Wicked Beginning: An Ivy Morgan Mystery Books 1-3 (39 page)

“Huh?” Ivy was still lost in the kiss.

Jack snickered. “You’ve got a moony look on your face. I like it. I … .”

The sound of loud bangs filled the night, cutting him off. One … two … three shots rang out. Jack knew them for what they were without blinking an eye. He shoved Ivy in front of him, pressing her against the nearby building and instinctively sheltering her with his body.

It took Jack a moment to clear his head, memories of his own near-fatal shooting flooding his mind. After that things snapped into place quickly. The shots weren’t being fired at the couple. In fact, they weren’t even originating from their street. They were around the corner.

Jack took a tentative step back, allowing Ivy to face him, her features drawn and ashen.

“What … ?”

“Stay here, Ivy,” Jack ordered, moving away from her.

“Was that gunshots?” Ivy was obviously confused.

“I have to go and check on that,” Jack said. “I … stay here, Ivy. I’ll be back for you. I promise.”

With those words he disappeared around the corner, leaving Ivy alone with nothing but her fear to keep her company.

Ivy pressed her fingertips against the cold brick exterior of Bellaire’s pizza parlor, silently counting the seconds since Jack left.

One.
It probably wasn’t gunshots.

Two.
Jack only assumed it was gunshots because of his past … and nightmares.

Three.
It was much more likely that kids were playing with firecrackers than for someone to be shooting a gun in downtown Bellaire.

Four.
Someone could be dead.

Five.
Jack might be in trouble.

Ivy started moving without realizing what she was doing, quickening her pace as she rounded the corner. It took her a moment to focus, the limited light being thrown off by the nearby streetlights causing her to narrow her eyes to make out the scene. Jack was on his knees in the middle of the street, his back to her as he studied something on the ground in front of him. An invisible icy hand squeezed Ivy’s heart as she broke into a run.

“Jack!”

Jack swiveled quickly, surprised by her appearance. “Ivy, go back!”

Ivy shook her head, not stopping until she was next to Jack and could see why he was in the middle of the street. A young man was down on the ground, his eyes sightless as they faced the sky. He was wearing one of Bellaire’s telltale police uniforms, the shirt darkening with blood from a chest wound. He was dead. Ivy was sure of that. Jack still applied pressure to the wound with one hand as he used the other to cradle the phone next to his ear and bark out orders.

“We need an ambulance here now,” Jack bellowed. “Officer down!”

Ivy pushed Jack’s hand away and replaced it with her own so he could relay the information to the 911 operator without distraction. She pushed down on the wound, knowing it was doing absolutely no good, and waited for Jack to get off the phone. After a few more tense orders Jack disconnected and leaned in closer.

“How is he?”

“He’s gone,” Ivy said quietly.

“He’s just unconscious,” Jack said, his voice cracking. “I … .”

“It’s okay, Jack,” Ivy said, trying to sooth him as she kept her hands on the police officer’s chest. “I’ve got him. I won’t leave him.”

Jack dejectedly sat on the ground and watched Ivy until police and emergency personnel arrived. There was nothing else he could do.

“SO YOU
heard the shots and ran into danger?”

Tim Ellis was a Bellaire mainstay. Ivy knew him from their days as rival high school students, a brief flash of him celebrating on the football field flitting through her brain. He greeted her with a curious look – almost as if he was trying to place her – and then focused on Jack. The emergency responders buzzed around the fallen police officer, but they weren’t showing any signs of urgency.

“I’m a police detective in Shadow Lake,” Jack replied dully, rubbing the back of his neck as he focused his gaze anywhere but on the dead man in the street. “I heard the gunshots and ran around the corner to see if I could help.”

“And you took a civilian?” Tim asked, arching an eyebrow in Ivy’s direction.

Jack scowled. “No. I told her to stay around the corner where it was safe, but she never listens to a word I say.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me? I ran after you because I was worried.”

“I told you to stay over there,” Jack snapped. “You could’ve been … .” He didn’t finish the sentence. They both knew what could’ve happened. Jack’s expression softened. “Come here,” he murmured, opening his arms so Ivy could step into his embrace. He rested his cheek against her forehead for a moment, purposely ignoring Tim’s annoyed look. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your ice cream.”

“I think I’ll manage,” Ivy replied, squeezing his waist briefly and then releasing him.

Tim knit his eyebrows together as he looked Ivy up and down. “You look familiar,” he said. “Where do I know you from?”

“I own the nursery in Shadow Lake,” Ivy answered, internally rolling her eyes. He’d also hit on her at least eight separate times in high school, his ego getting the better of him despite how many times Ivy shot him down. Now probably wasn’t the best time to bring that up, though. “You bought a bush for your mother two weeks ago.”

Tim nodded and snapped his fingers. “You’re Ivy Morgan,” he said. “We graduated the same year from high school. Everyone in Bellaire used to drive to Shadow Lake because people said you were a witch and we were dying to see it.”

Ivy frowned as Jack’s shoulders stiffened.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jack asked.

“Nothing,” Tim said, shaking himself back to reality. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time. I just knew I recognized her and it was bugging me. If it’s any consolation, she wasn’t actually a witch. She was really hot in cutoff shorts, though.”

Jack’s face looked as if it had been carved out of granite. “She’s still really hot in her cutoffs,” he said. “I happen to prefer the skirts she wears, though. Do you want to tell me about your dead co-worker, or should we keep talking about Ivy’s shorts? He’s the one in the middle of the street.”

Ivy rubbed her hand across Jack’s lower back to soothe him.

“Where did you hear the shots from?” Tim asked, returning to business. “Do you think you can leave your date long enough to walk me through it?”

Jack was furious, but he managed to hold his temper in check. “That would be the highlight of my evening.” He glanced down at Ivy. “Can you stay here alone for a few minutes?”

Ivy wordlessly nodded.

“Now, when I say ‘stay here,’ that doesn’t mean follow me into danger,” Jack pressed.

Ivy scorched Jack with a harsh look, which ironically made him feel better. “I’ll be right back,” he said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “Don’t wander around in this area. Promise me.”

“I promise.”

Jack gave her another quick kiss to the forehead. “Let’s get this over with,” he said. “I don’t like being so … exposed … after a shooting. Someone could still be out there … watching us.”

Ivy scanned the trees on the other side of the street. She didn’t sense any immediate danger. That didn’t mean another kind of danger wasn’t waiting for Jack down the road. That would be a worse form of danger. Ivy could feel it.

“DO YOU
want to come inside?”

Ivy shuffled nervously on her front porch two hours later, her worried eyes trained on Jack. He’d been mostly silent for their ride home, going through the motions as he hopped out of his truck to walk her to the front door.

“Not tonight,” Jack said quietly, his fingers restlessly roaming the palm of Ivy’s hand. “I’ll take a rain check, though.”

Ivy pursed her lips, a myriad of things on the tip of her tongue to say to him. She didn’t say any of them. “Okay. Have a nice night.” She turned to open her door, but Jack stopped her by pulling her close, hugging her from behind.

“I’m sorry this happened,” he murmured, rubbing his cheek against hers. “I’m sorry I’m being so hard to talk to right now. I just … .”

“It’s okay, Jack,” Ivy soothed, leaning into him and letting him tighten his grip. “This brought back horrible memories for you. I understand. I’m not angry. I promise.”

“I know,” Jack said, his voice barely a whisper. “You never push me. I don’t want you to think I didn’t have a good time. Up until … it happened … I was having the best time. I’m so … sorry.”

“Jack, you didn’t do this,” Ivy chided. “We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no way you could’ve known that.”

“Next time we’re going on a picnic where no one can find us,” Jack said, kissing Ivy’s cheek. “We’ll be completely alone. I promise.”

“That sounds nice,” Ivy said, turning in his arms so she could rub her thumb against his cheek. “I don’t want you to think I’m coming on to you, but are you sure you want to sleep alone? You can stay here … with me … if you want.”

Jack arched an eyebrow.

“Purely platonic, of course,” Ivy added, internally chastising herself. Did he think she wanted him to do something else? That wouldn’t be good. Crap. He probably thought she was desperate and throwing herself at him.

“Of course,” Jack said, chuckling lightly even though the sentiment didn’t make it all the way up to his eyes. “I would love to stay here with you – even if you torture me with platonic threats – but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll probably be restless. You won’t get any sleep if I stay here.”

“I’m not sure you should be alone.”

Jack rested his forehead against Ivy’s. “We both know I won’t be alone when I finally fall asleep.”

“WHAT
took you so long?” Ivy forced a smile as she handed Jack a fruity drink – complete with brightly colored umbrella – and reclined in her lounger.

Jack glanced around the sunny beach locale, confused. “What are we doing here?”

“Well, I knew you were going to pick a dark space to flog yourself in – huh, that could go to a dirty place if I’m not careful – so I decided to pick a nicer spot for you to beat yourself … wow, my head really isn’t in a good spot right now.” Ivy’s smile was rueful.

Jack smirked. He couldn’t help himself. The police officer’s death was eating away at him, and even though he knew this was a dream world Ivy concocted to drag him away from the real world, he couldn’t help but be relieved that she took the destination choice away from him. He took the drink and settled in the open chair next to her. “I’m sorry I left you with dirty thoughts,” he said, sipping the fruity concoction and making a face. “What is that?”

“Sex on the beach.”

Jack pursed his lips. “You want me bad,” he said, resting the drink on the ground next to him. “If it’s any consolation. I regretted not staying the night with you – platonic or not – the second I left your place.”

“I know.”

She had absolutely no ego problems, and Jack found that refreshing. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” Ivy replied. “I just wanted a bright spot with a beach. I’ve never seen the ocean except for movies. It’s probably from a movie.”

“I guess I’m going to have to take you to the ocean one day, huh?” Jack asked, reaching out with his left hand to capture hers and bring it to rest against his chest. Whether he realized it or not, he was putting her hand over the exact spot where his own gunshot scars remained.

“I would love to see the ocean one day,” Ivy said. “I’ve always dreamed of taking a cruise.”

“Well, I’m not big on boats, but if you promise to wear a bikini, I could probably get behind that.”

Ivy made a face. “Do I look like the type of woman who wears a bikini? I don’t even own a bathing suit.”

Jack was puzzled. “You can swim, though, right?”

Ivy nodded.

“If you don’t own a bathing suit, how do you swim?”

Ivy shrugged, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of her lips. She was always bolder in their dreams. “There’s a small lake about a mile away from my house,” she said. “When it gets really hot, I usually wait until dark and then go skinny-dipping by myself.”

Jack’s heart rate increased at the thought. “Well, we’re definitely doing that together.”

Ivy snickered, enjoying their closeness for a moment before sobering. “Did Tim give you a name for the officer who died?”

“Mark Dalton.”

Ivy racked her brain for a moment, coming up empty. “I don’t know him.”

“How do you know Tim? He’s a real douche, by the way. If you’re about to tell me you had a crush on him in high school I’m going to pretend you’re not talking.”

“I definitely didn’t have a crush on him in high school,” Ivy replied, rolling her eyes. “He asked me out a few times … and I told him no.”

“That’s my girl.”

Ivy hated the pleasurable roll of her heart when Jack referred to her as “his girl” and forced herself to focus on something more important. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Jack. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. Seeing him on the pavement like that … it must have reminded you of what you went through.”

Jack swallowed hard. “I froze for a second on the street,” he admitted. “You could’ve been hurt because I forgot my training.”

“Oh, get over yourself,” Ivy muttered. “You didn’t freeze. You threw me against the wall of the pizza shop and covered me with your own body. You were ready to sacrifice yourself to keep me safe.”

“But … .”

Ivy cut him off. “I was there, too,” she said. “You protected me at great risk to yourself. Don’t think I didn’t notice. I didn’t appreciate it either. I can take care of myself.”

Jack frowned. “Excuse me for living!”

Ivy tried to hide her smile, but ultimately lost the battle. “Next time we’re shot at I’m going to throw myself on top of you and shield you with my body. How do you like that?”

Jack shrugged. “I didn’t hear a word of that sentence after you admitted you were dying to throw yourself on top of me.”

“You’re such a pervert.”

“Says the woman who keeps offering me sex on the beach.”

They relaxed into the dream, their banter keeping things from getting too deep. It was the one thing Jack needed, so Ivy gave it to him without reservation. The real world could wait until morning.