Chapter Eight
H ad those words really come out of his mouth? Clay clamped his lips shut and held Ivy tighter, meeting the gazes of his friends.
Devin appeared puzzled, Tate unperturbed, and Jordan a bit concerned. Cali looked proud of him, like he'd passed a test of some kind.
Only Warren truly regarded him with scrutiny, looking at Ivy, then at him over steepled fingers. Then his eyebrows waggled, and a slight smile graced his mouth.
Clay took a deep breath, let it out. Ivy had gone still in his arms, and he was almost afraid to look down at her face and see judgment there. But he steeled himself and glanced down.
She wasn’t looking at him with shock or horror or even pleasure, it was more with a bit of warmth that he wasn’t sure he deserved. And then she broke the tension by reaching up and patting his cheek. “While I appreciate the sentiment, big guy, let’s not go there quite yet.”
Warren chuckled long and loud at her words, breaking the odd silence.
Ivy gave his cheek one last pat, and then disengaged herself from his lap, reseating herself in her own chair. She drew in a shaking breath, ran her fingers through her hair, squared her shoulders and then looked up. “This fucker found my mother. What are we going to do to stop him?”
“ We are not going to do anything,” Devin said. “You and Clay are going to go back to the penthouse, and we’re going to start surveillance on your mom. By bringing your family into this, he’s upped the stakes considerably. I hadn’t considered putting your mother under protection, even after last night’s assault because it didn’t track with what we knew about him. I was wrong.”
Ivy started to say something and if Clay knew her at all it would be to deflect blame, but Dev continued.
“Hamilton is obviously smarter than our initial intel if he ditched our contractor. He's leveraged underground support, but he’s also arrogant, and still thinks you and Katie are on your own. Even though you hinted you had friends helping, he has no real idea that we’re players or even who we are. He probably thinks that the tail he slipped was your only support.”
Clay hadn’t thought about it that way, but it totally made sense.
Ivy’s eyes had narrowed as she stared back at Devin. “I don’t much like sitting on the sidelines, playing the damsel in distress.”
Devin inclined his head. “I understand that you usually take care of your own. But in this case, you’re working against a cop who understands the system. If his record in South Carolina is any indication, intimidation has worked for him in the past. He's going to go with what he knows, which is why we need you to stay safe so we can focus the attention on keeping him away from your mom and finding Katie. Once we lay eyes on him again, it’s all over but the shouting, anyway.”
“Why?” Ivy asked, tilting her head.
“Because as soon as we lay eyes on this asshole, we’re gonna go have a talk with him,” Tate said, his voice a low rumble.
Ivy visibly gulped. Then set her chin.
“Do you think this talk with him will scare him away? That he’ll leave Katie alone after this?”
“Oh, he’ll leave her alone,” Dev said, his voice even, a promise. “Keep in mind that he’s already sunk himself in his own department. He may not really understand that yet, but he doesn’t have a job to go back to. We’re going to strip away his power systematically and brutally. We’re going to break him, and then we’re going to hand him over to LVMPD, who would really, really like a nice long chat with him.”
Ivy shivered. “Okay,” she said. “He threatened my mother . He deserves everything he gets.”
Clay noted her ease with the team, what appeared to be absolute trust, and felt a moment of true pride. They’d done this. More than any other assignment to date, they were helping someone who was truly in need.
Ivy, being Ivy, apparently had to have the last word. “I need to see my Mom, tell her what’s going on.”
Clay could see Devin starting to tell her no, but this time she bowled right over him . “I totally trust you and your team, but she’s smart. She’ll notice if Hamilton starts showing up here and there, and then she’ll spot whoever you have watching her, and she’ll confront one or the other of you. If she knows what’s happening, she’ll let you do your jobs.”
There was silence for a long moment, then Cali spoke. “You’re right. I’ll tag along and take the first shift of surveillance while I'm still on leave, and Tate can relieve me tonight.” She cocked her head at Devin and he gave a short dip of his head in acquiescence.
“Warren, you and Jordan keep looking for Hamilton,” Dev said. “I don’t like that he slipped us. Tate, rest up for the night shift. I’ll keep searching for McAlister and working the HQ incursion.”
They stood, each heading off to their assignments. Cali preceded Ivy out the door and Clay took the rear, ensuring absolutely nothing and no one could get to her.
The valet brought around one of the team's SUVs. Clay bundled Ivy into the back seat while Cali took shotgun, then slid behind the wheel and pulled into Vegas traffic.
“I’m going to text my mom,” Ivy said. “Let her know I’m bringing some friends over for her to meet.”
She sat back in her seat, and in the rearview mirror Clay could see doubts and fear starting to set in, now that the adrenaline had worn off. He understood it all too well and wished he could comfort her, but he needed to keep all of his attention on driving, on getting them there safely.
Cali leaned in. “What’s up with you two?”
Clay lasered a glare her way. “None of your business. Just like you and Devin’s on-again-off-again thing is none of mine.”
She started to protest when Ivy stuck her head between the seats. “What are we plotting?” she asked.
Cali glanced over her shoulder, let a half smile kick up on her face. “Security measures. Mostly shift scheduling to keep an eye on your mom, and how we’re going to leverage Tate when we find that asshole.”
Clay watched Ivy in the rearview while she thought about Cali’s words. “I can see how Tate would scare the shit out of people.”
Cali barked out a laugh, “He certainly can, even though he’s the most gentle guy I’ve ever met. Which is totally at odds with what he did when he was on active duty.”
“What did all of you do in the military?”
Clay could tell Ivy was trying to downplay her curiosity, but it came through loud and clear. He smothered a grin that was totally inappropriate, given their current circumstances. Cali answered her without hesitation.
“Clay explained his job as a loadmaster?”
At Ivy’s nod, Cali continued. “I was pararescue. Warren was TACP, which means Tactical Air Control Party. They’re the guys who go into areas of interest before anyone else, usually to call in airstrikes. You probably figured Jordan was a cop, right? Tate was munitions specialist on loan to the Army. He can tell you more if he’s in the mood. Let’s just say that he saw more action than the rest of us. Combined. We’re a mixed bag, for sure.”
“What about Devin?” Ivy asked after a long pause.
“Dev is… complicated. He was never active duty like the rest of us, but you could say that he was intrinsic to the event that shaped our lives.”
~
Ivy could tell by the set of Cali’s mouth that the line of questioning wasn’t going any further. While she hadn’t known her or Devin for any more than a few minutes, it had been enough for her to see something underlying between them. It wasn't business-related, because they hadn't disagreed on any course of action and both seemed utterly confident in the other. No, this was personal, and it wasn't any of her business, not really. But it was intriguing.
Traffic to her mother’s house was light and in just a few moments they were pulling in front of the mid-century modern home with xeriscape landscaping and a Saguaro cactus decorated with Christmas balls.
The decorations had been her idea, and her mother had been so tickled by them that she left them up after the holiday. Ivy was sure it mortified the neighbors and knew that gave her mother a little charge. Agnes Foster had just enough of a mean streak to like to poke at convention...and rules.
Cali turned in her seat once again and addressed Ivy. “The reason I wanted to come along with you and Clay is that sometimes it's easier taking news like this from another woman,” she said quietly. “You're her daughter and so everything she thinks about is going to be for your safety, not her own. And Clay is a stranger. Also, she’s going to take one look at the two of you and know you’ve got the hots for each other.”
Ivy smiled a little bit as she saw Clay getting ready to refute the words and then Cali’s shaking head.
“Don’t even, Clay,” Cali said. “You guys throw enough sparks to light the world on fire. What you do with that is your business, but it’s blatantly obvious. And if Ivy’s mom is anything like her daughter, the woman is no fool.”
“She is not,” Ivy agreed as she opened the door and slid out of the SUV. Her mother was just opening the front door. Ivy heard Clay and Cali step out of the SUV as she walked up the driveway and into her mom’s embrace. She pecked her cheek and then stood at arm’s length, just looking at the woman who had raised her.
Agnes was still a beautiful woman in her early fifties, slight like Ivy, and much more refined. It was why her mean streak was so amusing. Her hair was just starting going gray and she wore it in a bouncy cap of curls that appeared effortless. Because of Ivy’s advance warning, she’d taken the time to put on minimal makeup to welcome her guests.
Her gaze went sharp as it moved past Ivy and lit on the big SUV, and then the two people standing behind Ivy. “Come in, come in.” she said, shooing them inside.
The home was magnificently mid-century modern, complete with a sunken living room and decorative scroll work. Ivy sank onto her favorite part of the couch and gestured for Clay and Cali to do the same while her mom brought a tray of iced tea and some of Ivy’s favorite sugar cookies.
She placed the tray just so on the coffee table then leaned forward and held out her hand. “Agnes Foster. So who are you and why are you protecting my daughter?”
Clay should have known. Hell, Cali had even said it. Agnes Foster was a pistol, and if Ivy aged like her mother, she was going to be a stunner for the rest of her life.
“I’m Clay,” he gestured to Cali, “and this is Cali. You’re right, we are protecting your daughter. And we’re going to assign someone to protect you as well.”
Agnes cocked her head and considered him and his words while he waited for a protest or an interruption, but she just stared, her gaze becoming even more considering than it had been. When she finally spoke, it was with the measured, even tones of her daughter. “Well then, I guess you’d better tell me what’s going on.”
He hadn't known what he expected, maybe hysterics or protestations, something other than her calm acceptance. But then again, she’d been an Air Force wife, had seen her husband off on probably dozens of deployments over the course of his career. Had lived with his death. So he should have expected more of her.
“Katie McAlister’s missing.”
That got the gasp he’d expected.
“Ivy hired us to search for her and while we haven't found her yet, we did find someone who was stalking her, someone from her past who is now in Las Vegas. He’s been very clear on the fact that he wants Ivy to bring Katie to him and that he knows exactly who you are and where you live.”
He watched as Agnes’s back straightened as her expression became steely. “What’s this asshole’s name?”
Ivy laughed out loud, and Cali barely held down a snicker. Clay pulled up a picture of Hamilton on his phone and handed it to her. “His name is Greg Hamilton, and Katie dated him for a while. We’ve discovered he has a history of unreported domestic abuse and is a law enforcement officer in South Carolina.”
Agnes studied the phone. “I don’t think I’ve seen him around, but what do I do if he approaches me?”
“Cali is going to keep an eye on you for first shift, and then another one of our members, Tate, will relieve her this evening.”
Agnes turned her attention to Cali, sized her up, then nodded decisively. “Alright, but you’re not doing it sitting in a parked car. You’ll do it from inside my home. In comfort.”
Clay knew that there would be no swaying her from that, even though they had better mobility on the street.
“Will you be comfortable with having Tate stay inside?” Cali asked reasonably. “He can be… intimidating.”
Agnes looked to her daughter.
“Tate looks scary as hell, but everyone at SMS is legit,” Ivy said earnestly. “I wouldn’t let them near you otherwise.”
Agnes nodded and kept her attention on her daughter. “And what about you, dear?”
Clay looked to Ivy to see if she wanted to answer, but she gave him a nod to continue.
“Because he potentially knows where Ivy lives, we’ve relocated to a secure location. We’re more than willing to move you as well, but at this point I think the main threat lies in him targeting Ivy. We think he used you as a threat to scare her.”
Agnes considered his words. “And you’re the one protecting my daughter?”
Clay nodded. “Right now, it’s me and Jordan Gonzales, who’s prior Security Forces. She was a Phoenix Raven,” he said, wondering if Mrs. Foster understood what that meant. When her eyes went speculative, he knew she did. “All of us are prior active duty or affiliated with the Air Force in some way.”
That seemed to satisfy Agnes, but when she looked between him and her daughter there was a sparkle in her eye. Clay almost groaned, thinking he was about to get even more of an interrogation, but she merely passed him his glass of tea then did the same with Cali, who grabbed a cookie as well.
“We’ll leave Cali here, if that’s all right.” Clay said. “Tate will be here around eight to take the night shift. In the meantime we’ve got Warren and Dev looking into Katie’s disappearance. We’re hoping we find her before Hamilton does.”
“We’re going to find her before Hamilton does,” Ivy said firmly. She looked to her mother. “Mom, I need you to let them protect you. Please don’t try to slip them, or think you’re being crafty.”
Agnes looked scandalized for a brief moment and then smiled in a way that could only be described as saucy. Just like her daughter.
“I promise,” she said solemnly.
Ivy looked hard at her for a moment then nodded and sipped her tea as Cali went out to the SUV to get her go-bag.
Once his teammate was settled in, Ivy hugged her mom hard, and Clay stuck out his hand for a formal goodbye. “Ma’am.”
Agnes looked at his hand for so long that he started to feel uncomfortable, then pulled him into a hug. It was a mom hug, and something he hadn’t felt in so long it shocked him. Memories assaulted him as he stood in the woman’s embrace, flicker-quick and so real it made the back of his eyes sting.
“You’ll be just fine,” she said in his ear, for his hearing only. Then she released him.
He let go almost reluctantly, then moved to the door quickly as a bit of embarrassment nipped at him. He looked up and caught Agnes’s gaze. It was filled with sympathy and an understanding only moms and grandmas seemed to know.
That feeling of nostalgia, of wishing he could talk to his nonna, washed through him again. He pushed it down because this wasn’t the time or place. It hadn’t been the time or place for over fifteen years.
He and Ivy buckled into the SUV, and he nodded goodbye to Cali.
The drive was comfortable, silent but comfortable. They were about five minutes from the casino when Ivy’s phone rang.
“It’s Katie!” she said excitedly.
Clay pulled over to the side of the road and put the SUV in park, then turned to her expectantly as she put the phone on speaker.
“Oh my God, Katie, are you okay?”
“I need you to stop, Ivy,” the woman said, and Clay heard her voice for the first time. Her tone was firm but laced with an exasperated kind of kindness.
“Hamilton’s here, he’s looking for you.” Ivy said, cutting to the chase.
“It was just a matter of time, that’s why I ran,” Katie said quietly. “It’s why I need you to stop looking for me. He won’t find me where I’m at. I need to recreate myself. This time for good.”
“Screw that,” Ivy said, her voice filled with animation. “We’ve got friends looking for him, people who know how to handle a guy like him. Now I’ll ask it again, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, and what friends?”
“St. Michael’s Solutions,” she answered. “They’re helping me look for you. Katie, they’ve got safe places where you can hide. They’ll find Hamilton before he finds you.”
“Never heard of them and I’m not interested in their help. I’ve got this covered.”
Clay knew, before the next words were even spoken, that they would hurt Ivy.
“I need you to butt out. I need you to put away your savior complex and let me go.” Katie’s voice was quiet, almost mournful, but the tone was firm. She meant what she said.
Next to him Ivy had gone pale. He’d been unfortunately correct, and her best friend had just hurt her. It made him want to interject, to tell her that she didn’t need to worry, that they could hide her. But then Katie was speaking again.
“I love you Ivy, and I know you love me. You’re the sister I never had, and I need you to let me go. Guys like Hamilton don’t give up. Ever. He’ll see me dead before he gives up. He’ll hurt whoever stands between me and him. I can’t have that on my conscience. I won’t. Let me go,” she said again, and disconnected.
Ivy dropped the phone into her lap, her fingers trembling just a little bit, her face pale. Clay wanted to reach over and pull her into his lap, just like he had less than an hour ago. But first he needed to get her to safety, so after a quick scan of their surroundings he pulled back into traffic. He didn’t say a word and neither did she until they were back in the penthouse.