Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Ninety-Eight

Ivy hissed as she pushed her arm through the hole in her shirt. Her body still hurt, although she felt much better than she had after first waking up in the hospital. She had been back home for a few days, leaving the hospital probably quicker than she should have, but both her and Harry knew that by staying any longer they would risk people figuring out she was there.

Buttoning up the satin shirt, she stared at herself in the mirror. She had lost some weight through everything and was looking rather ragged in her usual attire. Frowning, she turned away and slipped on her coat.

Stepping out of the closet, she met her husband at the dresser as he was putting the cufflinks on his shirt. Ivy silently took them from him and started doing it herself. She met Harry's gaze, hot on her skin. When she looked up, she saw the concern that had become almost permanent on his face.

"Honey," she sighed, "I'm fine. I promise."

He pressed his lips together in a flat line. "Fine isn't good enough."

"You're being annoying." Ivy finished his cufflinks and picked up the necklace that held her wedding band. Harry took it for her as she turned and held up her hair. Ivy's eyes connected with his in the mirror as she added, "I surely was not this annoying when you were on your death bed."

"That's because you're stronger than me." The corner of his lips turned up.

"True." Ivy waited until the cold gold chain dropped onto her skin to let go of her hair. "But it doesn't change the fact that I feel better. You don't need to worry about me so much."

His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his body. With a light touch, he kissed her temple, then gently pulled back her hair to reveal the part of her head shaved off from the surgery. Twenty stitches marked the skin, sewing it back together. She still had another few weeks until Astrid would come by to remove them.

"I don't like this." Harry admitted.

"Detective Gold won't do anything." She assured him, "She knows she doesn't have the power any longer."

They were finally going to meet with the detective after weeks of avoiding her calls. Cara's death had officially been named an accident, her funeral scheduled this weekend. It would only be immediate family, a small burial at the graveyard. Ivy wouldn't even be going to the reception at Malone Manor that Finn was hosting for their clan to mourn the loss of the youngest Malone.

Harry had gotten some information from Shadow that Detective Gold was the one to receive the initial tipoff that Saskie Dvorsky was framed. Apparently, she had been curious after her and Harry's interaction when Ivy was being held hostage, leading her to investigate some of her fellow officers. Now there was some internal shuffling as some were being fired or detained for illegal evidence tampering.

Ivy was not too concerned with the younger detective. After everything, she was so far down on the list of worries that she just couldn't find herself to care. Ivy was trained well enough to avoid any interrogative traps that might be thrown her way anyways.

"It's not just that." Harry kissed the top of her ear.

"Don't tell me you're worrying about the Dvorsky dinner tonight. You were the one who wanted this, you know."

He sighed, burying his face into the junction of her neck and shoulder. "I know, I know." He mumbled.

Ivy turned around and lifted his face. "Tell me what you're so worried about."

His frown was deep set, the bags under his eyes more noticeable than ever before. Although they were home now and Ivy had been cleared after surgery, he was still having trouble sleeping through the night.