“He stabbed the councilman,” Ivy said. She glanced down at her dress. “It’s his blood, not mine.”
Hugh started to pace. He did that when he was angry or afraid. Right then, she knew he was both. “The killer? Shit, when you told us about him in the limo, I didn’t think you’d actually find him! I didn’t think—”
“I think he found me. He knew my name, and he-he said things…” Things she didn’t want to say, not with the crowd around them. Not with the familiar figures of reporters close by.
Bennett’s hold tightened on Ivy’s shoulders. “She’s coming with me,” he said again, only his voice was harder now. Almost daring someone to argue.
No one did.
Ivy just wanted to get out of there. She wanted to get the blood off. She wanted to forget the killer’s voice.
I can be good to you.
So much for being some hotshot PI. She was shaking, nearly breaking apart on the inside.
“You sure you’re okay?” Cameron asked her.
Cameron. He was a good guy, a good friend. Once, he’d tried to get them to be more, but it hadn’t worked. Because I’d still been hung up on Bennett. Bennett had been her problem for a long time. It would have been nice if she could have wanted Cameron the way she wanted Bennett. Easier.
But life wasn’t always easy.
“I’m okay,” she promised him. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Then she let Bennett lead her away from them. As they walked through the crowd and Ivy heard the whispers around her, she couldn’t help but wonder…
Was the killer close?
Was he watching her even now?
Had he taken off his mask? Blended in with everyone else?
Was he smiling as he followed her?
I can be good to you…
She hated having his voice in her head.
Chapter Four
It was close to dawn by the time Bennett parked his car near Ivy’s house. He sat there a moment, with his hands on the steering wheel as he tried to figure out what the hell he should say to her.
Her gown had been collected as evidence. She’d been given a t-shirt—one that was way too big—and a pair of jogging pants that a female officer happened to have in her locker at the police station. Borrowed sneakers completed her outfit.
The damn thing was…Ivy was just as beautiful in those over-sized clothes as she’d been in that gorgeous gown. To him, Ivy was always gorgeous. No other woman had ever quite compared to her.
It sucks knowing you made the biggest mistake of your life when you were a nineteen year old kid. How many times had he wanted to go back and change the past? How many times had he thought of Ivy?
“Thanks for the lift home.” She reached for her door handle, and the movement finally jostled Bennett out of his stupor. He hurried out of the car and raced around to her side. His aunt had always instilled southern-boy manners in him…and lesson one had been…
Always, always open the door for a lady.
He yanked open Ivy’s door. “I’m coming in the house.”
She rose, quirked a brow and said, “Are you now?”
Why was he always stumbling over his words when it came to Ivy? Coming off too pompous. And way too much like a jerk. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I want to make sure the house is safe. You said he knew your name. It’s not a big leap from knowing your name to finding out where you live.”
Her gaze turned to the house. “No,” she sounded sad now and he hated that. “It’s not.”
He shadowed her steps as she headed toward her house. The place was huge, towering above them and seeming to stretch toward the sky. “You live here by yourself?”
And, yeah, there’d been an edge to his words.
She paused on the porch and glanced at him. “It’s really been one hell of a night.”
He figured that was an understatement.
“I’m tired, I’m pretty scared, and I can still feel the guy touching me.”
His hands fisted.
“So I’m going to save us both some time,” Ivy told him as she turned to fully face him. “I’m not going to play any games.”
He hated games.
“I live here alone. I’m not involved with anyone. I’m not sleeping with anyone—”
“Cameron—”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not sleeping with Cameron.”
“But you were.”
Silence.
Jealousy burned in his gut.
“How do you know about that?” Ivy’s voice was far too soft.
“Because maybe I came back to town one day, desperate to see you. And maybe—maybe I learned I’d come home too late. You were already in bed with him.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “I slept with Cameron once. And I don’t have to apologize for that. We weren’t together. You were long gone. I was alone—with the wreck of my life that had been left behind.”
“Shit, Ivy, I’m sorry.” And he was. “You don’t have to tell me—”
“I didn’t want him, not the way I wanted you.”