Worth the Wait (Picking up the Pieces #4) (29 page)

Fear twisted my stomach into knots at the thought of who it could be. There were no voicemails or texts, but I had only ever known one person to call so incessantly. And the thought that he had somehow gotten my number caused bile to rise in my throat as panic set in.

No, it couldn’t be. He had no way of getting my new number. Lance didn’t know where we were. We were safe in Cloverleaf…we had to be. But no matter how much I kept repeating that to myself, my gut was saying otherwise. A sense of foreboding was blanketing me, telling me my time was up.

The crunch of gravel behind me had me spinning around in fright, a sob breaking free at the sight of him standing just feet away.

“Hello, Mackenzie. Have you missed me?”

No.
No, no, no, no, no
!

“W-what are you doing here, Lance?” I choked out, so many emotions bombarding me all at once. But the one that stood at the forefront was anger—anger that he’d found me, anger that he’d come to ruin my perfect little world.

“I’ve come to get back what’s mine. You and the kids have been gone long enough. It’s time to come home.”

The man was delusional if he thought for one second that I was just going to walk away from my new life, the life I’d built for my babies, just because he’d told me to. I wasn’t the same weak, scared little woman I was before I left him.

“How did you find me?” I demanded.

The sound of his laugh was so sinister. “You stupid cow. You really thought I didn’t know where you’ve been hiding all along? I’ve known about this little piece-of-shit town since I met you.”

Oh, God. I was going to be sick.

“That’s right. Public records, baby. Your father still owns that shack your grandmother died in. It only took me a matter of hours to track you down. There isn’t a place on this fucking planet where you can hide from me. The only reason you’ve been here for so long is because I’ve allowed it. I’ve been enjoying my freedom while you’ve been fucking that stupid hillbilly. But now I’m done playing around. I want what’s mine. You and those kids are
mine
.”

Despite the terror coursing through my veins, I lifted my chin and stared him down. “No. I told you what would happen if you came looking for us, Lance. If you don’t leave now and forget you ever saw me, I’ll leak every single thing I have on you.”

“You fucking bitch!” he growled as he charged me, causing me to flinch as his face came within an inch of mine. “You have no fucking clue what I’m capable of. Do you have any idea how many connections I have? You really think that goddamn file you’re keeping on me will do you any good? That I didn’t do damage control after your little threat? There’s nothing left, Mackenzie, not a single goddamned piece of evidence that can link me to any of it. You’re file against me is useless. Especially since someone else has already gone down for all that shit. Fired and disbarred, what a shame. A man’s career down the drain because he was morally corrupt. It’s astounding what a person will do for money, isn’t it?” he ended on a laugh.

My heart plummeted from my chest at his admission. I had nothing. Everything I thought I held against him to keep me and my children safe was useless now. He’d framed someone else for everything he’d done. I should have known. After living a decade of hell with him, I should have known just what he was capable of. I’d underestimated him.

“I can take those kids from you in the blink of an eye. I can make it to where no judge in his right mind would see you as fit to raise them. After all, I’m a powerful, successful attorney with an outstanding reputation. You’re the woman who kidnapped my children and kept them from me for over a year. Who do you think a judge would side with?”

“You asshole!” I shouted as I reared back and slapped him with everything I had. All my fear was forgotten at the threat against my children. I’d die before I ever let him take them away from me. As soon as my palm connected with his face, I saw the fury take over. Lance’s eyes darkened to an almost unnatural color before his arm pulled back. He brought it forward with a punch to my cheek so hard I went flying back into my car door, hitting the back of my head on the glass, causing it to splinter and crack.

“You fucking cunt!” he shouted as he hit me again, the well-placed shot to my stomach expelling all the air from my lungs. My knees hit the ground hard, but I barely registered the sharp pain of the gravel jabbing into my skin before he kicked me in the ribs. I’d seen Lance’s fury on multiple occasions, but never to this extent. The look in his eyes was absolutely murderous. He’d finally snapped. For the first time in all the years I’d known him, he’d lost complete control.

And in doing so, he had made a grave mistake. He couldn’t cover up the beating this time. I knew it the moment I heard the voices.

“Hey, stop! What the hell are you doing? Get away from her!”

Thank God
.

The sound of a scuffle ensued just as the darkness closed in.

My last thought was of Brett, Cameron, and Callie just seconds before everything went black.

“Hello?” I answered my cell in confusion when I saw the number to the twins’ daycare pop up on the screen.

“Hi Brett, this is Lori.”

“Hey, Lori. What’s going on?”

Silence passed through the line before she spoke again. “Well, I’m calling because Ms. Webster hasn’t shown up to pick up Callie and Cameron. We’re closing in fifteen minutes and she’s never been late before.”

My stomach dropped to my feet as I took in what she’s said. She was right; Kenzie would never be late picking up the kids. Not unless something had happened.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thank you, Brett.”

I left the work site and ran to my Jeep, disconnecting the call so I could make another one. “Lizzy,” I blurted out as soon as she answered. “Kenzie with you?”

“No, she left a while ago to get the rugrats. Why? What’s wrong?”

Shit
. “She hasn’t shown up at the daycare. Can you see if her car’s still in the parking lot?”

“Yeah, hang on just a second.” I could hear the click of her shoes against the tile floor as she made her way to the back lot. The sound of the heavy metal door being opened echoed through the phone. But it was the two words Lizzy cried out that made my blood run cold.

“Oh, God!” she gasped just before I heard a man’s deep voice shout out. “Hey stop! What the hell are you doing? Get away from her!”

“What the fuck is going on?!” I shouted through the line as Lizzy yelled out for someone to call nine-one-one. “Lizzy! Goddamn it, tell me what the fuck is happening!”

“She’s here.” Her voice broke on a sob, causing me to slam the gas pedal down hard. “Her ex…it’s bad…get here now.”

No, no, no, no.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t lose her. I just
couldn’t
.

“The kids,” I whispered into the phone, remembering they still needed to be picked up.

“I’ll call Savannah. She’s on the list. Just get here.”

Throwing the phone onto the passenger seat, I pushed the car as fast as it would go, finally squealing into the lot of Elegant Nails five minutes later. That had been the longest drive of my life. As I jumped from the Jeep, I could hear the sound of sirens in the distance, alerting me that help was on the way. But I was unable to focus on anything but Kenzie lying motionless on the gravel.

“Oh, God. Beauty, wake up,” I begged as I pushed past the people who surrounded her, falling to my knees over her body. Blood poured from gaping cuts on her lips and cheeks, bruises marred her beautiful face. “Come on, baby. Wake up for me,” I pleaded, feeling completely helpless as I cradled her limp body. “I need you to wake up. Please, baby.”

The loud shout of, “Get the fuck off me!” pulled my attention over to where three men were struggling to hold on to another one. Through eyes bleary with tears, I was able to make out the dark haired, blue-eyed man, and my gut told me it was him. It was Lance struggling to get away from the men restraining him.

“
Motherfucker
!” Jumping to my feet, red clouded my vision as I charged him, visions of Kenzie lying hurt and bleeding ran through my mind. He’d done that to her. He’d caused her that pain.

And he was going to fucking pay.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” As if my body had detached from my brain, I planted my shoulder in his gut, taking him down to the ground in a heap. It was his goddamned turn to bleed. I got several good punches in, getting a sick pleasure at the sound of his nose breaking before someone was pulling me off him.

“Brett, man, you gotta calm down,” Luke spoke in my ear as I fought against him. “Calm the fuck down! I don’t want to have to arrest you, too.”

At the threat of not being able to stay with Kenzie, I finally relaxed against his hold. I’d been so consumed with rage that I hadn’t even noticed the police cars and ambulance pull into the parking lot.

“Paramedics are loading Kenzie in the ambulance now, brother,” Luke told me. “Let me handle this piece of shit. Go take care of your girl.”

Rushing back over to Kenzie, I took her hand in mine, grasping tightly as the paramedics wheeled her gurney into the ambulance. After jumping in, I turned back before the doors closed to call out to Lizzy. She stood there waiting for us to pull away, tears rushing down her cheeks, her hands over her mouth as she cried for my girl.

“Call Savannah,” I said. “Make sure there’s someone to keep the kids. Do
not
let them find out about this.”

Her head bobbed up and down, “Yeah, okay. I’ll handle it and meet you at the hospital. Take care of her, Brett,” she ended on an anguished whisper.

“With my life, Lizzy-Lu.”

I turned my attention back to Kenzie, taking in her mangled face as the doors were slammed shut and we drove away. Right then and there, I prayed to God that if he made sure she was all right, I’d spend the rest of my life protecting her.

“The motherfucker hasn’t said a word since we dragged his ass in.”

I barely registered what Luke said as I paced the waiting room, anxious for news on Kenzie. She’d woken up halfway to the hospital, sobbing hysterically and talking about having to take the kids and go. She wanted to run again. Lance had found her and her flight instinct had kicked in hard. I couldn’t let that happen. I’d be damned if I let that son of a bitch take them away from me.

“I swear to God, Luke, if I get my fuckin’ hands on him, I’m gonna kill him.”

“He’s in lockup, man. Just focus on your girl for now. You have any idea how he tracked her down?”

I raked my hands through my hair as I collapsed down into one of the hard plastic chairs. “No idea. When she woke up in the ambulance, all she’d say was that she needed to leave. That she needed to get the kids and they needed to take off. She wants to run again, man. I can’t let her do that. I can’t lose them.”

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Yeah.”

“What are you gonna do?”

My head dropped in defeat as I admitted, “I don’t have a damn clue. Right now, I just need to know she’s okay.”

As if God was answering my prayers, the doctor came walking into the waiting room. “You’re family of Ms. Webster?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” I rushed out as I hurried over to where he stood. “Is she okay? Can I see her?”