Chapter Six
Jason
I knocked on Mackenzie’s bedroom door and waited to be summoned in. I could have waited for the Second Coming at that point as no response ever came. I knocked again a bit louder, but still there was no response. Could she even hear me, or had she chosen to ignore me? There was a good chance she was ignoring me since she rarely seemed to be impressed by my presence. The thought actually brought a smile to my face.
I looked behind me to see if Lexy was there, but she’d already left the room to prepare for the rescue. Although I knew that James and Lexy were capable of getting my sister back, it was Mackenzie I wanted on the job. I believed in her capabilities and knew I could trust her to rescue Janelle. But as long as she was lost, I would not be able to depend on her. I needed to get through to her, to free her from the gilded cage she had locked herself in. It was important to me to help her out in any way I could.
I decided to just go for it and hoped that Mackenzie wouldn’t rip my head off for entering her bedroom without permission. I would prefer that much more than the empty shell I had seen in the living room. It had hurt to see her have that reaction to me. I hadn’t expected that at all. Entering her room without permission, however, came with its own risks. I didn’t want her condition worsened by a second invasion of her personal space. She had retreated into her shell-shocked world because I had been in her apartment without permission, so how could I be sure the same thing wouldn’t happen again if I entered her bedroom without being invited in? I prayed I wouldn’t be doing any further damage to her.
I quietly opened the door, and what I saw almost broke my heart.
Oh, Mackenzie. Mackenzie thump thump, Mackenzie thump thump.
What I saw lying in the bed was heartrending. She lay there underneath the blanket Lexy had put on her, looking so frail and weak. It was like watching a child sleeping, knowing that harm could come to her at any moment. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes were closed, but she didn’t sleep like someone resting. She slept as if she had nowhere else to go. She was trapped in her own mind, and I hoped I could get her out.
I couldn’t even believe this was the same person I had caught trying to steal away with my paintings just a few days earlier. I barely recognized her. I had become so used to Mackenzie’s vibrancy and confidence that seeing her in that vulnerable state was almost too much to bear. She had always appeared to be such a strong woman that it had never occurred to me that there was anything out there that could shake her confidence or bring her down. I believed her to be invincible. I had secretly admired her strength and her bravery. After seeing her rush out of the apartment, gun and machete in hand, it was hard to imagine that anything could upset her so badly it would cause her to retreat from the world.
It hurt my heart to see her broken like that. Was I a fool to think that I could change anything for her? Maybe I should let Lexy bring Mackenzie out of her shell—but Lexy was busy, and I wasn’t sure we could afford to waste any more time if I wanted Janelle back alive.
No, it was up to me. I had to bring Mackenzie back.
I walked in and closed the door, leaning against it to gather myself. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, praying I was doing the right thing. I opened my eyes again and stared at her, unsure of where to begin.
I swore I could see her retreat further into her mind in the moments I stood there. It was obvious she was aware that someone else was in the room, and she didn’t like it. I wondered if she’d have done the same thing if it was Lexy who had entered or if she was responding specifically to me. Did she really feel that unsafe with me close to her? I refused to believe it. Our connection had gone beyond the incredible sex, and surely that counted for something. Even so, I still feared my presence in her bedroom could make her worse. But I couldn’t just walk away without trying to help her.
She reminded me of myself in many ways. I couldn’t help but think about my own messed-up past and all the things that had happened to me in my life that could have brought me down. So much loss could have brought me to my knees, just like it was doing to Mackenzie. I had my own past filled with struggles and the scathing fear of losing the people I loved most in life. Wasn’t life ironic? I was now standing on a precipice where two people I cared about could drop from my life—my sister and my thief, who I had come to care for a great deal. That part had sort of snuck up on me. I hadn’t intended to care for a girl like Mackenzie.
The thought brought a smile to my face. I just wished I would have told her my feelings instead of being mad at her literally every time I saw her. But she had done everything in her power to make my life difficult—thievery, pitting me and Brett against each other for her affections. I wondered briefly whether Brett was still sleeping in the guest room and if he’d recovered from whatever had shocked him so badly. I needed some serious answers from him, but that would have to wait until I got Janelle back.
Staring down at Mackenzie’s absent face, I was shocked to realize I had fallen in love with her. I wasn’t sure when it had happened, but I was completely sure that I was mad for my thief. With that realization came a belief in my own capabilities. Mackenzie needed me, so I had to find the strength and determination to unlock the cage of painful memories and emotions that currently imprisoned her. I knew deep down that she was the only one who could save my sister.
And maybe the only one that could save me as well.