by Susan Stoker
“Fuck, sweetheart.” Dax didn’t say anything else, just held the most important thing in his life tightly in his arms. “I love you too.” Dax’s words were soft and heartfelt.
Mackenzie pulled back. “Did TJ go?”
“Yeah.”
She pushed at Daxton. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“All right. Go get ready for bed, I’ll be right here waiting. You can tell me whatever you can or need to when you get back.”
Dax took a deep breath, inhaling the unique smell that Mack always seemed to carry with her. It was sweet. Some sort of sugar smell. Vanilla? He didn’t know, but he loved how it mixed with the natural essence of her skin. He forced himself to loosen his arms and roll out of bed. He quickly got ready in the bathroom and stripped off his pants and shirt on the way back to bed.
Dax left on his boxers for the first time since they’d started sleeping together. He’d noticed Mack had on his shirt, as he’d requested, but figured she felt as vulnerable as he did being completely nude…and she didn’t even know what was going on.
He climbed under the covers and pulled the pillow out of Mack’s arms. He turned her on her back and propped himself up next to her with his head resting on one hand and the other on her belly under the shirt she was wearing. He didn’t beat around the bush.
“The Lone Star Reaper struck again. Three more bodies were found today.”
“Oh, Daxton. That sucks.”
“Yeah. He sent the notes to me, telling me where to find them.”
“What?”
Dax continued, wanting to get the worst over with so they could talk through what their next steps were.
“He sent the notes to me personally. He inferred that he’s been watching me. He knows about you, Mack. He mentioned you specifically in the notes, by name.”
“Oh my God.”
“It gets worse. Can you handle it, or do you want to wait until later?”
“Worse?” Mackenzie’s voice was soft. Dax heard her take a deep breath. “I can handle it. Tell it all to me now, we’ll deal together.”
“His last two victims looked like you, and the last woman was named Mackenzie.” Dax didn’t pause to let her process his words, he kept going. “He fucked up though, Mack. We got prints this time. We’re going to get him. He won’t touch you.” Dax knew he was stretching the truth a bit. Even with this guy’s prints, if he hadn’t been arrested and his prints weren’t in the system, they wouldn’t do any good, but he’d say just about anything right now to reassure Mack.
“O-o-okay, Daxton. Okay.”
“You’ve got to be vigilant though, sweetheart. I’m afraid going to your mom’s on Sunday is out. I don’t know if he knows about your family, but I’d rather not involve them right now, or have us go there and have him somehow use them against you. I’d love for you to stay home from work for a while, but I don’t know if that will be possible. If not, okay, but you’ll have to do some basic things for me. Can you do that?”
“I can’t stay home. There are like, three big projects coming up due. Nancy would flip her shit if I wasn’t there to do them for her and for her to take credit for them.”
“All right, can you listen to what I want you to do to stay safe then?”
“Of course. I don’t want to be buried alive, Daxton. I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
Dax stopped long enough to lean over and kiss the side of Mackenzie’s head, then he leaned back. “I’ll drop you off at work each morning, and either one of the guys or I will pick you up each night. I know you’ve only met TJ and Quint, but I swear to you that you can trust Cruz, Conor, and Hayden, and even the other Rangers, as much as you do me. I’ll be sure to introduce you so you’ll feel more comfortable around them. Don’t leave the office, not even for a quick errand. That’s going to be a pain in the ass, I know it, but it’s important. I don’t want him snatching you when you’re in the grocery store or something.”
“No problem. I can do that.”
“You’ll never be home alone. I want you to stay here. My place is more secure than yours. I’m assuming he knows where I live, but he definitely knows about you. We need to come up with a plan in case he does something crazy like set a fire or something.”
“Set a fire? Holy shit. Daxton—”
“Yeah, I know, stay with me, baby…” Dax could feel how freaked Mack was because she was gripping his biceps so hard, he knew she’d leave marks.
“Okay. Okay, go on.”
“If something happens and we have to leave the apartment because of a crisis, don’t panic. Stick close to me, or whoever I have here to watch over you. Don’t leave my side. If someone calls you and says I’m hurt or killed or whatever, do not rush off on your own. It’d be a ploy to get you away from whatever protection you’ve got. You text me every hour and let me know you’re okay; even if I don’t answer, know that I’m watching and waiting for your text.”
“I’m scared. No, I’m fucking petrified.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. Do you know what I did when I first read the notes he’d sent me, threatening you?”
“What?”
“I threw up. Literally. I puked my guts out in front of a room full of cops. I’m scared for both of us, sweetheart.”
“Oh, Daxton.” Mackenzie took a deep breath. She had to get herself together. It was obvious Daxton had thought a lot about how to keep her safe, and he’d gone to great lengths to arrange everything. “I swear I won’t be stupid. You said you got his prints. Why can’t you just go pick him up if you know who it is?”
“Forensics doesn’t work in real life like it does on television. It doesn’t take an hour or two to get results back, unfortunately. It can take weeks. This case is taking precedence, so hopefully it won’t take that long, but we have to wait. Fingerprints don’t typically take as long as DNA samples, but the bad thing is that his prints might not be in the system. If he’s never been arrested or had his prints taken for a job and put in the database, we won’t know who he is.”
“How long do you think this will go on?”
“I don’t know, Mack. I simply don’t know.”
“Should I leave town? I mean, I can go on an extended vacation somewhere. Or something. I know I said I needed to be at work, but fuck it. I’d rather lose my job and be alive than get caught by this guy.”
“I love you, Mack. I love that you’re completely practical and haven’t thrown a hissy fit over your job or having been thrown a curve ball. The man in me wants to agree and to ship you off to some far-flung, out-of-the-way cabin in the woods where you can be safe, but the Ranger inside knows that probably wouldn’t help. This guy is crazy. He could just follow you and get ahold of you wherever you went. I’d rather you be here, with me, so I can keep you safe, than to send you off by yourself where he might be able to track you. Besides, it gives me a chance to hold you in my arms every night.”
“I’d rather be in your arms every night as well.”
“Okay, so one more thing.”
“Oh God, something else?” Mackenzie took a deep breath. “Sorry, sorry…okay, go ahead.”
“Fuck.” Dax’s voice was low and tortured, but he plunged ahead. “We need a code word. Something that, if said, via text or over the phone, will alert us to the fact that something’s wrong. How about if you say ‘I’m so clumsy’ to me, I’ll know you’re in trouble and I’ll do everything in my power to get to you. If you hear me say, ‘I’m busy,’ you’ll know something is wrong on my end and you need to hunker down and get to safety, no matter what getting to safety means. You know I’m never too busy for you, Mack, so if I say it, or text it, you’ll know it’s our code word. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Dax dropped his head and put his forehead against Mackenzie’s. “We’re going to make it through this. I can’t have met you after all these years, only to lose you now.”
“Damn straight.”
&n
bsp; Dax smiled, even though he didn’t really feel like it.
“You really puked in front of all your friends?”
“Yeah, Mack. I couldn’t handle him threatening you and it made me physically sick to my stomach.”
“I’ve never had someone throw up over me before. I mean, not because they were worried about me. I had a guy throw up on me before though. I was in college at a party and I was sitting next to this guy, minding my own business, and he didn’t say anything just leaned over and, buulllahh, his dinner and most of the alcohol he’d drank in the last hour, was in my lap. Seriously, it was gross, and he didn’t even know me. My brothers have been worried about me before. Once when I was on a trip with some friends to Amistad National Recreation Area west of San Antonio, the group decided they wanted to go to Cuidad Acuna to shop and my brothers about lost it. They were calling and texting me, but I’d turned my phone off, because, hello, I was in Mexico, and international rates are so expensive, and when I finally got back across the border I had to endure them yelling at me for hours…okay, well what seemed like hours. But no one, in my entire life, has been so worried about me that they actually threw up.”
Dax took a breath to respond, but Mackenzie put her finger over his lips.
“As much as I like the sentiment behind you losing your lunch, I don’t like it. Don’t do it again, Daxton.”
Dax loved that, even freaked and scared, Mack could still lapse into her cute-as-hell ramblings when it’d really only take a sentence or two to say the same thing. “I can’t say I liked it much either, sweetheart. But I’ll tell you this. I’ll always worry about you. Every moment you’re not in my arms, I worry. I’ll worry about a short trip to the store, or a simple walk to the mailboxes because I’ve seen too much shit in my life. I’ll try to curb it, but you should know I’m going to be über-protective. Probably annoyingly so.”
“You know what? Before today, I probably would have been annoyed. But not now. I know you have reasons to be. So I’ll deal.”
“I love you, Mack.”
“I love you too.”
“Whatever happens, know I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you safe.”
“I know you will.”
As the night lengthened, they held each other tight. Mackenzie finally fell asleep a couple hours later. Dax didn’t sleep until the sky started brightening with the morning sun.
Chapter Twelve
Mackenzie had a hard time concentrating on the spreadsheet in front of her. It’d been a long week and a half since the Lone Star Reaper had basically declared her his next victim. She’d spent most of that time scared to death, but trying not to show it. Daxton had enough stress on his plate, so she tried to hide her fears as much as she could. Mackenzie figured he knew she was scared, but was allowing her to have her delusion that she was hiding it from him.
He’d done just what he said he would. He’d dropped her off at work every morning and he, or one of his law enforcement friends, picked her up every day. Laine had freaked when Mackenzie had told her what had been going on. She’d met Daxton several times, but let Mack know in no uncertain terms how she felt about the fact that because of Dax’s job, her friend had been targeted by a serial killer.
Mackenzie couldn’t get pissed at Laine. If Laine had called Mack to tell her that her new boyfriend’s job was dangerous and someone had threatened her life, Mack knew she’d be beyond worried about Laine as well. All Mack could do was try to reassure her friend that she was being careful and not taking any chances.
Mackenzie had watched the news…once. It was enough to wake her up in the middle of the night with a horrendous nightmare. She hadn’t tried to watch it again and hadn’t asked Daxton anything about the case since then either. Mackenzie knew he’d tell her if the threat was gone…or if it’d gotten worse.
The newscaster had droned on about the profile the FBI had done on the killer and warned the viewers to be careful and safe. Then they’d abruptly shown pictures of the latest victims. Three women; all short and overweight, all brown-haired. It was their names that had gotten to Mackenzie the most. The second woman’s name was Monica Miller, first and last names starting with an M, just like hers. However, it was the last woman’s name that sent chills down her body. Mackenzie McMillian.
It hadn’t really hit home to Mack that she was the target of a serial killer until she’d seen those names on the screen, next to pictures of women who had the same body type and look as her; that she could actually be in extreme danger. She’d believed Daxton, but hearing him say it and seeing it were two completely different things.
After she’d woken up shaking and crying and completely freaked-out, Daxton had asked her not to watch the news unless he was either there with her, or until everything had played itself out. Mackenzie had no trouble agreeing immediately. Things were a bit too real for her right now and she didn’t know if she ever wanted to watch the local news again.
Mackenzie picked up her phone and sent a short text to Daxton, letting him know all was well. She’d done just what he’d asked, to the letter. She hadn’t been anywhere other than work and Daxton’s apartment. When they’d needed groceries, Daxton had stopped on his way home from work one night. Mackenzie knew she should feel suffocated, but if she was honest with herself, she didn’t.
The phone on her desk rang and Mackenzie picked it up after only one ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mack, it’s me.”
“Hey, Daxton. How are you?” The simple phrase had a whole new meaning now; one Mackenzie knew she’d never take for granted again.
“Good. Everything’s good. You?”
“Same. No news?”
“No new news on the case, sorry. But I do have some news I think you’ll like.”
“I could use some good news, Daxton. Sock it to me.”
“I’m getting off early today. Thought you might want to go on a mini-vacation with me.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know where we’re going.”
“I don’t care where, as long as you’re with me.”
Dax’s voice gentled. “Fuck, woman. How’d I get so lucky?”
“Where are you taking me, Daxton? Tahiti? Fiji? The Swiss Alps?”
“Nothing so grand, I’m afraid, but I’ll put those on our bucket list. How about Austin?”
“Austin? What’s in Austin?”
“I thought we’d take a long weekend and get out of here for a bit. I’ve reserved us a suite at Hotel Ella. It’s a five-star hotel not far from the University of Texas campus. We can stay holed up all weekend and not have to worry about anything that’s been going on.”
“That sounds awesome, but if I’m going to be able to take a day off, I have to get a lot of work done this afternoon. I’m not sure I’ll be able to call or text you again…will that be okay?”
Dax thought about it for a moment, then agreed. “Okay, but don’t leave your building. In fact, better yet, stay in your office all afternoon.”
“But Dax,” Mackenzie protested, “I can’t sit here for another four hours! What if I have to use the bathroom? What if I get thirsty?”
“Don’t leave your floor then. It’s important, Mack.”
“That I can do. I can’t wait for the weekend. I’ve missed you.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’ve missed you too. I want nothing more than to be able to put everything aside and concentrate on you again.” Dax’s voice turned teasing. “There are about three new positions I want to introduce you to, and some toys as well.”
“Daxton! You can’t say that stuff while I’m at work!”
“You love it.”
“Maybe so, but still!”
Dax chuckled. “Okay, I’ll be there to pick you up around five and we’ll head straight up there.”
“But I don’t have any of my things with me.”
“We’ll stop at a store and grab some bathroom stuff. You won’t need any
clothes, Mack. I plan on keeping you naked the entire weekend.”
“Okay. I like that plan.”
“I love you, Mack.”
“Love you too. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Okay, babe. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Mackenzie hung up the phone and smiled. She couldn’t wait to get away from San Antonio with her man. She hadn’t lied. It had been too long since they’d taken their time in bed together. They’d made love, but it’d been rushed, both of them feeling vulnerable with the threat hanging over their heads. She couldn’t wait to be with Daxton with no worries between them, other than pleasuring each other.
* * *
Dax entered Mack’s office building with large strides. He hadn’t heard from her in a couple of hours, which wasn’t too concerning since she’d told him at lunch she had a lot of work to do before they could leave. He didn’t want to rush to conclusions, but after a week and a half of nothing remotely concerning happening, he’d told himself that Mack was fine at work. He’d tried calling once, but her phone went to voice mail. Dax rationalized it by telling himself she was working extra hard to be able to get away for the long weekend. But now, as he strode into her building, he felt very uncomfortable about his decision to not check on her earlier.
The other employees knew who he was by now and greeted him easily as he walked through the office. Dax didn’t see Mack’s boss anywhere around. He stopped at Mack’s office and looked inside. Empty. He turned around and headed for the administrative assistant who sat a couple of cubicles away.
“Hey, Sandra, have you seen Mack?”
“Actually, no. She told me she was going to take a quick break and she didn’t come back. I figured she’d called you and decided to leave early. We all heard about the awesome weekend you have planned. Mackenzie told us all about it.”
