I flinch as Lex grips my chin and forces me to look at him. His eyes darken with fury as he scans mine.
“How long?” I don’t have to ask to know what he means.
“I can’t,” I whisper.
“Fuck. Alright, let’s get you home,” he mutters.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll walk,” I protest.
“Like hell you are, babe,” he growls.
“I . . . I . . . I c–can’t let t–them know. Ju–Justin will k–kill them and you.” Tears fall down my cheeks as I dart my eyes from his face to the door I’d just exited.
“Then I’ll take you somewhere else. Somewhere where I know you’ll be safe,” he declares as he does something I never expected and has me crying out in pain. He lifts me into his arms.
Damnit the first time I’m really in Lex’s arms I’m tainted by Justin.
Due to the pain shooting through my body, my vision blurs as my head grows heavy right before everything goes dark.
Chapter Three
Lex
I’m going to kill the motherfucker. I was to be here today to find out what he wanted now that the girls were eighteen. Only I stepped directly into one of the things I feared most happening. He’d sunk his claws into my Starlight.
Carrying her limp body to my truck, I maneuver her in my arms in order to open the door and put her in the seat. Securing her in place, I cup the side of her face and wonder how the fuck I missed something so imperative.
I didn’t need her to answer to know how long this had been going on. Justin has been playing the two of us like a fiddle to get what he wants. Me, to pay him cash. Mackenzie, fuck I don’t even want to think of what he’s made her do. From the state she’s in, I can only imagine. Then again the idea of the shit she’s been going through makes me want to fuckin’ puke.
Climbing in my truck, I slide in behind the wheel as I pull out my phone. With her mom evidently not being clued into what’s been going on, I call the only person who can help at this point. Hitting the number, I put the phone to my ear as I pull out of Justin’s driveway. As much as I want to go in there and beat the fucker to death, Mackenzie needs help more than my desire to end my uncle’s life.
“Yeah,” Gadget says from the other end of the line, sounding distracted. Over the years we’ve all gotten to know each other. The band is pretty close with the club.
“Connors at the clinic?” I ask.
“No, what’s going?” This time when Gadget responds he’s more alert.
“Need to see her. It’s urgent.” I don’t have to go further into details for him to know what I mean.
“Come to the clubhouse.” With that he disconnects.
Pulling my phone away from my ear, I toss it on the dash and floor it in the direction of the clubhouse. Once I know what’s going on, I’ll call Anabelle and Lisa, Mackenzie’s mom. My hands grip the steering wheel as if it were a lifeline right now as failure consumes me. I didn’t protect my Starlight like I should have. If I’d paid more attention to everything going on, I might have been able to save her from all she’s endured at Justin’s hands.
It doesn’t take long for me to pull up at the gate to the clubhouse, I stop long enough for the prospect to open the gate. After shit went down a while back to Kenny and Ally, Twister, the Prez of the club, had the gate installed. It’s manned at all times to keep anyone who isn’t welcomed out.
Nodding to the prospect he opens the gate for me. I’ve been here plenty for him to recognize me and I know Gadget would have shot him a text or called him after getting off the phone.
“Lex,” Mackenzie calls up with a whimper. “Don’t hurt him. Please. I’ll do whatever you ask, I promise.”
Is she talking to me? Telling me not to hurt Justin?
My stomach turns at what she’s saying. Putting the truck in park I glance over at Mackenzie to find her shaking her head side to side. “Justin, I beg you don’t.”
Fuck.
She’s talking in her sleep and what’s coming out of her mouth causes me to see red. I know I keep saying it to myself, since putting her in the seat next to me, but my uncle is a dead man walking.
Grabbing my phone off the dashboard, I put it back in my pocket as I climb out of the truck. I quickly round the front to get to the passenger side. Opening the door, I scoop Mackenzie into my arms. With each movement she whimpers. “It’s okay, Starlight,” I murmur soothingly.
“What the fuck?” Gadget demands from the entrance to the club.
“Long story man and I don’t even know the whole thing,” I grunt as I pass him.
I stop right in the doorway as all eyes turn to me. Members of the club and their ol’ ladies, the ones that are here at least stare at the woman in my arms.
Fuck me, this is not how Mackenzie should be spending her eighteenth birthday.
“She needs Connors,” I say as Badger steps forward, his eyes set into narrow slits while his ol’ lady, Jordan, moves from his side.
“Come on let’s get her to the back,” she states and turns toward a hallway.
Mackenzie starts to stir in my arms. Glancing down at her, I find her eyes still closed. Right before we step into the hallway, she screams my name.
Behind us a loud crash resounds.
“Shh, Kenzie it’s okay. I’ve got you, Starlight,” I murmur pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“In here,” Jordan whispers, lifting my head to meet her gaze, I notice the tears streaming down her face. “Lay her on the bed. I’m going to
