Page 94 of Shattered

“Nicole and Emmitt were the biological parents to the three pups in the grave with Nicole. However, from everything I have gathered at the site and the remaining documentation at the warehouse in New Mexico, Nicole didn’t carry them. A surrogate did. I believe as much as Emmitt was tortured, so was Nicole. She, however, was in a trance or maybe drugged, so she wouldn’t remember the harvesting of her eggs? I don’t know for sure, though.”

“What can you prove?” Charles hedged. “We can’t go in there accusing PBH or your aunt of something we don’t have evidence to support.”

“I have the DNA. I have their bodies. We know there was a pattern of Hazel and other members of PBH having abilities. We know Henry experimented on Emmitt and how they experimented on him. We also know what they did to my father. There’s enough circumstantial evidence to put two and two together.”

“Do we need to have all the proof?” Kalin scrubbed his chin. “Couldn’t you play if off as having more to get her to tell on herself?”

Charles stared at Kalkin. “You’re putting me in a bind. If I can’t get her to confess, she’ll walk on appeal. Hell, she might walk out of court a free woman due to the case being dismissed. Then what?”

“You trip her,” Mackenzie said. Holly always believed she was too smart for all of them. Even when he realized the truth about her, she still flaunted herself around town. She’d fall for the trap, he knew it.

“Put me back on the stand and redirect,” Hayden said, her tone hard and resolute. “You’re going to have to when you get the psychology report, even though it’s bogus. Do it then.”

“I need to get to this evidence meeting with the judge. Court starts either way at nine in the morning. Be there and be ready to testify. Even if I don’t call, don’t think it’s a bad sign.”

Mackenzie walked out of the District Attorney’s office when their meeting was over. There’d been no telling which way this new bit of information would play out. The judge could tell them it was too late. Or, in the grand scheme of things, it might not matter either way, but they—he—hoped it would work. It’d make the case against Holly and PBH stronger.

“Go home to your mate,” Kalkin said when they stepped outside. “Put all of this out of your mind, by fucking your mate.”

Easier said than done. “Sure, but someone, I won’t name names, gave her the morning shift, and the kids are at school.”

“I mean it, though,” Kalkin said. “When she gets home tonight and the kids are in bed, fuck it out with your mate. Be ready to testify tomorrow.”

Mackenzie grunted. “You have such an eloquent way of speaking.”

“Keeley says the same.” Kalkin patted Mackenzie on the shoulder. “We’re almost through with this.”

“Are we truly ever free or finished with PBH?”

Kalkin snorted. “No. I’m learning we’re not—may never be, no matter how hard we try. However, this case might end it for a longer period of time this go around.”

“We can hope,” Mackenzie muttered. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Kalkin replied. “Oh, and Mac?”

Mackenzie paused. “Yeah?”

“It was me who gave her the morning shift.” His brother grinned.

“I know, meddling asshole.”

Kalkin laughed. “Good to see you’re still a dick.”

Mackenzie flipped him off as he headed for the exit. “Asshole.”

The rest of the day passed in relative ease. He gave Aurora space, knowing full well he hadn’t been easy with her during the full moon. The night in the clearing, he’d taken her three times before being able to carry her out and at least sleep without the searing arousal gripping him by the balls. He’d meant to ask her once again, to move in with him and the kids, but time slipped away. Unfortunately, when he woke Sunday morning, she was gone—day shift at the Sheriff’s Department.

So, maybe Kalkin was right. He needed to fuck it out with her. Talk through everything and try again. He hated to admit, but his life was still in a constant state of being fucked up. No matter what he did, it seemed like, he couldn’t get ahead of everything and make things right. Hell, he didn’t even know how to communicate with his mate. It seemed like they were going about their business like nothing had happened, and it didn’t sit well with him. Shit, if he was honest with himself, he’d done the same thing with his children. From Royce to Riley, they’d all floundered with him, and it’d been his fault.

His point had been proved the minute Liam walked back into his home after being at the community center. The boy was sullen. He’d come home withdrawn and a bit angrier than he’d been before he went in. Mackenzie tried to get the boy to talk to him, but Liam refused.Kind of like you, old man.Mackenzie snorted. However, unlike so many other times when he’d let things lie, he took matters into his own hands. He made an appointment to talk with Maria.

Mackenzie pulled up to the orphanage as fat snowflakes began to fall, a rarity for them so early in the year. He shoved his hands into pockets after he got out of his truck and hurried toward the house. He stepped inside and shivered as the warmth infused him. The hum of activity was minimal which didn’t surprise him. Most of the children had returned to school or were with Mark in the small school building behind the house. After pulling off his coat, he walked down the hall to Maria’s office and knocked. He hadn’t talked to the girl much other than when Charisma brought her to the house for dinner. She was quiet, bookish, but she also had a razor-sharp tongue when push came to shove.

“Mackenzie, I’m glad you could make it.” Maria grinned as she stood aside, allowing him to enter.

“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice,” he replied, taking a seat.

“Not a problem.” She followed him into her office, then took a seat at her desk. “I was a little surprised when you called. What can I do for you?”

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