A frown puckered McKenna’s lips and then she whispered, “Trevor didn’t mean to hit me.”
“No,” Willow declared firmly. “There is no comparison between Trevor and your mother. She never hurt me physically. Any pain she ever inflicted was always directed at herself. Your mother was sick, but there was a reason for her madness.”
“Trevor has reasons too. You don’t understand what it has been like for him, how he was raised,” McKenna cried.
“The line has been crossed,” Willow denied gravely. “He has already hit you once—he will do it again. Do not even begin to consider forgiving him.”
McKenna didn’t even know why she bothered—she knew she wouldn’t understand. Neither of her parents understood Trevor or the world he had been raised in. It was wild and savage where honor and respect were everything. He hadn’t crossed the line—she had because she didn’t know or understand the bylaws that governed his existence. It was a mistake, a simple mistake, which had cost her everything. Even if no one believed her, he was the one. She heard the truth in every word he had ever spoken. She felt it in his kisses and caresses. She saw it reflected in his eyes. Just like Willow had said, McKenna’s soul recognized his, and she knew he wasn’t the vile monster everyone believed him to be. He was a product of his environment just like she had been a product of hers.
Now he was gone. Her mother couldn’t keep her trapped inside forever, but McKenna had no doubts that she could make him stay away. Hannah might have stepped away from the spotlight, but she still had considerable influence that stretched beyond the world of fashion, especially in Austin. In the days since their fight, McKenna realized that her initial fears for her family were completely unfounded. Hannah was on a first-name basis with the governor and every other high-ranking official since forever. All she had to do was say the word, and Trevor’s life as he knew it would, at best, become considerably more uncomfortable. And Trevor wasn’t even an official member of Devils Kin—only an affiliate. When, not if, Hannah turned on the pressure, McKenna was certain they would throw him under the bus. If he hadn’t already left town, she was sure he would be soon and all because of her and one stupid mistake.
On Wednesday evening, Kenyon decided to make an appearance. It looked strange seeing him among her belongings because as a rule, they rarely crossed the boundaries into each other’s personal space. They only shared one room for nine months and according to their parents caused enough ruckus that they knew they had to have their own distinct areas.
“What do you what?” McKenna questioned gruffly.
Kenyon looked around uncertainly and then softly groaned, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Why did he do it?”
“That’s none of your business,” McKenna hissed.
“It is my business,” Kenyon denied. “Because if anyone has a right to punch you in the eye, it is me, so I want to know why he did it.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Probably not,” Kenyon shrugged. “But I want to know all the same. Look, if you’re worried that I’m going to tell them, I won’t. I’m not the tattle-tell twin.”
McKenna sat up angrily. “Okay, that is so not true. Last year, I didn’t say a word when Alise thought she was pregnant and you were freaking out. Oh McKenna, what am I going to do?”
“That was a totally different situation, and it wasn’t like you had solid-gold advice. She should have the baby and our mothers could raise it.”
“They would have,” McKenna said indifferently.
“That’s beside the point. Why did he hit you?”
“Fine,” McKenna snapped. “Trevor started saying really nasty stuff about Sam because he doesn’t know any better…”
“What do you mean, he doesn’t know any better? What is he—two years old?”
“If you keep interrupting, I won’t tell you. Anyway, he was saying stuff, and I told him it wasn’t true. Then he called me a bitch.”
“Uh huh,” Kenyon muttered.
“So, I hit him first.”
Kenyon nodded his head in approval. “Good,” he declared crisply. “He deserved it.” He started to chuckle. “From what Abby said, Sam kicked his ass.”
“It isn’t funny, Kenyon,” McKenna moaned with disgust.
“Yeah, it is, because I bet he never saw that one coming. But I thought Sam was on your shit list? Why did you get so defensive?”
“I just did. It doesn’t matter now,” McKenna pouted.
“Trevor is an asshole,” Kenyon said as he stood and stretched. “Lucky for you, there are plenty more assholes out there.”
“Thanks for the brotherly advice,” McKenna grumbled.
“Any time,” Kenyon retort cockily.
The next morning, McKenna was sitting in her English class when it occurred to her that studying all these ancient Greek tragedies was so not helping her handle her current mess of a life. Glancing around, she noticed another equally unmotivated student doodling a picture of a fairy on her iPad and she thought about the tattooed Tink. What was her name? McKenna couldn’t remember. She began to wonder if she attended this school. Probably not, surely she would have seen her around before. What a strange creature. No wonder she had sparked McKenna’s curiosity—they didn’t grow like that around here.
McKenna almost wished she were at this school, so she could ask her what she was thinking when she kissed her baby niece. More importantly, what had Abby been thinking? Was she bisexual, gay, or just experimenting? She had known a few girls that had practiced with each other, although she had never done so herself because of lack of interest. For a moment, she played with the notion but had a mental block. The only person she wanted to kiss was Trevor.
Just as she was about to be consumed by utter depression, her brain flickered back to Tink and a slight smile played on her lips. She had never considered herself to be mean but something about the panic-stricken look of sheer terror on Tink’s face as she clutched her shirt so tightly to her chest made her want to laugh. It was cruel, and McKenna knew she probably had very good reasons for being so shy, but it was funny all the same.
“Miss Mallory, do you care to share with the class what you find so amusing about our hero’s demise?” the instructor asked from his place at the front of the room.
“Huh?” she questioned blankly.
“You were giggling,” he explained.
“I was?” she asked. “Sorry, my mind must have wandered for a second.”
“I suggest you journey back to the present,” he chided.
“Sorry,” McKenna muttered, embarrassed, as her cheeks grew red.
Damn—Tink’s revenge. Don’t screw with a fairy.
Thankfully, the rest of her morning was uneventful. She made it through the rest of her classes without being reprimanded, but she was really just going through the motions. Her brain was wallowing in despair with just enough twinkles of fairy dust thrown into the mix to make her wonder if something wasn’t wrong. If she had to be sad and miserable, then she needed to stay that way—no more thinking about ridiculous girls. Right now, she needed to focus on the important stuff.
She saw Kenyon in passing at lunch in the cafeteria. On her way to Calculus, McKenna noticed a very tall and slim brunette. Although she had only seen a glimpse of her before the crowd blocked the view, she was almost positive it was Tink. Curiosity got the best of her, and McKenna made the split-second decision to risk being tardy by following after her.
They were heading to the south side of the building and up the stairs to where most of the sophomore classes were housed. At the top of the landing, the brunette finally turned and looked back. She saw McKenna, and her eyes widened with recognition. It was her.
McKenna was on the verge of calling out when from the corner of her eye she spotted a lone motorcycle parked among the vehicles from the window down below. It was Trevor. He had come for her. All thoughts of fairies and their curious twinkles flew out the window.
Chapter 22
McK
enna rushed out of the school building and straight into his arms. “You’re here. I can’t believe you are really here,” she cried.
Trevor’s lips crashed down upon hers and she felt his kiss slip past her marrow and straight to her soul. It was no ordinary meeting of mouths. It was a kiss of desperation, of longing, of knowing there was no tomorrow—only now.
“Oh my God, look at your face,” McKenna whispered with horror as her fingers gingerly reached up to touch the purple blotches. “Did Sam do this to you?”
“I deserved it,” Trevor grunted. “For what I had to do to you. That’s why I let him get the best of me, but it doesn’t matter now. Doll face, I had to see you one last…” His words drifted off into a silent void that spoke volumes.
“What?” McKenna rushed with panic. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” Trevor muttered as his fingers ripped through his hair in frustration. “They’ve turned on me. The motherfucking bastards turned on me. They put on a bounty on my head, and I have to leave town. That’s why I had to come. I had to see you one last time before I left.”
“You’re leaving? Now? For how long?” McKenna whimpered.
“I don’t know, doll face. Until this shit settles down. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come home again.”
“Oh my God,” McKenna cried as she frantically paced back and forth in front of him. “Oh my God, oh my God, I can’t believe this is really happening.”
“Come with me,” Trevor declared suddenly.
McKenna came to abrupt halt. “What?” she questioned.
“Come with me. Come with me now. It will be just you and me together. No more rules. No more watchful eyes. No one telling us we can’t be together.”
“But I can’t leave my family,” McKenna whispered, tortured by the decision he was forcing her to make.
“We both know it was your family that turned them against me. Now you have to decide. Who do you love more? Who is more important to you? Me or them?” Trevor exclaimed.
“No, Trevor. You don’t understand. They would never go this far. They would never put a bounty on your head.”
“Do you seriously believe that?” Trevor asked angrily. “They have spent the last eighteen years molding you into their ideal version of what you should be. Do you really think they would let anything get in their way?”
“Trevor,” McKenna pleaded as she reached for his hand but he shrugged her off and climbed on his bike. “Please don’t go. Not like this.”
“It’s now or never, McKenna. Who do you love?”
As the seconds ticked away, time slowed to crawl. McKenna glanced back and forth between Trevor and the school building that represented the only life she had ever known. If she left with him now, there would be no turning back. All that she had ever known and loved before he came into her life would be gone. But if he left her here, would any of it matter anymore? What was the point of this life if she couldn’t share it with the one?
The choice she made filled her heart with sorrow. McKenna’s only hope was that one day her parents, her family, and everyone else she was leaving behind, would one day be able to forgive her.
“What do you mean, you can’t find her?” Hannah screeched into the phone.
“I haven’t seen her since lunch. I waited for her by the car for thirty minutes and then I checked around inside,” Kenyon explained calmly.
“Go back inside and tell those goddamn school officials they had better find her before I get there.”
Kenyon disconnected the call and then went back inside to deliver Hannah’s message verbatim. When she arrived less than twenty minutes later, every available school official was searching the premises. While they waited, Willow began phoning all McKenna’s friends, but no one had seen her since lunch. The attendance records concurred that she had missed the last class periods of the day. Hannah nearly exploded when she heard the news.
“How did McKenna leave this fucking school at noon without being properly signed out and why am I just now finding out about it?”
“Mrs. Mallory, we are just as concerned as you are…”
“I very much fucking doubt that. It isn’t your fucking daughter that is missing,” Hannah hissed.
“We are reviewing the security camera as we speak,” the headmaster answered calmly.
“There’s no need. We know who took her. And when I find him, I am going to…”
“We are going to call the police,” Willow rushed as she reached for Hannah’s hand. “Aren’t we, Hannah?”
The drive to the police station was filled with a tense, worried silence. On the way, Hannah phoned Sam to let him know what was happening. It only took thirty minutes and one threat to call the Governor’s office before they were seen by the Chief of Police.
“Based on the information you have given, we cannot release an Amber Alert,” he explained grimly.
“You don’t understand. My daughter is in grave danger. There is no telling where he will take her,” Hannah pleaded.
“McKenna is eighteen years old. There is no reason to believe that she was taken against her will. At this point, all you can do is wait the required twenty-four hours and then file a missing persons report.”
“You can’t be serious,” Hannah cried. “Are you truly saying you will sit by and do nothing, while he takes her God only knows where?”
“Ma’am, it’s the law. I’m sorry. I suggest you go home and wait. In most cases, the child returns before the waiting period expires.”
When they arrived home, Sam was waiting inside with Kate and Abigail. “Have you found her?”
“No,” Willow answered. “And the police refuse to do anything until she has been gone for a full twenty-four hours… Hannah, wait, what are you doing?” she asked as she watched Hannah walked past them towards her office.
“Call the school and tell them McKenna came home because she was sick. If the police call to check on her, tell them the same.”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Willow sputtered.
“I am going to find our daughter and bring her home,” she answered calmly as she closed the door behind her.
Chapter 23
Trevor had said that their new life was waiting in Florida, in Miami specifically. Normally, the drive from Austin to Miami took a little over twenty hours, but since he avoided the main interstates, it took them three days to arrive. Along the way, he had made several stops where he said his connections had left vehicles. McKenna never encountered any such person, and she sincerely hoped that he wasn’t committing grand-theft auto.
There was the grand romantic notion of starting a new life and the actuality of doing so. She discovered by the end of the second day that the two had little to do with each other. Trevor had promised that he had saved enough money to get them by until he could figure out something else, yet he refused to stop for basic necessities. Forty-eight hours of wearing the same clothes, not showering, or brushing her teeth began to make McKenna feel gross.
By nightfall of the second evening of their adventure, she pleaded with him to stop at a motel so she could take a real bath. Washing up in tiny truck stop bathrooms or hole-in-the-wall gas stations just wasn’t doing the trick, but Trevor rebuffed her pleas and said they would be home tomorrow afternoon.
Of course, McKenna realized they wouldn’t be staying at a four-star resort, but she was hoping for a small seaside hotel, perhaps with a pool. While Trevor figured out their next move, McKenna planned to look into finishing her degree online. It seemed such a shame to go this far and dropout with only a few months left before she finished. Maybe once she had finished, she could start researching the colleges and universities nearby. Secondary education had never been a part of her life plan before, but obviously, she wouldn’t be modeling now. The future was so wide open now it was baffling to her. What did she want to do with the rest of her life?
Focusing on the future helped her not dwell on what she left behind. She tried h
er best to fixate on her new life with Trevor, but there were moments when she missed her family terribly. They usually happened when he pulled off on the side of road to sleep for a few hours. The second night while Trevor slept, McKenna tried to escape the warmth of the car by rolling down the window but the hot, humid air was stifling. In the distant, a band of fireflies began twinkling their nightly chorus. A slight smile played on her lips as she thought of Tink. Knowing she couldn’t possibly fall asleep, McKenna spent the midnight hours watching the glowing creatures, and whenever she was overwhelmed with the urge to cry, she remembered the ridiculous girl.
At dawn, as the sky was painted with strokes of red and orange, Trevor resumed their journey. McKenna thought this day would become of great significance—the first official day of their new life. The first cracks of her grand illusion began to fester the next afternoon when he pulled into what only the most generous soul would describe as a trailer park. The graffiti-ridden, aluminum boxes all appeared as if one strong wind could topple them. The roads into the park were cluttered with pea-gravel, broken shards of glass, and several huge weeds that had been allowed to grow into the size of small trees.
This was home? Surely, there must be a mistake. Please God, let this only be another stop. When he pulled over in front of grayish white trailer that looked no different from any of the other ones that were closely packed together, the cracks spread like spider webs until the glass dome of her dream burst. It wasn’t the pungent air of poverty the cloaked the air and stole all the magical hearts and rainbows from her mind. It was the cold, calculating, soulless look in Trevor’s eyes when he smirked and said, “Welcome home, doll face.”
He shut off the engine and stepped out of the car. Adrenaline surged through her veins, causing a fight or flight reaction, yet instead of doing either, McKenna was frozen, still in panic, hoping against hope that this must be a mistake, a dream, a nightmare… If only she could wake up back in own bed. Trevor pushed open her car door and then grabbed her wrist. He started to drag her out of the car but she dug her feet into the gravel.
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