“You think I’m stupid?” His voice drips in controlled anger. “Chad knew where you were. He left to go find you. Couldn’t get over his fucking obsession.” He looks down at me in disgust, and I almost feel it wash over me. “So color me surprised when you end up back here. Alone.”
“Well, he didn’t find me, clearly.” Instinctively I edge my voice with strength, and straighten my shoulders. “Maybe he found something else to finally fixate on. The last I heard, he went off the rails when I left. Who knows where he ended up. Now, unless there is anything else—” I start to move out of the booth, but his hand comes down on mine, stopping my retreat. I react, trying to pull back, but his grip tightens. His short stumpy fingers trap me in their grasp.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” The vein in his temple throbs as he leans forward and clasps his hold tighter around my wrist. “I know you know something. I might not want this public, but I will make your life hell until you tell me where my son is.”
“Is that a threat, Mayor?” I raise my voice a little, hoping to throw him off.
“No, dear. It’s a promise. You might have the protection of the MC, but for how long? I can’t imagine them being okay with you bringing trouble to one of their own. Say the lovely blonde you’ve been holed up with in that godforsaken shelter this week.”
My back straightens at his words and a disturbing unease washes over me.
Kelly.
“What have you done?” His hold on me starts to burn, but I can’t react. My head is lost in the frenzy of hearing his threat.
“Kelly is it? What a shame you left before my present arrived.” Fear drives me forward. Ripping my hand back, I fall out of the booth, and race toward the door. I can hear his soft chuckle from the front of the diner, and it only fuels me faster. Running back the way I came, the trip takes less time, yet feels a hell of a lot longer.
When I make it back to Missy’s the front door is open and my heart sinks. I’m too late.
“Kelly?” I shout, racing through the front door. She doesn’t answer so I keep moving from room to room. My anxiety spikes as each second passes by and there is no sign of her. I make my way to the back room, and every part of me locks instantly when I find Kelly lying face down on the floor.
“Kelly?” I force my body to react and race toward her, almost tripping over my own feet in the rush. She’s out cold, non-responsive, but I can see her back rise up and down with each shallow breath she intakes. “Shit, shit, shit.” Afraid to move her, I reach for my phone with shaky hands and dial 911.
Through my tears, I give our location and a brief rundown of how I found Kelly to the emergency operator. They keep me on the line, telling me to stay calm and keep talking to her.
Seconds pass, followed by minutes and I realize this is bigger than we thought it was.
Mayor Morre is worse than his son. And now he had a score to settle.
“Please be okay, Kelly.” I reach for her hand and try to fight the tears, but there’s no stopping them. I caused this. My past is never going to leave me.
Once again a Morre is set on destroying my life.
I check the clock again for the fiftieth time and bounce my knee in front of me. It’s been over thirty minutes since they took Kelly, and now I’m getting concerned.
I called Beau from the ambulance, but he hasn’t showed up yet and I’m about to lose my mind.
Scenario after scenario plays over in my head as the hands on the old worn clock start to taunt me. Each second drags me deeper into a sad darkness threatening to destroy me completely. Each minute reminds me of how fast everything can change.
After enduring another fifteen minutes, my nerves settle when Brooks, Beau, and Nix burst into the waiting room.
“Have you heard anything?” Brooks asks first, coming straight to me.
I shake my head just as Beau pulls me up into his arms. I watch Brooks head to reception over Beau’s shoulder as he holds me tightly.
“You doing, okay?” He pulls back and cups my face. Panic rages through his eyes and I force myself out of my head just enough to comfort him.
“Better now you’re here.” I return his embrace, hoping to calm him. Brooks is already losing his shit trying to find out answers on Kelly’s condition. We don’t need Beau doing the same.
“Tell me everything that happened.” Beau forces me to sit back down in the uncomfortable chair. I do as he says, because the need to be closer to the ground is growing.
“I–I don’t know. I didn’t see. But I know it was Mayor Morre.”
“How do you know?” His grip on my arm tightens at his name but releases when he notices my grimace.
“’Cause he was at the diner when I was there to buy lunch. He said I didn’t know who I was dealing with and then he mentioned Missy’s Place and that Kelly was alone there. He knew everything, her name… Oh, God, this is all my fault, Beau.” I fall into his chest as the need to breakdown pulls me closer into its clutches.
“Don’t even go there, Mackenzie. It’s not your fault. This family has been fucking around with your life for too long.”
“But if I didn’t come back, if I didn’t use you…” I stop my words before I speak them out loud.
“Don’t, darlin’. I’m gonna make it better. Gonna fucking fix this. Fix everything.”
“So more people can be hurt? No, Beau. Maybe I should just come clean. He already knows something is up.” I work my bottom lip between my teeth, weighing up my options. These people don’t deserve this, to be dragged into what I have started. Not when they have done so much for me.
“No, this ends. You’ve come too far for this asshole to fuck with you. He knows nothing, darlin’. He’s bluffing.” Beau stands and brings me up with him. Just then Holly and Kadence rush in, holding X, and Low, followed by Z, Sy, Jesse, and Hunter.
“What are you going to do, Beau?” I hold on to his cut, keeping him in front of me. I can’t focus on filling anyone in on what happened right now. I need Beau to see reason.
“What I should have done before this got out of hand.” He presses his lips to mine, and then pulls back.
“Please, Beau. Don’t leave,” I beg, but we both know there’s no point. I can see the determination in his eyes. He’s done. “Beau, talk to me.”
“What’s going on?” Kadence comes into my line of sight.
“Is she okay?” Holly asks from the other side of me.
“Kadence, you need to sit with Kenzie. Nix you with me?” Beau ignores my pleas and shares one of his looks with Nix. One that’s code for I need back up. Nix nods then pulls Kadence in a quick hug, kisses Low, then tells Z to look after his girls.
“Beau, don’t do this.”
“Trust me, Kenzie. I’ve got you,” is all he says before releasing my hand and walking back out the doors of the emergency room.
I know he wants me to trust him, but my head is screaming at me to follow him and stop him from making any rash decisions.
“Kenzie, let him go.” Kadence takes my hand, stopping any chance of me running after him. I twist back and hold her eyes, silently pleading with her to let me go.
“Girl, I know that look. We’ve all had that look,” she states looking at Holly, who nods in agreement.
“Kadence. Please, don’t stop me. I need—” I start to pull out of her grasp, needing to chase after Beau to make him stop.
“No. You need to sit down and tell us everything.” She moves me back to the waiting chair. I watch as she hands Z some dollar bills for the vending machine and then points her don’t-leave-anything-out stare at me as soon as he is out of hearing distance.
“You have ten minutes before he’ll want something else, so start.” My eyes land on Jesse, Sy, and Hunter as they follow Beau and Nix out.
“What about Brooks?” I point over to Bell and Brooks. Brooks is still pacing, but Bell is trying to calm him enough to speak to a fellow nurse.