We hang up and I lean back in my office chair, turning to look out over River Street. McKenzie is down there, walking fromstore to store again. It’s her way of sticking up her middle finger to the memory she had. I love that woman so much and the strength she shows in the face of everything she’s gone through.
I pull up the app on my phone that’s linked to the tracking device on her collar. She’s at the Marketplace. Knowing I can track her whereabouts at any time brings me peace.
Standing, I exit my office and lock up. I nod at Jason in greeting. Anna joined Kenz today, which is a big step for her. I told Rex I wanted him and Luca, one of his other security guys, to stay with them.
“Sir, do you think it would be wise to look into all the fighters before the next one?” Jason asks. I glance at him as we step out onto River Street.
“Yes, I do. I’m meeting with Felix tomorrow to tell him we need to do that. You can join if you’d like to.”
Jason nods. “Yes, sir, I would.”
Jason is slowly becoming Rex’s second, and I understand why. He takes initiative, and he does things the way Rex would. I grab the photo I had drawn up of what my mother looks like now, according to Kenz, and hand it to Jason.
“If you see a woman that looks like that I need you to notify me immediately. Apparently, she changes her hair a lot, so keep that in consideration.”
Jason studies the picture and nods. “Yes, sir.”
We walk to the Marketplace and I find Kenz looking at some wind chimes. Luca stands a few feet from her, pretending to be checking out some knives, but his eyes are flitting about looking for any threats. He relaxes a little when he sees me, but not completely.
I walk up behind Kenz and wrap my arms around her waist. She lays her head on my shoulder and smiles up at me. We share a kiss that I’d like to turn into more, but we’re surrounded by toomany people for that. So, I pull away and place my chin on top of her head. “Find something you like?”
“I love these wind chimes.” She touches them and the sound they make is beautiful. “They’re made of bamboo.” The lady standing behind the counter smiles at McKenzie and how much she loves them.
“We’ll take them,” I tell her.
“Can we have two? One for the porch and the other for our gazebo?” Kenz rarely asks for anything, so I’ll give her whatever she wants. I nod, so Kenz points out the other wind chimes she wants. The lady boxes them up, places them in a plastic bag, and hands it to us. Luca walks over and takes it.
Anna and Rex walk over to us. “We’re going to go home,” Rex says. I place my hands in my pockets and nod as Kenz hugs Anna.
“I’m so proud of you,” Kenz whispers. Rex and I share a look proud of both of them for how they’re trying to overcome all the trauma they’ve faced.
“I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve reached my limit for the day,” Anna says.
Kenz leans back and pushes Anna’s hair over her shoulder. “That’s okay.” They hug one more time before Rex walks Anna toward the SUV he’s driving.
We spend the rest of the day walking to each shop down River Street and wind up at the piano bar. After we eat our food and Kenz has had two drinks, she settles into me to watch the show. I make her come twice before it’s over. I lick her off my fingers as I escort her to the SUV and we head home.
She lifts the privacy window between us and Jason as she climbs on my lap and rides me. We both come just as Jason pulls into our long driveway. She stays on me until the very last moment when she has to get off. I immediately mourn the loss of her warmth wrapped around me.
Rex and Anna meet us inside. Kenz hugs Anna, holding her tightly for a moment. “I couldn’t stay any longer,” Anna says.
Kenz kisses her on the cheek. “You will. Today was a big step for you. I’m proud of you.” Anna smiles at her.
“Thank you, Kenz.” They hug for a moment longer before we head upstairs. I give Rex a small salute and he returns it. My phone vibrates as we walk up the stairs. Grabbing it, I glance at the text I received from Victor.
We’re in. Olivia is okay with it. I’ll send you the address tomorrow then we can call and discuss plans.
“Who’s that?” Kenz asks. So, I tell her the plan as we get ready for bed. She crawls into bed in one of my T-shirts and this time I watch. She’s not wearing panties. Again. So, I climb in naked and pull her against me; her back against my front.
“I hope this works, Nix,” she whispers, voicing her worry and fear.
I kiss the juncture between her neck and shoulder. “It will.” I promise her. She’s quiet for a long time. I’d think she was asleep, but she’s not breathing like she’s asleep.
“Nix?” Her voice is barely above a whisper.
“Yes, love.” She takes her time replying, but I don’t push her. I wait for her to say what she’s gathering the courage to say.
She takes a deep breath. “Have you ever wanted to be so close to me, but it doesn’t feel close enough?”
