Infatuation Page 2

  “Mackenzie?” I stand from my chair so fast it falls back with a loud thud; causing her eyes to snap down in submission.

  “Oh, fuck,” someone curses, but I can’t place the owner’s voice because I’m too caught up in the fact that Mackenzie Morre just walked into our clubhouse, walked back into my life.

  Fuck me.

  “Beau, I’m so sorry I came, but I really need your help.” Her eyes don’t find mine again, staying glued to the floor in front of her. Her hair is shorter than the last time I saw her and she looks to have lost a few pounds. Has she been eating? An overwhelming urge to take her in my arms and carry her to my room pulls at me, but I don’t. I barely know this woman. I’ve spent no more than forty-eight hours with her, yet she has a hold over me, a hold I can’t explain, and not sure I want to.

  Keep it together, asshole.

  “Fuck,” I think I say before getting my shit together and rushing toward her. She trembles when I step in closer, but doesn’t back away as I reach her. “What the fuck happened?” I question as I place my hands on either side of her face. She finally looks up at me and I have a better view. Her dark brown eyes are drowning in fear, but I can see she is trying to fight the current. Her lip has been split and her cheek is bruised. It takes everything in me to keep calm.

  “He found me, Beau.” Her voice is small, scared and it fucks with my head.

  “Where?” I try to keep the disbelief out of my tone because I didn’t know where she was the last year and a half. How the fuck did he find her?

  “In Ohio.”

  Ohio? How did she end up there? Why did she end up there?

  Shaking my head from all the questions running through my mind, I step back from her and turn, only to find the whole club watching us. I don’t have time to acknowledge the concern on their faces before I zero back in on Bell.

  “Bell, can you grab the medical kit.” Bell nods then moves to the kitchen.

  “Tell me what happened.” I look back to Mackenzie, needing to know everything before we can figure out how much shit we’re in. Her eyes fly to mine before flicking back to the others.

  “You can talk in front of them, darlin’. You’re safe here.” I try to encourage her, but I can already see her walls going up.

  “Beau.” My name is delivered in a plea and just like that, it’s as if the last eighteen months haven’t passed and I’m back in our safe house breaking all my rules.

  The truth is I barely know Mackenzie. I met her one night on a pickup in the next town over in Redwick. She was messed up so bad we had to deviate from the usual routine and get her into a hospital. Little did we know her fucking asshole husband was none other than Chad Morre, son to Mayor Morre. Chad and his father have done everything in their power to find Mackenzie, even going to the extremes of hurting our own.

  “Okay, darlin’, come on.” I place my hand on the small of her back and motion her to the living room. She relaxes noticeably before moving over to the sofa. Nix hangs back near the bar as the rest of the group move out, heading either into the kitchen or out to the patio.

  “Nix is gonna stay. This is his club,” I tell her how it is and watch her flick her gaze back to him. I can see she wants to argue, but there isn’t anything she can say that will change my mind. Nix won’t leave and I don’t want him to. We just became an open target now she’s back. We need all the information we can get.

  “Just start from the beginning. What’s happened since I saw you last?” I ask when she settles on the edge of the sofa and fidgets, her hands in her lap.

  “Well, after staying with Larry and Mary for the week, I was moved on to Phoenix.”

  Larry and Mary were the couple I dropped her off to. It was her first safe drop out of Redwick and the last time I saw her.

  “I stayed in a women’s shelter for six weeks in Phoenix until I healed properly.” She runs her finger along a faint scar on the inside of her arm. Anger boils inside of me hating she has a constant reminder of what her husband did to her.

  “Once I was able to do everyday things I left there, ended up in Ohio. Found a nice small town and settled down.” Bell comes back into the room and opens the kit, setting it up on the coffee table. I offer her a slight nod and then wait till she leaves us alone.

  “You found your safe place.” I reach forward into the first-aid kit and pull out some sterile wipes.

  “It wasn’t home, but I tried to make it so.” I show her the wipe and motion to her lip, a silent question for permission to use it on her. She nods before twisting her head slightly and offering me better access. It looks like she’s attempted to clean it up, but didn’t do a very good job.

  “I had a job, a nice apartment, and everything had been quiet.” She flinches when I gently wipe at her lip, but quickly recovers. “I don’t know how he found me. I’ve been so careful.” She shakes her head, berating herself.

  “So what happened?” I drop the wipe and reach for a sterile strip. She waits for me to place the small strip over the cut on her lip before answering.

  “I came home two nights ago and he was there in my bed.” Her hands start to shake in her lap. Without thinking, I reach forward and place my hand over them. It soothes her a little, but not much. “He had a gun, said he had been looking all over for me.” My grip tightens in reflex as the vision plays out in my mind.

  Motherfucker is gonna burn for this.

  “How’d you get away?” Nix steps forward, not as patient as me, and takes a seat across from us. Mackenzie holds his stare briefly before answering.

  “Ahhh, I’ve been taking some classes.” Her eyes flick up to mine, unsure and maybe a little shy about her admission.

  “Classes?” I push, wondering how far she really has come the last year and a half. Right now she’s scared and coming out of her skin, but she’s clearly been trying to better her life.

  “Self-defense. I wanted to be prepared.” A sense of pride––I’m not sure where it comes from—fills me knowing she’s been looking after herself and staying ready.

  “Good girl.” Her eyes soften a little at my encouragement, and the start of a smile pulls at the corner of my mouth, but I stop myself before giving her anything more. “You lay him out?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear her say it.

  “Ah, yeah,” is all she says before diverting her eyes. I look to Nix and watch his brow dip in question, before giving me his something-isn’t-adding-up look.

  “What happened then?” I push a little harder trying to connect the dots.

  “We wrestled a little. He got a few hits in.” She points to her face “And then I just kind of grabbed my bag I had stashed for an emergency and got out of there.” Her voice drops low and her eyes fall to her lap.

  “And Chad? Were you followed?” We really don’t need this fucker back on our doorstep. The last time we dealt with the cockhead didn’t end well.

  “No, I made sure.” I don’t really know how she can be sure, but I don’t question her.

  “Coming back probably wasn’t the smartest idea.” Nix’s tone isn’t impressed, and I can see why. After everything we did to move her out of town, the shit we endured, having her just walk back in the door is only going to fuck everything up.

  “I know, and I’m sorry if this is not a good time for you, but I didn’t know what else to do, Beau.”

  “No, you made the right decision.” I put her at ease. What else was she supposed to do? The last time I saw her I told her we would keep her safe.

  Yeah, so fucking safe.

  “We will help you any way you need. You can stay here, under our protection until this shit is sorted.” I lay it out for her without even discussing it with the club. Hell, even I’m not thinking it through. I don’t give a fuck. There are times in life when you just act and, right now, I’m calling the shots and acting. I know my brothers will have my back, even if they are worried.

  “I can’t ask to stay here.” She shakes her head, but I don’t let her decline my off
er.

  “Mackenzie, you need protection.” She starts to argue but stops right away, as the realization I’m right dawns on her. The only way to really keep her safe is if she’s under our roof.

  She turns her gaze toward Nix, seeking his agreement. His eyes find mine, one brow raised. I know he’s trying to figure out what’s happening right now, but he still wants to give me the lead on this situation.

  “You’ll be safer here,” he agrees and I watch her shoulders drop in relief.

  “I can pay. I’ll find a job.” She looks back to me.

  “Let’s just get you sorted first, see what we’re looking at. Until we figure all this out, we’ll take it as it comes.” She nods, agreeing to the plan.

  “You won’t even know I’m here. I promise.”

  “Yeah, I doubt it.” She lifts her lips to attempt a smile at my joke, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She must be fucking wrecked. A bus trip from Ohio to Nevada not knowing if you’re being followed would be more than draining.

  I’m going to kill the motherfucker for touching her again.

  “I’ll ask Kadence and the girls to set the guest room up.” Nix stands. “Beau, we need to talk and we need to have Tiny in on this.” It’s not an invitation for chitchat; it’s an order. Nodding once, I come to my feet and hold out my hand for Mackenzie. She looks down at it, and for a second, I want to drop it. But I don’t. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not how I usually act, but this thing with Mackenzie is affecting me more than I care to admit. Even when I first met her, I knew she was someone who could possibly change me into something else. What, I don’t know, but it’s messing with my head and I’m unsure how to process it.

  “You can go with the girls. They’ll get you settled in, Mackenzie,” I encourage. Her gaze moves from my hand to my face.

  “Are you sure this is okay?” Her reservations aren’t lost on me. Maybe later I’ll ask myself the same question: Is having her here going to be okay? But right now we have a mess to clean up and if I’m completely honest, I’ve never felt surer of anything before.

  “Yes, Kenzie. Trust me.” Her body tightens at my words, but somehow she works through it. Taking a deep breath, she places her hand on mine and comes to her feet.

  “Thank you, Beau. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

  “You don’t have to, darlin’. We’ve got your back.” This time I allow a smile, something I don’t give freely, to form and spread across my face. She returns it with one of her own and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so fucking beautiful before in my life.

  Jesus Christ, in less than twenty minutes my life has just taken a drastic turn.

  I know I’m fucked. More fucked than any of these assholes have ever been. So why doesn’t it scare me? Because you want what they have and she has the power to be the one to give it to you.

  Fuck me.

  I can already feel my balls going numb.

  God help me.

  Three

  Mackenzie

  “So here’s the bathroom. I’ll make sure you have some clean towels in a moment.” The woman who introduced herself as Kadence motions to the small bathroom to the left of the room. I follow her line of sight and peek inside. A little basin sits to the left with the toilet in the back corner. A bath and shower sit along the right-hand side of the room. A pale pink shower curtain hangs open, inviting me to get in. I let out a small sigh, eager to soak in a hot bath.

  “Thank you so much again.” I look back at the four ladies Beau left me with, watching me carefully. “It’s perfect.”

  “It’s our pleasure,” the other blonde replies as she steps forward. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Her eyes are warm, inviting and for a minute, I want to let her comfort me. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt relaxed. Safe.

  “Do you all live here?” I look to each one of them, trying to remember their names. Holly is the younger looking blonde; she’s tall, lean and her body language radiates confidence. Standing across from her gives me a small case of anxiety. What I wouldn’t do to be confident like her.

  Kadence has dark hair that flows down her back. She comes across as the most relaxed out of the four. With dark-wash jeans, and a tight Harley top, she is gorgeous in an understated way.

  Bell is the one who gave Beau the first-aid kit. She looks the youngest and also has dark brown hair. She’s quieter than the others, sweet but more reserved. And Kelly is the other blonde. Closer to my age than the others, she’s definitely more reserved, almost experienced. I don’t know how to explain it, but her eyes hold an understanding I haven’t seen in a long time. Like I could open up to her about anything,

  You can’t get close with these ladies, Mackenzie.

  “All the guys have their own rooms here, but we generally stay at our houses,” Holly answers, pulling me out of my head.

  “I haven’t taken anyone’s bed?” I ask Kadence, hoping I haven’t messed with anyone’s space.

  “No, this room is for guests.”

  “Oh, good.” I relax and drop my backpack into the chair that sits against the wall.

  “Do you want to see the rest of the place, Mackenzie?” Kelly asks. I nod, not trusting my voice. I’d rather draw a bath and soak, but knowing where everything is around here is important too.

  “Great.” She claps her hands and steps toward the door. Bell and Holly move next. I follow behind them and Kadence takes up the rear.

  “These doors are club members’ rooms. Jesse’s, Brooks’ and Beau’s are here.” Kelly points to each door, naming off the owners. I pay extra attention to Beau’s door, but push it out of my head when I realize what I’m doing. I’m not here to get myself caught up with Beau. I’m here to make sure what happened in Ohio doesn’t come back to me.

  “Laundry is in here.” Holly taps on another door. Laundry. I look down at my clothes and realize they could use a wash. Sooner rather than later I will need to go shopping for more clothes. I add it to my mental to-do list. I barely have any clothes; in fact, the only thing I have is my small escape bag.

  “You can help yourself to anything, whenever you need.” Kadence lightly touches my shoulder, reassuring me. I nod, grateful these people are so welcoming.

  We take the corner and walk back through the front room. I notice all the men have moved on.

  “So this is our living area, pool table, and bar.” Kelly keeps up her tour, pointing as we pass through the room and around the bar.

  “And in here we have the kitchen.” She stops at the door and lets me pass by her inside. It’s bigger than I expected. Kind of like one of those industrial kitchens. Stainless steel counters and appliances. A dark-oak eight-seater table sits to the left. An older man who I can only assume is Nix’s father sits at the table. He looks up as we walk in, and the similarity of facial features between the two is striking.

  “Red, this is Mackenzie. Mackenzie, this is Red, my father-in-law,” Kadence introduces us. Red gives me a nod and then moves his attention back to the small baby girl sitting in his lap. A young boy who looks around thirteen sits to the side of him. There’s a baby in a highchair and a little girl is sitting in her own chair.

  I don’t know what I expected when coming here, but seeing the family vibe happening tonight is the last thing I thought of.

  “You looking after my boy, Z?” Holly steps forward and places a kiss on top of the baby’s head.

  “Of course.” The young boy, Z, puffs his chest out like he has the most important job. It’s too cute really to see him so protective of the younger kids. “When are we having dinner, Mom?” Z shifts and turns to look to Kadence.

  “I suppose I should get that started, huh” Kadence leans forward and scruffs his hair.

  “Would you like something to drink? Coffee?” Bell asks as she moves to the coffee pot.

  “Ahh, no thanks, I’m good.” The last thing I need is coffee right now. Not when I plan on crashing as soon as this little tour K
elly is giving is over. Bell smiles and nods. I watch as she reaches for her own coffee.

  “This kitchen is huge.” I continue to look around, checking out my surroundings.

  “It has to be with all the people around here.” Kelly shrugs, like the idea of anything smaller would be ridiculous. “Shall we keep going?” she steps toward the door.

  “You guys go on ahead. We’ll start on dinner.” Kadence waves us off, leaving Kelly and I alone.

  “Sure,” I reply and follow Kelly out towards a glass door that opens out to an outdoor area.

  “The boys spend a lot of their time out here,” Kelly offers. I nod and look out. A large outdoor setting sits in the middle of the patio. Chairs, crates, and a few other makeshift seats fill the area. Past the patio, acres span around the clubhouse, closed in by full fencing.

  “It’s amazing.” I shake my head at my choice of words. I guess when you’ve been living in a small one-bedroom matchbox unit, something as big as this is amazing. I turn back and follow Kelly inside. We step back to the kitchen bypassing a massive oak door that sits closed. I don’t ask what’s behind it because somehow I know it’s where Beau and the others are. Talking about me being here.

  “Did you want something to eat?” Holly asks, pulling down some plates while holding her son.

  “No, thank you. If it’s okay with you guys, I think I just want to crash. I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in over two days.” Holly’s eyes darken and I know she’s probably mad for me, some kind of woman-to-woman sympathy thing that happens when women hear about your past, but I can’t deal with anyone right now. I just need to sleep.

  “You go on ahead. I’ll let Beau know you can find your way around the clubhouse, and now just need some shut eye.” Kadence lets me off the hook.

  “Thanks so much, I wish I could stay and get to know you all more,” I offer the weak line. I know they probably want some sort of explanation about why I’m here, but if I hang around any longer, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my calm composure.