Page 20 of Forget Me Not
“Yeah, we all did the same.”
“What I didn’t tell you was I walked away from the woman I was going to marry. I thought I could come back and get her. That I could explain why I did what I did, and she would forgive me. But the years passed, and I knew too much time had elapsed for me to salvage what we had. Hell, I faked my death. How was I supposed to justify doing that to her or my parents? I just didn’t expect to come back and learn I had a kid. A fucking son, Alex. She had my son alone, while I was out investigating the world. Not to mention she looks exactly the same way she did all those years ago.”
“You’ve seen her? Wait.” Alex sat up in his seat. “It was the blonde, wasn’t it? The one you took home?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck. What are you going to do? She’s tangled up with that fucker Austin Craig.”
In the last twenty-four hours, Alex had learned that Austin Craig was our guy. When he left Mackenzie so suddenly, Alex followed him. I lied when I told her he was at the bar chatting up a woman, but it was necessary. What he found was Austin had been picked up by none other than Giuliani Pulitano. The Vegas mob boss himself. It was all we needed to know he was our guy.
“They just started dating and I think she is pissed because last night was the second time, he had ditched her.”
“This is fucked up.”
“I have a date with her Wednesday.”
“You what? Are you out of your fucking mind? What do you think is going to happen when she learns who you are? Do you think it’s going to be a happy reunion?”
“She won’t find out. Not yet. Look, I know you don’t understand, but I need to do this. It may be the only way I get to know my son.”
“This is fifty shades of fucked up.”
Alex was right. I was playing with fire, but I would risk the burn to be near her again. And to get to know Danny. I’d missed ten years of his life already—I wasn’t sure if I could walk away knowing he existed.
I sent Mackenzie a quick text.
I can’t stop thinking about you.
Mackenzie: Same. It’s crazy. We just met.
Sometimes you just know.
I grinned. She had been the only woman I had ever loved. Walking away nearly gutted me when I thought about what it did to her, but I was young and dumb. All I saw was the clout that came with being in the GOA. They had made it sound so glorious when they propositioned me with a job. Only they failed to mention what I would have to sacrifice when I agreed. It wasn’t until I signed the papers that I learned I would have to vanish from the people I loved—the woman I loved.
Mackenzie: I’m not sure I can wait to see you until Wednesday. How about dinner tonight? I’d like to get to know you. My place? 8?
I stared at her text, unsure how to respond. I wanted to spend time with her. “What’s on tap for tonight?”
“I’m planning on staking out Austin’s place. Why? You got a hot date planned?” Alex mused, but when he glanced up, his eyes widened. “Fuck. You do, don’t you?”
“She invited me to dinner.”
“This might actually work in our favor. If you get close to her, you might find information on Austin. Alright. Go out on your date. But don’t say I didn’t warn you because this will probably blow up in your face.”
“I’m well aware.”
I found myself in my truck driving down a familiar road. It was the one place I swore I wouldn’t go past when we got to Barclay, yet it’s exactly where I found myself. I slowed the engine and stopped across from the house I’d spent most of my life. The front porch held memories of stolen kisses and late nights. It was on the porch swing that I first kissed Mackenzie. We were both sixteen and inexperienced. She had just come to live with us when things changed between us. I realized she was more than a friend and she realized she was in love with me. We were never apart after that. My parents were resistant at first, but when they witnessed how we were together, they relented. I think they pictured us married with kids in the end. I’m sure my death had come as a shock.
I watched as my dad stepped out of the garage and froze. He held my gaze as he stepped around the truck and tapped on the window. Letting it down, I smiled.
“Can I help you, Sir?”
A flurry of emotion passed over his face before he spoke. “You can tell me why the fuck I buried you.”
My entire being ceased up. How was this even possible? “Excuse me? I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“You may have changed your appearance, but a father never forgets his son, Danny.”
