“I still could have been nicer.” She leaned toward him and didn’t stop until her forehead rested against his. “But I’m tired. I hurt all the time. And ... I’m scared.”
He gave himself a few seconds to relish the way she’d handed him all of that, accepting it for the gift it was, even while hating that she was in this situation. He lifted his hand from her knee, found her hand, and laced his fingers with hers. “I’m scared too, which is why I was an idiot.”
He gave her a chance to agree or disagree. She said nothing, and he took that as a good sign. She probably agreed with his assessment, but she also didn’t seem to need to make him feel any worse. “I’m a quick learner. I should have asked you what you wanted and kept you informed. I’ll do better. Promise.”
Her head moved against his.
“Is that an ‘I forgive you and will never use this against you in the future’ nod, or am I reading too much into it?”
The laugh that answered his question succeeded in doing what nothing else had been able to do all day, and the wall between them crumbled. He brushed his nose against hers. “Ready to go home?”
“Yes.”
He sat back and looked into big blue eyes, lashes damp with unshed tears that she blinked away before they escaped. He stood, and since their fingers were still entwined, she stood with him. He kept her hand in his and maneuvered them around Tessa’s coffee table and into the doorway to Tessa’s office.
Four sets of eyes met his, flickered to the spot where his hand still clasped Ivy’s, then hit Ivy’s face, before landing back on him.Before anyone could comment, Gil jumped in. “Ivy wants to go home. What’s our best strategy for making that happen?”
He had a strategy, but if he was going to keep Ivy in the loop as promised, then she needed to hear all the scenarios and be part of the decision-making process.
“Call Morris. See if he can have some officers present when you get there. It’s either that, or we follow you home and clear the house before you enter. Oh, and we call Morris either way.” Zane didn’t have to get Ivy’s opinion and clearly didn’t care whether she wanted this or not.
Ivy’s hand tightened on his. “Do we need to do all that? It seems a bit excessive. I have a security system and—”
“It’s the smart play.” Tessa gave Ivy an encouraging smile. “They made a move this afternoon. It didn’t work. We don’t know what the next move will be, but we need to be ready for whatever it is.”
“I get that. But—”
“Gil will step in front of a bullet for you, Ivy.” Faith didn’t seem to be making any effort to soften her words. “If he has to do that and there’s no one else around, not only do they take Gil out of the picture, but they also get you—and ultimately, they get whatever they want.”
Ivy jolted against him at Faith’s response. “Wow, Faith. Don’t sugarcoat it for me.”
“Oh, I’m not done. Because I know what it feels like to watch Gil get shot.” Faith’s voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “I’d like to make sure you and I don’t share that nightmare.” Her eyes glistened, but her voice firmed. “I like you. A lot. I think you were right to call Gil out for not clueing you in to what’s going down, and I support you being part of the decision-making process. But I will not be quiet if you try to refuse to allow us to protect you in a way that not only protects you but ensures we all live to fight another day.”
Ivy pressed into his arm. “That seems fair.”
“Good.” Faith caught his eye. “And don’t you get grouchy with me for laying it out for her. Someone needed to, and we all knew it wouldn’t be you.”
“Hey—”
“Let it go, Gil” Luke put an arm around Faith. “You know she’s right.”
Zane’s low voice broke through the stalemate. “Tessa, call Morris. Gil, take your time getting Ivy home. Don’t go straight there. Hit a drive-through. Backtrack a few times. Make it look like you’re headed to Faith’s or Luke’s or even your place.”
Zane jerked his head toward Luke. “You and Faith head out with Gil and Ivy. Make sure they get to the car and out safe. Then take your time getting home. I’ll wait here for a few minutes, and then I’ll go straight to Ivy’s and cruise the neighborhood. If I see anything I don’t like, I’ll holler.”
“I’ll come with you.” Tessa fixed a look on Zane that did not invite argument or dissent. “None of us needs to be alone.”
He accepted that with a brisk nod. “Once everyone is back in their respective homes, we’ll touch base via text. I’ll hit the sack and come back to Ivy’s around two so Gil can get some sleep. Agreed?”
Everyone murmured their assent.
“Good.” Zane winked at Ivy. “Sorry, Ivy, but this crowd can talk a situation to death. At some point, someone has to make a decision.”
“Bossy,” Tessa said on a cough.
“So bossy.” Faith mimicked Tessa.
Zane’s glare lacked heat. Luke wasn’t even attempting to pretend he didn’t think this was hilarious.
