “Just as I’m sure you can’t imagine growing up with four siblings.”
Ivy smiled. “I can’t. Though, I admit that I like the atmosphere here. The way you all protect each other. You know they’ll always be there for you.”
“Yeah.” He looked down at his hands. “Despite all the tragedies the family has suffered, we do lean on each other. I never thought of that until now.” He lifted his eyes to her. “You didn’t have anyone to lean on when your mother died.”
Ivy shrugged, trying not to feel the same overwhelming sadness that had stayed with her for many months. “I was numb at first. The shock of it all, I guess. I barely remember planning the funeral. I don’t think it hit me until a few days after the service when I woke up and walked into the kitchen calling to her.” Ivy swallowed, her throat clogged with emotion. “That’s when I realized I was alone. The tears I hadn’t been able to shed up until that moment were like a dam bursting. I didn’t leave the house for days.”
“No one should have to suffer something like that alone.”
Ivy hastily wiped away a tear that had escaped. “I got through it.”
Christian nodded and looked out over the Chiasson land. “You’ll get through this, as well.”
“Let’s be honest, Christian. Despite all you and your family have done, there’s no getting away from the Hell Hounds. This could be my last day.”
His head jerked to her, his gaze narrowed and angry. “So you’re giving up?”
“I’m not saying that. I get through each day by being realistic. Do I hope something comes of all the research and I get the Hounds off my scent? Yes. But the odds aren’t in my favor.”
“Sometimes you need to forget reality.”
“Reality for me was months in the hospital hooked up to numerous machines that beeped all the time. Reality was taking handfuls of pills three or four times a day to beat whatever was wrong into submission. Reality was not being able to stand on my own or even put on my own clothes. I couldn’t feed myself, much less bathe myself. That was reality.”
“A reality your mother changed.”
Ivy looked away. When she had herself back under control, she met Christian’s gaze and stood. “Now my reality is that the Hell Hounds have come to kill me so that they can show my mother my soul before – presumably – it is allowed to go free. Reality is reality, no matter how you look at it.”
“Is that right?” he asked and climbed to his feet. “Hope, Ivy. You need hope. Yes, face your reality, but don’t give up. You survived your illness every day because you wished to beat it.”
“Don’t talk as if you were there and experienced it,” she stated angrily and walked to the door.
Before she reached it, she was yanked against Christian’s hard chest. His bright blue eyes were alight with some emotion she couldn’t place.
“I’ve experienced you, Ivy Pierce,” he murmured before he kissed her.
CHAPTER TEN
Christian had known it was a mistake to pull her against him, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He’d needed Ivy, like she was a basic ingredient to his survival.
The tightness in his chest loosened when her arms snaked around his neck. He deepened the kiss, his body responding instantly to the heady feel of her.
By the time he ended the kiss, they were both breathing heavily. Christian leaned his forehead against hers.
“Don’t give up,” he urged.
Ivy smiled and traced his lip with her finger. “I’m not. But you need to be realistic. I might die.”
“There’s a chance I might die every night I go out hunting,” he argued.
She kissed his jaw before she rested her head on his chest. “If the worst happens, it won’t be because you didn’t do all that you could.”
Christian tightened his arms around her. There was a way to save Ivy. There was always a way. He just had to find it.
“I should get back inside and do more research.”
Christian didn’t let her move. “Not yet. You need to have a bit of downtime.”
“You’re probably right. I really don’t want my last day to be filled with books and computers.”
He hated that she was able to be so flippant. It was Ivy’s way of coping, but Christian didn’t have to like it.
Neither of them spoke about the kiss or the fact they were embracing. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Ivy didn’t want to be alone. Since Christian only wanted to be with her, it worked out perfectly.
Every time he thought about her dying, there was an ache in his chest. It had started small, but it was growing rapidly.
“Do you really never want to fall in love?” she asked into the silence.
Christian wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “My parents were deeply in love. They did everything together. There were many nights I’d wake to hear music downstairs. I’d go to the railing and look down to find them dancing.”
“What a beautiful memory.”
“It was. I remember barely being able to wait until I could find such love. Then my mother was killed. I can still hear the bellow that echoed through the bayou when my father found her body. That sound...” he paused and swallowed. “It haunts me to this day. It was like his heart had been ripped from his chest. The desolation, the anguish of that sound was horrible.”
Her arms tightened. “I can’t even imagine.”
“Later that night, he died. He wanted revenge. My father normally had such a cool head when he went hunting. He taught us patience and control, but he had neither after my mother’s death.”
“You fear you’ll be the same.”
“I know I will.” He kissed the top of Ivy’s head. “I know if I ever fall in love it’ll be deep. It’ll be the kind of love my parents had. I’ve always known that.”
“So you’ve protected yourself.”
He rested his chin atop her head. “I have. Even as I watched my brothers fall in love. It’s in my face on a daily basis, but I know what’ll happen to them if their women are killed.”
“Most people don’t understand why we push others away,” she said. “They crave being with another, to have that connection. We do, as well, but we know it comes with a price. It’s a price some can’t pay.”
“It’s a price some don’t want to pay.”
Ivy lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. “You’re a good guy, Christian. You have a strong family. You shouldn’t push love away if it comes your way. You deserve to be happy.”