Seizing Mack: A Contemporary Love Story (Covendale Book 3) Page 13

  Unless, of course, she told him pointblank to fuck off.

  If that turned out to be the case, he’d respect her wishes. That didn’t mean he’d give up easily. There was too much potential there, too much electricity crackling between them whenever they were in the same room. She’d felt it too, he was sure of it. It was in the way her eyes softened when she looked at him. In the sound of her laugh on those rare occasions when those walls she surrounded herself with became a little less solid.

  Now, thanks to her sister’s mean-spirited stunt and Emerson thinking more with his dick than his head, Nick was going to have to work even harder to convince Mack that his motive was pure and his intentions honorable. It wasn’t going to be easy. Good thing he was a determined, patient man. Deep in his gut, he knew he and Mack could be so good together.

  Now he just needed to convince her.

  Knowing Mack wasn’t at Seize, Nick had opted to go for a run along some of the local trails instead. It was a nice day and the cool, fresh morning air helped clear his thoughts. Running outside also had the added benefit of reducing the chances he’d run into someone he didn’t care to see. Every time he thought about the smirk on Delilah’s face, the anger began to simmer all over again.

  He paused at a crossroads and checked his phone. Still no response from Mack.

  Nick turned left and headed toward the river trail. Where was she? Was she alone? Was she okay? He didn’t worry so much for her safety; he believed Mack was more than capable of taking care of herself. In fact, Mack was probably the most capable woman he knew. But even strong people sometimes needed someone to fall into. He should know. He’d lived as an island for almost ten years.

  Forcing worries for Mack toward the back of his mind, he focused his attention on other things, like the fact that in a few hours, he was going to be seeing Liz again and meeting her husband.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. After his encounter with Brandon Grayson, Nick had done some information gathering, a process which may or may not have included background checks on Miles Grayson, his brother, and his son, all of whom now resided in Covendale. Some of the things he’d found had been surprising, to say the least.

  For instance, Adam Grayson, Miles’s younger brother, had been the one responsible for finally putting Eve Sanderson away. Adam had been a victim of Eve’s warped obsession, just as he had been all those years ago.

  Not for the first time, Nick wished he’d known enough to have his blood tested when he’d woken up dazed and confused after only having a few beers. Fresh out of college, he didn’t have the resources or experience to suspect what had happened to him. Girls were often warned about the dangers of someone slipping something into their drinks at a party, but that wasn’t something most guys thought could happen to them.

  Of course, he hadn’t been in his right mind then, either, having just discovered that he’d lost his Annie. By the time they’d put all the tragic pieces together, it had been too late to prove anything, and with the power the Sandersons wielded in the local community, unsubstantiated claims from a man half out of his mind with grief and guilt hadn’t been taken seriously.

  Thankfully, times were changing, and Adam Grayson had been able to do what Nick (and who knew how many others?) hadn’t.

  As for Miles Grayson, well, he had been some hot shot marketing representative. From what Nick managed to dig up, after divorcing his first wife, Grayson had been somewhat of a playboy, pulling in big bucks in sales and marketing and jet-setting around the world. Then one day, he just walked away from it all, enrolled in the architecture program at the local university, and joined his brother’s construction company doing manual labor. Was it a mid-life crisis, or the actions of a man who’d finally found what he’d been looking for? For Liz’s sake, Nick sincerely hoped it was the latter.

  Not leaving any stone unturned, Nick had also researched Miles’s ex-wife, looking for any red flags that might indicate a history of abuse or domestic violence. Thankfully, he found none. Liz might be the older sibling, but that didn’t mean Nick’s protective brotherly instincts didn’t still kick in.

  A dull ache radiated across his chest, one that had nothing to do with the grueling pace he’d set for himself. This one came from guilt and regret. He shouldn’t have waited so long to come home. He should have been there for Liz, watching out for her the way brothers were supposed to look out for their sisters, meeting boyfriends and vetting would-be suitors.

  He should have been helping with his parents, too, instead of leaving Liz to handle all that. After speaking with Liz the night before, Nick had called them. His mother had been surprised to hear from him and absolutely thrilled when he’d told her he was moving back to Covendale permanently. His father didn’t seem to remember that he’d ever left.

  That was another thing he and Liz were going to talk about. At one point she had hinted that their father was showing signs of Alzheimer’s, but Nick had no idea things had progressed quite so far. As soon as things settled down a bit, Nick was going to fly down to Florida for a long overdue visit. Or maybe he’d offer to fly them up. Autumn wasn’t too far away, and his mother always said how much she loved the colorful, changing foliage. Then he could introduce them to Mack...

  ...And just like that, his thoughts were back on Mack.

  He checked his phone again. Still nothing.

  He shook his head and picked up the pace, heading back towards his place where he checked his phone again. And again after he took a shower. And after he dressed and poured himself another cup of coffee.

  Refusing to call Jay again, Nick set the mug beside him as he compiled more info on the Necromancers. All the interviewing and digging he’d done was finally beginning to pay off. A local hierarchy was emerging, one that would prove extremely useful to Special Agent Bartholomew and his team. Nick had spoken to Bartholomew several times over the past week, and after each conversation, it became clearer that the Covendale-based MC was just the tip of a very dirty iceberg.

  His cell phone remained silent until it was time for him to leave for Liz’s. With a heavy sigh, Nick grabbed the mobile and slipped it into his pocket.

  Liz had the door open before he even got out of the car. Any concerns he had about Liz not being happy to see him vanished the instantly she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard right there in the driveway.

  “I can’t believe it,” she said with tears in her eyes as she stepped back and looked at him. “My baby brother is all grown-up.”

  He laughed. He’d been in his early twenties when he’d left, hardly a kid, though admittedly, he had bulked up a bit since then. A few years picking up work as a ranch hand, then the academy, had broadened his shoulders and hardened his body.

  Liz had changed too. She’d always been slim and feminine, but she was even more so now. Time had only enhanced her natural beauty and the sheer happiness that radiated from her made her glow with health and vitality.

  “And look at you! No one is ever going to believe you’re older than me.”

  A tall, dark man watched the exchange from the doorway, amusement lighting his eyes. Nick recognized the man instantly as the one he’d been cyberstalking.

  Liz grabbed his hand as if she was afraid he’d disappear and tugged him toward the condo. “Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet. Nick, my husband, Miles. Miles, this is my brother, Nick.”

  The men shook hands. Miles’s grip was firm and strong, his smile warm and friendly. “Nice to meet you, Nick. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Nick wished he could say the same, but seeing as he hadn’t even known his sister had tied the knot until a few weeks ago, he couldn’t. Liz must have picked up on the direction of his thoughts because she said, “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how to reach you.”

  Her voice was even, but her eyes couldn’t hide the hurt she obviously felt. “I’m so sorry, Liz. I should have done a better job keeping in touch.”

  “I wish you would
have. I didn’t know where you were, or even if...” She let the sentence hang, and the guilt weighed even heavier across his shoulders.

  “I know. And I am sorry. Here.” Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box. “I know this doesn’t make up for things, but...”

  “What’s this?”

  “A present. I missed your birthday this year.”

  Her eyes misted as she accepted the small package and untied the ribbon. Her small gasp when she saw the crystal wolf made him feel a little better. “I hope you still like Swarovski.”

  “It’s beautiful!” she said between sniffles. “I love it!”

  “I’m glad, because I’ve got nine more in my car, one for every birthday I missed. Every time I moved to a new place, I picked one up.”

  Liz hugged him again. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too, sis.”

  “We have so much to catch up on.”

  “Yeah, we do.”

  Miles held out his hand again. “Nick, it was nice to meet you.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I have some catching up of my own to do,” Miles told him. He kissed Liz on the cheek. “I’ll be up at Adam’s if you need me.”

  “Tell Holly I’ll call her later.”

  “Will do.”

  Liz watched her husband leave, the look of pure love on her face unmistakable. The moment the door closed, she shook her head as if coming out of a trance. “Sorry. That man just does it for me, you know?”

  Nick laughed. “Are you happy?”

  “So, so happy. Want some coffee?”

  “Good. I’d love some. And while we’re making it, you can tell me why you sold my fucking car.”

  Sincere regret shone in her eyes. “I’m sorry about that, Nick. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see or hear from you again.”

  “But my baby, Liz.”

  “I know how much you loved that thing but I just couldn’t see letting it rot somewhere and I had no way of knowing if you were even alive at that point. I thought it would be better to put her in the hands of someone who would care for her as much as you did. And, I didn’t sell it, I gave it to him for graduation.”

  Nick was skeptical, finding it hard to believe anyone could care as much about his baby as he had. He’d poured his blood, sweat, and tears into every inch. “And you think that kid will do that?”

  “I know he will. He’s as much of a gear-head as you were. I know he’s dying to talk to you about the Shelby and some of the modifications you made to it. You two are going to get along very well.”

  “Hmph.” Maybe.

  Three hours, two cups of coffee, and a slice of pie later, Liz sat back, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  They’d talked about so much, hitting the highlights of each other’s lives over the last ten years. Nick told her how he had wandered around aimlessly before finding a new purpose in law enforcement; Liz told him how she had moved up the ranks in her company, provided an honest, somewhat brutal, update on their parents, and some highlights of her honeymoon travels through the continents.

  “You look happy,” he commented.

  “I am happy,” she confirmed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was content before, but finding the right one changes everything.”

  He didn’t disagree. Once again, an image of a certain fitness center owner flashed in his mind.

  “I want that for you, Nick. And you know what? I think Annie would want you to find someone and be happy, too.”

  The corner of his mouth tilted. “I just may have, Liz.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  ~ Mack ~

  A few days in the mountains had done wonders, giving her a chance to process and reflect and focus. She’d stayed an extra day and night once Jay had texted her, assuring her that he would take care of everything until she made it back, telling her to take as much time as she needed. Jay always had her back.

  She returned stronger than when she’d left. Any self-pity she’d allowed herself was over and done, left behind at a higher elevation where it could burn off with the morning sun. Now she was just pissed. Really pissed.

  Angry with Delilah. Angry with Kent. Most of all, angry with herself for giving a shit what other people thought of her and trying to live up to a misogynistic society’s idea of what a woman should be.

  Fuck that. And if people didn’t like her for who and what she was, then fuck them.

  Mack made it back into town around midday. After making a quick stop at the house for a shower and change of clothing, she’d gone right to Seize. Thankfully, everything was running smoothly. Her Sunday crew had things well under control. If anyone knew about her Friday night humiliation (and undoubtedly, they did, because Covendale was not a big town), they were smart enough not to say anything to her face.

  Satisfied that all was well, she started the second phase of readjusting her attitude. With her iPod turned to the max and her Beats earbuds shoved solidly into her ears, Motley Crue’s “Kickstart My Heart” was loud enough to make her brain vibrate. Mack ran full tilt up the graded virtual trail on the treadmill until her heart pounded and sweat dripped from her brow.

  Feeling somewhat better, Mack headed down to one of the MMA training rooms and plugged her iPod into the sound system, once again selecting the playlist aptly titled “Kick Ass”. Limp Byzkit’s “Break Stuff” screamed thru the speakers placed around the room for maximum effect as she bounced on her toes and delivered a dizzying series of jabs, cross-punches, and hooks to the suspended weight bag, listening to the lyrics that so aptly suited her mood. Words that expressed how messed up things could get sometimes, and how it could make you want to lash out and do some damage.

  Amen, brother. Sweat poured into her eyes as she spun around and landed a perfectly executed, bone wrenching kick, imagining Kent’s head on the padded dummy. Then another. That one was Delilah.

  Limp Byzkit segued into Disturbed’s “Down with the Sickness.” She abandoned the bag and moved to her self-designed mini bodyweight fitness course, created to push her body to its limits, using the beat to pace her chin-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups until her muscles screamed.

  Thousand Foot Krutch had her back on the mat, launching into a series of katas choreographed for inflicting maximum pain with an economy of motion to the pounding bass of “Puppet”.

  “You know, most women cope by taking bubble baths and crying into a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.”

  Jay sat on a stack of workout mats. In the zone, she cast him a glance that would have made anyone else cower, getting only a raised eyebrow in return. Yeah, Jay got it. He knew she wasn’t angry with him. He’d seen her raw before, and didn’t even flinch now.

  “In case you haven’t gotten the memo, I’m not most women. As a matter of fact, I understand there’s actually a raging debate on whether I was actually born female or was surgically altered later in life.”

  A combination of disappointment and worry ghosted over his face. “Didn’t think you were the type to wallow in self-pity, Mack.”

  “Thanks for taking care of Seize. As for the rest, piss off.” She punctuated the statement with a couple of solid hits to the nearby weight bag that had it swinging in a large arc.

  “That’s more like it,” he nodded in approval. “Come on. Hit the showers, Marine.”

  “What the hell for?”

  “Because we’re going out. I’m going to get you shitfaced.”

  Her chest heaved from the exertion as sweat soaked through her clothes. Not the designer ones – those were now in the Goodwill bag, but the ones designed by Uncle Sam. Mack stared at him for long moments. When she grunted and started stalking toward him, he stood up and went into a defensive stance.

  Her lips quirked. She must look even fiercer than she’d thought.

  “Fine,” she said. “But I get to pick the place.” It sure as hell wasn’t going to be one of those pansy-ass clubs with techno pop crap and neon lights an
d froofy drinks with cute little names. It was going to be dark and dirty and as far from civilized as possible to match her mood. The tranquility of the mountains had given way to the need to cut loose, to free fall into some no holds barred, rip-roaring stress relief. And with Jay there to have her six, she could.

  “And we’re taking a detour into Birch Falls along the way.” Mack didn’t stop or vary her path at all, choosing instead to use her shoulder as a battering ram against his right pectoral. Much to his credit, Jay stood his ground and eyed the weight bag - still swinging - and the stuffing spilling out of the MMA dummy, probably wondering what the hell he had been thinking.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  ~ Nick ~

  Nick looked up at the stage, hardly believing his eyes as a stream of colorful expletives left his lips. Mack was up there, looking like his personal fantasy come to life. She was beyond fierce. Her hair was loose, flowing around her shoulders. Her shirt was gone. Above the camos that sat low on her luscious hips, a hint of six pack abs flashed beneath satiny, tawny skin. And above that, a plain black, front-clasp bra lovingly cupped what were surprisingly full breasts. Her shiny dog tags winked at him from her enticing cleavage as she did lewd — and incredibly hot — gravity defying things to the stripper’s pole while a bunch of guys hooted and egged her on.

  Gyrating to Hinder’s “American Nightmare”, slicked with sweat, lost in total abandon, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. And holy hell, was that script a new tat running up the side of her body, covered with clear cling wrap?

  “Yeah, that pretty much covers it,” Jay agreed, concern etched in his features.

  “Explain this to me, Jay.”

  “Well, Mack was still pretty pissed when I tracked her down and found her kicking the shit out of the equipment. I thought taking her out and having a few drinks, would take her mind off things for a while, you know? Give her a chance to cool down and vent. I didn’t expect her to drag me into the tattoo shop and watch while she got those words needled into her skin.”