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CHAPTER SIX
IVY
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“Did you get the pictureof his driver’s license I sent?” I asked Iris as I stood in the parking lot beside the rental car.
“Got it,” Iris answered, and though I couldn’t see her face, I could hear her laughter barely hidden beneath the words. “And I got the photo of the car license plate too. And the photo of him holding up today’s paper.”
“Good. So that way, if Ethan decides to break rule number four andmurder me,”I said loudly so he could overhear me, “then you have all the proof you need to send the cops after him and get him thrown in jail. For life. Or even the death penalty.”
“For the nine hundred and sixty-seventh time, I’m not gonna murder you,” Ethan called from the trunk where he loaded our bags.
“Just making sure you know that you’re being watched.” I pointed my fingers at my narrowed eyes and then at him. He burst into laughter as he hoisted my bag into the trunk.
“I’m really proud of you, Ivy,” Iris said, breaking my warning glare at Ethan. “This is exactly what you need. Something crazy and wild and completely unexpected. You’ve lived such a structured existence. This road trip is a good thing. Get out of your head a little.”
“I just don’t want to die on a plane again. That’s the only reason I’m doing this.”
“Just try to have some fun on this trip, okay? Do you remember when I met that dude in Ireland, the guitar player, and he and I hitchhiked together for like a week while he played on the street for money?”
“Yeah.” I smiled, remembering her telling me that crazy story.
“It was one of the best times of my life. We were just free. Two strangers colliding in this life together and just going where the wind blew. Like you and Ethan right now. Just try to enjoy yourself and promise me you’ll try to break some of your patterns a little. Toss out those damn rules.”
I didn’t answer.
“Ivy, I’m serious! Loosen up! You’re way too young to be so serious all the time. You’re getting into a car with a stupidly hot dude to go on a random road trip halfway across the country. Just promise me you’ll loosen up and have fun!”
I glanced at Ethan, noting he was indeed stupidly hot and remembering how tender and caring he’d been when he’d covered my body during the almost-crash. Not the kind of behavior from a man planning to slit my throat and leave me for coyote food in some field along the freeway. I closed my eyes and blew out a deep breath. “Fine. I will. I promise.”
“Good girl. Now send me pics along the way. I want to ride along with you.”
“I will. And if I go radio silent at all, and you can’t get ahold of me, my GPS tracking is on, so send the cops to my location. Once they find my murdered body, they can hunt Ethan down.”
“I’m not gonna murder you!” Ethan laughed and slammed the trunk shut.
“We’ll see,” I grumbled, still completely shocked I’d agreed to do this.
Sure, he’d been incredible so far in coming to my rescue, and he had managed not to murder me when I’d spent the night with him, but my cautious nature kept warning me not to let my guard down. Always be prepared.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Ethan said as he got to the passenger side door of the dark sedan and opened it up for me.
I paused at the door, then slid into the seat. “Okay, we’re going now. I love you. I’ll keep you appraised of my location along the way. And just remember to send the cops if you don’t hear back from me.”
“I will, sis. Have. Fun!”
“Bye, Iris!” Ethan called into the phone before I said goodbye and hung up.
He stood outside my open door and leaned down. “You sure you’re ready? You want to get my fingerprints or run a background check on me before I close you in?”
My eyebrows inched up. “Don’t think I wouldn’t if I had the means.”
“You really think I would go to all this trouble just to kill you?” Those sexy eyes locked with mine, causing my stomach to do a little jig.
Like Iris had said on the phone last night,you could serial kill me all day long.
“No. I don’t. I mean, I hope you wouldn’t. But people can be really crazy, and some dudes have gone through a lot more trouble to kill women before, so you just can’t be too careful these days. I hope I don’t sound ungrateful for all you’re doing for me.”
