Chapter 7
Skillet Attack Plan
Ivy
“I’m gonna haul him up to his feet, get his arm over my shoulder, and you need to get in a similar position on his other side so we can move him like a three-legged-race,” Ryan said.
My stomach lurched since I really didn’t want Campbell’s head anywhere near mine.
I took a deep breath and gave a nod. “Fine. I guess you know more about moving dead weight than I do.”
After what felt like five hours but was probably only fifteen minutes, we left Campbell in a small copse of trees and palmetto bushes.
Ryan and I walked at a rapid clip back to the house.
My nerves got the best of me and I blurted, “I can’t believe we got kidnapped.”
“This is no time for blame,” he said.
“I didn’t blame you.”
He grunted. “The way you said it made it sound like you blamed me.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then what’s with the tone?” he asked.
“It wasn’t tone, but I thought one of us would have fought back.”
“You’ll have to forgive me for protecting a woman who I thought was pregnant.”
He wasn’t being snippy…and yet, there was something off. But I decided to let it go.
“Very noble, but you should know a woman’s pregnant before you assume. It always leads to trouble.”
“All right, Mick,” he muttered.
I grinned. “I knew I liked her.”
We hurried to the truck. Ryan aimed the key fob at the vehicle and pressed a button. The headlights flashed and I heard the locks go.
“Thank goodness we’re getting out of here,” I said.
Ryan nodded. “Yeah, but if I don’t find my cell in the truck, we’re gonna search the house.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes, really, Ivy. We need to let people know we’re headed back. Hell, my cell will be able to tell us where we are.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just antsy and scared Boyd will return.”
“Right. You help me look and this will go faster.”
His cell wasn’t in the truck. We ransacked the kitchen, but it wasn’t there either.
“Shit!” Ryan yelled, making me jump.
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry we didn’t find your phone, but people got by without cell phones for years. We can get back and—”
“What if there’s no gas in that truck? Or just enough to get to a corner store?”
I shrugged. “Then we get to the corner store and ask them to call the cops.”
His eyes widened. “Yeah…and what about the body we left behind?”
I hadn’t wanted to dwell on that. Reflexively, I shrugged. “It was self-defense. Either way, we need to go.”
Lights flashed through the kitchen as I heard another vehicle approach.
“Fuck,” Ryan hissed.
I scrambled back to the small room where we’d been held, and I grabbed the skillet.
Ryan charged in behind me. “What are you doing?” he whispered.
My lips tipped up. “Skillet Attack Plan. It worked once. Might work again.”
Clomping footsteps coming through the house could be heard.
Then, a man yelled, “Campbell! Quit fucking around. We gotta go.”
The walls were paper thin since I heard the man sigh. Then the steps came closer. “If you’re messing with that woman—”
Ryan’s eyes widened and I saw him grip his knife tighter alongside his thigh.
A key scraped in the lock, then the man said, “You motherfucker. Always gotta stick your dick in anything that moves.”
Boyd pulled the door open and came into the room. Ryan lunged forward, plunging his blade into Boyd’s gut.
Boyd gasped, but reached for a gun on his hip.
I hustled up beside them, raised the iron skillet, and whacked Boyd in the face.
Over his grunt, it sounded like his nose broke, and blood gushed down his face.
With better reflexes than I expected, he grabbed my wrist.
Ryan yanked his knife free and went for Boyd’s neck.
Boyd’s grip on my wrist weakened and I pulled my hand free. I swung my arm back to hit him again.
“Don’t,” Ryan said.
Was he kidding?
“Why?” I asked.
“A second blow could be seen as premeditation.”
I wasn’t a lawyer – and I didn’t think he was either – but he had so much certainty in his tone, I dropped my arm.
Boyd sunk to his knees, then he fell awkwardly to his side.
Ryan looked at me. “Pretty sure he’s heavier than Campbell. You up for moving him, too? Or do you wanna leave him?”
I fought off a sigh. “Dealer’s choice.”
“Check his pockets. We’ll leave him, but we’re taking his vehicle and his phone.”
We couldn’t unlock Boyd’s phone, but the GMC Canyon he drove was decked out with navigation and more than enough gas to get us back to On a Lark. Ryan’s phone wasn’t in the glove box, but he seemed resigned to it being a lost cause.
Out of habit, I lifted on the center console for a tissue since that was where I stashed mine, then I shook my head. “Sorry.”
“What for? I don’t think I checked there for my phone.”
I nodded. “Ah. I was on auto-pilot and going to grab a tissue.” I lifted the lid again and reached inside. “I think you’re in luck,” I said, pulling out a cell phone in a black hard-shell case.
“Yes,” Ryan hissed.
He took the phone from me, and used his finger print to unlock it. Then, to my surprise, he handed it back to me. “Pull up my contacts and call the bar.”
I shot him a look, but his eyes were trained on the road. “If you say so. I thought for sure you’d want to call your brother.”
He shook his head. “No. We’re closer to the bar, and I never told Lark I was leaving. Put it on speaker.”
I did as he asked, and once the other line rang, I held the cell toward him.
“Where the hell have you been?” a gruff voice demanded.
The level of irritation in the man’s voice sounded eerily familiar. If I wasn’t mistaken, I sounded the same way when I was overly worried about someone.
“Lark, I’m sorry. Those assholes we tossed out months ago took me and a woman hostage. From what I overheard, they wanted me because they thought I’m your son.”
“Are you shitting me, Nickel?”
“No,” Ryan said with heavy emphasis.
“Well, where are you now? It sounds like you’re driving.”
“Two of the assholes are out of the picture, and I’m driving his truck back to town. We should be—”
“Don’t bring that vehicle here. This is the first place they’re gonna hit looking for you,” Lark said.
“Shit, you’re right,” Ryan muttered.
“There’s a side road on the right off US 90 about a mile after you cross into Duval county. Take that and park the truck in the brush. I’m sending Adam to pick you up.”
We walked into the bar and Chad launched himself off his stool and hurried to me. He wrapped me up in a bearhug.
“Thank God, you’re okay,” he whispered in my ear.
“Yeah, I’m sorry I had you worried.”
He leaned back, but didn’t let me go. “Girlie, you didn’t abduct yourself. Come on, Lark has your purse.”
The food in my stomach morphed into a lead weight.
Before dragging me to a stool, Chad shifted his gaze to Ryan then to me, a smile spreading on his face. “Now I know what you were talking about months ago. God felt generous giving us more than one of him.”
My eyes widened, but a thrill shot through me hearing Ryan’s deep chuckle.
“Need you to tell my mom that. She jokes that God was testing her with the three of us.”
Chad let me go and held a hand out to Ryan. “I’m Chad. Happy you and Ivy are back safe.”
Adam wandered to us. “Nickel, Lark wants to see you in his office.”
Chad led me to a barstool.
“Why didn’t Lark give you my purse?” I asked, settling next to him.
“Because he doesn’t know me.”
“Did you tell him—”
Chad aimed a pointed look at me. “No. I wouldn’t do that to you, but I did insist on calling the cops, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
Considering the conversation Ryan and I had back in the house, that was probably a good move.
“Hello? You are going to report this, aren’t you?” Chad demanded.
I breathed in deep through my nose. “Not tonight.”
“Ivy Felicia,” he started, his voice rising.
I rested my hand on his arm. “Listen. A lot happened, I’ll tell you all about it, but tomorrow. Okay?”
Chad’s face set with a blank look. “Fine. But I don’t like this. I want something done to these bastards.”
A door near the bar opened, and Ryan came back into the room. He sauntered toward me and Chad with my purse in his hand.
“I fully understand the sandwich craving you had by the way. He is fucking hot,” Chad muttered.
“Stop,” I whispered before Ryan drew even with us.
“Here’s your purse. Lark’s on the phone with our club president. He’ll be out soon.”
Knowing I didn’t have to face Lark yet filled me with so much relief, it surprised me.
Hell, maybe it was a sign.
I gave a single stiff nod. “Thanks.”
Ryan returned my nod and sauntered away.
I had to leave. My head was pounding and all I wanted was to go home. I rummaged through my purse to make sure my keys were there, then I slid off the stool.
Chad stood. “What are you doing?”
I hated lying to Chad, but I had no choice. “I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
He gave me a long look. “All right.”
I went down the hall toward the bathroom, noticed the door to the smoker’s patio, and went out that way.
In no time, I was at my car.
I jumped when I saw movement at my side.
“I knew you’d do this. Why are you running away now, Ivy?” Chad didn’t let me answer. “We spent four days in Memphis. He’s in your backyard. You’ve come too far to just leave.”
I sighed. “Chad, I don’t know what my problem is. No, that’s not true. Losing Jeff sucked. It still sucks because Mom’s so… empty. I want to help her and I got it in my head and my heart that this could help. Now, I see I’m wrong.”
“You don’t know that.”
I felt my eyebrows shoot up and I lowered my chin. “I do know, because whether that man is good or bad or something in-between, nobody can replace Jeff.”
Chad stepped closer. “Of course not, sugar. But it doesn’t mean your heart didn’t lead you to someone who might give you a new kind of love – even if only for you. No shade, but I don’t see Debra being drawn to Lark.” Chad widened his eyes. “He’s got edges.”
I wasn’t sure if Chad emphasized the word ‘edges,’ to be dramatic, or if he and Lark had chatted while I was missing. I reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “Today has been a lot. Can you see why I just want to go home?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Are you sure you’re good to drive? I can—”
I went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “No, honey. I’ll be fine. But thank you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”