Fierce, p.13
FIERCE, page 13
Mackenzie’s first official date in years. She was nervous and excited and really looking forward to it.
She signed into the system and resumed her search for Damon. When she wasn’t answering calls, she was digging into the man, and finding more and more about him. And some of his associates. Edie mentioned Trevor, so Mackenzie added him to her list and found more calls. The network and the history on them was terrifying.
The phone rang and Mackenzie closed the program she was using for research to focus on the call.
“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?”
“I was in a car accident. I need help. Please.”
“Can you tell me where you are, sir?”
The man on the phone huffed like his breathing was labored. “One-ninety. Heading toward the Falls. My family is with me.”
Mackenzie put in the information to send a rescue unit toward them. “How many people are in the car?”
“My wife and my son. He’s three. And he’s not crying. He’s always crying.”
“Someone will be there soon and they will do everything they can. How is your wife? Is she awake?”
“Honey? Can you hear me?” He groaned. “She’s not answering me. She’s bleeding. Her head.”
“Can you tell me what happened? How did you get into an accident?”
“Someone… cut me off. Icy roads. I hit my brakes when they cut in front of me and just… lost control.”
“I’m so sorry. The police will look into it. Hey, what’s your name?”
“Steven. My wife is Erica.”
“Hi, Steven. What’s your son’s name?”
“Jerry. After my dad.”
“You said he’s three? Is he your first?”
“Yeah. He’s a great kid. He hates the car because he can’t see what’s going on. Pediatrician said keep him rear-facing. We tried mirrors but he just cries. Says he wants to see us.”
“That can’t be easy.” Mackenzie saw the progress of the ambulance and knew they were almost to Steven and his family. “Do you see the ambulance yet, Steven? They should be there very soon.”
Steven grunted again as a knock came through the line. “Yeah. They’re here. My son! Check on my son and my wife.”
Voices came through the phone that Mackenzie couldn’t understand, but she knew it meant help had arrived. “Steven, do you want me to hang up so you can speak to the paramedics and police?”
“Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Steven.”
Mackenzie hung up the phone and breathed a steadying breath. Help had arrived. Hopefully, they would all be okay. Unfortunately, Mackenzie knew the driver that caused the accident would never be held accountable for it. The system sucked.
Two more calls came in and Mackenzie helped a woman with a possible gas leak in her house and a man who was reporting a fire on the east side of the city. Mackenzie sent crews to both calls and was feeling good about the end of her day. Only one more hour until she was done.
The clock ticked by as Mackenzie did more digging into Damon and Trevor. She checked the time and saw she was down to her last fifteen minutes when her phone rang again.
“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?”
“I need help. Please. My boyfriend… I think he broke my arm, probably a rib, too.”
Mackenzie started the report for a crew to be sent. “Can you tell me your address?”
“Six-one-nine Springwood Avenue.”
Mackenzie added the information and sent it to a crew with a warning about the boyfriend. “Are you somewhere safe right now?”
“Yes. He left. He was going out with friends. He got mad at me for wanting to go with him. I made the mistake of saying one of his friends was nice.”
Mackenzie tried to hold back her anger. “That shouldn’t be something that upsets him so much. And he should never hurt you.”
“Yeah, I agree.” She sighed heavily. “I’m not from here. I moved here to be with him and now I just feel trapped.” Her voice wobbled as she spoke.
“I’m Mackenzie. What’s your name?”
“Jill.”
“Hi, Jill. I know someone who can help you. She runs a local shelter and will get you from the hospital and protect you until you can get somewhere else.”
Jill sucked in a breath. “Really?”
“Yes. If you want me to reach out to her, I will ask her to meet you at the hospital.”
Jill sniffed, then choked on a sob. “Thank you. Yes, I’d really like that. Rick wasn’t always like this, but it’s not the first time. I feel stuck. I almost didn’t call you, but it hurts just to breathe. To move. And I knew I needed help.”
“You’ll get it, Jill. I promise you. The woman I’m going to call is Francesca. I’ll give her your information. She will meet you there.”
“Thank you, Mackenzie. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Are you able to unlock your door, Jill? The paramedics are almost to you.”
Muffled sounds came through the line. She cried out once. “Sorry. I was sitting on the bathroom floor. I’m up now.”
“Is Rick still gone?”
She was silent, as if she was listening. “Yeah, I don’t hear him. I’m going to the door.”
Jill was quiet for a minute. The click of the door unlocking came through the phone. Then Mackenzie heard a man’s voice.
“What the fuck are you doing? Who are you talking to?”
“Rick. I thought you left.”
The fear in Jill’s voice sent shivers down Mackenzie’s spine. “Jill. Stay calm. The paramedics are almost there.”
“Okay,” Jill said.
“Who are you talking to? Is that Harry? You think he’s so fucking nice.”
A sound echoed through the line, then the phone clattered to the floor. Mackenzie listened as Rick shouted at Jill. Paramedics were pulling up in front of the address now.
“Assailant inside the residence with the victim now. Door is unlocked. Proceed with caution and get her the hell out of there,” Mackenzie told whoever was responding to the call.
“Copy,” was all she got back.
Mackenzie listened through the phone and heard the knock of the paramedics. They didn’t wait long before entering the home since they knew she was inside and in danger.
“You can’t walk into my home,” Rick barked at them.
“Your girlfriend called for help,” another voice said. “We’re here to take her to the hospital.”
“No, you’re not. She doesn’t need help. You’re fine. Aren’t you, Jill?”
Mackenzie waited with her breath held. She knew how this could go. She whispered for Jill to be rescued. For her to break free.
“He hit me. He broke my arm and a rib, I think. And when he heard me calling for help, he hit me again. I’d like to press charges against him. Now.”
“I’ll fucking kill you, you bitch!” Rick roared.
Rick’s grunt was the next thing Mackenzie heard, then someone reading him his rights. Mackenzie breathed a sigh of relief. Jill was safe, and Rick was going away.
The paramedics took Jill out of the house, and Mackenzie hung up. She immediately called Captain Patrick.
“Patrick.”
“Hi, this is Mackenzie.”
“Do you have something new for me?”
“Not right now, but I need your help. Actually, your wife’s help. If that’s okay.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, but I just took a call from a woman who wasn’t. She’s safe now, but she’s on her way to the hospital and her boyfriend was read his rights. Her name is Jill, his is Rick. And she needs a place to stay for a while. She thinks she has a broken arm and rib.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Captain Patrick said. His voice was firm, angry. “She doesn’t deserve that.”
“No, she doesn’t. I told her to expect Francesca.”
“Thank you, Mackenzie. We know not everyone is willing to get help, and the ones that are don’t always know where to go. Thank you for reaching out.”
“Thank you, Captain. I’ll be in touch again, I’m sure.”
He sighed. “I wish that wasn’t true, but we both know it is. Have a good night.”
“You, too.”
Mackenzie hung up and let out the breath she’d been holding. She was thankful she didn’t get more calls like that, and thankful she now had someone to reach out to when the caller was receptive to help. She would save more women with Francesca’s help.
Mackenzie checked the time and saw she was a few minutes over. She logged out of the system and locked up her station. She smiled when she thought about her night and her upcoming date with Holden.
Things between them had been very tame since the storm. Mackenzie wanted him, but she was ready for more. It was right. He was right.
At home, she changed into skinny jeans that molded to her curves and a long top that exposed a hint of her cleavage. She added light makeup and shook her hair free of the ponytail she’d had it in all day. Her gentle waves fell around her shoulders and looked good for once. She grabbed a simple pair of gold hoops and the diamond necklace Jaclyn gave her for her twenty-first birthday, and she was ready.
She drew a breath and realized she was excited for her date. Even after the call with Jill, Mackenzie was happy about seeing Holden.
Maybe she trusted him more than she thought.
Holden knocked on Mackenzie’s door at exactly seven o’clock. He’d been there for fifteen minutes, but he didn’t want to be too early, so he forced himself to wait.
And damn, was it worth the wait.
Mackenzie opened the door and smiled at him. She was stunning. Her hair was loose and flowing, like it was when they were trapped together. Her eyes looked even bigger than usual. The black top she wore scooped low on her breasts and made his mouth water.
He wasn’t sure he was going to survive the night without begging her to let him have a taste of her.
“Hey,” she said after a minute.
“You’re gorgeous,” he answered. Holden ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I… Hi.”
Mackenzie chuckled softly and reached behind the door. “Should we head out?”
Holden nodded, not trusting his mouth to agree. His dick strained against his zipper, begging to push her back into the apartment and forget all about dinner and have her instead.
But he couldn’t. He promised himself he would wait until she was ready for whatever came next. And he wasn’t going back on that promise.
Holden opened Mackenzie’s door for her and waited until she was seated before he closed it and jogged around the front of his Jeep, not wanting to be apart from her for longer than absolutely necessary. He cranked up the vehicle and glanced at her once more.
She was looking at him, too. They smiled at each other, and Holden backed out of the parking space.
“How is it being back at work after the storm?” Holden asked. He hated that he hadn’t been able to see her during the day like he used to. The door had been barricaded and sealed so the heat would keep each side warm, but it cut off the two groups.
Mackenzie shrugged and nudged her glasses up. “It’s been okay. A lot of people asked what we did for forty-eight hours.”
Holden smirked when he thought of their nights together and the way he held her. Mackenzie’s cheeks turned pink when he met her gaze.
“I didn’t tell them about any of that.”
“Or about Edie.”
“No,” she blurted. “Definitely not.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That we talked and cooked and sat around. I said it was boring.”
“If they only knew,” Holden said. The time they spent together wasn’t easy, but they were great days in his book. Days when he didn’t have to be the pretty face or anything other than himself. He liked that he could just be Holden with Mackenzie around.
“Yes, well, they never will.”
He grinned. “Their loss is my gain. Have you spoken to our roommate?” They’d taken to calling Edie their roommate to make sure no one overheard them and questioned who she was. The name could be enough to alert the wrong person, but no one paid attention when they said something about a roommate.
Mackenzie smiled like a proud mama. “She’s doing really well. I saw her on Saturday. It hasn’t been long, but she feels good.”
“Are you going to see her again?”
She nodded. “They have visiting hours every Saturday. I’m going to go as much as I can.”
“Tell her I said hello. I’m really happy to hear she’d doing well.”
“I will. She’s asked how you’re doing. She seems to remember more than we thought she would.”
“Like what?”
“That first morning. She knows something was going on.”
“I’m not ashamed of that,” Holden said, reaching for Mackenzie’s hand. “Are you?”
“Of course not. Why would I be?”
Holden shrugged, his old insecurities getting the better of him for a moment. She never made him feel like he couldn’t do anything he wanted, and he had no reason to think that would change now.
“Have you looked into flight paramedic training again?” Mackenzie asked.
Holden shook his head. “No. Not since we talked. I’m still undecided about it.”
“You won’t know until you try it. Do they do ride-alongs, or fly-alongs I guess, like you can do for EMTs?”
“I don’t know. They might.”
“You should call and find out. See what it’s like. Get an idea if it’s for you.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“If you hate it, you still have a job you love. But if you like it, then you know it’ll be worth your time to go through the training.”
He nodded. “You’re right. Thank you.”
They arrived at the restaurant, and Holden held Mackenzie’s hand as they walked in. They were seated at a quiet table off to the side. The restaurant wasn’t overly crowded, which made it possible to speak and not have to strain to hear each other.
A server took their drink orders and left them to look over the menu. Holden couldn’t help looking at Mackenzie and smiling when she mouthed the words to herself.
“Everything looks so good,” Mackenzie said.
Holden hadn’t stopped watching her and agreed completely. “Yes, you do. I mean, it does.” Heat rose to his cheeks. He didn’t want to pressure her.
Mackenzie set her menu down and reached across the table for his hand.
He wound their fingers together and smiled. They both reviewed the menu while holding hands.
When the server came back with their waters, they ordered dinner, then he left them again. Holden and Mackenzie chatted about their pasts a little, him telling her about growing up as a child actor and model with a mother who wanted to push him into the same world she was a part of, and her talking about her family and not feeling connected to anyone until she met Jaclyn. Different paths, but the same result. Loneliness.
Their food arrived just after Holden asked how Mackenzie’s day was, and he could tell by the look on her face it wasn’t good. When the server confirmed they didn’t need anything else, he walked away, and Holden asked his question again.
“Something happened, didn’t it?”
Mackenzie looked up at him and nodded. “I had a rough call to end my shift. Another abusive boyfriend. She thought he was gone, but I guess he came back and got violent with her while I was on the phone. Thankfully, help arrived and they took him into custody and got her to the hospital, but it was hard to hear.”
“I’ve reported to some of those calls. I’ll never understand how someone can go from caring about someone enough to pursue them or want to be with them to hurting them.”
“That’s because you’re a good man, Holden Cross.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Mackenzie stood and leaned toward him. Holden met her in the middle, cupping her jaw before she sealed her lips over his in a kiss. He ached to pull her in tighter and devour her, but they were in public and he wasn’t that big of an ass.
They talked about work and what they did when they weren’t working as they ate. When the server asked if they wanted dessert, Mackenzie shook her head. Holden followed suit and asked for the check.
“I can pay for my dinner.”
“I invited you out, so I feel it’s my place to pay,” Holden said.
“I didn’t think men like you still existed, Holden.”
He grinned. “There aren’t many of us. Hopefully, you don’t decide to check out another model.”
Mackenzie nibbled on her lip and shook her head. “You’re the only one I’m checking out these days. I promise you that.”
“Same, Mackenzie. Same.”
14
Holden reached for her hand as they walked out of the restaurant. Mackenzie smiled to herself. She couldn’t think of the last time she was on a date with a man. A real man. Her ex-boyfriend was barely old enough to drink when they dated, just like Mackenzie. It was more of a friend she had sex with sometimes. They were college students, and a date night was dinner at the student union with their meal plans and a free movie on campus, or drinking with the rest of their friends. It wasn’t a nice dinner out where he held her hand or held the door.
But Holden did both. He checked in with Mackenzie throughout the night and barely stopped touching her. So much that by the time they made it to his Jeep, Mackenzie was wound up tight and in need of a release.
Holden opened the door for her and waited for her to climb in. He closed it and walked around the vehicle, then turned it on and blasted the heat. They sat for a minute while the defrost cleared the windshield.
Mackenzie fiddled with the strap on her handbag and nibbled her lower lip. She thought about inviting him back to her place, but she didn’t want to force him to turn her down. He had already when they were trapped, and even though she understood, she wasn’t sure if there was more to it. This time, there weren’t excuses. Not unless he really just didn’t want to have sex with her.
