“I didn’t even realize it,” Hugh said as he shuffled away. “Not until I saw her on that floor.”
“Hugh…” There was so much sorrow in Ivy’s voice. “Please, promise me…” Her words trailed away.
But Hugh had stopped.
“Promise me you won’t do anything to hurt yourself,” Ivy said, “Not like…not like our father. Promise me.”
Bennett hurt for them both.
Hugh slowly glanced at her.
“I’ll come with you,” Ivy said quickly. “I’ll stay with you tonight. I’ll—”
“No, not tonight.” Hugh’s voice was firm, his eyes grief-stricken. “Tonight, I want to think of her.” His jaw hardened. “And I give you my promise, Ives. I won’t be like him.”
Him. Their father…the all-powerful senator…a man who’d killed himself one hot southern night.
Ivy nodded. “I’ll…I’ll come to you tomorrow?”
Hugh nodded. Then the cop led him away.
Bennett put his hand on her shoulder.
She stiffened. “Let me guess. My brother is getting protective custody, too, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I want him safe.” She glanced back. “In case you didn’t realize it, our father spent most of his time making Hugh think he was worthless.” Her lips twisted. “Is it really such a surprise that when he was eighteen, Hugh caved to my dad’s pressure? That he lied at the scene of that terrible accident?”
It hadn’t been an accident.
The senator had truly gotten away with murder. But not forever…eventually, the guilt had set in, and then, one night, he’d put a gun in his mouth.
When Bennett had heard the news, he knew that he should have felt relief. His aunt had gotten justice. But he hadn’t felt relief. He’d just felt sadness. And he’d wanted to see Ivy.
But when I got down here, she wasn’t alone. She was with Cameron.
Now Cameron was missing.
***
Ivy hadn’t returned home.
He sat in her bedroom, waiting. He’d been waiting for the last few hours.
But she hadn’t come back home.
Her brother was a fool. The idiot had saved her security system’s passcode on his phone. It had been merely a matter of a little finger swiping, and he’d had perfect access to Ivy’s house.
He’d explored all the nooks and crannies.
He’d touched the silk of her underwear. He’d spread out in her bed. He’d imagined all of the wonderful things that he would do with the sensual Ivy.
Now, so much made sense to him. She’d been the piece of the puzzle that he hadn’t realized was missing. A puzzle piece that had been deliberately kept from him.
She was everything now.
Every single fucking thing.
She’d be home again. Sooner or later, and when she was…
She’s mine. He had so many wonderful plans for her.
Chapter Nine
She hadn’t been to Bennett’s place before. Ivy stood just inside the doorway, far too conscious of him as he closed and locked the front door. There was a quick beep as he reset the alarm.
He flipped on the lights and illumination flooded the area. Bennett’s home was in the midtown area of Mobile, nestled at the end of an oak-lined street. Most of the houses in midtown were historic, and his home was no exception. The gleaming hardwood was strong and sturdy beneath her feet, and she knew the ceilings were easily thirteen feet high. The place was sparsely furnished, but the home was absolutely beautiful. Obviously, someone had spent a lot of time and dedication restoring the home.
She headed toward the fireplace. Her fingers trailed over the mantel. “Did you do the restoration yourself?”
“Yes.”
Something they had in common. She’d been doing all of the painstaking work in her house, too.
“When you’re not hunting criminals…” She looked back at him. “Maybe you can drop by my house and give me a hand.” She thought her words might lighten the heavy tension that seemed to hang in the air between them.
But Bennett didn’t smile. She didn’t blame him. She didn’t exactly feel like smiling either. Her eyes burned from the tears she’d already shed for Shelly.
I keep picturing her body—all of that blood. And that wasn’t how she wanted to remember Shelly. She wanted to remember her friend beautiful. Happy.
“It’s okay to cry,” Bennett said softly.
Ivy swept the back of her hand over her cheek. “I’ve cried plenty. I don’t want to do that anymore.” Because she was afraid if she started again, the tears wouldn’t stop. Grief wasn’t what she wanted.
No, what she wanted, what she needed, was an escape. Something to numb the pain.
Bennett.
Her gaze met his. Held his. Could he read the need in her stare? Could he understand how much she’d changed? Everything had altered for her when she’d seen Shelly’s body. Playing it safe, going slowly with him this time around—why? Ivy didn’t know how much time they had. A killer was stalking her. She might not have tomorrow. She might have nothing but this moment.
And with the danger growing, Ivy didn’t want regrets.