“Sorry,” the nurse said, her voice clipped and firm. “Immediate family only.”
West tilted his head slightly, playing it cool, then nodded toward the waiting room. “Come on, Max.”
“Mr. McKinnon can come in. He’s her next of kin.”
West froze, his eyes narrowing into slits. A flicker of calculation behind them. In an instant, I saw him piece it together. He was noticing the way I moved, the way I claimed her,the way she belonged to me. This wasn’t some teenage fantasy. We were deeper.
For the first time, West’s posture shifted. He wasn’t confident anymore; he was guarded, wary. He was sizing me up, weighing his words.
“Next of kin?” he asked, voice tight and tense.
“Yeah,” I said, glaring at him. “Husband. Thought you knew.” The nurse glanced between us, rolled her eyes, and hurried back into the room.
A tense silence settled, broken only by a faint, knowing smile spreading across his face. “We’d have been alerted if you two got married. Don’t try to lie to me.”
“I proposed, she said yes. Same difference.”
“I underestimated you,” he exhaled, voice edged with disdain.
I stepped closer, voice cold. “We’re meant to be together; it was a long time coming. When I finally make her mine legally, I’m taking her away from all this fucked-up bullshit.”
He nodded slowly, but his eyes stayed fixed on mine. “Sure. Call me when you have news. Mackenzie knows how to reach me.” He turned to leave, shoulders stiff, but his voice cut through the air as he faced me again. “You may call yourself her fiancé, Max, but this is bigger than you. Lying about next of kin gets you in the door, but it complicates evidence, custody, and all sorts of legal messes you don’t understand. You just made yourself a target.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I spat.
He tsked once, thinking, then something in his face shifted, his expression cold and determined. "If you want her protected, I can assure you she’s being protected.” He spoke with a chilling calm. "We started with the obvious. I already filed a formal assault report, notified law enforcement, and pushed for an immediate arrest warrant for Jackson. I’m working to have the hospital security secure the area and place her under constantguard. We’ll secure an emergency protective order, and I’ll personally demand priority for the investigation."
“That’s not nearly enough,” I said flatly, my voice tense. "Don’t forget—you’ve been watching her, and you couldn’t even protect her. I can do a far better job than you and your team ever could."
He paused, fixing me with that same, unblinking stare. “I know what you’re thinking. But marriage doesn’t buy safety."
“With me, it does.”
He scrutinized me from head to toe, a grim smile creeping onto his face. "She won’t have the same level of protection from you that she has from us.”
“Make me one of you then,” I snapped, my voice sharp and fierce.
“You’re not ready,” he responded calmly, looking at his nails as if he had already been thinking about it. I stepped closer to him, so close that he had to look up at me. His pupils dilated. He wasn’t scared, but a smirk on his lips revealed he respected me.
“I’m ready.”
He tilted his head, studying me with that flat, unreadable stare.
“You think this is a badge and a gun, and suddenly you’re untouchable? It’s not. This is training, surveillance, rules you don’t even know exist. It’s years of losing pieces of yourself.”
“I don’t care. If it keeps her safe, I’ll do it.”
His mouth curved into a faint smile.
“I get that. But the Bureau doesn’t just hand out shields because someone’s desperate. We recruit, we evaluate, we test.” His gaze flicked to me again. “And you don’t even know what we’d ask of you.”
“I don’t care,” I said louder, my voice echoing with a hint of desperation.
West’s eyes softened just a fraction, but beneath that, an icy chill lingered. “Careful, Max. You’re opening a door you can’tclose. You’re not ready yet. But… maybe someday.” He tapped his finger against the wall like a silent gavel.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this. Mackenzie’s mom is going to kill me, but if you two want to make this real and legal, I can speed things up: contact a magistrate, push the paperwork, and find someone to witness it here. I’ll also facilitate channels if she needs to be relocated or placed under protective custody again.”
“Great,” I said, turning away. “Do that.”
