Chapter Eight
Lee
It’s been a week since I’ve heard from Mac outside of an official work capacity.
The night he left, we talked on the phone until he got to his brother.
I fell asleep not long after, and he hasn’t called me since.
I guess I was too needy when I called him after he left.
I can’t blame him, though, I bring a lot of baggage and need to the table.
I’ve had good days and bad. Just like everyone else, but unlike everyone else, my bad days are worse than some other people’s.
Today’s definitely not a good day. Days like this so rarely are.
Dieter sits in a chair beside mine in my living room, scrolling through something on his phone.
Hannah’s at school, so he’s decided he needs to dedicate today to staring at me reclining in this chair for hours while a machine does its thing to keep me alive a little longer.
“You okay, Lee?” Dieter peeks up from his phone to look me over.
“I’m fine, D. You literally do not have to be here. I don’t even have to go to a facility for this because Papa made it so. You can go back to work.”
“No can do, Kostbarkeit. My job today is to sit right here and hang out with my little sister.”
“Goody.” I roll my eyes at him dramatically.
Dieter is my emotional sibling. He feels deep for us.
I’d like to say that it comes from Hannah and what he went through with Michelle.
That’s not true, though. He’s been like this as long as I’ve been around, and according to my parents and other siblings, his whole life.
He won’t leave. He hates this shit almost more than I do.
The fact that no one can protect me from this, from the ghosts of my past who find their way bleeding into my current life, drives them all insane.
They’re hovering, but they can’t help it either.
A knock at the front door draws both of our eyes to it.
D’s finger comes up to his lips, a signal to stay silent.
He carefully stands and makes his way over to the front door just as the person on the other side knocks again.
After checking the peephole, his eyes pop wide as he turns back to me mouthing, ‘It’s Byrne. ’
Oh, no. Nope, not happening. I shake my head vehemently.
My shock, I’m sure, matches my brother’s.
He gives me one firm nod before opening the door just enough to slide out of it and pull it shut behind his back.
As soon as I hear the lock click, I have my phone out and the security feed to my hall pulled up.
I’m nosy, and I’m bored. I’m also curious as to why a Byrne is knocking on my door.
Pulling the camera feed up to cover my entire phone screen, I turn up the volume and take in what’s happening. D shuts the door quietly behind him, looking at… Mac. Holy shit, that’s Mac. Why? What?
“What can I do for you, Byrne?” Dieter eyes him with caution.
“I’m here to see Lee. She around?” Mac tries to act nonchalant about it, but his body language screams chalant.
My brother shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, “Hate to tell ya, she’s not. Maybe try calling or texting her instead of showing up unannounced.”
His hands go into his long strands, pulling at the ones at the back of his head, “I’ve tried. I’ve been texting and calling all week. I don’t know what I did wrong. Honestly, that’s not even the point anymore. I just want to know she’s okay.”
Now it’s my turn to furrow my brow. What is he talking about? I haven’t gotten any calls or texts from him.
“Look, I don’t know why she isn’t answering you.
What I do know is if she wanted to talk to you, she would.
I also know that if you ever step foot here uninvited again, I or whoever else is here won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your skull.
Our families have deep connections, so I’m not going to lose my shit right now, but if you don’t stop harassing my little sister, that’s going to change. ”
Mac’s lips quirk up in an almost menacing grin. One that tells me he’s going in for the kill.
“You mean your adopted sister?”
All of a sudden, the air is sucked out of this entire apartment complex, every single molecule of it.
I mean obviously, I’m adopted; he knows how I know Nix.
It’s not a huge jump from ‘rescued from a sex trafficking ring’ to ‘adopted’.
Logically, it would have been a slim chance that I was returned to my biological parents.
However, him wielding it like a sword to hurt Dieter is something I wouldn’t expect from him, especially considering his oldest brother’s history.
I blink, and Dieter has Mac shoved up against the far wall, his forearm pushing into Mac’s neck. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“I didn’t stutter, Fischer. I know she’s adopted. She was rescued because of my sister-in-law. I have suspicions about more, but no proof to back up my claims.”
“I’ll fucking kill you, right here, right now. I’m not fucking around, Mac. Stay the hell away from Lelonie.” I don’t know where it comes from, but all of a sudden D has a knife to Mac’s throat. His hand trembles in rage.
Mac’s hands come up in surrender, “I thought you weren’t in the life?”
“Doesn’t mean I wasn’t taught to handle myself or protect my family. Leave, and don’t come fucking knocking again.”
“I’ll leave. But make no mistake, the moment she asks for me. I’ll be right here, and I’d dare anyone to try to stop me. Tell Lee to answer her damn phone. I’m worried.” He strolls away with that final bomb dropped at Dieter’s feet.
Closing out of the security app I rack my brain.
I haven’t gotten anything from him. Of that, I’m sure.
I get brain fog sometimes, but never about something as big as forgetting about blocking someone.
Dieter struts back into the apartment. His wild eyes come to me, “Kostbarkeit, you do not talk to him anymore. He’s unhinged. ”
I roll my eyes at his theatrics, “He’s worried, and you pulled a knife on him. Where did you even get a knife?”
“None of your business. Why are you ignoring him if he’s so great then?”
“I’m not. I haven’t gotten anything from him.
” My fingers navigate my screen to the security feature.
Lo and behold, there’s his contact, firmly in the blocked column.
“What the hell?” I remove it from the list, and the texts from him start streaming through from the past week.
Bringing my hand up, I rest it on my forehead. This doesn’t make any sense.
D’s hand comes to the back of my head gently as he watches over my shoulder, “You really didn’t do that?” I shake my head in response. “I’ll figure it out, Lee. Don’t worry about it.”
My phone finally stops vibrating in my hand long enough for me to shut my eyes for a second as exhaustion slams into me. “Dieter?”
“Yeah?” His voice is distracted, no doubt texting the group chat about this.
“I like him.”
Just like that I have his full attention, “What? Who?”
“Quill… Mac. I like him. I don’t know why he was blocked, but I’m glad he isn’t anymore.”
I can hear the smile in his voice, “Okay, Little Sister. Take a nap, you look exhausted.”
I’m asleep the next moment. Dreams of the sexy Byrne brother dancing in my head.
* * *
Sitting at the little table inside The Landauer Cafe, my laptop is pulled up to the program I need, and my fingers fly over my keyboard.
I’m so close to finding this motherfucker for the Bratva.
I hate working for them, but they pay well so I grin and bear it.
My job is pretty easy. Outside sources hire me to find the people they can’t.
I find them and hand them over to whoever hired me.
The catch is that I only track down people who hurt women and children.
I do a lot of work for the criminal underworld, the one percenters, and even people like me but who aren’t as good as me.
My attention is drawn away from my work when I feel eyes on me.
Slowly closing my computer and looking around, my eyes catch on beautiful mossy green.
His eyes look a little red. He must not have slept well last night.
The breath is stolen from my lungs as I watch Mac move towards me.
I went through all his texts last night and responded, letting him know that he had somehow been blocked.
We texted back and forth a few times, but I wasn’t feeling well, so the conversation was short.
Mac pulls out a seat across from me and drops down into it. The smile pulling at his lips makes my stomach drop. “Hey, Beautiful.”
“What are you doing here?” We’re in German territory. I know he isn’t allowed to be here.
He laughs at my bluntness, “Well, it’s nice to see you too.”
“No, that’s not- I mean- you aren’t allowed to be here.”
“Worried about me, Smart Girl?”
“No, of course not.” My irritation spiking, “I don’t care. I was just asking.”
His smile is so gentle, so pure, and happy. “I’m fine. Just stopped in for the best coffee in the city.”
“It is the best coffee.” I give him a small smile.
“It is. What are you doing today? Want to hang out?” He looks so hopeful. I don’t want to shut him down, but I know I should. He knows too much, and even if that doesn’t freak me out like it should, I still shouldn’t hang out with him again.
“I know about yesterday, Mac. I know what you told my brother.”
“Then you know I have no intentions of going away. I’ll take this at your pace, like I said that day at your apartment, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to just go away.”
“You called me his adoptive sister.” Disdain and irritation drip from my voice.
“Was that incorrect?”
“It was hurtful and unnecessary. Is your nephew your step nephew?”
The look of pure fury that takes over his face would make a lesser person run. Too bad for him, I’m just as mad.
“No, Rhett is my nephew. His father is my oldest brother. Check his birth certificate.”
“So to answer your question, yes, you were incorrect. Dieter is my second oldest brother. We share parents. Check my birth certificate.” Staring him down and refusing to look away first, Mac leans back in his chair and relaxes his demeanor.
“I stand corrected. I’m sorry if I hurt yours or Dieter’s feelings.” He smirks at me.
Before I can tell him to shove his apology up his ass, the barista yells, “Mac?”
Mac pushes up to his feet and smiles down at me, “It was good to see you, Ms. Fischer. Let’s make a habit out of it.
” He leans down and shocks me as he presses his lips to the top of my head.
“I’ll see you soon.” Standing back to his full height, he struts away from me like the world is his runway.
He grabs his drink and thanks the barista before winking at me and striding out the door.
He winks. What the fuck? It’s such a lame move, but my blood sings with the electricity from his attention all the same.
He gets into his deep navy Jeep Wrangler and a second later my phone vibrates on the table.
Mac: Have a great day, Lee. Dinner?
Shaking my head at his persistent attitude, I can’t help but smile.
This is such a contrast to the laid back man I saw on my living room couch.
Seeing both sides of him makes me smile.
He let me see the more vulnerable side the other day, and now I get the cocky outer shell he portrays to the outside world.
This is the ‘Byrne’ persona, and I don’t hate it.
Lee: We can’t.
Mac: We can’t or you don’t want to?
Lee: The former.
Mac: I can work with that.
I don’t know what he has up his sleeve, but I’m sure I’ll find out soon.
Until then, I have work to do and a therapy session to get to in an hour.
My life is incredibly busy. I wouldn’t even know how to add him into the fold of all that on a consistent basis.
Take into account my health and everything that accompanies that.
Plus my childhood trauma could rival the darkest shit you could think of.
I’m a complication he doesn’t need in his life.