by T. L. Reeve
Once he and Aurora were settled in his truck, Mackenzie started the pickup then dropped it into reverse, and backed out of the driveway. As he put the vehicle into drive, Charisma pulled up; music blasting from her car. Mikey and Charisma were singing along to some Lady Gaga song at the top of their lungs while also laughing. Mackenzie shook his head as he pulled alongside her van. She turned down the radio as a strip of pink stole across her the bridge of her nose.
“You’re late,” Charisma said, opening the door to get out.
“We know,” he answered. “Liam has a friend with him. The kid is Alika, and he’s from Hawaii.”
“The boy Lorenzo was telling me about when we were working at the orphanage?” Charisma’s face lit up, and an excited giggle burst from her. “Oh, I am so glad it worked out.”
“Don’t know about that yet,” Mackenzie replied. “I’m not sure how much Liam has explained to the boy. He’s—”
“Human,” Charisma said. “We know. It’s the biggest worry Liam had.”
Well, shit. “Just watch over them. Don’t need them experimenting yet.”
Aurora groaned. “Oh, God. Why’d you have to say it all weird-like?”
He cut his gaze to his mate. “What?”
“We need to update your vocabulary.” Aurora glanced at Charisma. “We’d better be going or else.”
She nodded. “Let us know how it goes.”
“We will,” Mackenzie said, with a wave. When they stopped at the stop sign at the end of the street, he turned to Aurora. “Update my vocabulary?”
She laughed. “Yep. We’ll make you hip, yet.”
Mackenzie shook his head. “Somehow, I believe you will.”
The courthouse was just as full as it had been the day the shit hit the fan. Signs were posted around the building reminding people to be respectful. The one on the door to the courtroom where he’d spent the last few weeks had an X through cellphones, tablets, and cameras. It also prohibited all unauthorized persons from entering. He glanced at Aurora and pointed to the sign. “I guess we should figure out how to get in here.”
“You could ask your brother,” Kalkin said, coming up behind them. “Sorry, we had to do it this way after Holly’s last outburst.”
“Not a problem,” Aurora answered.
Kalkin pulled two passes from his back pocket. “I need your cellphones.”
Mackenzie and Aurora handed over their phones, and Kalkin handed them the passes. He ran his thumb across the word guest and shook his head. “Is it really over?”
“As far as I can tell. From what Charles told me, she’s agreed to everything, including extradition.”
“Shit,” Mackenzie muttered.
“She fired Walker, too.”
Mackenzie’s gaze snapped to Kalkin’s. “What?”
“Yep. She told on herself. Not really a need for a lawyer after that, plus, I think she realized how fucked she was.” His brother shrugged. “Anyway, get inside. It’s about to start.”
Mackenzie held the door for Aurora, and he found the rest of his family sitting in the middle section of the sitting area. Royce waved at him and pointed to the two chairs next to him. Mackenzie placed his hand on the small of Aurora’s back and eased her over to the bench where his son sat. The relief he spied on everyone’s faces loosened a knot in his gut.
Aurora had been right, having sex with him, took his mind off the impending trial. It gave him a minute to escape from all of his problems and allowed him to believe he was free. Sitting there with him family, he finally was. With Holly agreeing to the plea deal, he could move on and start living for himself and his mate.
“Hey, you almost didn’t make it,” Royce said.
“My fault,” Aurora said. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Royce murmured. “Mates always come first.”
“We ran into Charisma. Thank you,” Mackenzie said.
“She wanted to do it. Who am I to tell her no?” His son chuckled. “Plus, I think she, and Lorenzo are plotting something for Liam.”
“Don’t have to,” Mackenzie said. “Alika is the boy’s name, and he’s at the house right now.”
Royce’s eyes grew round. “That was fast.”
“Tell me about it.” Mackenzie sighed. “The boy will make a fine addition, though.” He took Aurora’s hand. “My mate pointed it out to me.”
“Looks like we have another Hayden and Nico situation on our hands,” Royce muttered.
“Nah, they’re the same age,” Mackenzie stated. “We do have to be careful with them, though. Don’t need Liam biting the boy before they’re old enough to understand the significance of it.”
“Least you don’t have to worry about pregnancy,” Aurora muttered.
“True,” Royce agreed.
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.” He glanced down at the floor. “I wish I had more practice at this.”
“Better late than never,” Royce murmured. “You’ll get the chance again with Riley and Abby and maybe with any children you and Aurora have together.”
“Uh...” Aurora’s cheeks grew bright-red. “Can we not talk about it here?”
Mackenzie’s gaze snapped to her, and he inhaled. Then he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and breathed deeply again. He pulled back. Shock filled him. He knew it was possible, but so soon, especially after everything he’d been through? Aurora gazed up at him, fear and confusion filled her pretty, blue eyes and he regretted smelling her in the courthouse. “Sorry. Forgot where we are.”
“Get a room later,” Royce grumbled.
He laughed. “Sorry, son.”
“It’s okay,” Royce replied. “I under—”
The side door opened, and Holly emerged, surrounded by two deputies and the bailiff. Her features were drawn, and she appeared thinner than she had only days prior to that moment. They placed her in the first chair on the right of the podium and both deputies blocked her view of the people in the room. Mackenzie supposed it was for a good reason, considering the last time they were all there and the fit she pitched.
“All rise,” the bailiff said, as the judge’s door opened. “The Honorable Stanley Wright presiding.”
The judge took a seat then motioned for everyone to sit. “Come to order. Today we have gathered for the sentencing of Holly Geithner, defendant in the case of Apache County vs Holly Geithner and the Paranormal Bounty Hunters.” He looked to Charles. “I have been instructed that you and the defended have agreed to terms?”
Charles stood. “We have, Your Honor.”
“And what are they?”
“Your Honor, Miss Geithner takes full responsibility for her actions, and for that, she will spend the next forty years in one of Arizona’s state penitentiaries. She will also be remanded to the Massachusetts Federal Courts to stand trial for her crimes consisting of the actual auction and victims PBH subsequently abducted,” Charles said. “In addition, she will turn over state’s evidence to several open cases in regard to PBH.”
Mackenzie blinked. Surprise filled him. She was really going to give the government all of the information she had? He glanced at the woman he’d tried, a long time ago, to protect while also getting to know his niece. This woman wasn’t the same person he’d met eleven years ago nor was he.
“Miss Geithner, do you understand what you have agreed to?” The judge asked her.
She nodded. “Yes, Your Honor. I accept the terms.” Her voice had been soft, docile, and it made Mackenzie nervous. Maybe a little anxious. After her outburst the other day, he didn’t trust her to remain sitting while they were in there.
“So be it,” Judge Wright said. “Miss Geithner, in accordance with the plea agreement, I sentence you to forty years in prison, to be served concurrent with any punishment you receive in Massachusetts. You will be held for extradition until such time as you can be transferred to the women’s facility in Boston, Massachusetts.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” she whispered.
&nbs
p; “Don’t thank me, Miss Geithner. I sifted through all of the evidence and the photos. I read all of the testimony including the affidavits supplied to me. I have never met a viler, more heinous group of people and person, like you, ma’am in my life. In my opinion, you lured people in to torture them, abuse them, and ultimately, according to the evidence before me, murder them. With you off the streets, ma’am, I believe our community will be safer. You, Miss Geithner, are what we would consider a super predator, and you will be treated as such.” Judge Wright smacked his gavel against his desk. “We’re adjourned. May God have mercy on your soul, Miss Geithner.” The deputy standing behind her the whole time, took her arm then and led her out the same door she’d entered.
Mackenzie stood along with the others in the courtroom as the judge exited the area. He felt empty. Hollow. He glanced around the room and saw the same shocked expressions on everyone’s faces. He’d gone in there expecting one thing and was leaving with a completely different outcome. Sure, he knew there was a plea deal, but he hadn’t expected Holly giving over information to the government, nor had he expected forty years. He thought life without parole, maybe.
“Hey,” Aurora said, her voice almost too far away for him. “You okay? Do you need to sit?”
He blinked. “Uh, no.”
“Dad?” Royce grabbed his arms. “Sit. You look a little pale. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I... I guess I’m a little taken aback.” Mackenzie sat.
Royce sat beside him. “I think we all are. I can tell you; this isn’t how I saw it going the night in the zoo.”
“Same.” Mackenzie scrubbed his face.
“You ready to get out of here?” Kalkin asked, joining them.
“This is going to sound really stupid,” Mackenzie muttered.
“It’s already been arranged,” Kalkin said. “Come with me.” He then looked at the others and handed back their phones. “You guys get lost.”
Aurora squeezed Mackenzie’s hand then followed everyone out of the courtroom. As he started to stand, everything seemed so distant. The beginning of the trial. The reporters coming to his job. Hell, he hadn’t even thought about Ulysses or the site since the day he pulled away. What the fuck did that say about his state of mind in the very beginning? You’re fucked up. Admit it. He could and did on a daily basis. However, with Aurora by his side, the haze was starting to clear.
“This is how it’s going to go,” Kalkin said. “You’ll go into the room, say your piece, and leave. Don’t hang around. She doesn’t deserve your attention any longer.”
Mackenzie agreed. “I understand.”
“I don’t know why I say shit,” Kalkin snarled. “You’re going to do what you want, how you want it.”
“Probably, but my intention isn’t to stick around. I have more important things to do,” he said, following Kalkin down to one of the holding rooms in the annex of the court.
“Good. Keep it that way.” Kalkin opened the door then stepped aside. “She’s handcuffed. She can’t come at you, and if she does, we’ll see it.”
Mackenzie nodded as he stepped into the bright, white-washed room. There, shackled to the table sat Holly. The shell of the woman he once knew, didn’t acknowledge his presence and he didn’t suspect she would, either. He crossed to her, pulling the letters from his back pocket. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything, but damn it, she needed to understand how much she affected his family.
“These are from Riley and Liam.” He placed the envelopes on the table.
“I don’t want them,” she muttered. “They do me no good.”
“Of course not,” Mackenzie replied. “What were they thinking trying to explain to you how you made them feel.”
She stared up at him with vacant, hazel eyes. “I don’t care.”
“You’re right about that.” Mackenzie snorted. “You never did. This was all one big scam.”
“If you knew, why didn’t you stop me? Seems to me, I shouldn’t be the only one sitting here.”
He’d have laughed if he hadn’t been so fucking pissed. “You did all of this to yourself. I was vulnerable, weak in mind and body, and I saw someone I could help. Turns out, the bitch I was trying to help was also Brutus in disguise.”
“I did my part. I confessed to such at the hearing. What more do you want from me?” The reedy tone to her voice set him on edge.
“What do I want from you?” Mackenzie gave a humorless chuckle. “My fucking life back. My children’s life back.”
“You made this deal with me.” She shrugged. “You got what you paid for.”
“Sure enough, I did. However, I didn’t ask for a conniving bitch to try her best to rip my whole family apart. You had several chances to leave and never come back, yet you stayed. After hearing all the testimony, I can’t for the life of me understand why you did.”
The corner of her mouth ticked upward. “Simple, I had a job to complete. I did what I was supposed to do, then I left.”
Mackenzie scrubbed his chin. “You sure did.” He was getting nowhere with this conversation. “Have fun rotting in jail for completing your job.” He turned for the door, unable to stand there and listen to her flat voice agree with everything he said.
“Mac,” Holly said, stopping him mid-stride.
“Yeah?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Take the letters with you. They’re not my children. Never were. Liam and Riley were always yours. I think deep-down you knew it the whole time.”
Maybe he did. He supposed he spent the last eleven years atoning for his sins. Perhaps, if he really delved into why he adopted Riley and Liam, he’d figure out it had more to do with Royce, and Sage, than anything else. Ain’t that some shit? He shook off the thought as he turned to grab the letters off the table.
“Doesn’t matter what I know now or knew then, this was for them. They had things to say to you. Goes to show, sometimes people are so rotten to the core, they can’t even face the wrath of a child who’s been hurt.” He snatched the envelopes off the table. “You’re a coward, Holly. Straight up chickenshit.”
“What does that make you, Mackenzie?” Fire lit in her hazel eyes. “If I am such a coward and chickenshit, what do you call yourself? You’re the one who set all this up. You’re the one who lied to your family about us. Without your invitation, none of this would have happened.”
“See,” Mackenzie said, walking to the door. “You’re wrong. I did want to help heal the rift hurting my family, however, you were the weakest link. You clung tight to the tattered corner of our family and pulled at it every chance you got.” He yanked on the door, opening it. “What you weren’t counting on, was the strength of the Raferty family and our pack/pride. I may have lied to keep you close to Hayden, but the rest was all you. Take responsibility for yourself.”
“I am!” she shouted.
“No, you’re not,” Mackenzie said. “You’re going to blame others to try to get a reduction in sentence. Well, it won’t happen on our watch. Rot in hell, Holly.”
Mackenzie stepped out of the room, tucking the two notes from his children back into his pocket. He figured she wouldn’t take them. Hell, the selfish woman didn’t even give some of their best holiday art projects a second glance, why would she start now? He shook his head as he walked down the hall. The weight of Holly had been lifted from his shoulders, and he could finally take a deep breath. From now on, the woman would be a distant memory, no matter what.
“Hey, handsome,” Aurora said, joining him as he strode toward the exit. “You ready to go home?”
He nodded. “Gotta do one thing first.”
“Oh? What?” She took his hand as they stepped out into the cool mid-day air. When they’d gone in, it’d been sunny, bright fall day, now the clouds had drifted in, and the temperatures had dropped, turning it dreary. “I need to burn the letters from Liam and Riley.”
“She didn’t take them?”
“No,” he answered.
“Can’t sa
y I’m surprised.” Aurora shrugged. “Where do you want to go?”
“I have a place we can do it. Should still have burn barrels there.” Mackenzie helped Aurora into his truck then got in behind the wheel. “Thank you for coming with me today.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said. “It’s what I’m here for.”
“Well, if it’s all the same, I appreciate it.” Mackenzie started his truck then pulled out of the spot.
The drive to the construction site didn’t take long, and though he had so much to say and rage about, he kept it to himself. Later, after he digested everything Holly had to say, he’d talk it through with Aurora, because Holly was right. His motivation had been selfish. He’d done things in the name of his family when it’d been him seeking redemption for his transgressions. And, instead of talking them out, he went off and did things, never realizing each thing he did, thinking he was protecting his family, also hurt them.
When he arrived at the site, no one was there. It didn’t surprise Mackenzie. He figured the Dryers would be home, waiting for him to call or come by with word of what happened. “This is it.”
“Looks like they’ve done a lot of work,” Aurora pointed out.
He agreed. The foundation was laid as well as the whole bottom two floors of framing work. It might not look like much yet, but come February, the place would start looking more like a home. “Yeah, they have.” He made his way over to the rusted fifty-gallon barrel they used to burn all of the remnants they couldn’t salvage. Inside, there were some small pieces of wood and paper. Mackenzie threw the letters on the pile, then grabbed the small box of matches out of his pocket. He always carried them with him, he supposed, for cases like now, where they’d come in handy.
He lit one of them then placed it on the envelope and watched as the note became engulfed in flames, followed by the second and the debris in the can. He didn’t know how long they stood there watching the flames twist and leap up into the air, but when he was satisfied no one would ever see his childrens’ words, he turned from the barrel and started back for his pickup.
