Chapter 19
McKenzie
Why does it excite me that he’s telling me we’re going to kill someone? And getting the chance to go to one of these fights sounds fun. I’ll get to see a side of Phoenix I’ve never seen before. Well… unless I have and don’t remember.
“Have I ever been to a fight with you before?” I ask him.
He smirks and gives me a sideways glance. “You have.” I narrow my eyes at him.He’s not saying something.“I promise we’ll have fun.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m looking forward to seeing this side of you.” Something like sadness flashes in his eyes. “I mean, I know I’ve seen this side of you, but I don’t remember.” A lump forms in my throat and I swallow, trying to get rid of it. He leans close to me and places a kiss on the side of my head.
“You will,” he promises again.
He sounds so sure, but I’m beginning to doubt. It’s been almost nine months. How long will it take? Before I can say anything, Rex and Anna walk into the kitchen. There’s a light in Anna’s eyes that wasn’t there earlier. It makes me breathe easier.
“Can Anna go?” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “She’s not ready, but we’ll go out to eat beforehand and she can go with us.” I smile at him pleased he’s willing to make a compromise.
Anna greets us. “Hi.”
“Hey. How are you feeling?”
She takes a deep breath as she looks around the large kitchen, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “Okay.”
Rex places his hand on her back and whispers something in her ear. She nods once and steps further into the kitchen, Rex staying right beside her. She must have told him how she felt about large spaces and he’s doing what he can to make her feel more comfortable.
I take a sip of my wine. “Phoenix said we can go out to eat tomorrow night. Do you think you’re up for it?” I ask her. Her face brightens, and she looks at Rex. He gives her an encouraging smile.
“Yes! I think getting out of the house will help me.” It’s going to take years for us to get through all this trauma, but we’lldo it together. Anna twirls her blonde hair around her finger. “Ummm…” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “I’m pretty sure Dr. Chamberland was involved in my kidnapping. I told Kenz earlier he always wore a mask, but he would check in on me randomly. He said something one day when he was checking on me here and I realized who he was. That’s why I asked to not see him anymore.”
Phoenix’s hands grip his silverware so tightly his knuckles turn white. Anna looks out the windows and closes her eyes. “When you walked in earlier, I had just told Kenz that there was a woman there with eyes that looked like yours. She said it was your mother.” Phoenix drops his silverware, making Anna jump slightly as they clatter against the counter.
I place my hand on his thigh, offering some type of comfort. I know it can’t be easy when the one person that’s been on a pedestal your entire life is knocked off in one night. Phoenix doesn’t take his eyes off Anna, giving her his full attention. His face is a perfectly created mask. I know that expression well. He wore it a lot when I thought I was his prisoner.
Anna clears her throat and rubs her hands along the counter. “The dean from Brighton…” She closes her eyes. “He would do things to me and she would watch.”
I glance at Rex. His face is a mask as well. I’m sure he’s already heard this, but I know this can’t be easy for him either. He was her security guard. The little I know about him, he probably blames himself.
Phoenix stands slowly, every move calculated. He walks to Anna and hugs her. My heart melts a little at how gentle he is with her. This man can kill someone with his bare hands, but he knows how to be soft as well. He leans back, gently holding her shoulders.
“I promise they’ll all pay.”
Anna glances at me with a small smile playing on her lips. “McKenzie promised we’d kill them, then have a party.”
Phoenix’s head snaps in my direction, his mouth tipping into a mischievous grin. “Did she?”
I lift my shoulder and return his grin. “It’s a promise I intend to keep.”
Rex laughs as he and Phoenix share a look. “Sounds like a plan to me,” they say in unison.
The next day I feel a little nauseous and worried about how the night is going to go. Nix and Rex are currently meeting in his downstairs office to plan the night while Anna and I sit in the library. My book is open in my lap, but I haven’t read a page yet.
“Are you nervous?” Anna asks me.
I take a deep breath and look over at her. “Is it that obvious?”
She chuckles. “Well, you haven’t flipped a page in a while and you keep chewing on your thumbnail.”
