I shift on the bed and reach an arm out, but I’m met with cool sheets. At that, my eyes spring open. It takes me a second to realize where I am and why the bed next to me is empty.
I’m in the penthouse. Not at home with Mackenzie and Ava.
Home.
When did her place become home to me?
I split my time between the penthouse, my house back in the Hidden Hills, and Mackenzie’s place in Calabasas. It’s not ideal, but we aren’t in a place where I feel like uprooting Ava’s entire life into my home is a smart decision. She needs the stability and the familiarity of her own place, and I am well-versed enough to understand. I don’t like it, having to spend so much time away, but it’s become the normal as of late. It’s the only thing that makes sense right now—staying at the penthouse when I need to work late and staying at Mackenzie’s when I miss them.
It is also something I plan to discuss with her eventually, once we take the next step in our relationship. I want to be with them at all times, and when things fall into a less hectic routine, I’ll discuss moving them in, but for now, I’ll have to deal.
After the flight, I had Dan follow Mackenzie and Ava home, while I headed into the Hidden Hills back to the resort, to the damage and the mess left for me to pick up. The damage wasn’t as extensive as I thought, but it was enough that clearly shows Zach is desperate. He’s grasping at straws, and soon, he’ll have nothing. They all will. None of them are safe from my wrath.
I felt betrayed.
Betrayed that they’d lied to me for years and got me to protect them. I was angry at their audacity to try to take my woman from me. Though it was my last conversation with Vincent that didn’t sit right with me. He’s always been the most hotheaded and unpredictable, but he seemed like he was fraying at the edges. And he seemed angry that Zach would pretend to be him, as if he didn’t have a clue. When asked about that night, I expected him to remain silent. Only he didn’t, and the truth was much worse than I wanted to believe. Everything was adding up. And all of it was bound to break Mackenzie’s heart again, so I’ve been holding it in. Keeping secrets until I can protect her and her heart from everyone that wants to hurt her.
Anything to protect her.
Pushing myself upright, I lean back against the headboard, my overactive brain already diving into work and figures. Chances are, I won’t be falling back to sleep anytime soon. Whenever I sleep with Mack at their place, I don’t have this problem. I sleep soundly, but whenever I’m not with her, I can’t sleep. All I can do is think. It keeps me up the whole night as I try to find ways to fix this, to make everything right, while running Kings and the resort chains.
I haven’t heard from Vincent in so long, and that in and of itself is incriminating enough, but the rest of the guys…it feels like everything is falling apart because I fell in love with the girl who was wronged by my group of friends. My brothers.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts when I see a shadow move toward the bed. My eyes widen when I realize it’s Mackenzie.
“Mackenzie? Where’s Ava?” I ask, glancing around as though she’s going to suddenly appear. Without answering, Mackenzie perches on the edge of the bed, near my legs, staring at me. She cocks her head to the side and watches me.
As we stare at each other, I can’t help but feel like something’s off, something different about her right now. She’s not the same. I can’t seem to put my finger on it. A small smile curls on her lips and the hairs at the back of my neck stand at attention because it’s a smile I’ve never seen from Mackenzie.
“I see it now,” she says, and even her voice is different. I narrow my eyes, looking her up and down, trying to figure out what the fuck is happening.
“What are you doing here?”
The smile slowly slides off her face, and she frowns. The look is more like Mackenzie, and it puts me at ease for only a few seconds.
“You have to save them.”
My heart lurches, and my brows dip, the muscles in my stomach clenching.
“Save who? Where’s Ava?”
Mackenzie leans toward me, cupping the side of my face, and in doing so, the moon illuminates the side of her face like liquid pearl, exposing her features clearly. I jerk back as she stares at me. I know immediately why everything about her feels so off. Why her touch feels different and her eyes, the way she’s taking me in, it’s not with the usual love. It’s something else. She’s looking at me like a friend would, like someone she doesn’t know.
That pit in my stomach grows, and I shake my head, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. The face I’m staring into is almost identical to Mackenzie’s, but it’s not, and the realization is a punch to the gut. As if understanding I’ve finally figured out who she is, the woman before me, who looks so much like her sister, gives me a sad smile.
“Thank you,” she whispers, her hand still resting on my cheek. My heart is pounding as I try to process what I’m seeing.
This can’t be real. All this time that Mackenzie said she sees and talks to her sister, I thought it was her grieving process. The way her mind deals with the crippling loss. But this…no, this can’t be real. I close my eyes and shake my head, trying to get a clear mind. When I open them, she’s still there, staring.
“We don’t have much time. You have to save her. You have to save them both. You’re all they have left.”
My brows dip. “What are…what are you talking about?”
“Mackenzie and Ava. Save them.” There’s more urgency in her tone when she says it. “Hurry…” The word fades off into an echoing whisper.
I jolt awake with a start, sweat clinging to my skin. I glance at the clock on the end table and see how early it is. 3:30 a.m. As I push myself upright against the headboard, a wave of uncertainty slams into me, as I remember the dream I just had.
A tremor wracks through my frame. Did I imagine it? Was it real?
Not willing to risk it, I hop out of bed, with an urgency like no other. I call Dan, waiting for him to pick up, and when he doesn’t, I know something is wrong. He always answers, no matter what time of night it is. If he were out there protecting Mackenzie like he should be, he would’ve answered.
Something’s wrong.
Gathering my wallet and keys, I fly out of the penthouse, following Madison’s advice.
A shiver works its way through my body from a cold draft, rousing me from sleep. I stir on the couch, the TV playing in the background, as I blink the sleep away. I stiffen almost immediately when I realize the couch is empty.
Where’s Ava?
We fell asleep on the couch, watching her favorite movie. Would she have gotten up and climbed into her own bed? She might’ve. It’s certainly more comfortable there.
I push into a sitting position, darting my gaze around the living room and the darkened hallway. It’s dead silent.
Maybe she did go to bed.
There’s a soft thump back near the sliding glass doors leading into the backyard, and I freeze. My brows furrow, and a strange sensation travels down my spine.
“Ava?” I call out, my voice bouncing off the walls.
No response.
Pushing up from the couch, I lick my suddenly dry lips and make my way toward the back doors. It’s pitch-black in the house. I usually keep the nightlights on for Ava, in case she gets up in the middle of the night, so she won’t get scared, especially being in such a big house with just the two of us, but they’re suddenly all gone.