Beautiful Creatures Series

It took three weeks to pack and book movers to move Mackenzie’s things into Gordon’s house. Because she was expecting, Gordon refused to allow her to lift anything over ten pounds claiming the strain was not good for the fetus. Mackenzie was surprised at how doting he was. He bought her prenatal victims. He would cook her dinner and rub her feet while they watched TV at night. During the day, he would go to work, but they would FaceTime two or three times. He claimed it was because he was bored, but Mackenzie knew he was checking up on her. Though he had put out a warning to the others that she was not to be harmed, Gordon feared every moment he was away from her that the pack would come for her.

Things remained fairly uneventful for the first month. Mackenzie and Gordon enjoyed their time together. Mackenzie had never lived with a man before, and she found she loved every moment. Her feelings for Gordon had changed. She still lusted after him, but her heart longed for his smile and his touch. She found she could not sleep peacefully when he was not next to her. Then one morning, while she watched him dress for work, Mackenzie realized something that would change her life. She loved Gordon more than anything. She could not picture her life without him.

She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she did not know-how. Neither of them had said the words yet, and she did not know it; he was ready to hear them. The past few weeks, he had served Melissa with divorce papers and dealing with lawyers trying to dissolve his wretched marriage. Right now was not the time to tell him, given his outlook on love was skewed because of his hate for his wife. Saying I love you right now might have an altogether different reaction than the one she wanted.

She was now three months pregnant, and she had begun to show. Mackenzie smiled as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of their bedroom in her silk nightgown, running her hands over the baby bump that was forming. Gordon sat in bed, reading a book. She could see him in the mirror. “Do you think I’m getting fat?”

Mackenzie watched him through the mirror. He instantly stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “Do you really expect me to answer that because it feels like a trap?”

She sighed as she turned to face him. “I’m serious, Gordon. I feel like I’m putting on weight.”

Gordon placed his book down then got out of bed. He walked over to her and turned Mackenzie, so she was facing the mirror and looking at their reflection. He wrapped himself around her with his hands over her belly as his face nuzzled hers. “You are putting on weight,” Gordon whispered in her ear, “because you are growing a miracle, and you have never looked more beautiful.”

Mackenzie smiled and turned in his arms to face him. She laced her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “You always know exactly what to say,” staring up into his eyes. Mackenzie knew this was the moment to say “I love you” for the first time.

The sound of the doorbell startled Mackenzie out of her thoughts. The moment was gone. Gordon looked at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s midnight. Who the hell could that be?”

“Shouldn’t we go see who it is?”

“Stay here. I’ll go see who it is.”

Mackenzie walked over to the closet and took out her robe. Pulling it on, she followed Gordon. He was already at the bottom of the stairs when she reached the top. The doorbell rang again, and Gordon paused and pointed at Mackenzie. “Damn it, woman, I said stay there, not follow.”

Mackenzie placed her hands on her hips. “Did you just call me, woman?”

“We will discuss chauvinism later, get back in the bedroom,” God. He was sexy when he was bossy, but she still was not going back to the bedroom. Gordon walked over to the door and opened it. Mackenzie could not see who it was from the top of the stairs. “Who are you?” Gordon asked. She was worried that it was not someone he knew.

“I’m looking for Mackenzie Starr,” Mackenzie recognizes that voice, but who was it.

“Who is asking?” Gordon asked as Mackenzie started down the stairs to see a face she would never forget.

“Agent Meskler?” Mackenzie gasped.

Gordon turned and looked at her. “You know this guy?”

Mackenzie nodded. She knew him, and if he was here, it was not good. Agent Meskler had been the FBI agent who put her in protective custody. He was a man in his fifties with salt and pepper hair. He had aged since she had last seen him. His dark eyes had a look of concern. “Hello Mackenzie, we need to talk.”

“Let him in,” she said as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Mackenzie, who is this?” Gordon asked.

“Agent Lenard Meskler, FBI Organized Crime Unit.”

“Agent Meskler is the one who put me in witness protection,” Mackenzie said as the Agent followed them to the couch in the living room. They all sat down with Gordon next to Mackenzie. He reached out and held her hand. He seemed as nervous as she was. “Something is wrong, isn’t it?”

known that his goons would take out anyone who messed with his family and toss them overboard from his yacht wearing cement shoes. She had been hiding from him for ten years, and now he knew where she was. “There has been a leak in the department. We haven’t pinpointed it just yet, but in the meantime, you are in danger.

his head. “No,

understand. Donald Falcone knows where you are, Mackenzie. He has already put a contract out on you.

do. She was scared. She did not want to die, and if Donald Falcone knew where she was then, Mackenzie was as good as dead. Gordon looked at her. “You can’t leave now. Not

was not equipped to deal with its unique needs on her own. She could not

can protect you,” Gordon told her. “You know

need to come with

eyes. Regardless of the danger, she could not

secret, she would walk out that door with Agent Meskler immediately to protect her baby, but she believed Gordon when he said he could protect her. All it would take would be for Gordon to

here, and I’m not letting Donald Falcone

good as dead. The

“I’ll take my chances.”

this situation,” Agent Meskler

Gordon snapped, “and she said she is staying.

“Mackenzie…”

menacing growl rumbling

the doorway, pleading one last time. “Mackenzie, reconsider. Don’t let this guy

Gordon shoved Agent Meskler out the door and slammed it in his face and locked the deadbolt. Mackenzie hoped she had made the right decision. Gordon turned and faced her. “I don’t trust that

“Why not?”

it intuition… he doesn’t

“He doesn’t smell, right? What does he

“Fear and desperation.”

for

at reading people, and it’s not you that he’s afraid

***

the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. He was sitting outside his motel, trying to think about how to handle this situation. He had failed in his attempt to bring Mackenzie with him. Donald Falcone was going to be pissed off. Lenard had always been a good cop, but after a few years, he became jaded and crooked. He had started taking protection money and

his family hostage. They wanted him to bring Mackenzie to them, or he would kill Lenard’s wife and two children. To be sure Lenard would not go to his colleges for help, they showed him pictures they had taken of his nefarious activities to supplement his

him. The man she was living with had proven an obstacle. Now he was screwed. He could not go back to California without Mackenzie Starr’s head in the trunk of his car. If he did, his life was forfeit. He refused to sacrifice his life

first, he had to get rid of

***

the upper left corner of the shop. Gordon had put cable in his shop to entertain and distract his customers while he was working. Gordon had insisted that Mackenzie go to work with him. With Falcone looking for her, he did not feel

as she surfed the channels. Gordon was bent over a young woman who was getting a tree of life tattooed on her sternum. Mackenzie was annoyed that he was working so closely with a pretty young woman who was lying on the tattoo chair topless. Her small hands were covering her perky breasts for modesty. This girl passed the time by trying to engage Gordon in a flirtatious conversation. Clearly, she did not realize Mackenzie was his girlfriend. She probably thought Mackenzie was Gordon’s daughter. This woman’s flirtations were grating on Mackenzie’s nerves. Gordon did not flirt back.

to seduce Mackenzie’s man, she was going to have to kick this woman’s ass. The chime above the door went off, alerting them to someone’s presence. Gordon looked up for a

went to the front of the shop. Coming around the corner, she found Aster and Aurora coming behind the counter. They paused when they saw Mackenzie. “Oh, you’re here,” Aster said, surprised to see Mackenzie in her father’s shop in the middle

girl a bone. “Your father is with a client if you want to come back and see

Aurora said. “Only we didn’t know you would be

Aster had spent some time with her father over the past two months, but it had always been while Mackenzie was not around. She held no grudge with Aster. Mackenzie understood it must be hard for Aster to accept that her parents were over and perhaps even harder

you want

then back at her. They both looked embarrassed.

the way we behaved the last time

things, we said,” Aurora