“The biggest? How can you be sure we are dealing with something so expansive?”
“I can’t be. Call it a hunch. The guys I’ve seen hanging around lately, the things I’ve been overhearing and piecing together…my gut never lies.”
“I have trusted contacts in all of the above. I can start reaching out, but this sounds like some illegal bullshit between a rogue cartel cell and another player…some kind of homegrown terrorist.”
“Shit like this doesn’t stay silent and off the books long – not when we are talking illegal dealings like this. Whether it’s arms or drugs, it’ll be out soon enough, and we’ll have a war on our hands with zero allies,” Carter alerted. This thing was getting bigger by the minute.
“If something this sinister was going on, and Ivy was right in the middle of it, why did you stay and put her at risk?”
“Because as long as her father was there, I thought she’d be safe, and I could continue to gather information. The minute it went south or I saw any indication of such, I was going to take her and Cash and run. Right to your doorstep.”
“Cash?” Dace asked. “Cashel? Is he…?”
Eli finished Dace’s thought. “He’s the child in the picture, yes.”
“She called out his name in the middle of a nightmare. Said she didn’t know a Cashel.”
“She’s protecting him. She’s protecting all of us.”
“Who is he, Eli? Who is this boy?”
“I can sit here all night and share intel collected over the past several months and beyond, but that? It isn’t my story to tell. You will have to talk to Ivy about that. She’ll tell you who I am to her and who he is…”
Hearing Eli mention who he was to Ivy sent a sting coursing through Dace’s veins. He didn’t want to know who Eli was to her because he was afraid of the answer. Dace knew he had no right to Ivy, but he couldn’t help the connection he still felt. Or maybe that feeling was what was left when you didn’t have closure. They were engaged one minute, she was gone the next. No fight, no breakup, nothing.
She was just gone, and the feelings he had, feelings they both had, couldn’t just disappear so easily despite the time apart. At least for him, they didn’t. His feelings for Ivy may not be clear, and he would be lying if he said he had zero resentment, but he knew he cared. A lot.
“Why would she lie about her father? You? Or deny any knowledge of being in danger?” Dace asked.
“Well, that’s easy. Fear. She came here to get your help, and when she realized something followed her, she shut down. I’m sure she hasn’t a clue who’s behind it or why. She just knows she’s been on the run for years to protect you, and now it’s landed on your front step.”
Dace didn’t speak. He pondered Eli’s words and believed every one of them, despite not having a way to substantiate a single one. It made sense. Ivy was only blocks away – what are the odds – and wrote Dace’s name on her arm. She nearly dies, then shuts down. How could what Eli said not make sense? It was the closest thing they had to a clue, working theory, believable circumstance, or explanation of any kind.
Dace grabbed the picture Liam had printed from Ivy’s cell phone and stood. “Declan, debrief Eli and use whatever resources needed to break this case open. You guys know the drill.” Dace looked at Eli. “You fucking lie to us, and we’ll end you. Got it? One way or another – you’ll be done.”
With a quick nod in agreement, Eli said, “I’d expect no less, Dace.”
“I’ll be back.”
CHAPTER 15
“It’s so beautiful from up here,” Ivy said from the sofa on her balcony. “Doesn’t matter what time of day or season. This city is spectacular. I’ve missed it.”
Dace didn’t respond. Instead, he knelt on one knee and placed the picture of Ivy and Eli with the child on the small coffee table in front of her. He pointed at the boy. “Who is this?”
Ivy gasped. Her body stiffened, and her jaw became rigid. “Where did you get that?”
“It doesn’t matter where I got it, Ivy. Who is it? Who is the kid? Who is he to you?”
Ivy took to her feet and pressed the picture against Dace’s chest as she tried to push past him. “I need to get out of here. It’s time for me to go.”
Dace followed her inside to her bedroom, where she began to grab the few items she had and piled them on a nearby chair.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re still healing and in danger.”
“I’m not in danger. I’m fine.”
“You nearly died, Ivy. I hardly call that safe and fine.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Dace. No idea.”
“Maybe because you won’t tell me anything.” He turned the crumpled picture to Ivy and pointed at the boy she was holding. “Is he yours? Is he your child…is he Cashel?”
Dace braced himself for whatever her answer might be. He desperately wanted to know who this child was – who he was to her – even if the truth hurt.
“Cashel?” she whispered as her eyes filled with emotion. “Why would you think that?”
“Because I’m starting to piece this shit together whether you want me to or not. Ivy, just tell me. Let me help you.”
A glimmer of hope filled her expression, but it was gone as quick as it came, and she withdrew back into the guarded, frightened woman he’d seen for days.
“I don’t know who they are. Met them somewhere when…I did some volunteer work, I think.”
“You keep pictures of strangers on your phone?”
“You said you didn’t find my phone, that it must be missing.”
“I said something more along the lines of I didn’t have it, which I don’t.”
“I need my phone. Where is it? Who has it, Dace? You can’t keep my things like this. It’s basically theft.”
“It isn’t theft when it’s evidence and being held by the authorities.”
“Oh my God. What have you done? It’s your cop friend, isn’t it? He has it? Why did you do that? You just made everything worse.”
“Made what worse? Just fucking tell me. Jesus. Who is Cashel? Why are you protecting him, and what are you running from? I can’t help you until you tell me everything.”
“You can’t help me, Dace!” she yelled. “Do you hear me? Nobody can. I’ve told you this. There is nothing you, your cop buddy, or anyone can do to help me.”
“Try me.”
“And get you killed too? I couldn’t live with that. If my phone is here, they can find me, and I need to lead them away from you and your family.” Her voice shrank to a barely audible tone. “Please, don’t make me watch your assassination too. I couldn’t live with it. I’m barely hanging on as it is, Dace. I can’t…”
Ivy fell back and sat at the edge of her bed and sobbed. He felt a breakthrough coming, but Dace didn’t know how much more Ivy could handle. He struggled with continuing to interrogate her – ask the same questions multiple times in multiple ways – until she broke and told him everything.