I squint, thinking through this. “Then why would you think I’d protect your daughter?” McKenzie looks between the two of us, the same question evident on her face.
“I had a feeling,” Marcus says, and I roll my eyes. “I know that’s not the answer you want to hear, but I knew you’d find out the whole truth one way or another. I was hoping you’d keep an open mind.”
“Why would you think that?”
He inhales deeply and glances between me and Kenz. “I met you when you were about thirteen or fourteen. Do you remember?” I squint, trying to think, but I don’t know what he’s talking about. I shake my head. “It was right before your mom left. Isabel and I saw the three of you downtown. I kept it short because I knew how your mom felt about Isabel and me, but there was something about that short interaction with you. The way you talked to Isabel.” He smiles, remembering back to that day. “A tourist ran into Isabel and you steadied her, but at the same time chastised the tourist for not watching where they were going. I knew you weren’t selfish, and I knew you weren’t completely wrapped in your mom. Even if you thought you were.”
I stare at him for a long moment and sigh, raking my fingers through my hair. I vaguely remember that day.
“You met my mom.” Kenz gives me a sad smile.
I kiss the side of her forehead. “I guess I did.” I turn back to Marcus. “Why didn’t you just come to me?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me unless you found out the truth yourself.”
“Why did you trust Dick?”
Marcus looks out the window as he sits in silence for a few moments. “I’m not sure I trusted him. Not completely. I hadan uneasy feeling about him, but I didn’t have any concrete evidence he was going to stab me in the back. So, the night of the auction, I had James on standby just in case Richard did win. James was going to meet them in the back and take McKenzie away. When you bought her…” He glances at his daughter. “I’m not proud of what I did. Allowing Phoenix to go through with the ritual, but again, I had a feeling you’d be safer with him than with me.”
McKenzie leans forward and places her hand on his knee. “Dad, do you know the hell we’ve been through because of Alice?”
Marcus’ eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”
McKenzie proceeds to tell him about the two times my mother kidnapped her and what happened to her. She leaves out how I forced her to marry me and how horrible I was to her the first few months of us being married.
Marcus’ eyes grow bigger the more McKenzie talks. It would be comical if it wasn’t so traumatic. When she’s done, he leans forward and pulls her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” He leans back and looks between the two of us. “Is that why you missed an auction last year?”
I nod. “Yes. I got her back right before the auction, but she had lost her memories, so I wasn’t going to take her to that one. You said you knew she lost her memories.”
He nods. “Yes, but I didn’t realize it was because she had been kidnapped. Larry didn’t tell me that. He told me it was an accident.”
McKenzie shrugs, “I didn’t tell him I had been. I told him I had an accident.” She looks at me and sighs. “I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Marcus looks between the two of us, regret evident on his face. “I was trying hard to do the right thing. It seems like I wasn’t successful.”
I put my arm around McKenzie’s shoulders and pull her in close to me. “I, for one, am glad you had her come to Brighton. I wish we could have avoided the kidnapping, but I don’t regret everything else.” McKenzie gives me a small smile and nods in agreement.
Marcus sighs, looking between the two of us. “I did try to approach your father a few years ago, but he didn’t want anything to do with me. He was blinded by his love for your mom and he was convinced I was the problem.”
“It seems like you’re the only man that didn’t succumb to her,” I say. Kenz rubs her hand up and down the back of my neck.
“Don’t beat yourself up. That was your mom. It makes perfect sense,” Marcus assures me. “I wasn’t sure how you would handle things once you got McKenzie, but I could tell from the calls and letters Kenz and I had that you had feelings for her. So, I was counting on that. I thought you might be interested in buying her, but once you did, I should have kept closer tabs on the two of you. I did go to auctions a couple of times a year, but when I was informed I wasn’t allowed at the ones you hosted, I knew you didn’t want me there. So, I had my guys keep an eye on the two of you sporadically.” He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “I should have done a better job.”
McKenzie and I don’t respond. I’m not sure how to respond. I don’t agree with how her father handled things, but it doesn’t seem like he had bad intentions like my mother did.
“I don’t remember the letters you and I shared,” McKenzie admits. “I just remembered everything that happened to mom and why I started going to Brighton.” She sighs. I know she’s frustrated that all her memories haven’t come back yet, but I keep assuring her they will. Eventually. I’m hoping I’m right.
Marcus pats her hand. “Hopefully Dr. Pearl can help.”
“She says she’s going to try hypnosis on her to bring those repressed memories to the surface,” I tell him.
“The first session is in a few days. I’m ready,” Kenz says. I was nervous when Dr. Pearl talked about this. She said she mentioned it to Dr. Chamberland, but he was against it, so she never mentioned it to me. Now we know why. If Kenz is ready to do it, I’m ready to support her.
“So, what are the plans for future auctions?” Marcus asks.
“We’re no longer going to host them at people’s residences. The place we went to and handled my mom and Dick is already operational. Victor’s partner talked me into allowing them to have them there. We’ve already purchased the property and construction will begin this week. It should take nine months to a year to get everything completed.” It’s weird talking to Marcus about this, but he’s been doing business a lot longer than I have, so if he can help, I’ll accept it.
“Dad, we’re not going to be selling drugs at these auctions,” McKenzie says quietly. It’s the one thing about her father that she hates.
