Stolen Love, The Complete Collection: An Alpha Billionaire Romance (10 page)

“What?”

“It appears we’re both acquainted with the same person. I believe the man you’re referring to is a Mr. James Anthony Trenton.
We
were the favor he was asking of you. He had us in his custody, but Mackenzie talked him into letting us go.”

I laughed in surprise. “Why am I not surprised? She can be very convincing. But I wonder what he wanted with me?”

“The fact that you know him makes me feel better about you, Jason. And I think that I’d like to bring James into this. I think he would be very helpful.”

“Fair enough, whatever you think is best. So does that mean you’ll help me?”

“Yes, but for now I think it will have to be just James and me.”

“Understood. Let me call James.”

I dialed his number with Lexy watching me the entire time—these girls were completely badass. James answered the phone right away, and I immediately apologized for missing his meeting and then explained why I did so. After hearing my story, he told me I should have called him immediately and that he’d help me in whatever way possible.

Knowing that he was going to be there for me as well as Lexy gave me the first glimmer of hope I’d felt since the kidnapper first called. There was a surprised pause when I told him where I was, but he said he’d be right over.

I ended the call and looked at Lexy. “He’s in.”

She smiled. “Perfect. I’ll start the preparations so that we’re good to go when James arrives.”

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

“I’m not doing it just for you, Jason. I’m doing it for Mackenzie, too.”

“So can I leave this in your capable hands? I’d like to go see Mackenzie. I think I may be able to help her.”

She looked at me as if she could see into my soul then nodded. “Maybe you can. Go ahead. But if you hurt her, I will kill you.”

I didn’t doubt her sincerity. “Fair enough.”

I had complete trust in Lexy and James to save my sister. Now I went to Mackenzie’s bedroom with the goal of saving Mackenzie from herself.

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.

Chapter Seven

Mackenzie

The pain was sharp and fierce, relentless. It was hard to shake off, and it engulfed my heart and my mind, trying to suffocate them in a heat so powerful that it intensified all the pain from my past. I rarely went to that place anymore—I had learned to block it out long ago. All I had ever wanted was to be free and happy, and part of that freedom was to be rid of my past and the pain it brought me. I needed to be far away from it, or I just wouldn’t survive.

The sight of Jason had reminded me how easy it was for someone to get to me and cause me pain. He had reminded me of why I’d become a successful thief in the first place, and it was painful to go back there. I didn’t want to be there at all. Once I was, it was too difficult to get back to that safe place again on my own. Lexy was always my savior—she knew how to talk to me, how to bring me back. Her love and kindness and understanding always rescued me from the hurt, enabling me to tuck it all back into a room in my head and lock it away—hopefully forever, if I was lucky.

I shivered with fear at the thought that I may never return to the safety of my home. Would I be trapped forever in this hell where I would be continually reminded of my past?

“Mackenzie?”

Electricity filled my brain, and a sensation coursed all over my body. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. I couldn’t quite put a name or a face to it, but it wasn’t the name that mattered, it was the sound of the voice that was important. Its tone, its softness, and what was behind it. It sounded like love, like two souls joining for the first time. It made me feel warm and safe like everything would be okay for once. Was it possible that I would be okay? That I would be able to walk away from the pain once again and lock the door?

I knew deep down that I had come far in life. I didn’t deserve to be forced to return to my past over and over again. I was entitled to a fresh start that included freedom and a happy life. It was no easy task, though. Returning back to my home meant that I might have to open myself up to a new kind of pain, the kind that came from trusting another human being with your whole heart. That was something very difficult for me to do. That’s why I didn’t have many people in my life and why I never dated.

There was someone out there calling my name. Someone who with their voice alone could calm me and make me believe I was truly safe once again. Who had that kind of power? The voice didn’t belong to Lexy, but there it was—strong and soothing, beckoning me to return.

“Mackenzie, are you there? Please, baby, come back. I need you.”

Someone needed me? The voice calling me back was so warm and tender that I wanted to comply, I wanted to go back and see the face that went along with the voice. I knew deep down that wherever that voice was coming from, I would be safe from the pain—if only I could get to it.

“Mackenzie, please come back to me. I know it’s painful, but I would never hurt you. There’s no hurt here, sweetheart. Please come back.”

As painful as it was, I began to pull myself to the surface. I wanted to be where that voice was. It was like being deep in the ocean and knowing that you have to get to the surface quickly or you’ll drown. The struggle to get up there was no easy task, but I pushed up harder and faster, kicking my way up through the pain until I broke through the surface and gasped for air, finally free to find the voice. When my eyes fluttered open, I was met with Jason’s intense eyes, beckoning me to return to him.

Tears flooded my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks. “Oh god, Jason…”

He was smiling, and tears glistened in his eyes, too. “It’s going to be okay, Mackenzie. Everything is going to be okay.” There was that warm, loving voice that had rescued me from the depths of hell.

Stolen Love

The Thief Series, Volume Four

(An Alpha Billionaire Romance)

By

Katie Kyler

www.KatieKyler.com

Chapter One

Jason

Holding Mackenzie in my arms felt magical. I had never experienced such an intimate moment with someone before, and it made me never want to leave her side. Bringing her back from the abyss made me feel like king of the world. And the fact that she had come back for me told me everything I needed to know about her feelings. I knew that I would probably love her forever, but could I have her all to myself? I wasn’t too sure of that—only time would tell.

She looked up at me, smiling sadly, and said, “I guess you’ve figured out I’m pretty messed up, haven’t you?”

“It’s all part of your charm, Mackenzie,” I assured her, brushing my fingers through her hair.

She giggled. “Seriously, thank you. I had a pretty messed up childhood, and it sort of brought me to this point. Whether I like it or not, this is me…it’s who I am. Sometimes the past just gets so strong that it’s hard to stop it, you know? Lexy is always great at bringing me back to the present because I trust her so much.”

“So does that mean you trust me, too?”

She shrugged. “I guess it does.”

“Well, that makes me a pretty lucky guy.”

Her eyes had regained their sparkle. “Just don’t screw it up.”

I laughed and bent down to lightly kiss her sweet, soft lips. Pulling back from her briefly, I said, “If you let me, Mackenzie, I’ll try to erase those memories forever and bring you only good ones from now on.”

She nodded, and I pressed my lips to hers again, but this time with even more passion. Our mouths parted, and the taste of her set off a fireworks display in both my mind and heart. I had been longing for her so much. She made my body hum, and just a touch or a look from her released a whirl of unfamiliar but incredible feelings. I held her tightly against me and nuzzled against the skin of her neck. I stretched out next to her, and my body ached with desire. She moaned softly, and to my ears, it was the most sensual sound in the world. She drove me mad with lust, and I was thrilled to have her to myself again. I knew James and Lexy were planning my sister’s rescue, but I wanted to enjoy the moment alone with Mackenzie.

I kissed her deeply, and when I pulled back, her gaze was hot and powerful. I felt a pulse of possessiveness.

“Tonight, my beautiful Mackenzie, you are mine.”

Her eyes reflected my desire. I was becoming lost in those beautiful eyes and didn’t want to deny her anything.

“I want you so badly, baby. How would you like it?”

“Any way you want.”

Feeling myself growing rock hard, I cupped her jaw and put my lips to hers with a softness I didn’t know I was capable of. Mackenzie moaned and parted her lips slightly as she pushed her hips against mine. Her hands were trembling when she grabbed my face and kissed me with a desperation that deepened my desire for her. Each embrace caused me to lose more and more control. Kissing her was addictive. I took complete control of her mouth—sucking, nipping, and tasting every inch. Her lips were red and swollen from my kisses. I was consumed by lust, and I wanted to touch her everywhere. For a moment, I just admired her lying there, my need for her almost palpable. Then Mackenzie sat up and motioned for me to stand. She unzipped my jeans and pulled them down. She did the same to my underwear. I stood hard at attention, and she took it in her warm mouth, sucking hard on the tip, causing me to draw a sharp breath through my teeth. She eased up and then took all of my length into her mouth, her hand stroking me in a twisting motion as she sucked. The sensations were making me dizzy, and my legs were growing weak. I loved the sight of my cock moving in and out of her mouth. But I had other plans.