“I understand why you think that. I do, darlin’, but the difference between the control Chad took and the control I crave is, if it’s done right, it can be more than you ever thought you would like.”
“I doubt it.” She scoffs before moving about the kitchen. I don’t want to get into it with her anymore. Clearly, we’re both so different, on two separate sides of the universe with our wants and needs. I’m not even sure she knows what I’m getting at, but at least she has some understanding of what I’m about.
Not that it matters.
It will never matter.
“You find any info on Chad yet?” Nix asks later that night when the clubhouse is in the full swing of a weekend party.
“Nope, fucking dead end after dead end. Tiny is working a lead, but to tell you the truth, Jackson might be right. Maybe the fucker got messed up in something bigger than this.” When Jackson was here last week talking to Mackenzie, he commented that the Mayor was riding him to follow some leads on Chad going off-grid.
“You’d think the Mayor would be on it, plastering his face over the TV if he were really missing,” He kicks his legs up on a chair across from him.
“Yeah, something doesn’t add up. Jackson said he has a re-election coming up. Still, you’d think he’d put something out there. Maybe he knew Chad fucked-up with Kenz again.” We fall silent for a bit, both of us trying to piece it all together. Over lunch today, I tried to get Mackenzie to open up some more about Chad, but she shut right down again. Part of me thinks she’s still shaken up by Chad finding her, but a small part of me thinks it’s something more. I don’t want to keep pushing her, so I’ve decided to let it go. If she wants to talk, she can come to me.
“So, how you doing otherwise?” I let the Chad subject go, wondering the last time we checked in with each other outside of club business.
“Besides the shit with Mackenzie and the shit with Paige, never better.” His laugh is dry and I can sense his concern.
“You getting shit from the markers we called in for Paige?”
“Not yet, but I know it’s fucking coming. Knowing T, who the fuck can tell what he’ll want.”
T is the President of the Warriors, another club just outside of town. While we keep our business legit, the Warriors walk on the opposite side. Owing them a marker is bad for business. Those assholes don’t give a fuck what side of the law you walk on. They call a marker, you deliver.
“No point getting yourself twisted over it. We’ll deal with it. Simple.” Nix nods, but doesn’t say anything. I know he’s stewing on it, but the way I see it is we can’t undo it. And I sure as fuck wouldn’t want to. It brought Paige to safety and out of the monster’s hands she was thrown into. Hell, after only hearing the basics of what Bell’s sister endured for more than five years, I’d be happy to owe T five fucking markers if it meant we saved her.
“How’s Mackenzie settling in?” He changes the subject when he sees her walk out with Kelly and Kadence. I can still see her unease when everyone is around, but she’s growing more comfortable with them.
“She’s doing okay. Had a meltdown today. Besides that, she’s adjusting as good as she can under the circumstances.” I’m surprised it took this long for her to show her vulnerable side. She was getting so good at pretending she was fine, I almost forgot she had a past.
“You still doing okay with her here?”
“Don’t know why I wouldn’t. Things haven’t changed.” Nix’s eyes come to mine at my quick fire response.
“She’s fucking with your head living here. Don’t deny it.” I don’t reply right away. Trying to get a handle on how I’m coping with her being here.
“I have a handle on it.” I clear my throat, watching her laugh at something Kelly says. She’s only just started laughing and interacting with the rest of the club. At first, it was just small moments with me, our quiet mornings in the kitchen encouraging her to open up. But as the last two weeks have passed, she’s finally opening up to everyone.
“Fuck, dude. You’re so fucking messed up. Everyone’s too scared to fucking talk to her.” He knocks my shoulder at my growl. “You’ve been walkin’ around like someone pissed in your breakfast ever since she came here. You haven’t slept at your own place, and you’ve been cookin’ for her. Should I alert the boys, tell them your balls have been compromised?”
“Fuck you. I’m not talking about this with you, Nix. Go talk your girly shit with Sy and Brooks.”
“Quit sulkin’. You don’t have to talk to me about it. Just know everyone else is noticin’.
“Noticing what?” I bark, pissed these fuckers are even talking about this shit. The last thing Mackenzie needs is to have the clubhouse discussing us.
“That you’re pussy whipped.” His grin grows at my horror-filled face.
“I am not fucking whipped.” I grit my teeth, not at all agreeing with his assessment. Fuck no.
“When was the last time you had a woman warming your bed?”
“And on that note, I’m out.” I stand, not at all interested in the conversation anymore. Nix might be my best friend, but I don’t talk pussy with him. Ever. That shit is between me and the woman welcoming me between her thighs.
“I’ll keep you posted on what we find out.” I take my beer and walk back inside. Nix doesn’t call after me. He knows when I’m done. And after hearing the club is just waiting for something to happen with Kenzie and me, I am done.
Seven
Mackenzie
“Can you do a load of my sheets please, Mackenzie?” A voice startles me from behind as I bend down and fill the washer with my sheets.
“Sure, just leave them here and I’ll put them in the next load, Hunter.” I don’t bother turning around. I know all the guys well enough now to recognize their voices.
It’s been a month since I came to Rushford and moved in with the Rebels. It’s taken that time for me to settle in, and get to know everyone. In the beginning, I only opened up to Beau. His constant presence wouldn’t allow me to retreat into myself. Kelly was the second person I let in. Her sharing her past gave me something I could relate to and a closeness I haven’t had since Heidi. Kelly has been patient and understanding and before I knew it, the closeness we shared moved on to the rest of the ladies in the club. All of them have taken me into their circle.
“Don’t you dare, Mackenzie.” Kadence’s voice echoes through the laundry room, and this time, I turn.
“It’s no problem, Kadence. It’s the least I can do. Besides, I like keeping busy.” I watch as her brow drops into a scowl at the news I’m going to be washing Hunter’s sheets.
“Please tell me you don’t always do this?”
“Err.” I turn to Hunter not sure how I’m going to get him out of this one.
“Jesus, Hunter. You’re a grown-ass man.” Kadence shakes her head putting two and two together.
“It’s not a big deal.” I try to save Hunter from the lecture he’s about to receive. “It makes the days go by.” I stop and take note of how depressing I sound.
Jesus, I’ve come to enjoy washing sheets. Call me your modern-day Cinderella.
“Go find something to do, Hunter.” Kadence turns to face the youngest member of the Knights Rebels. He doesn’t need to be told twice before hightailing it out of there. I know what’s about to come next, so I turn back and finish my load.
“You need a job.” Kadence’s next words are not what I was expecting. I was expecting my own kind of lecture, not for her to say what I’ve been thinking the last few weeks. I’m going crazy holed up in here.
“I know, but Beau doesn’t think it’s a good idea,” I tell her exactly what Beau said when I suggested it. One night after I had changed all the sheets, cleaned the kitchen, tidied behind the bar and still found myself walking around bored, I mentioned looking for a job to Beau and he quickly shut me down.