Marcus rubs his hand along his jaw. “I don’t do that anymore,” he admits, surprising us both. “After what happened to your mother, I stopped. I’ve actually gone into more legal business. I manage the ports and I keep an eye out for trafficking. That’s how I found Anna. I do look the other way if it’s not trafficking or drugs and I make those give me a percentage of what they make.”
Kenz huffs. “Legal, huh?”
Marcus shrugs, “I said I got into more legal business, not completely legal.”
I glance at Kenz. “It’s not like we can talk. These auctions aren’t exactly legal,” I remind her. “Maybe we can merge our businesses,” I suggest to Marcus, who chuckles.
“We’ll talk.”
We stand getting ready to leave, and Kenz gives Marcus a hug. “Dad, you should come have dinner with us. You can see Anna. We’ll even invite Larry over.”
Marcus hugs her tight. “I’d like that, sweetheart. Tell me when and I’ll be there.” We walk to my bike and Marcus watches as we put our helmets on. “Take care of my daughter on the back of that bike!” he yells at me and I nod.
“I plan on taking very good care of you on the back of this bike,” I murmur into the headset.
“Nix!” Kenz wraps her arms tight around my waist and when I pull out, she cups me over my jeans.
I grunt. “Careful, love, I’ll find an alley.”
“Promises. Promises,” she replies. So, I find an alley and do exactly that.
McKenzie
“You’re standing at the edge of a lake. Take one step after another until you’re completely submerged.” I focus on Dr. Pearl’s voice as I imagine what her words say. “You’re safe. You can breathe.” I suck in a breath, not realizing I wasn’t breathing. “Let’s go to a day you’ve already remembered, but perhaps that memory is altered. You’re walking down the aisle toward Phoenix.”
Walking toward Phoenix, I pretend like this is the wedding I used to dream about in high school. He’s my one true love and I’m his. I wish I could tell him. My dad told me to get close to him. Did he mean this close? Does he even know we’re getting married?
I don’t recognize anyone except Phillip, Clara, and Rex. I wish Anna was here. When I stop in front of Phoenix, the priest doesn’t ask who gives me away. Because no one is giving me away.
Phoenix is taking me and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him. I wonder if my father is keeping tabs on me. I miss him. Maybe, one day, when the truth comes out, we can have another wedding and my dad can give me away. Will Phoenix think I deceived him? I didn’t know this is what my father had planned. He said he wanted me to get close to Phoenix. I didn’t realize he was going to sell me at an auction.
He lifts my veil and cups the back of my neck before bringing his forehead to mine. I suck in a breath and close my eyes, bringing my hands up to cling to his forearms. It’s moments like these that make me remember the Phoenix from high school. He’s become hard since then. He has a plan but doesn’t know anything about my father telling me to get close to him. Is our relationship based on a lie? It feels like it and I hate it.
“I promise I’ll make this good for you, Kenz.” I open my eyes and stare into his icy gaze. Does he mean the wedding or the marriage? “Both,” he answers, reading my mind. I swallow and accept that he will stand behind those words.
“Okay,” I whisper. Relief flashes in his eyes and he nods slightly before releasing me, and the priest begins the ceremony. Will he still hate my father when he finds out it was his idea for us to become close?
“We need to adjust her dosage. Phoenix is close to finding her and we can’t have her remember,” Dr. Chamberland says as he fills his syringe with the drugs they’ve been giving me.
“We need to kill her,” Alice says. I squeeze my eyes shut. This was not part of the plan, but when she threatened to kill Phoenix, I had to do what I could to save him. She’s crazy, she would have done it. I feel Alice’s presence over me without opening my eyes. “This is your father’s fault. If he had just stuck to the plan, but no.”
“How long did you poison my mom before she died? She was sick for weeks.” I need to know.
“For almost a month. I got tired of waiting so I finished her off that day. I considered poisoning you, too. I should have.”
I glare up at her. “How did you get into our house?”
She huffs. “I didn’t have to get into your house. I made sure the tea that was being delivered was already poisoned.” I have to figure out how to contact my dad and tell him, but I don’t know how I’ll do that.
William walks in and my eyes widen. I squeeze my legs shut, knowing why he’s here. He sneers down at me and rakes his eyes over me with that hungry gleam that makes me nauseous, but Dr. Chamberland walks in front of him and stops him.
“Not today.” He brings the needle to my arm and I almost welcome the fog it will bring. “This is a cocktail that will make you forget,” Dr. Chamberland says as he sticks the needle in my arm.
I swallow as the drugs course through my veins. Alice walks over and prods my chin with her long pointy fingernail. “This better work.”
I’m left in darkness. Complete and total darkness. I wait for them to come back, but they never do. I need to forget. Not just what they did to me, but everything else. What happened to my mom and that my dad asked me to get close to Phoenix. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I want to forget everything. So, my mantra begins.
“My name is McKenzie. I’m twenty-three years old. I’ve been kidnapped. But he will come for me. He always comes for me.”
