“H-A-Y-E-S.”He spelled out his last name, and she relayed the information to Ash, who was undoubtedly searching for any information he could find on the man in question.
“Ash, I have a favor to ask.”
Another ringing sound gave her pause.She had Jude’s phone and her phone was dead.She glanced over her shoulder, and he was digging through his backpack.He withdrew a second phone.Who had two phones?Like before, he answered with his last name then turned and walked farther away from her.
“You want me to call the police?”Ash’s statement brought her focus back to the call.
“No.I’d like you to stay at Jess’s condo until you hear from me.”
There was a long pause.“You want to bring the stranger Jude Hayes to the apartment and have privacy.”
She was glad Ash couldn’t see her expression, because his words made her rear back in surprise.She’d never brought a man back to the apartment.The number of dates she went on were few and far between.“No.I think someone is following me.Someone who might be mad because I overheard something I shouldn’t have.I lost my fanny pack, so my wallet and keys are missing for the time being.I’m afraid if the wrong person finds them first, they’ll come looking for me at the apartment and I don’t want you to be there if that happens.”
“I sleep at Jess’s house on Thursday nights.”Their old couch creaked, and she could picture him standing up, tucking his phone between his ear and shoulder, and crossing his arms over his chest like he sometimes did when their mom started to annoy him during their weekly calls.
“I know.”This might not seem like a big deal to others, but for Ash it was.He loved his girlfriend, and they had a great time together, but changing up his schedule without warning was taking away the predictability he thrived on.Routines and expected patterns gave Ash a sense of safety, and she hated she was disrupting that for him.
“You want me to stay there today.”A familiar rigidity entered his tone.“Today is Sunday.”
“Yes,” she answered directly.
There was another extended pause.“Sunday night at six o’clock we have pizza and work on the puzzle.”She could hear his heavy footfalls through the apartment.He wasn’t angry, but when Ash needed to process something, the sensory input he gained from stomping along the wood floor helped to ground him.She was always mindful to rent first-floor apartments knowing they’d disturb the tenants below them, otherwise.
“I understand, but this is a special circumstance.We both need to be flexible to stay safe.Can you call for a cab or find an Uber on the app?”
Weight landed on her shoulder, and she turned.Jude was still on the phone, but he held it away from his ear for a moment.“My friend, Mason Williams, is on his way to the apartment.He’ll go to the door, knock, and show his identification.He has red hair and a beard.He’ll take Ash where he needs to go.He’s about ten minutes out.”
“Did you hear that, Ash?”
“Yes.A stranger is going to pick me up at the apartment.”
“You can ask for his I.D.”She had to look up to meet Jude’s eyes.“You don’t have to share any personal information with him, but you can trust him to get you to Jess’s condo.I trust Jude to get me home when it’s safe, but you’ll need to stay with Jess until you hear from me.Otherwise, you can continue your weekly schedule, just from Jess’s condo.I love you.Please be safe.”
“I’ll let Jess know there’s been a change in plans.I love you, too.”
Ivy bit her bottom lip.Ash had become so independent over the years, and she rarely worried about how he’d navigate his environment or deal with the people he encountered.When they were kids, the smallest of changes to his routine or environment would have a profound impact on his ability to regulate his emotions.To say she was proud of his growth was an understatement.She just hoped she hadn’t created a challenge that would set him back.
Chapter Four
Jude watched themyriad of emotions shift over Ivy’s face.He’d avoided people like her his whole life, especially women.There was a softness to her.A certain innocence.His parents had been the same way.They wore their hearts on their sleeves and would have no problem dropping everything to help a neighbor or even a stranger.They believed that people were genuinely good and that had been their downfall.He hadn’t realized how dangerous Ivy was until she had touched his cheek with such tenderness.He was a stranger.Through her eyes, he must seem gruff, hard, even downright menacing, and yet she’d looked at him with such compassion it nearly took his feet out from under him.
When she’d mentioned needing to get home to some guy named Ash, a surge of something white-hot and ugly had flashed through him.Fucking ridiculous.Just because he’d found her and carried her to his rental cabin didn’t mean he had any claim to her—not that he’d want to if he could.He didn’t know this woman, and he didn’t date as a rule.He’d never felt jealous with anyone, so to have it happen with a stranger was staggering.The relief that poured through him when she said Ash was her brother was just as unacceptable as the jealousy itself.
Now she was speaking with her brother.The volume of the phone made the conversation audible, and he didn’t give a shit that he was eavesdropping.He knew a Virginia Navy SEAL who’d married a flight medic and the woman’s son had autism.The son had saved her life when some fucked-up family drama went down in Texas.He’d also helped to open a pizza restaurant with his classmates—one who was the brother of another SEAL on the same team.He and his task force had taken courses on identifying neurodivergence to better assist the individuals they encountered on the job.He was searching his memory, trying to identify challenges Ivy’s brother might face with this change of plans, when his phone rang.He glanced at the screen and approval settled in his chest.His team was fast and efficient.
“Hayes,” he answered.
“Sir, we just arrived on the property.The truck is gone, and the tire marks stop when they exit the property.The tech department is trying to locate the vehicle on street cameras.Footprint patterns are consistent with the woman’s story.I have a set of women’s size six followed by two sets of men’s boots.”
“Did you find a…” He paused.What the hell had she called the thing?“A black fanny pack?”
His agent stated something in his comm unit and must’ve received an answer back through the device in his ear.“Yes, sir.At the back of the property.The zipper is open and there are no contents inside.”
“Good work.As soon as the weather clears, I’ll bring the woman into the office for an official statement.I want local law enforcement increasing their presence on her street for the time being.The men who pursued her might try to find her there.If the bag was empty, they have the keys to her truck and apartment, along with her identification and address.Based on the recording, they’re not going to want her to be a loose end.”
“Understood.”
He hung up the call and immediately dialed another number.It wasn’t often he leaned on others, but he hated the thought of Ivy’s brother being vulnerable in their apartment.
