Once we were on the Interstate, I let her gain some distance, so she wouldn’t get suspicious.Chad’s words tumbled through my mind.Hurt comes in many forms.
That was true, but he made it sound likeshe’dbeen hurt.That irritated me more than it should.
We were almost downtown when she exited onto McDuff Avenue.A car cut me off at the last minute, but I made the light and kept following Ivy.Ten minutes later, we both drove into a small complex of townhouses not far from Highway Seventeen.
She pulled into a narrow drive for the first unit, and I parked my motorcycle behind her car.She threw open her car door and twisted out.“Why did you follow me?We’re free.”
“You need someone around.You probably have a concussion.”
One of her sculpted brows rose.“Not sure if you’re the best candidate since you have one too.I heard how hard they hit you.It had me so worried, I stared at you for a good minute to make sure you were still breathing.”
I resisted the urge to flirt with her, but the fact she stared at me definitely stroked my ego.
“Can you take that magnet off your car before we go inside?”
She nodded.“I normally take them off so they don’t get stuck.Chad has an ex who ran marathons and one of his magnets wouldn’t come off.But seriously, Ryan, we’re free.I can have Chad come over instead.”
I crossed my arms.“We’re free, but I killed two men to do that.They’re gonna find out and they’re gonna come after you.”
She lowered her chin.“But you killed them.”
I didn’t point out that she helped.“They don’t know that, but theydoknow you were with me.I’m not leaving.”
What went unsaid was that I got her into this.I was going to make sure I got her out of it.
She peeled the magnets off her car and stowed them under the passenger seat.I walked her to the door of her unit, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
She led me inside her townhouse.The foyer was wider and longer than I expected with two closets to the left, and a staircase to the right.I followed her deeper inside.The U-shaped kitchen appeared to be fairly new, and a living room-dining room combo sat just beyond it.At the far end of the living room, an open doorway provided a glimpse of what appeared to be a master bedroom.
She started toward the kitchen, then stopped, and slowly shook her head.“Well, I’m starving, but it’s been almost a week since I bought groceries.Your choices are a Boston Market frozen dinner or a chicken pot pie.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She gave me a pointed look.“After the day we had, you can’t come to my house and refuse to let me feed you.”
My eyes narrowed.“Why are you so insistent?”
Her eyes widened.“I’m starving, and I’ll feel incredibly rude if I eat and you don’t.It’s almost nine o’clock, you have to be hungry.”
The way my head hurt, I wasn’t sure eating was a good idea.Then again, a full meal might alleviate the persistent ache.
“I don’t want to eat your last frozen meal.”
Her head jerked and those green eyes lit up.“I almost forgot.There’s some left over jambalaya we can have instead.”
That gave me pause.Dad made jambalaya when I was growing up.His was top-notch, and my favorite dish.“Did you make it yourself or is it from a restaurant?”
Her head tilted.“I made it.I’m not a half-bad cook, even if I’m saying so myself,” she said with more sass than I expected.
This was even better than riling up my sister.Not only was it fun, but I found it made Ivy more adorable.
I threw my hands out in surrender.“Jambalaya it is, but you should know, you got big shoes to fill.My dad makes some of the best jambalaya.”
“Great.”
Ivy forked up a bite of andouille sausage, but didn’t put it in her mouth.“I think this is overkill.They aren’t going to come here for me.”
We were seated at her oval dining table, me across from her.I’d finished eating before her.If there’d been more jambalaya, I’d have had seconds.It wasn’t quite as spicy as Dad’s, but it was damned good.I leaned back in my chair.“You’re the first unit at the front of the neighborhood.You aren’t exactly in the safest position.”
