“Of course he’d say that. I can’t trust him. I know that. Now, I know I can’t trust you either—you or Wyatt.”
He heard the familiar click and realized she’d ended the call. Fuck!
* * * *
Wyatt had his hands full with Mackenzie, more than full.
She was in total and utter free fall. She’d thrown his cell across the room and then crumpled. He’d grabbed her and pulled her into him. She’d hit him several times as she lost complete control of herself. Tears of panic, anger, and dread shot out of her like waterfalls.
“Why did you tell Austin? Why? Everything I’ve done is worthless now. Trent. Oh God, Trent.” She collapsed into him, overcome by her hopelessness.
He swept her up into his arms and walked out back. He had to shock her back. Getting a pool had been Wade’s idea, not his. In fact, he’d cursed the idea as a foolish lark. Now, he was glad his brother hadn’t given in to his arguments.
Keeping a hold of her, he stepped into the shallow end of the pool. The water was cool, really cool. He held her above it for the moment.
“Come back to me, Mackenzie.” She didn’t respond. He walked into the deep end, letting the pool’s water hit her lower half. She sobbed but kept her eyes tight.
“Take a deep breath.”
Nothing.
“Take. A. Deep. Breath. Now.”
She did, and he took her down to the bottom of the deep end, keeping her locked in his arms. Immediately he kicked against the bottom, sending them both to the surface. She sputtered, and inhaled another breath.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“You know why, honey. You were out of control.”
“I had a right to be. Your damn brother told Austin about me, about Trent. I trusted Wade. I’ve been such an idiot. Did you know he was going to tell Austin the whole thing?”
He shrugged and walked her to the side of the pool. “We know him quite well. He’s capable of a lot of things, even killing someone, I suppose, but only if they threaten someone he loves. His mother or his wife top that list. Maybe his dads and brothers, too. But that’s it. Nothing else.”
“Jessie sure loves him.”
He cradled her against his chest. “And trusts him, Mackenzie. Let’s call Wade back. See what they turned up. Okay? You with me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not unless you want to take another dive in the pool,” he teased.
They went back into the house, dripping the whole way. She was shivering. He removed her clothes again.
“I can’t, Wyatt. Not now. Don’t you think of anything other than sex?”
“Not really, but I’m only interested in getting you warm. I’ve got a robe my mother bought me when I was thirteen that will fit you.” He lowered her to the ground. “We need some towels and that robe. Stay put. Okay?”
She nodded, her lips quivering from the cold. He gathered what he needed and came back to where he’d left her. Besides her arms wrapped around her chest in a clear attempt to fight the cold, she hadn’t moved a single inch. Definitely a submissive, even though a bratty one.
After he dried her off with the towels and put his old robe on her, which was a little large on her tiny body, he reclaimed his cell phone. “It’s a total loss.” The screen was cracked and the back hung to the body of the thing by one hinge. “Where’s your phone, Mackenzie?”
“In my purse. I left it on your kitchen table when we first got here.”
He retrieved it. He clicked the button and a prompt for a security code came on. Smart girl. “What’s your code?”
She rattled it off willingly.
Really good girl. He punched in Wade’s number.