"Bedrooms are down here." Mary moves us further through the house. "Yours is the last one." We walk to the last bedroom on the right as Mary continues to talk.

"Everything you need is in here. Your own bathroom, and I've left clean towels on your bed," she says as she opens the door to what will be my room while I'm here.

"Thank you," I say, not sure how I'm going to be able to shower with my cast and ribs wrapped up, but I'll think about it later.

"Now, can I offer you something to drink?" She steps back out of the room.

"No thank you. I think I might just go say goodbye to Beau and then take a nap. I'm really exhausted from the ride."

"Of course, dear. You let me know if you need anything at all." She offers a warm smile before leaving me alone. I don't wait around; instead, I make my way back out to the front in search of Beau. He's sitting on the front porch when I finally step back outside, talking on his phone. I hang back, not wanting to interrupt.

"Yep, I'm done here. I'm heading out now. See you soon." He ends the call then stands, our eyes locking onto one another's. "You settled in, darlin'?" I nod and watch him step forward slowly.

"Good. Okay, well, I gotta head out. You're in good hands here, darlin." He tries to rea.s.sure me once again and for the most part, he does, but I'm still hesitant.

"Thank you for everything, Beau. For saving me." It's not enough, but I have to give him something.

"You saved yourself, darlin'. I just gave you a helping hand." He brushes it off as nothing and maybe for him it is. Maybe he does this sort of thing every week, but to me it's huge.

"You're gonna be all right, Mackenzie. You'll heal up, get your life sorted, settle down somewhere and this will be your past."

"He's not going to stop looking for me, you know? I'll always be looking over my shoulder." I disagree with him and remind myself of the hard truth. "This won't be my past. He won't let it be."

"This life isn't easy, darlin'. I wish for your sake it was, but look at you now. Look what you've been living. Now look at the new chance you have right here. What's the alternative? You want to go back? You say you can't fight him, his connections are too strong. There is only one option here then, you gotta do what you gotta do."

I know he's right. I stayed too long with Chad, and I wasn't strong enough to fight him, nor was I strong enough to leave him.

Until now.

"Well, thank you for giving me that chance." I reach out to touch his arm, but stop mid-air and drop it back down. "I really appreciate it."

"Listen, if you ever need anything, Mackenzie, anything, you know how to find me, okay?" he offers. I don't reply, but I take it in as my last resort. "Anytime. You just look me up." He takes my hand and gently squeezes it before taking the steps and moving back to his van. He doesn't look back and I don't watch him leave. I just step up to the porch swing, take a seat, and look out at the empty sky ahead of me.

I stay out on the porch for the rest of the day, until the blue sky turns inky black. I don't eat dinner with Larry and Mary, my stomach still tied in knots. I don't engage in any conversations, my mind too lost in thoughts. I just sit on their porch swing and think.

Think about what I am going to do with my life. Where I will end up. All these new possibilities and I have no idea how to process it.

I don't think about Chad and how he would be reacting to the news I was gone. I don't think about Heidi, my only friend left behind. And I especially don't think about Beau, or the fact him leaving me in the middle of nowhere felt worse than leaving behind my whole life. Maybe later I will process it, but tonight I don't want to deal. I don't want to feel. I just want to sit.

I am free.

I have escaped.

I don't know how long it will last, but tonight it doesn't matter.

Nothing matters.

Twenty-Two.

Beau "Open up, Beau, I know you're in there." The knock on the door pulls me out of sleep and back to my living room.

f.u.c.k, here we go.

"Kenz, wake up." I shift her naked body off me and take stock of my surroundings. It can't be later than six. The afternoon sun is just starting to darken the room.

"What's happening?" Kenzie yawns, stretching her arms up over her head. Her t.i.ts push out in front of her and I have to physically stop myself from touching her.

Keep it together, man. Just get rid of Nix first.

"Nix is here. Go put some clothes on." I help her up then watch her naked a.s.s walk down the hall.

f.u.c.k, I could just ignore him like I've done the last three days.

"Beau, I'm not f.u.c.kin' kiddin'. Open the f.u.c.kin' door." Nix's p.i.s.sed-off voice reminds me why that's not a good idea.

"Hold the f.u.c.k on. I'm coming." I reach for my discarded jeans and step into them before heading to the door. I should have known this was coming. Judging by the constant calls I've been ignoring for three days, this was inevitable. Bracing myself for what's to come, I arrange my face and pull the front door open.

"What?" I greet, not giving one f.u.c.k Nix is probably about to lay me out. The last three days of having a naked Mackenzie anytime I want was worth it though.

"You missed the meet." He pushes the door further open and storms past me.

"Sorry. Forgot." I'm surprised his fist didn't greet me. Not giving up on it still happening, I close the door and follow him into the kitchen.

"You forgot?" He practically scoffs. "You forget you cut some f.u.c.ker's fingers off, then left me with the fallout." He flicks the coffee machine on and moves to the fridge, making himself at home.

f.u.c.ker.

"I know, s.h.i.t." I rub my face in frustration. Probably not my best move leaving the club with all my s.h.i.t.

"You're f.u.c.kin' her." It's not a question, but a statement, one that p.i.s.ses me off.

"Not your f.u.c.king business, Nix." I step up to the coffee machine and take over, getting the pot started for a fresh brew.

"It's my business if you're gettin' your priorities messed up, Beau."

"I missed one meet. Don't get your panties twisted." I press the brew b.u.t.ton then turn back to him.

"You're too busy gettin' your d.i.c.k wet to know this s.h.i.t with the club is f.u.c.kin' important."

"Don't go there, Nix." I force myself to stand down. I'd love nothing more than to take the three steps toward him and f.u.c.king knock him on his a.s.s, but I remember Kenzie is here, probably about to come in here and the last thing she needs to see is me raging.

"I'm f.u.c.kin' already there, brother. You've been off the grid for three days. Must be some p.u.s.s.y." His remark pushes me too far, and before I can think of the consequences, I manage to step into his s.p.a.ce and connect my fist to his jaw, knocking him back against the counter.

"The f.u.c.k, Beau?" He recoils, his hand wiping the small amount of blood from the corner of his mouth. "You're out of f.u.c.kin' line, Beau." He steps forward, pushes me back and returns a fist to my nose. Pain spreads across my face. Blood spills instantly, but I don't have a chance to stop it before he locks me in a headlock. I don't give him the upper hand for too long before I twist out of his hold and take another swing at him. This time connecting with the side of his head.

"You really wanna do this?" Nix grins as I twist my fingers into the front of his shirt.

"You went there." I hold him steady in my grasp, weighing up my options. I could hit him again, but he'll only f.u.c.king come back at me.

"Beau? Wh-what's going on?" Mackenzie's panicked voice breaks the tension, pulling me back to the room.

"f.u.c.k." I twist my face to my sleeve, wiping the blood from my face, before pushing Nix back and spinning to face her. "Darlin'." I step toward her and watch fear wash over her face.

"Beau? Did you cut someone's finger off?" She steps back, her eyes dodging between me and Nix.

"No, darlin'. Nix is f.u.c.king around. Right, Nix?" I turn back to Nix and watch him smirk.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I was just messin' with him." He backs me up, but I'm not sure it's enough.

"Relax, darlin'." I force my voice louder, trying to pull her out of her head. She's scared. No f.u.c.king mystery there, but she needs to know she's safe.

"Of course you're joking." She takes another look between us both before visibly relaxing. "Is everything okay?"

"All good, darlin'." She holds my gaze searching for truth, but I don't give it to her.

"I might go have a shower." I look down and see she's thrown on one of my shirts and an old pair of shorts.

"No problem, darlin'." I give her what I hope is a rea.s.suring smile then watch her retreat out of the kitchen. After hearing the bathroom door close, I turn back to Nix.

"You're an a.s.shole." I level my stare at him.

"You done?"

"Yeah, I'm done," I hiss, letting out a breath past my teeth.

"Good." He shakes his head then moves back to the coffee machine. "You got yourself in deep over some p.u.s.s.y, brother."

"I'll hit you again, you call her p.u.s.s.y one more f.u.c.king time," I seethe, knowing I'm only working myself up again.

"Didn't think I'd ever see it." We both know he's full of s.h.i.t. This has been a long time coming.

"Just don't f.u.c.king talk about my woman's p.u.s.s.y again, we won't have a problem."

"Your woman?" One brow lifts and he tries to stop himself from grinning. He fails miserably.

"Yep," I admit, knowing this is where I'm heading. I never did see myself settling down.

Until her.

"Well, about f.u.c.king time." He claps me on the back then hands me my cup filled with freshly brewed coffee. The shower turns on just as I take it and then move to the table to sit.

"What the f.u.c.k's been going on anyway?"

Nix follows me over and pulls out the chair next to me.

"Clubhouse is cleaned up. No, thanks to you." I ignore his dig and wait for him to continue. "Had a meet with the Warriors. You missed that cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k, too."

"I take it T received my package?"

"He wasn't happy. But Baz has been giving him a headache since you took his woman. And after this s.h.i.t, he owes us." I nod, glad we're not in debt to the a.s.sholes anymore. After the marker Jesse pulled for Paige, I was sweating what we might have been pulled into.

"Anything else?" I ask when he relays the rest of the meet and fills me in on everything else that's been happening. The shower's been off for five minutes now and I just know Mackenzie's retreated back to her room probably freaking the f.u.c.k out.

"Pretty much. Just checkin' to make sure you're eatin'. Looks of things you have it sorted." He smirks, taking a look around. I take stock of the kitchen and notice the mess.

Jesus, we have gone off the grid.

"Okay, well, reunion is over. You can p.i.s.s off now." I finish my coffee and stand.

"Club's having a BBQ on Friday. Can I let my wife know you'll release Mackenzie for a few hours?"

"It's been f.u.c.king three days, calm your t.i.ts."

"Hey, you're lucky it's me and not Kadence here." He stands and slaps me on the back before walking back toward the front door. I don't stop his retreat, I want him out.

"Tell Mackenzie I hope she's feelin' better. Must have been some virus." He flicks his wrist goodbye then opens the front door and leaves.

Smarta.s.s.

Not giving him a second thought, I head back down the hall to check in with Mackenzie. Her door is closed and the fact she didn't come to my bedroom is not lost on me.

"Kenzie?" I knock once and wait.

"Just need a minute, Beau," she calls back, but I don't want to f.u.c.king wait a minute.

"Open up, darlin'."

"Beau, I just need a minute."

"And I'll give you a minute. Just not behind a door, getting lost in your head."

"Beau."

"Mackenzie." The air grows silent, and I contemplate kicking the door down before the door swings open. She doesn't come out, so I step in.

"I'm really fine." She looks up and finds my eyes. She's already dressed in tight dark jeans and a black singlet. Her hair is wet from the shower, loose around her shoulders. I can see she wants me to believe she's okay, but I know she's lying. I can see her unease in the way she holds herself. It's almost like she's standing in front of me the first day she came back.

"You don't look fine. You look scared."

"I'm a little worried." She turns and sits her a.s.s on the bed with her gaze on the ground.

"You have nothing to be worried about."