Chapter 33

The girl ran to the window, breathing in the fresh air, her eyes lowered as she realized it was too high anyway.

'I'm afraid,' she looked at him with large brown eyes with fear.

His eyes fell on Hailey and he never looked away. He gazed into her eyes with authority and coolness.

There were only two steps between them, and he did not come closer to her, he did not violate her personal space.

'How long,' his firm words were questioned. 'How long will you not trust me?'

'You kidnapped me, how can I trust you?'

His lips pressed into a thin line and his cheekbones tightened. Blue eyes darkened several times, becoming blue.

'But I saved you,' he took one step closer to her.

'You're right, you saved me,' the young lady whispered, lowering her eyes.

'Do you trust me? I promise I will get you.'

The girl looked back, realizing that she needed to quickly leave the room.

'I trust you,' she gave him a serious look, nodding slightly in agreement.

'That's good,' Jay kissed the brown-haired woman on the cheek.

The young man climbed onto the frame, after which he jumped to the ground with a crash, without any problems.

Hailey walked over to the window, peering out to look at the guy.

The blond man raised his head, stretching his arms forward.

'Jump immediately without thinking!'

'Promise me you'll catch me and I won't break my leg!'

'I promise, Hailey Marilyn Mackenzie!'

The young lady climbed onto the frame, as Foster had done, and then looked down and back again to see that the bathroom was on fire, and the white tiles were growing blacker.

Mackenzie jumped down with her eyes closed in fear as she felt warm arms around her.

'I told you I'd catch you.'

She lifted her eyelids, meeting the blue eyes that stared back at her. Their faces were so close, noses almost touching. There was an awkward silence, and the boy moved his face a little closer. He moved carefully slowly so as not to frighten the girl. Hailey closed her eyes, mouths connecting. The guy began to gently move his lips, involving the brown-haired woman in a light kiss.

He was special, like James was trying to show her that he needed her.

And she felt it.

It wasn't Stockholm Syndrome, as Williams Foster had told her.

Mackenzie heard a low voice from the earpiece, breaking away from the boy's lips.

'I'm sorry,' he released her from his embrace, fingers pressing the stereo headset closer to his ear.

Miller was on the other side of the comm, in the woods, breathing wearily from the difficult task that had drained so much energy out of him.

'James, I followed your order.'

'I'm glad you were able to avenge us all.'

Nick brushed his hands off the ground, looking around the battlefield. He raised his pistol, took one last look at the body, and turned and walked away.

'There's a wrinkle, though.'

'Which?'

'He managed to give orders to his people. They won't let her live.'

'They won't follow his orders, he's dead.'

Miller smirked, knowing he wasn't. An order is an order. The guy came back to the house to help and guide his guys while Foster was away.

'Get out of here,' Nick said firmly, holding the gun tightly in his hands to shoot at the guard. 'We'll be in touch.'

And the guy disconnected from the call.

Foster gave the girl a thoughtful look, wondering how to keep her safe. They needed a car, but to get to his car they had to walk past their father's men, which was critically dangerous.

'Follow me, quickly,' he took the brown-haired woman by the hand, leading him towards the garages.

The garage building was built separately from the house for three cars.

Sectional doors protected the building, but that wasn't a problem. Foster didn't have a remote, but he knew how the device worked.

Where the rack and pinion bracket attaches, James made a hole from the outside. The drive bracket fell off the canvas as soon as this happened, and the guy raised the gate in manual mode.

They went inside, noticing three cars.

'A jeep is more practical,' the guy explained, choosing the same car as his own.

'Look for the keys, please.'

The brown-haired woman nodded, intending to go check the small cabinets, but it didn't take long to go. With a glance, the girl found black keys on the cabinet that stood near the jeep.

'Here they are.' Foster took them from Hailey's hands, pressing the immobilizer to automatically unlock the doors.

The young man opened the door, placing the girl in the front seat, after which he himself took the driver's seat.

The engine started and the car drove out of the garage along the paved road, heading straight for the track through the forest.

'Hailey,' the blond man drew attention to himself, turning his head towards the brown-haired woman. 'who kidnapped you?'

Mackenzie looked into his eyes, eyebrows narrowed, to answer, it was necessary to remember. She turned back to the window, rummaging through her head.

'If you behave well, everything will be fine,' the man grinned, saying a tautology.

'One wrong move and a bullet in the forehead?'

'Maybe.'

In front of them was a huge fence with a gate near which stood two strong men in formal suits.

'I'm Nathan Evans. Williams Foster is waiting for me,' the brown-haired man said sternly and then the gates opened.

'Do you understand that I will tell everything to James when he picks me up?' Mackenzie said with heavy breathing, trying to convince the guy not to make the wrong decision.

'If you just remember me. I know how to make a person lose his memory.'

He stood up from the girl, lifting her up with him. With a light push, he pinned her against the wall, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

'Goodbye,' Joe whispered, taking her head in his hands and then slamming it hard against the wall.

Hailey screamed in pain, then passed out instantly.

'Nobody will hear you.'

The girl turned in bed, trying to throw off the guard. With his hand, he pressed her hips against the mattress, trying to complicate her actions.

'Do not scream, otherwise I will hurt you, angel.'

'Angel, wake up.'

Mackenzie heard another voice in her sleep besides the noise from the TV, slowly starting to wake up. She felt a hand on her waist, and then again a man's voice.

'Hailey, it's time to get up, you've got a long road ahead of you.'

'Where?' Hale muttered softly, burying her face in the pillow.

'It's a surprise, angel.'

The girl lay in a white T-shirt and pink pajama shorts, feeling warm from a man's hand. She was comfortable, but after a minute the thought came to her mind that the palm was completely different, more rough and rough. It wasn't Foster.

Hailey opened her eyes, getting out of bed quickly enough.

'What is it, angel? What are you afraid of?'

She looked at him with dumbfounded eyes, not knowing what to expect from this man.

'They sent me here, Foster.'

The young guy got up from the bed, slowly approaching the girl. He reminded her of someone she couldn't remember from her past life.

'Don't come near me, I don't believe you,' the voice trembled treacherously, and the girl with every step she took moved away from the wall to be further.

'He asked me to take you to a certain place.'

The guy stopped near the brown-haired woman, looking at her with brown eyes that seemed black.

'I'm not going anywhere with you, Joe.'

He raised his hand, gently touching his face.

'Then I'll have to use force.'

'James! Help!'

Joe pressed his body on top of her, covering her mouth with his hand.

Mackenzie turned too abruptly to Foster, her eyes wide with surprise. Her speech was taken away from the shock of what she now remembered. Her memory from the city where she was born returned three years later.

'It's Joe! That's why he seemed too familiar to me! All those glances of his and mysterious conversations that made the blood run cold. The memory, eliminated by a blow, returns with the same strong blow!' The girl began to chatter, expressing her guesses, which James had no idea about.

'What are you talking about?'

'It's because of Joe that I left my city. He's a psycho, a maniac, you know? Hamerson was after me, I was his victim! He is still obsessed with me!'

'Joe moved to our city two years ago. You want to say...'

'This is true. He had changed, that's why I couldn't recognize him. The day I was kidnapped, Joe came into my bedroom and banged my head against the wall, saying that I would never remember that day again.'

'Hamerson handed you over to my father? Does he work for him?'

'No, Nathan took me. He works for Nathan, but also possibly for your father.'

'Nathan?!' The boy growled, seething with anger.

'It's not his fault, James. Evans didn't want to hand me over to Williams, but he had no other choice. He thought you killed Dean.'