Worth the Wait(66)

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!”