“You ready?” Dace smiled hard and kissed Ivy on the cheek to greet her just as he had Cally’s. “You’re riding with me.”
“I think I’ll ride with Eli,” she said, offended that he could just jump from one girl to the other and think she’d be okay with it.
“Eli?” Dace questioned. “He can ride with us. It’s fine.”
Ivy turned up her nose and marched on to the vehicle Dace had pointed at, climbed in the back seat, and slammed the door behind her.
“Did I miss something?” Dace asked.
Eli grinned. “Not a clue, mate. Old habits die hard, I suppose.” And he climbed in the back seat next to Ivy.
Dace could feel Eli’s sly grin pointed his way through the dark tinted windows, so he raised his brow and pointed at the front passenger side for Eli to ride shotgun. When he heard the door lock, he shook his head and whispered under his breath, “What the fuck is going on?”
As the small convoy left the building, groups of two broke off in different directions, making it hard to be followed should anyone attempt to. Dace was the lead car in his pack and made sure to check his rearview as often as he could without causing an accident. He wasn’t watching his surroundings or keeping an eye on his protective detail on his tail. He was watching Eli whisper to Ivy with his arm around her shoulder the entire ride.
When they arrived at their destination, the security team in the second car went in first to secure the building. When they got the all clear, Dace helped Ivy, followed by Eli, out of the back seat of their SUV.
Ivy noticed two more SUVs had arrived from different directions and parked on opposite sides of the building they were entering as some kind of lookout. It made the danger she was in more real than it had been and sent a shiver down her spine.
Each of the men went to place an arm around her and captured each other in an odd side embrace instead, which they quickly pulled away from.
“You okay, Ivy?” Dace asked, full of concern. “Dr. Mendoza is the only one treating you today. You’re safe, or I wouldn’t have brought you.”
One of their guards held the door for the three of them to enter, when Eli said, “And I wouldn’t let this buffoon take you anywhere unless I knew you were going to be safe.”
“Yet you’re here,” Dace said back just loud enough to hear.
“Please recall, buffoon.”
“Seriously, stop. Both of you,” Ivy said, walking ahead to Dr. Mendoza who greeted her with a smile that quickly turned to a look of concern.
Mendoza addressed the men. “You two can stay out here. You going to be okay, or do I need to assign seating?”
“Fuck off, Mendoza,” Dace said, taking a seat.
“Okay, then.” Dr. Mendoza left through a door to the rooms where he’d be seeing Ivy.
“You treat all your friends that way?” Eli snickered. “Surprised you have any.”
“What the fuck is your problem, Eli?”
“I thought it was quite obvious. It’s you.”
Dace stood to face the man. “I thought we were past this. Now you’re acting like some possessive asshole, and Ivy isn’t speaking to me for who knows what reason. What did you say to her?”
“Oh, it’s not what I said, it’s what you did, you jealous ass.”
“Jealous? Of you?”
“Clearly.”
“What the fuck, man? Did I miss a memo or something? I’m really sick of your shit, man. All this speaking in odd codes, rambling in circles and secret bullshit. Why does it take a grenade up your ass to get you to talk?”
“Grenade up my arse? Interesting. Sounds a little…uncomfortable.”
Dace grabbed Eli by the shirt and got in his face, causing two of his men to step up. “Dace?” one of them said. “Should we escort him out?”
He let go of Eli’s shirt and pushed away from him. “I’m good. I’m good. Just sick of this prick’s shit.”
“Is he always like this? Does he walk around beating things up?” Eli’s accent was thick in surprise as he addressed the guards.
“I don’t know what you’re doing here. What you’re trying to stir up with Ivy, but this isn’t the place or time.” Dace sat down in a nearby bank of chairs.
Eli joined him and waved the guards off to speak privately. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what? Can we not play this bullshit game and get on with whatever you’re going to say here?”
“You’re an asshole. A blind asshole. If you think Ivy holds any feelings for me that you should be threatened by, you’re mistaken and haven’t been paying attention.”
“Again. Get to the point, Dr. Phil.”
“That girl only has affections for you. It’s always been you, man.”
“Then why the back seat cuddling and whispers?”
“Because she saw you hugging and kiss another woman, you buffoon. And I enjoy rattling your cage.”
“No, I…” Dace ran a hand through his hair. “Cally. Shit. That wasn’t anything but a goodbye. She’s a special girl, we were there for each other through a time when we each needed something, but it’s over. What she saw was just closure.”
“I know that, and you know that, but does Ivy know that?”
“You were there. She didn’t exactly give me a chance,” Dace said.
“Because you let her walk away, more concerned by why she wanted to ride with me. Get your head out of your arse, or you’ll blow it before it even begins.”
“Good talk.” Dace sat back in his chair, counting the ways he’d just screwed up, and made a plan to fix it. “Good fucking talk. Jackass.”
***
Wylie walked in from outside, checking his watch when he noticed Ivy wasn’t done. “We’re clear to go whenever she’s ready. If she’s running late, we need to adjust the detail.”
As if on cue, Ivy walked through the doors, sans a cast, sporting a new brace and a smile.
“Wow, look at you,” Wylie said. “Looks like you’re going bowling with that thing on.”
“Nice,” she said, smacking him in the chest with her good hand. “Doc said everything is healing nicely. I just have to wear this while I get through physical therapy.”
“That’s good, sis,” Wylie said. “How about we get you out of here and head over to the Pub for Sunday dinner?”
Ivy looked at Dace and lifted her eyebrow.
“Hey, let’s double back and make sure we’re still clear,” Eli said to Wylie, giving the couple a private moment.
“Ivy.”
“Stop,” she said. “I saw you, with Cally, and…well…I have no right to be upset or jealous. I left a long time ago and gave up my right to be those things. Cally is sweet…I really like her.”
“You want to date her?” Dace asked, throwing her for a loop. “She’s single.”
Dace walked the pair toward the door. They could have this conversation on the move because it was going to be a short one. Just a misunderstanding, and they were both guilty.
“Wait, what?” Ivy paused, taken aback. “No. Not interested. Single? But I saw…”