"Sorry." She smirks but there is nothing to be embarra.s.sed about. I wish I'd had a marriage where my husband walked in and literally took my breath away with a pa.s.sionate kiss.

"So Jesse needs help with the books?" She straightens herself, her eyes following Nix's a.s.s as he walks to the fridge and pulls out a beer.

"If Jesse can't use you, you could help me out. We have three businesses to keep on top of and I'm always behind." Nix cracks the top of his beer and bends down to check what's in the oven.

"You own three shops?" I ask, unaware of this news. The club has been welcoming with me being here, but it doesn't mean they talk much about their business.

"Yep." HHe stands, his eyes coming to mine. "You making a cake?"

"Yeah, it's nearly done." His grin grows full, making him a h.e.l.l of a lot less scary. Out of the guys here, Nix and Sy are the two I know least about. Sy still scares me. Ever since the night Beau saved me, Sy's made it clear I'm too much trouble for the club, and Nix is the Prez of this club. He intimidates me.

"Come find me when it's ready," he orders, and I can't help the smile as it lifts the corner of my mouth.

"Sure. And if you need help, I can start right away," I add, eager to start.

"You can start tomorrow." He moves toward the door, done with the conversation. I nod, trying not to show too much excitement. I mean, it's not like I'll be leaving the clubhouse, but at least it will get my mind off things and give me my own income, hopefully enough to help me find my own place. As much as staying here has been great, I'm slowly starting to feel comfortable enough to leave and be on my own. The need to always watch my back is fading and with each day, my confidence grows.

Maybe it's really over?

"So it's sorted then. No more washing nasty-a.s.s sheets." Kadence stands, her eyes shining with achievement.

"I can still do washing," I add, not really caring either way. Over a month of free rent, feeding me and keeping me safe? These people are my saviors. Cleaning and washing are the least I can do.

"No, no more washing, Mackenzie." She levels her stare at me. I don't want to p.i.s.s her off, so I don't say anything. I don't bother arguing. A few loads won't hurt anyone. She doesn't need to know.

Past

Mackenzie

His arm rests heavily on my chest, pinning me down to the bed. Paralyzed with fear, I continue counting in my head. Starting at one and finishing at one hundred. Over and over I repeat it. I've made it through counting to one hundred over fifty times now. Each one bringing me closer to my freedom.

Not knowing if he's feigning sleep, I force myself to wait it out another twenty rounds of counting. Chad is a heavy sleeper most days, but I can't trust he isn't waiting for me to make a move.

Once I count through the final hundred, I slowly shift my weight praying to G.o.d he doesn't wake. Each small movement cracks at the carefully constructed armor I've erected to stay strong. Once I know he's asleep, I untangle myself, and tiptoe my way to the bathroom and make quick work of changing out of my nightgown.

I know leaving Chad may bring more pain, but it doesn't stop me from trying. I know out of anyone, Heidi will help me. Most people don't want to know about the ugliness that hides behind people's doors. They prefer to look away, pretend to not notice the bruises, the busted lips. But Heidi has never been one to shy away. She's been begging me to leave him.

In the beginning, Chad would leave marks that wouldn't raise suspicion, until he didn't. On one occasion after he had blackened my eye he told me that he liked to see his mark on me. The sick b.a.s.t.a.r.d enjoyed it. I didn't know then how bad it would get.

Until tonight.

After the big blow-up earlier, that ended with me lying on our hallway floor used, abused and broken, I knew it was the end. Knew I had to leave. I wasn't sure if next time I would survive.

Trying to forget the nightmare of earlier, I give one final look at a sleeping Chad, and then slowly creep out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door to my escape. I know this is risky walking out the front door, but there is no other way. Our house is closed in on both sides.

Josi, Chad's dog, would have a fit if I walked out the back door and didn't take her out and there's no way I can take the car. Sparing one last thought of Josi, I swallow my tears at leaving her and continue my escape. I can't think of her or anyone but myself tonight. For once think of yourself, Kenz.

Careful to keep looking back to make sure I'm not being followed, I keep my pace until the end of the street. Only then do I start to jog, freedom calling me forward the further I move away from our home. My jog turns into a run when I get three streets away. The flip-flops I managed to put on in my rush were kicked off five minutes ago. Gravel, stones, and sharp objects pierce my feet, but I don't let it slow me down. After ten minutes of running, I turn down my best friend Heidi's street. It's not the smartest move coming to Heidi, but if there is any chance of me getting out of town tonight, she is it.

Managing to make it to her front door, I hope my panicked knock is enough to bring her to the door before I'm seen. My prayer is answered when after just thirty seconds, she answers.

"What in G.o.d's name?" She takes one look at my face and pulls me inside. "I'm going to kill him." She moves me straight to the kitchen as I try to bring my breathing back under control.

"I need you to get me out of here right now, Heidi. We don't have much time." I finally find my voice as she wets down a cloth, preparing to clean me up.

"I need to take you to the d.a.m.n police and the hospital, is what I need to do," she counters and I know this is going to take some work to get her to listen.

"Heidi, we don't have time for this. I need to leave town now before Chad has every cop out there looking for me." I start pulling her back to the front door.

"Just wait a second, Kenzie. Tell me what happened." She breaks free from my hold. My panic is only growing each second she fights me on this.

"PLEASE!" I scream, starting to see my chance slipping away. The idea of freedom is teasing me. I'm so close. Yet so far.

The distress in my voice is enough to make her realize just how serious I am.

"f.u.c.k," she curses, finally listening. "Let me pack a bag." We really don't have time for her to pack a bag, but I don't want to push it. I've just shown up in the middle of the night and demanded we leave.

After pacing for a few minutes, Heidi comes back with an overnight bag. Dressed in yoga pants and sweatshirt, she hands me a pair of shoes. I take them with a thank you and we move back to the front door. I don't know where we're heading; all I know is I need as much of a head start as I can get.

"You sure about this, Kenz?" she asks one last time.

"I've never been more sure about anything. I only have you here. And as much as I love you, I need to get as far away as I can." I admit the ugly truth. I don't have anything holding me here. No family. No loved ones. If I stay any longer, I'm not sure I will survive.

She doesn't say anything or try to change my mind. I can see the understanding in her eyes, see the pity she feels for me. The concern. As much as I love Heidi, I can't let our friendship deter me from leaving.

"Come on," she finally agrees. I know this will be hard for her, but she knows deep down it's my only option. We walk quickly back through her house but before we can get to the front door, the bell rings.

Our eyes find each other quickly, both of us coming to a standstill.

"OPEN UP, HEIDI! I know she's in there." Chad's enraged voice comes through the front door and washes over me, blanketing me with his own particular kind of terror. He rings the bell again and bangs on the door.

I wasn't quick enough. It's only going to be worse now.

"Oh, G.o.d, no." My legs become jelly, no longer able to keep me up, and I fall to the floor in a heap.

"Don't you dare give up," Heidi whisper-yells at me. She comes forward and leans down. Placing her hands under my arms, she helps me find my feet.

"It's too late, Heidi. He's found me." The words find their way out over my distress. If I thought tonight was bad, when he has me alone after this, who knows what he will do.

"Call the police. Now!" she orders as the front door is kicked open. Chad stands in the doorway, his face distorted with rage. I want to run, take my chances and hope I can get away, but I can't. I failed to be out of his clutches for less than twenty minutes, and the pain of that realization hurts more than my busted-up face.

"Mackenzie, there you are, sweetheart." His sugar-coated voice fills the hall, sinking me further into the depths of despair. "What are you doing here?" He looks at me, a frown spreading across his face.

"You better f.u.c.king get out of my house. I'm calling the cops, Chad." Heidi steps in front of me, but we both know she's not going to stop Chad from getting what he wants.

"I'm just here to take my wife home."

"To her prison?" She scoffs, making the situation worse. She has no idea what he's capable of.

"Come here now, Mackenzie. You should have known I would find you. Wherever you go, I will always find you." Just as the words leave his lips, a lone tear rips its way through me and slides down the apple of my cheek. I'll never be rid of him and he'll never let me go.

Eight.

Beau "What do you mean it's a missing person's case?" My hand comes down on Jackson's desk. My patience is wearing thin and I'm about to f.u.c.king lose it.

"I mean he's off the grid, Beau. The Mayor has the whole department trying to find him. We're treating it like a missing person's case." Jackson delivers the news I don't want to hear.

"Bulls.h.i.t, the a.s.shole probably has him in hiding so he can protect him."

"You don't know that."

"No, I don't. But I know his family's ties, know what they are all capable of. We can't just sit around and wait for Chad to pull some s.h.i.t. He's messed up. You've f.u.c.king seen how far he was out of line at Jesse's party last year and how he got off." I think back to when he held a broken beer bottle to Holly's throat trying to find Mackenzie. We thought the crazy f.u.c.ker would be put away, but he pleaded out and was slapped with a misdemeanor and community service.

"I don't know what you want from me, Beau. I'm doing what we can here. For all we know, he f.u.c.ked with the wrong person and he's in some shallow grave. We need to look at all possibilities here."

"f.u.c.k, I wish." I scoff, knowing it's where he belongs.

"I didn't hear that." Jackson counters.

I smirk, then hold his stare for a minute before running my hand over my beard.

"So that's it. Just some bulls.h.i.t play from the Mayor and it's filed away for never."

"Trust me, it's far from over. But you're blowing up for no reason. Keep your head straight. No one knows she's back in town and if Chad is missing, he's not going to bother you."

He has a point, but it doesn't placate me.

"I don't believe for a second he's missing. He's waiting."

"Well, we have an APB out on him. We're waiting too."

"f.u.c.k the APB. You think some bulls.h.i.t police protocol is going to protect her from this sick f.u.c.k?" I stand and begin pacing. Jesus Christ. How hard is it to find the f.u.c.ker? "You sure you can trust these a.s.sholes here?" I point out the door to the officers on the case. "They're not working for the Mayor?"

"Trust me, I understand your frustration, Beau. But I told you this wasn't going to be easy. You need to let us do what we can."

"No, f.u.c.k this s.h.i.t. If you can't even find the f.u.c.ker, how am I supposed to trust you have her back?" I stand and move toward the door.

"Beau, don't do anything stupid," he calls out, and I stop and turn.

"I won't, but if I have to, you won't know." I walk out of his office without a backward glance. The last thing I need to do is bring us into more s.h.i.t, but Chad needs to be found, not only for Mackenzie's sake, but also for my own. If the a.s.shole gets to her again, I'm not sure I'd be able to forgive myself. I'd rather take the f.u.c.ker's life than have him hurt her.

"Think this through, Beau," Jackson's warning across the station doesn't stop me. I know I should just leave it, let Jackson and his men sort it out, but knowing the f.u.c.ker is out there, probably trying to come up with some sick way of getting her back, is consuming me. I don't want to think about why this is messing with me. If I were honest, it's more than a need to protect her. It's something more. Something I'm not sure I'm ready to admit. Just being under the same roof appears to tame the growing need though.

"I won't be able to protect you if this goes too far."

"Catch ya, Jackson." I ignore his warning, step outside and head to my bike. I've been relying too much on the law to put an end to this. If Jackson can't sort this out, I'm going old school. I'll call in my own markers and make sure whatever we find out will be handled in house.

Once and for all.

I pull up at the clubhouse two hours later and take a moment to contemplate going in. I know I probably should just head home to my place. I mean, it's been over a month since I've slept in my own bed, but the thought of leaving her alone doesn't sit well with me. Every night since Kenzie showed up, I haven't spent a night away from the clubhouse. From her. Even though she sleeps in the furthest room from me, I'm relaxed knowing I'm close. Doesn't mean I don't wish I could climb into her bed, hold her and tell her I'll never let the a.s.shole touch her again though.

"Hey, f.u.c.ker. What you doing out here?" Jesse's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Nothing. Just got in." I climb off my bike. Yeah, no way I'm leaving her tonight. "Where you off to?" I take the focus off me and notice his tidy appearance.

"Dinner with Bell's parents," he answers as he climbs onto his own bike.

"How's everything going? Paige settled in?"

"It's been tense. But she's adjusting. They all are."

"Bell doing okay?"

"Yeah, just relieved to have her sister home. The whole thing has been a f.u.c.king mess, but it can only get better, right? I have to head out, can't be late. We can catch up later. You gonna be in tomorrow night?" He stops, letting a grin take over his face. "Of course you will."

"What the f.u.c.k does that mean?" I bark. I'm ready to go at him for his smart remark. Of course all my brothers know how messed up I am over Mackenzie. They've been very vocal about it.

f.u.c.kers.

"Nothing man, f.u.c.king chill. It's just you've been spending every night here and taking less call outs."