Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
MACKENZIE
H eath's absence is like a phantom limb, and as the rest of us sit around the table my eyes settle on an empty chair, one he should be sitting in. It’s been a year since Heath up and left and stopped returning calls. We all carry on with St Jude’s business like nothing’s changed. But everything has. Whatever happened between Heath and Flynn had him walking away from St. Jude's. Away from us. The Guild has rules and he burned them to the ground, then joined Hell’s Knights instead.
I need Heath now more than ever. He’d know what to do.
“So let me get this straight,” Larken says, a scowl on his handsome face. “You had a kid with your step-father, gave said kid up for adoption, and kept it from all of us for what…twelve years, give or take?”
“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. But I didn’t keep it from all of you!”
Flynn scowls, knowing exactly who I am talking about. Heath was the only one who knew why I left St. Jude’s for a year after I turned eighteen.
“That’s fucked up Kenzie. It's us. We may not be fucking blood, but we’re a family,” Jenson, always the sensitive one, looks like a kid who just discovered that Santa Claus isn’t real.
“It’s my life. My choice and I knew that you’d all try to convince me otherwise.”
“Yeah, we fucking would have,” Flynn says his jaw clenching and unclenching. “You know what it was like when I found out I had a kid eight fucking years after she was born.”
His wife, Isabella, looks like she just got slapped in the face. Of course, I know what he felt like, I was there. He was broken. He felt like he missed out on his daughter’s life, and he did. But this is different. I tried to tell Creed. He didn’t care enough to hear me out, so I made a choice.
“Well, sometimes you gotta do what you think is best for your child. It may not always be the right decision,” Isabella counters. “But it was Mackenzie's to make.”
“Look, we can argue all night, but right now I need your help finding her. Her adoptive parents have gone off the radar, and the men I had watching them have no fucking idea where they are now. I know Creed has something to do with this. He has to because if not him, then who?”
I’ve kept tabs on Gabriella from the moment I handed her over to the Hernandez family. I’ve watched her grow from a distance. Giving her up was not an easy decision, but she deserved better than me. The life I lived was not fit for a child. What did I have to offer her? I was a fucking mess back then, suffocating under my own demons. I still am. The Hernandez's were normal, stable, kind-hearted people who had tried and failed to have a child for years. They adored Gabriella and gave her a loving home.
And now, Creed’s back and he’s threatening to destroy everything.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Larken says. If anyone can, it’s my tech expert best friend. “I'll talk to Roxy, too. She should have a couple of links to associates in family law.”
“I can get some of the Hell’s Knights in the area to check out the club scene,” Eros says.
“I doubt we'll have luck there,” I said. "Creed has most of those club owners in his pocket."
“Don't fucking remind me?” Flynn says.
“I can tell you one thing. The Creed I knew is gone.”
“And he’s not to be fucked around with on your own, Kenzie,” Jenson says, his face impassive. “We’re all in this together. I just want you to know that."
“Thank you. I know.” I stand, the fluttering in my stomach intensifying as Gabriella's face swims into view. Her soft raven curls and stormy eyes that match mine.As much as I try to remind myself that Creed isn’t him ; he is not my father, nor will heever be a monster like that, I won’t be okay until I confirm that Gabriella is still with her adoptive family, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure it stays that way.
She doesn’t belong in a world of secret societies and gangsters. She’s pure, untainted by the darkness. Starting with keeping her out of Creed’s clutches. That one club is only the beginning. If he doesn’t give me what I want he’ll pay dearly.
* * *
As I drive to my apartment, memories of Creed flood my mind. I thought about how easily I could have let my guard down and given in to his touch. The way he always knew exactly how to push my buttons and make me feel unnerved. Regret washes over me as I remember the pain he caused when he betrayed me. Because he did. The betrayal still feels fresh, even after twelve years apart. And yet, back then, I was foolish enough to believe every word that came out of his mouth. How could I have been so blind?
I shower then change into loungewear and pour myself whiskey. The amber liquid burns on the way down, but it doesn’t dull the memories or the pain. It's ironic how life can change in an instant.
I sit at my computer, determined to search every database I have access to in hopes of finding a trail leading to Gabriella. She was a secret I intended to keep from everyone for as long as I could. For Gabriella's safety. But now that Creed is back, all those carefully constructed walls are crumbling down around me. My phone buzzed with a text from Jenson.
Hey Kenzie, I wanted to see if you were okay? Jenz
I'm fine. Just...processing it all.
You know I've always got your six, right? If you need anything... anything at all just let me know. Anytime.
I know he means it, but the truth is, Jenson has his own family now, and I am not a part of that. We’re best friends, all of us, but they have their own lives now – partners and kids, and I’m just a complication. I miss Heath in times like this. He and I are the last singles of the Big Five. I take a gulp of whiskey, closing my eyes as I remember the last time we saw each other.
The night air is crisp, and the sound of music filters from the ballroom where Jenson and his new wife, Amara, celebrate their love surrounded by family and friends. Even with all the excitement, I can’t seem to shake off this foreboding feeling. Something feels off. Out of place.
“Hey, Kenzie, you okay?” Heath’s deep voice jolts me out of my thoughts. He hands me a bottle of Jack Daniels and we both take turns sipping on it.
“I don’t know.” I can’t meet his eyes. “I’ve just got this feeling that something really awful is gonna happen and we’re all just going to drift apart now.”
“You always had an overactive imagination,” he says, nudging me with his shoulder, but his expression belies his words. “Nothing bad is going to happen and if it does, we’ll work through it. We always do.”
“I know,” I said, leaning my back against the wall. “It’s stupid of me to be worried about nothing."
Heath puts his arm around my shoulder and squeezes lightly. “We have each other, remember that.”
“I know…it’s not just that troubling me. What will I do when Creed’s released?” My eyes dart to him.
“When that happens, I will make sure he stays far away from you.”
Creed Torres ruined my life and I let him.
Heath curses under his breath and downs the rest of his Jack. “I still can’t believe you fell for that asshole. You could have had anyone. Probably did.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, punching his shoulder as he laughs heartily. “You’re one to talk.”
“Point taken.” He chuckles. “But you know what I mean,” Heath says, his face serious for once. “We both know how badly he messed you up.”
“I know,” I respond. “I know.”