Baby Bitch (Bitches and Queens) (12 page)

“So what do I owe this honor, Miss
Fairbanks? Or is it Mrs. Mallory?”

Hannah placed the duffle bag on his desk
and sat down on the edge of the leather seat that was on the other side. “I
would prefer to avoid the small talk. There is five-hundred thousand dollars in
that bag. You may count it if you like.”

“A donation for our cause,” the Prez
chuckled.

“I suspect you know exactly why I’m
giving you that money. It’s for my daughter. More specifically, I want you to
keep your associate, Trevor Dean, away from her.”

“I’ll try my best,” he shrugged. “But you
know how it is with young lovers.”

“If you accept that money, I expect more
than your best,” Hannah declared succinctly. “I, too, have an associate. In
fact, you may have heard of him—Dmitri?”

The grizzly man grew pale under his
tanned flesh. His easy smile flattened as his eyebrows crashed together with a growing
frown. “Dmitri is in the gulag. He was captured years ago.”

“Oh, I can assure you, he is very much
out and active. In fact, I left a few samples of his latest masterpieces in the
bottom of the bag.”

His coal-black eyes glanced warily at the
duffle. For a second, Hannah began to reconsider whether she should have
dropped his name. It seemed as if his fear might override his greed of the easy
money. Finally, he let out a soft growl and then reached for the bag.

“It’s done and so is your business here,”
he spat harshly.  

The following week, McKenna stayed home
from school the first three days. Most of the pain and swelling had already
gone down, but Hannah wanted the bruise to fade until it could be covered with
makeup before she returned to her normal life. At least, that is what she
claimed. McKenna thought she was doing it to keep her away from Trevor.

For as long as she could remember, Willow
had always worked at her office downtown. Yet, inexplicably, she suddenly had a
burning desire to work from home that week. McKenna knew exactly what she was
doing, why she was doing it, and was relieved that she didn’t have to be home
alone with Hannah. She no longer seemed quite so psychotic, but there was a
lingering edge in her voice and steeliness in her posture. Willow didn’t need
to say it because McKenna could see it for herself—Miss Fairbanks had yet to
leave the premises.

McKenna was both simultaneously revolted
and mystified by the sudden and acute changes in Hannah and her relationship
with Willow. The two women were no longer equals but more like master and
slave. When Hannah commanded, Willow jumped.
Willow, it is time for bed. Willow,
it is time for your bath. Willow, wear this. Willow, say that.
The demands
went on and on until McKenna was very much afraid Willow would finally snap,
but somehow, she miraculously persevered.

One evening as they lay snuggling
together on McKenna’s bed watching TV, she asked her how she could stand it.

“It’s her way of getting better,” Willow
explained.

“She’s acting like this because of me,
isn’t she?” McKenna asked miserably.

“No, princess. She was like this long
before you came along.”

“Was she like this when the two of you
met?”

“Hmm, yes,” Willow murmured.

“Then how did you know she was the one?
How could you have possibly fallen in love with someone like that?”

Willow reached out and stroked her dark
blond eyebrow. “First, I fell in lust with the outside. Very much like you did
with Trevor. Then as I got to know her better, I realized that deep down, this
really isn’t her. My soul recognized hers.”

A frown puckered McKenna’s lips and then
she whispered, “Trevor didn’t mean to hit me.”

“No,” Willow declared firmly. “There is
no comparison between Trevor and your mother. She never hurt me physically. Any
pain she ever inflicted was always directed at herself. Your mother was sick,
but there was a reason for her madness.”

“Trevor has reasons too. You don’t
understand what it has been like for him, how he was raised,” McKenna cried.

“The line has been crossed,” Willow
denied gravely. “He has already hit you once—he
will
do it again. Do not
even begin to consider forgiving him.”

McKenna didn’t even know why she
bothered—she knew she wouldn’t understand. Neither of her parents understood Trevor
or the world he had been raised in. It was wild and savage where honor and
respect were everything. He hadn’t crossed the line—she had because she didn’t
know or understand the bylaws that governed his existence. It was a mistake, a
simple mistake, which had cost her everything. Even if no one believed her, he
was the one. She heard the truth in every word he had ever spoken. She felt it
in his kisses and caresses. She saw it reflected in his eyes. Just like Willow
had said, McKenna’s soul recognized his, and she knew he wasn’t the vile
monster everyone believed him to be. He was a product of his environment just
like she had been a product of hers.

Now he was gone. Her mother couldn’t keep
her trapped inside forever, but McKenna had no doubts that she could make him
stay away. Hannah might have stepped away from the spotlight, but she still had
considerable influence that stretched beyond the world of fashion, especially
in Austin. In the days since their fight, McKenna realized that her initial
fears for her family were completely unfounded. Hannah was on a first-name
basis with the governor and every other high-ranking official since forever.
All she had to do was say the word, and Trevor’s life as he knew it would, at
best, become considerably more uncomfortable. And Trevor wasn’t even an
official member of Devils Kin—only an affiliate. When, not if, Hannah turned on
the pressure, McKenna was certain they would throw him under the bus. If he
hadn’t already left town, she was sure he would be soon and all because of her
and one stupid mistake.

On Wednesday evening, Kenyon decided to
make an appearance. It looked strange seeing him among her belongings because
as a rule, they rarely crossed the boundaries into each other’s personal space.
They only shared one room for nine months and according to their parents caused
enough ruckus that they knew they had to have their own distinct areas.

“What do you what?” McKenna questioned
gruffly.

Kenyon looked around uncertainly and then
softly groaned, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Why did he do it?”

“That’s none of your business,” McKenna
hissed.

“It is my business,” Kenyon denied.
“Because if anyone has a right to punch you in the eye, it is me, so I want to
know why he did it.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Probably not,” Kenyon shrugged. “But I
want to know all the same. Look, if you’re worried that I’m going to tell them,
I won’t. I’m not the tattle-tell twin.”

McKenna sat up angrily. “Okay, that is so
not true. Last year, I didn’t say a word when Alise thought she was pregnant
and you were freaking out.
Oh McKenna, what am I going to do
?”

“That was a totally different situation,
and it wasn’t like you had solid-gold advice.
She should have the baby and
our mothers could raise it
.”

“They would have,” McKenna said
indifferently.

“That’s beside the point. Why did he hit
you?”

“Fine,” McKenna snapped. “Trevor started
saying really nasty stuff about Sam because he doesn’t know any better…”

“What do you mean, he doesn’t know any
better? What is he—two years old?”

“If you keep interrupting, I won’t tell
you. Anyway, he was saying stuff, and I told him it wasn’t true. Then he called
me a bitch.”

“Uh huh,” Kenyon muttered.

“So, I hit him first.”

Kenyon nodded his head in approval.
“Good,” he declared crisply. “He deserved it.” He started to chuckle. “From
what Abby said, Sam kicked his ass.”

“It isn’t funny, Kenyon,” McKenna moaned
with disgust.

“Yeah, it is, because I bet he never saw
that one coming. But I thought Sam was on your shit list? Why did you get so
defensive?”

“I just did. It doesn’t matter now,”
McKenna pouted.

“Trevor is an asshole,” Kenyon said as he
stood and stretched. “Lucky for you, there are plenty more assholes out there.”

“Thanks for the brotherly advice,”
McKenna grumbled.

“Any time,” Kenyon retort cockily.

The next morning, McKenna was sitting in
her English class when it occurred to her that studying all these ancient Greek
tragedies was so not helping her handle her current mess of a life. Glancing
around, she noticed another equally unmotivated student doodling a picture of a
fairy on her iPad and she thought about the tattooed Tink.
What was her
name?
McKenna couldn’t remember. She began to wonder if she attended this
school. Probably not, surely she would have seen her around before. What a
strange creature. No wonder she had sparked McKenna’s curiosity—they didn’t
grow like that around here. 

McKenna almost wished she were at this
school, so she could ask her what she was thinking when she kissed her baby
niece. More importantly, what had Abby been thinking? Was she bisexual, gay, or
just experimenting? She had known a few girls that had practiced with each other,
although she had never done so herself because of lack of interest. For a
moment, she played with the notion but had a mental block. The only person she
wanted to kiss was Trevor.

Just as she was about to be consumed by
utter depression, her brain flickered back to Tink and a slight smile played on
her lips. She had never considered herself to be mean but something about the
panic-stricken look of sheer terror on Tink’s face as she clutched her shirt so
tightly to her chest made her want to laugh. It was cruel, and McKenna knew she
probably had very good reasons for being so shy, but it was funny all the same.

“Miss Mallory, do you care to share with
the class what you find so amusing about our hero’s demise?” the instructor
asked from his place at the front of the room.

“Huh?” she questioned blankly.

“You were giggling,” he explained.

“I was?” she asked. “Sorry, my mind must
have wandered for a second.”

“I suggest you journey back to the
present,” he chided.

“Sorry,” McKenna muttered, embarrassed,
as her cheeks grew red.

Damn—Tink’s revenge. Don’t screw with a
fairy.

Thankfully, the rest of her morning was
uneventful. She made it through the rest of her classes without being
reprimanded, but she was really just going through the motions. Her brain was
wallowing in despair with just enough twinkles of fairy dust thrown into the
mix to make her wonder if something wasn’t wrong. If she had to be sad and
miserable, then she needed to stay that way—no more thinking about ridiculous
girls. Right now, she needed to focus on the important stuff.

She saw Kenyon in passing at lunch in the
cafeteria. On her way to Calculus, McKenna noticed a very tall and slim
brunette. Although she had only seen a glimpse of her before the crowd blocked
the view, she was almost positive it was Tink. Curiosity got the best of her,
and McKenna made the split-second decision to risk being tardy by following
after her.

They were heading to the south side of
the building and up the stairs to where most of the sophomore classes were housed.
At the top of the landing, the brunette finally turned and looked back. She saw
McKenna, and her eyes widened with recognition. It
was
her.

McKenna was on the verge of calling out
when from the corner of her eye she spotted a lone motorcycle parked among the
vehicles from the window down below. It was Trevor. He had come for her. All
thoughts of fairies and their curious twinkles flew out the window.

McKenna rushed out of the school building
and straight into his arms. “You’re here. I can’t believe you are really here,”
she cried.

Trevor’s lips crashed down upon hers and
she felt his kiss slip past her marrow and straight to her soul. It was no
ordinary meeting of mouths. It was a kiss of desperation, of longing, of
knowing there was no tomorrow—only now.

“Oh my God, look at your face,” McKenna
whispered with horror as her fingers gingerly reached up to touch the purple
blotches.  “Did Sam do this to you?”

“I deserved it,” Trevor grunted. “For
what I had to do to you. That’s why I let him get the best of me, but it
doesn’t matter now. Doll face, I had to see you one last…” His words drifted
off into a silent void that spoke volumes.

“What?” McKenna rushed with panic.
“What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” Trevor muttered as his
fingers ripped through his hair in frustration. “They’ve turned on me. The
motherfucking bastards turned on me. They put on a bounty on my head, and I
have to leave town. That’s why I had to come. I had to see you one last time
before I left.”

“You’re leaving? Now? For how long?”
McKenna whimpered.

“I don’t know, doll face. Until this shit
settles down. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come home again.”

“Oh my God,” McKenna cried as she
frantically paced back and forth in front of him. “Oh my God, oh my God, I
can’t believe this is really happening.”

“Come with me,” Trevor declared suddenly.

McKenna came to abrupt halt. “What?” she
questioned.

“Come with me. Come with me now. It will
be just you and me together. No more rules. No more watchful eyes. No one
telling us we can’t be together.”

“But I can’t leave my family,” McKenna whispered,
tortured by the decision he was forcing her to make.

“We both know it was your family that turned
them against me. Now you have to decide. Who do you love more? Who is more
important to you? Me or them?” Trevor exclaimed.

“No, Trevor. You don’t understand. They
would never go this far. They would never put a bounty on your head.”

“Do you seriously believe that?” Trevor
asked angrily. “They have spent the last eighteen years molding you into their
ideal version of what you should be. Do you really think they would let
anything get in their way?”

“Trevor,” McKenna pleaded as she reached
for his hand but he shrugged her off and climbed on his bike. “Please don’t go.
Not like this.”

“It’s now or never, McKenna. Who do you
love?”

As the seconds ticked away, time slowed
to crawl. McKenna glanced back and forth between Trevor and the school building
that represented the only life she had ever known. If she left with him now,
there would be no turning back. All that she had ever known and loved before he
came into her life would be gone. But if he left her here, would any of it
matter anymore? What was the point of this life if she couldn’t share it with
the
one
?

The choice she made filled her heart with
sorrow. McKenna’s only hope was that one day her parents, her family, and
everyone else she was leaving behind, would one day be able to forgive her.

 “What do you
mean
, you can’t find
her?” Hannah screeched into the phone.

“I haven’t seen her since lunch. I waited
for her by the car for thirty minutes and then I checked around inside,” Kenyon
explained calmly.

“Go back inside and tell those goddamn
school officials they had better find her before I get there.”

Kenyon disconnected the call and then
went back inside to deliver Hannah’s message verbatim. When she arrived less
than twenty minutes later, every available school official was searching the
premises. While they waited, Willow began phoning all McKenna’s friends, but no
one had seen her since lunch. The attendance records concurred that she had
missed the last class periods of the day. Hannah nearly exploded when she heard
the news.

“How did McKenna leave this fucking
school at noon without being properly signed out and why am I just now finding
out about it?”

“Mrs. Mallory, we are just as concerned
as you are…”

“I very much fucking doubt that. It isn’t
your fucking daughter that is missing,” Hannah hissed.

“We are reviewing the security camera as
we speak,” the headmaster answered calmly.

“There’s no need. We know who took her.
And when I find him, I am going to…”

“We are going to call the police,” Willow
rushed as she reached for Hannah’s hand. “Aren’t we, Hannah?”

The drive to the police station was
filled with a tense, worried silence. On the way, Hannah phoned Sam to let him
know what was happening. It only took thirty minutes and one threat to call the
Governor’s office before they were seen by the Chief of Police.

“Based on the information you have given,
we cannot release an Amber Alert,” he explained grimly.

“You don’t understand. My daughter is in
grave danger. There is no telling where he will take her,” Hannah pleaded.

“McKenna is eighteen years old. There is
no reason to believe that she was taken against her will. At this point, all
you can do is wait the required twenty-four hours and then file a missing
persons report.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hannah cried. “Are
you truly saying you will sit by and do nothing, while he takes her God only knows
where?”

“Ma’am, it’s the law. I’m sorry. I
suggest you go home and wait. In most cases, the child returns before the
waiting period expires.”

When they arrived home, Sam was waiting
inside with Kate and Abigail. “Have you found her?”

“No,” Willow answered. “And the police
refuse to do anything until she has been gone for a full twenty-four hours… Hannah,
wait, what are you doing?” she asked as she watched Hannah walked past them
towards her office.

“Call the school and tell them McKenna
came home because she was sick. If the police call to check on her, tell them
the same.”

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
Willow sputtered.

“I am going to find our daughter and
bring her home,” she answered calmly as she closed the door behind her.