Chapter 65 - The Husband I Buried

Now

I moved. Fast. Shoving past Jess, I grabbed for Thomas’s arm.

‘Run,’ I urged – and he needed no encouragement.

‘Mackenzie—’ Luis moved to stop us, but I was fueled by something hotter than fear. Rage. I pivoted with his momentum, slammed him back into the wall, and brought the heel of my palm up toward his nose with a sharp, sickening crack.

His head snapped back. He hadn’t expected me to fight back. For the first time since I’d walked into this place, he looked worried.

‘You think you can control me?’ I hissed.

He lifted his hands slowly, palms out, blood already pouring from his face. Displaying that he wasn’t going to fight back.

‘See?’ I whispered. ‘This is what happens when you push people too far.’ I stepped closer, my voice low and deadly, something inside me unraveling.

His chest rose and fell hard, eyes flaring, but I didn’t retreat. I leaned in until my mouth was near his ear.

‘You underestimated me, Luis,’ I said. ‘You underestimated what I am and what I’ll do.’

He swallowed. Looked up at me like he was recalibrating.

I let out a slow, controlled breath. ‘You shouldn’t play with things you don’t understand.’ The part of me Luis had warned me about, the part I hadn’t realized was there, was loose now. Awake. Watching.

‘No . . .’ Luis staggered forward, his hand outstretched to me, his nose pouring with blood.

‘I wouldn’t do that, buddy,’ Thomas said beside me. ‘She might kick your ass again.’

‘You caused this, Luis,’ I said. ‘If you have ever loved me, tell me how to get out of here without Elena noticing.’

At first, he didn’t move. Then, reluctantly, he reached into his pocket and tossed me a set of keys.

‘The blue Aston Martin,’ he said quietly. ‘Underground parking. Stick close to the building. I’ll try to hold her off.’

I caught the keys without looking at him.

‘Mackenzie, please—’ he pleaded.

‘Goodbye, Luis,’ I said, turning away.