Ivy

Iv y

the last twenty-four hours

I first accepted a date with my boss as an early Christmas present for my grandmother. Who I love and has helped me raise my daughter Abigail, since my husband died overseas three years ago. Despite my gut feelings about Derek, I ignored them. I made the mistake of leaving with him when he appeared at my door wearing a long black trench coat, matching black clothes and high tops, and dark sunglasses. Not his customary gray three-piece suit and navy tie, he usually wore as a top executive at the computer firm.

Derek led me to his supposed rental, an old, dark blue Malibu because he said his Black Lexus he loved more than life was in the shop.

The pit of my stomach told me not to get in and reschedule. But I didn't because my grandma and daughter were watching. I got in and I noticed some white spots in the dark interior. The whole car gave me the creeps. As Derek got in, I voiced my objection and wanted to take my car when the engine roared to life. I reached for the door handle and it came off in my hand as he pulled out into traffic. Derek gave a sinister laugh, "That gets them every time."

"Gets who?" I asked, not recognizing the man next to me. Demanding he pull over, he laughed again and pulled out into traffic. Then he starts to describe the other dates he takes to a secluded cabin downstate. "Everyone is dying to go, but never leaves." I didn't respond. For the next two hours, I took in my surroundings. Derek seemed to know the isolated roads. The small signs told me we were heading south of the city and Lombard. If he gets me to his destination, my odds of survival are less than one percent. There is no way I am going to die, being raped and brutalized by my boss, and leave my little girl an orphan. I needed a plan and some help to escape this nightmare.

When Derek stopped for gas, my luck changed. He pulled half hastily into an old Marathon station. Growling at me. "Don't try anything. There's no one to help you within 100 miles." He opened his door, took both handles with him, slammed it shut and walked away.

In the distance, headlights were coming closer. They belonged to a silver BMW, and it pulled in at an odd angle since Derek parked haphazardly

A tall, lean man with jet-black hair in a magenta coat stepped around the pump. I glanced around, frustrated, trying to find something to help me open the door. The man turned towards me. We held each other's stare for a few beats of my racing heart. Wow, are they royal blue? Could he see into my soul?

The man walked closer to the door. Mouthing HELP, and pointing to the outside handle. He approached the window and asked if I needed help. His flawless features had me stunned for a moment. Nodding, I pointed again at the door handle. He pulled on it, but it didn't budge. Bile rose in my throat as Derek came out of the gas station. I heard their muffled exchange. He tried the handle one more time before he stepped away. His eyes held something, a message of hope .

Derek jumped in the car and revved the engine, throwing a packaged rope to me. "Open the damn package so I can tie you up," Derek demanded

"No," I toss the rope into the backseat.

Derek backhanded me across the face. My left eye exploded in pain, and the taste of metal filled my mouth.That was it. I'd rather die in a fiery crash than have this bastard touch me again. I used all my weight to push him towards his door. The car swerved left into the oncoming lane. He over-corrected, and I launched myself against my door. It swung open, and although his fingers tried to grab my coat, thankfully, the momentum helped me fly out of the car. My left side hit the gravel and dirt when I landed. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I didn't care. Rolling down the embankment, I tumbled into some tall grass. Struggling up, adrenaline kicked in. I ignored the pain in my ankle and ran into the trees. Brakes screeched, but I kept running. The throbbing in my ankle did not compare to the stabbing pain in my shoulder. With each step I took, the branches lashed against my face, knocking me off balance. My hands and knees impacted hard with the ground. Clenching my teeth desperate to stifle my scream, Derek's rant barely registered. Taking cover behind an enormous tree, I hoped I could steady my breath to stay hidden.

A car door slammed, and tires squealed into the night. I fell back against the tree trunk, and a wave of nausea rolled over me. Tears pricked my eyes. How am I going to get out of here? Another door shut, breaking the silence. Slithering down the tree trunk, I curled into a ball.

"He's gone," a gentle voice filled the air. "You're safe. I can help you."

Was this the man from the gas station?

Attempting to sit up, my left arm suddenly gave way, causing me to fall face-first with a small moan.

"Where are you? I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you." His voice sounded kind and had a bit of desperation.

A light flickered above me in the distance. I rolled over, ready to defend myself. Except a searing pain went through my shoulder, making me grimace. Through the branches, I saw a magenta arm holding a flashlight.

Had my luck changed?

Hope built in my chest.

"Please, don't kill me. My baby has lost so much already."

"Baby? I didn't see one in the car." His voice held panic.

"No, my daughter is back home in Lombard with my grandmother."

The man fell to his knees at my side. "Good, I'm Dr. Payton. You can trust me," the light from his phone went up my body. He frowned. "This didn't all happen from the fall?"

In the moonlight, his features illuminated. His dark blue eyes met mine, and held something so powerful I wanted to melt. I remained speechless at the sight of his strong angle jaw. He reminded me of the heroes in the 1800s I had researched in college.

"First, let's call 911."

I batted the phone away. It fell into the brush. "No, he'll find me, and then he will kill me." Now my voice pitched, and I started shaking.

"Hey, hey." He brushed my matted hair from my face. Tingles followed his fingertips along my skin. "We don't have to call the police. Can I at least get you to a hospital?"

I shook my head again and pain shot through my shoulder, making me howl.

"Hon, it's okay. I have you." He reached behind him searching for his phone in the tall grass, finding it, he turned to me. "Can you tell me your name and where it hurt?"

If I reveal my identity and he takes me to the hospital, Abigail and I will face certain death. The way he stared at me. He knows by my delay whatever I came up with was a lie. Between gasps to control my pain, I answered his question. " I'm Ivy."

He rolled his eyes. "Ivy, where does it hurt? "

Shivering from the cold seeping into my body, I told him. "My left shoulder and ankle hurt terribly."

"Okay, Hon can I touch you?"

Something broke inside at the fact he asked permission. Who is this man? Could he honestly be this caring to a stranger? I nodded between sobs.

He examined me for the next few seconds, then went back to his knees. "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"

A spontaneous chuckle burst out of my throat. "There's good news?"

"Yes," his lips quirked, "the cold has kept some of your swelling at bay." He pointed to my ankle. "The bad news is it looks like your left shoulder is dislocated, and your left ankle may be sprained."

"Well, that is good news. If I stay out in the cold, I should be right as rain by morning."

"At least you still have your sense of humor intact." He patted down the pockets of his pants. "Ah, ha," he pulled out a Swiss Army knife. "Every good soldier…cowboy, comes prepared." He took off his coat.

"Are you spreading out your jacket to make a picnic? Please, tell me you have a bottle of wine, and you are going to use the corkscrew to open it."

He let out a long sigh. "No, funny girl, I'm taking off my shirt so I can make a sling to secure your arm." He unbuttoned the gray Oxford he had on. In a limited light, the Doctor's chest and abs were lean, with a sparkle of dark hair in a trail down to his waistband. I licked my lips and wondered what he tasted like.

What am I thinking? This man is a stranger, and I am a total mess right now.

Thankfully, he put his coat back on but didn't zip it. My mouth dropped when he shredded his shirt with a pocket knife into long strips. By the end, the shirt had the sleeves and collar intact.

"I'm going to wrap your ankle quick. Do you know where your shoes are?" He glanced around again .

"I'm sure they fell off when I rolled down the hill. My purse might be there, too."

"After we get all your injuries secured, I will take you to my car and I will look for them."

"Where are you going to take me, Doctor?"

"You can call me Zander. Ivy, I want to take you somewhere safe. With no police or hospital. I was on my way to my friend Colton's ranch about an hour into Kentucky. Colton can keep us all safe." he turned to me with uncertainty. "I will understand if you want me to take you home. I'm just concerned that ass might wait for you there."

Weighing up my options, he moved me to put on the sling he devised on me. Blinding pain raced through my body. I could barely think and cried out.

"Ivy, shh, shh, Hon, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He twisted his head. "I know this hurts, but you have to keep quiet. I'm going to count to three and lift you."

To stop my cries, I clenched my lips together. The gentle way he buttoned the collar around my neck after he covered my arm in the sleeve gave me the strength to keep going. My agony dissipated somewhat once in the makeshift sling.

"Okay, here we go." He stood and handed me his phone, putting my coat around my shoulders. Crouching down, he lifted me like a child. "Wrap your good arm around my neck. Then can you angle the flashlight towards the ground? One, Two, three."

I nestled closer into the warmth of his skin and his scent of an ocean breeze and sage cologne wrapped around me. Oh, boy, this man smelled good.

He carried me back up the embankment. "There is your purse and one shoe." He nodded his head to the right. "I'm going to have to put you down to get you in the car." He lowered me slowly and carefully so I could stand on my one good leg. Zander eased me into the seat, closing the door as he retrieved my purse and one shoe. Once inside, he started the engine, and all I heard was the heat come on.

Between the seat warmers, and the adrenaline rush slipping away, the pain came roaring back, and tears blurred my vision. "Abigail." My last thought before everything went dark.

"Colton!" a man shouted, waking me from my nightmare. "Hold open the door." The man called out. Wait, I know that voice. Zander. He saved me. "Ivy, hon, I am going to carry you into the house." Blinding pain went through me and I could not stop screaming into Zander's neck.

A gentle hand brushed over my head, sending sparks of electricity down my body. I snuggled closer into Zander's hold to stop the shiver.

"Ivy, this is Colton, Colton, this is Ivy." Did I hear a longing in his voice?

Each step up the stairs felt like a knife stabbing into my shoulder. Zander placed me ona comfortable bed. I half listened as darkness edged into my consciousness I prayed to pass out, once Zander removed my coat.

My head lobbed to the side, the other man racing around the room. Wow, he must be close to over six-five. He had buzzed light brown hair with sun-kissed skin. When he turned to Zander as he asked a question, his brown eyes held mine for a moment. The way his college sweatshirt and jeans stretched over his body, this man was all muscle. Pain seared through me again and made focusing on their words impossible. Zipper caught my attention. "It's on the side." I mumbled.

Zander came into focus above me. "It's okay, hon," he kissed my forehead. "Colton is going to get my medical bag from the car."

"Purse."

Colton left the room. "Hon, I hate to ask, but I need your help to get your dress off." He found the zipper.

"Did you put this on over your head?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice to keep the sobs at bay .

"Can I lift off your dress?"

Oh God, this man made me want to melt with his kindness. I nodded again, because what else could I do?

He moved down to my body. "Being a gay man, I won't pretend I know what I am doing."

A chuckle escaped. "Just do it quick." I used my good foot to lift my hips off the bed.

He grabbed the hem of my dress and slip. With efficiency, he removed my dress, telling me to pull my right arm in so he could take everything around my left arm. He threw my clothes on the floor, covering me quickly with a towel.

I couldn’t muster up any f's to care I was practically naked.

Glorious darkness dances across the fringes of my consciousness, again.

I barely register them cleaning my body softly and carefully, like I was precious.

"Hon, I am going to give you something to help you sleep," Zander said.

Didn't he notice after all the torment I'm on the verge of passing out? With great effort, I turn my head slightly.

They both took my hand. "Ivy, sweetie," a new deep voice started. "I will be right here. I will protect you always." His words came out in a vow. "Like, I always protect Zander." He spoke in a tone filled with longing.

I opened my eyes and saw the two of them, Colton, behind Zander. The love they had for each other was almost palpable. My heart ached. Did they know it?

Why did I long to be part of it? Maybe I really hit my head.

I tightened my grip on their hands. "You make sure I wake up." I know it sounded dramatic. "Abigail needs me."

"Ivy, " Colton said in a firm tone. "I will safeguard you all." Warm lips brushed my hair. The anguish in my body eased.

"I trust you both," burst from my lips as they responded in unison with a promise to keep me safe .

"Sweetie, do you have any drug allergies?"

"No, I'm only allergic to terrible dates." I teased weakly.

A deep inhale broke the silence. "At least you still have your sense of humor, Hon."

"Only for you." I replied. Blissful darkness covered me completely.

The sound of a shower running woke me from my drunken stupor. Except I drank nothing, nor have I eaten. Oh, my God! Derek! Our date played in my mind like a horror movie. I tried to open my eyes to assess where I was, but there was something cold on my face. My left shoulder hurt and was unmovable.

Panic set in until images of a man with blue eyes flashed in my mind. I recognize him, the man who helped me. Zander. Warm brown eyes with a gentle smile flashed. Colton. His short, light brown hair was a total contrast to Zander's midnight black. My heart beat faster. I reached out to touch one of them to make me feel safe. Cold sheets brushed against my fingertips. They promised not to leave me. I could barely move, but somehow, I had to try. The bathroom door opened, and two big naked forms tiptoed to the dresser. Oh my God, even in the limited light from the other room, these men were gorgeous. They huddled together, giving each other gentle caresses. Yep, they loved each other.

Emptiness grew in my chest like I lost something I never knew I wanted. To give them some privacy, I turned away. But pain shot through my shoulder, and a small groan escaped my lips. I closed my eyes in the hope they thought I was still asleep.

The bed dipped, a familiar scent of an ocean breeze filled the air, and a warm hand took mine. Zander snuggled up next to me. "We're here, Hon. Rest. We will keep you safe." He whispered.

Weight going down made me shift closer, and another hand clasped my arm. In an instant, my chest loosened, and I could breathe for the first time in years.

They whispered to each other. Zander asked Colton about his military career. I half-listened when Colton responded. He served as a field medic and went into combat with his squad, treating his friends during battle. "Seeing Ivy brought back some memories from the encounters." Tears almost escaped knowing that I dredged up those horrible memories for him. "If I didn't mention it before, you did a great job out in the field with Ivy for a veterinarian." My heart hurt for him and I'd do anything not to cause him pain. Thankfully, Zander felt the same way. My name on their lips drew my attention.

"Colton, I have loved you since the moment we met."

"Zander, I have loved you since that kiss we shared in Hopeton, sleeping in your childhood room."

Their kiss was hard to miss.

Why do I feel like I'm missing a piece of myself listening to them?

"I felt the same way you do. When I saw Ivy, something shifted inside me, and I had to be with her. Not because she was in distress and needed me," Zander whispered.

"Babe, I experienced the same sensation when she made eye contact with me." I heard another kiss. "Is it wrong to want someone else in our relationship?"

Wow, I must have hit my head hard when I jumped out of the car.

The hair on my back stood on end, waiting forZander to answer. "I've never experienced attraction towards a woman, but Ivy makes me feel things, like a sense of being lost if I'm not touching or hearing her voice." His fingers clasped mine tighter.

Before Colton spoke, his grip on me flexed my arm. "Zander, I love how she can make jokes at the worst times."

My lips turned up, or at least half my mouth turned up.

He continued with a firm but soft voice. "I feel a drift, too. She doesn't know us other than we are the men who helped her. She's been in a very traumatic experience, and she will need some counseling before we even bring our feelings up to her."

"I agree, we need to take this slow." Zander agreed.

I wanted to do a happy dance. It's so odd to find a man who cares so deeply for you and your well-being, but to find two is a dream come true. How do I tell them I want to make room for them deep inside my heart? The bed shifted again. This time, I felt the coldness disappear from my shoulder, ankle, and face. Warm lips kissed my forehead. "Sleep, Sweetie, we are here, Abigail and your grandmother are on their way."

My body understood Colton's command, and I drifted off, knowing we were all safe.

Sitting at a round table with yellow placemats, napkins, and daisy patterned plates. Next to me, Zander ran his fingers over the silverware with a slight blush as he watched Colton putting the final touched on breakfast after the most glorious sexual experiences of my life. Having two men bathe me and focus on my needs before each other blows my mind. I watched them bring each other to orgasm, which made me wet for them again. After they washed and dried every inch of me and each other, the phone rang.

Colton left Zander to assess my injuries and said I only needed a sling for my arm.

A man who withdrew into himself replaced the smiling and carefree Colton, making breakfast without acknowledging Zander and me.

Zander tried to get Colton to engage, but he only handed him a bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate of sausage. Telling him to sit.

When Colton came back to the table with a basket of toast and a jar of jam, I couldn't take the silence. "Whatever is going on, we can handle it."

He continued to load our plates with food. "Eat. "

Without missing a beat, Zander got up and wrapped his arm around Colton's shoulders.

"We can handle it together."

Colton reached over and pulled me into the security of his body. I went willingly, wanting to comfort him. Zander hugged us both, placing a kiss on each of our heads. "Spill," he demanded.

"The good news …" his words died when three huge redhead men came in the sliding glass door.

Colton stood and handed me back to Zander, placing himself in front of us. When his shoulders relaxed, he motioned to the men. "These gentlemen are the Branson brothers from the Wounded Souls Stables. T.R., Andrew and James."

The one named T.R. and the leanest of the three nodded to me.," Ma'am," He tipped his cowboy hat. Warren and Polly, our stepmother and her husband were in Chicago visiting a friend and went to pick up your daughter and grandma last night in Lombard. They are about twenty minutes out."

My legs went weak and Zander helped me to my chair. Relief washed over me. My family was safe.

James, the one with the Sherif cap on, stepped forward. "They were being followed by a black Lexis."

My heart dropped, "Derek!"

"They have lost him." Andrew, the biggest of the men with the bushy beard, continued. "Everyone will be here shortly and we will keep watch." With a nod, they all left.

Colton sat next to me, taking my hand as Zander took my other. "Ivy, they are safe. We will keep you all safe." Colton said in a firm voice, bridging no response.

Could we be safe and become an actual family?

"Ivy, this nightmare will be over soon and we can all be happy." He kissed my knuckles. Sending a calmness over me. "I'm really excited to meet Abigail and your grandmother."

"I can't wait for you both to meet them. "

They both kissed my cheeks, and I knew we would be safe as long as we stayed together.