Page 20 of Guarded By the SEAL
“Can I come in?”
“I’m not…” Ivy drew in a gasping sob. “I’m not dressed.”
Teslyn pressed her forehead to the door, wishing more than anything she could take Ivy’s pain away. “Can you get dressed, sweetie? Then I can come in?”
Ivy sniveled. “Okay.”
Wyatt came up behind her. “I’m going to see if I can find a convenience store. Pick up a snack and something to drink. Do you want anything?”
She suspected he was trying to give the two of them space to talk, and she was grateful. “Bottled water would be good, maybe a snack for Ivy.”
He nodded. “I’ll be back soon.”
Teslyn watched him leave, and she moved to sit on the bed. A minute later, the door creaked open, Ivy framed in the doorway with a towel wrapped around her torso.
Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. “I don’t have clean clothes.”
“It’s okay, put on your old ones. We’ll get you something new tomorrow.”
Ivy closed the bathroom door behind her once more, emerging wearing the same mud-streaked outfit she’d worn when Teslyn discovered her hiding behind the shed in the bayou. She’d definitely have to get the girl more clothes, but surely it would be foolish to use her credit card to do it. She only had a few bucks in cash—definitely not enough for clothes shopping—and she wondered if Wyatt had cash she could borrow.
She patted the bed next to her. “Come up here.” Ivy did as she was told. “Can I give you a hug?” asked Teslyn. The two of them had so much in common, as if Teslyn was getting a chance to be a source of comfort to herself at that age.
Ivy nodded, and Teslyn pulled her in tight. “I know you miss your mommy. And I know wherever Marilyn is, that she loves you very much, and she would do anything to be here right now.” Teslyn was struck by how certain she was of the words where Ivy was concerned, but found herself unable to believe the same things where she herself was.
That’s when it hit her.
She’d never see her mother again, never wonder what she was doing, or if she ever thought about her. In one of her favorite daydreams, Marilyn was filled with remorse for the way she’d raised Teslyn. She’d come back begging to be forgiven, the choice of whether or not to let her off the hook resting squarely on Tess’s shoulders.
In her dreams, she had the power.
A tear slid down her cheeks as Teslyn held her younger sister and wept—for young Ivy who missed her mother—no matter her faults—for herself at Ivy’s age who had just wanted to be loved, and for her adult self, who would never have the chance to reconcile with the mother she’d never truly stopped loving.
She didn’t know how long they stayed like that—long enough for Ivy to fall asleep and Teslyn to stop crying. The sound of Wyatt opening the door refocused her attention on the task at hand. With an effort, she picked up Ivy, brought her to the side of the bed, and tucked her in.
Wyatt handed her the water. “Here.”
“Thank you.” Had she ever been so thirsty, so worn-out, so done? Wyatt offered her a selection of snacks, and while she was vaguely aware she was hungry after all, fatigue won the battle of physical needs. She shook her head, chugged half the bottle of water, and moved to the other side of the bed. “I have to go to sleep.” She climbed beneath the covers. “Goodnight,” she said, barely conscious enough to listen for his answer.
“Goodnight, Tess. Sweet dreams.”
CHAPTER11
Wyatt stared at Teslyn and Ivy, their faces relaxed in sleep. He scratched his cheek, the sound of stubble reminding him how long he’d been awake.
He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the closet, creating a makeshift bed on the floor as his mind went over the details of his very long day.
He’d awoken with a burst of energy, anxious to get to Warsaw Mountain and get Marco Steele. Now he was on his way back home to Atlanta, in a hotel room with these two sisters—one a child he desperately wanted to protect, the other a woman slipping into the warm space between his armor and his skin.
He’d spoken to Rayne on his way to the convenience store, and their conversation had been enlightening. She’d not only confirmed everything Teslyn had told him, she’d also expressed great admiration for the other woman, calling her a phoenix who’d risen from ashes of a life he couldn’t imagine. She was more than just a dear friend, Rayne said. She was someone Rayne would trust with her life.
That kind of recommendation held a lot of weight with Wyatt, but it didn’t change the fact that he was knee-deep in this mess right alongside Teslyn. Any defenses he’d erected when he’d seen her license plate had fallen by the wayside, and he liked her more than he wanted to admit.
Still, he longed to be on the mission from which he’d been diverted. He picked up his phone, noticing he had a text from Logan.
FOURTEEN LARGE WIRE TRANSFERS INTO MOM’S BANK ACCOUNT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS—ALL FROM A SWISS ACCOUNT—JUST UNDER $60K TOTAL.
So it was true. Marilyn was blackmailing Ivy’s father, just as Teslyn had said.
