McKenzie Cousins Box Set 1

“Hey,” an elderly man asks, “are you okay, honey?”

I blink and realize my face is wet as tears run from my eyes. I shake my head, and with one last glance at Michael, I turn and walk as fast as I can from the hotel.

I’m lucky and climb into the first cab I see. I have no clue as to what address to give him and, in the end, I settle on a hotel. I manage to keep myself together until I’m locked into the suite.

Then I stand in the middle of the room and my sobs come, loud, and racking my body as I drop to the floor and curl into myself.

I wish I hadn’t made it to the event tonight, that I hadn’t seen what I’d seen. My heart finds it difficult to comprehend. How could Michael do that to me? I live with him. He said he couldn’t wait until all my things were in his home and that I no longer had anywhere else to live.

Perhaps you misunderstood what you’d seen!

I want to believe that, but what if I hadn’t? I never would have believed it of Michael, but he clung to her.

You should have stayed and asked.

Letting my tears run freely, I don’t know what the hell to think, but I do know I’m not going to be able to ask Michael tonight. I need to think and clear my head and the only way to do that is if I’m alone.

Reaching for my purse, I sit up and rummage through it. Finding my phone, I switch it off and toss it back inside. Rolling to my hands and knees, I clamber to my feet and enter the bathroom. I avoid the mirror as I strip my clothes from my body, remember all the times Michael had removed them for me. Climbing into the shower, I let the water mix with my tears.

54

Michael

Frowning, I glance at my watch for the umpteenth time, but still no Brooke. I hunt my cell out of my pocket and curse when I notice four missed calls and a couple of text messages from her. Why the hell didn’t I hear them? I laugh, annoyed with myself. How would I hear anything other than the music from the live band in this room?

“What’s wrong?” Olivia, my cousin, and Alexander’s sister, asks.

“Brooke should be here by now.”

“Maybe she got held up.”

“I missed her calls and text. She messaged me over an hour ago saying she was nearly at the hotel.” I run my hand through my short hair. “What if she’s had an accident?”

“Don’t worry until you know there’s something to worry about,” Olivia suggests. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

I was surprised to arrive and be greeted by my cousin the minute I walked into the room. Olivia works at McKenzies but she’s been out of town for a while on a project in Texas. I’m glad that I’ve gotten to spend time with her tonight with her only being home for a few days.

As I watch her now, I realize that she’s distracted as she looks around the ballroom.

“Looking for someone?”

“Yeah…I met a woman in the restroom and thought I’d go and say hello to her, as the majority of people I know here are drunk…I don’t see her though.”

“Perhaps she’s had enough and left,” I suggest, trying to call Brooke except her cell keeps going straight to voicemail.

“No, I don’t think so. She’d only just arrived when I talked to her.”

Then I have a thought and my heart starts to sink. “Have a look at a picture of Brooke.” I open my photos and find a close up and show it Olivia.

Her eyes widen. “That’s her.” She laughs and then it turns into a groan and she curses.

“Tell me?”

“I never told her my name, and I told her that I’d been teasing the man I’m with. Telling him he was the most handsomest man in the room, and that I loved him very much.” She reaches for my arm. “I had no idea I was talking to Brooke. I mean, I wasn’t lying, I love you but we’re related.”

“Which means if she followed you into the ballroom then she’d have seen you in my arms. She’d have seen me hugging you back and grinning like an idiot at you.” The bottom drops out of my stomach.