Page 254 of The Black Trilogy

“What?” she asked.

“I’ve been here before. This is Nick’s house, right?”

She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Nick’s house? Do you mean Nick Goldman?”

“I guess so.”

“No, it’s not his house. He just stays here sometimes. You know him?”

“Not exactly. I met him a month and a half ago. With Ash. I mean Emerson. She brought me here when my sister was kidnapped.”

Mackenzie went whiter than the sofa in the hallway as she sank onto the soft leather.

“Oh my gosh. You’re that Luke? Emmy’s Luke?” Mackenzie stared at him, her green eyes wide. “I didn’t ever see a picture of you. I never knew what you looked like. Nate dealt with most of the kidnapping thing while I was in California. Then when I got back, everyone was walking on eggshells around Emmy, avoiding the subject.”

He crouched in front of Mackenzie. “Yes, I’m that Luke. But I’m not Emmy’s Luke. We broke up.”

“I’m not sure you should be here,” she said, but she made no move to show him to the door.

He had to admit it was a little awkward, being in Emmy’s territory, but at the same time, he wanted to give her a piece of his mind about what happened with Tia. She’d sped off the other night without so much as a word, and she needed to understand it wasn’t acceptable to take Tia out to nightclubs.

“Where is Emmy? Did you know she tried to corrupt my little sister? She called her up and encouraged to go out clubbing of all things. Tia’s only seventeen, for crying out loud.”

“Emmy hardly called her up. It was the other way around.”

“She told me she called Tia.” Luke may have been hopping mad that evening, but he certainly remembered the conversation.

“That’s not how it happened at all. Tia called her. In the middle of the night. Tia had a problem, and she rang Emmy for help. Ems got me up at three in the morning to track Tia’s cell phone so she could find her.”

“Tia did that?”

“You have any other sisters?” Mackenzie’s voice held a hint of sarcasm, but that was better than tears.

“Well, no.”

“And neither of them told you?”

“No. Emmy told me she phoned Tia on the Friday and asked her to go to a club with her. Why would she say that if it wasn’t true?”

“I imagine she knew you’d be angry, and she was protecting Tia. She’s like that. She looks out for people she cares about, which includes your sister.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Tia was here since the previous Sunday.”

“What?”

Did nobody tell Luke anything?

“Tia was in a fight, I think. She had bruises on her face and a split lip. Emmy arranged for her to go to self-defence classes. I even took her to a couple myself. Tia’s a sweet girl.” Mack smiled, and Luke’s breath hitched. “You must be proud to have her as a sister.”

Luke pushed aside the feelings he didn’t understand. “You met Tia?” He thought back to the note she’d left. “She won’t even speak to me now.”

“Sure did. I helped her with her science homework. Physics and chemistry. She had an art assignment as well, but Bradley worked with her on that. Did you meet Bradley? Anyhow, Emmy only let her go out that Friday once she’d finished all of her projects. For a treat.”

Luke felt like his brain was working at half-speed. Perhaps he’d be at home on that government project after all. “Can we back up a bit? Bruises? Who gave Tia bruises?”

“Could you forget I mentioned that?” Mackenzie took half a step back. “You’ll have to ask Tia if you want to know anything else.”

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