My eyes narrowed. "You got here pretty quick,” I spat, voice thick with suspicion. "How many cameras are set up at the camp, huh?”
I threw it at him to see if it landed, and it did, as a flicker of irritation flashed across his face.
“Didn’t take you long to figure it out, did it?” His voice was steady, then he let out a short, cold laugh. “We flagged the breach the second you touched the firewall. You were clever, but reckless. Your dad told us you’d figure it out.”
He was baiting me. It irritated me more.
“I don’t want to talk about him now,” I shot back. “I’ll deal with him later.”
West’s voice turned flat, almost mocking. “He’s the one who laid the trail for you, the breadcrumbs you followed. Did you really think it’d be that easy to hack into FBI files?”
My stomach dropped. My dad had wanted me to find Mackenzie’s history. Why would he do that?
“If you’d watched Mackenzie half as closely as you watched me, she wouldn’t be in this hospital fighting for her life. I blame you both.” I stepped closer, close enough that he had to look up at me. “And I know for a fact the FBI doesn’t tell the CIA shit.”
West’s face tightened, something private crossing it. He looked away for a beat. Mackenzie was his weakness, too. He didn’t want to admit it.
“What is she to you anyway?” I asked, my voice catching as I looked him straight in the eye. He bit his bottom lip, hesitating just a moment before saying, “She’s family. I… see her as a daughter."
The words hit me harder than I expected, a stabbing blow of reality. He was actually being honest. I took a step closer, my voice trembling. "So, if she’s your family, you’d do anything to protect her, right?” I pressed, vulnerability flickering. “She’s my family, too. I love her. I’d do anything for her."
My eyes darted down the hall, longing to see her walk toward me, to end this nightmare. "Look, I get it, she’s got a past. That stays between us. But I don’t like being messed with. And I certainly don’t like getting watched. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m sick of it. So, hear me now—fuck off."
West’s face remained calm, but his eyes pierced through me, icy and sharp. “Fast reactions save lives, Max. But anger doesn’t. Keep that in mind.” His tone was flat, but I sensed the threat underneath. My chest still hammered with panic and adrenaline, yet beneath it all, my mind spun. He hadn’t intended to reveal everything, but unfortunately for him, I was smarter than he realized.
They’re tracking everything: every step, every second. And I didn’t even notice until now.
West studied me, that faint smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
His eyes lingered on me, intensity burning behind them. “You’ve got focus, instinct—a talent for reading people under pressure. If you could just channel that...” His gaze dragged over my body. “You’d be a problem. The kind you don’t want to face. In the best way.”
I froze, shivering despite myself. A problem? The word echoed in my mind. I already was a fucking problem. He just didn’t know it yet. Before I could speak, the nurse reappeared, wheeling Mackenzie’s gurney into view. She was still unmoving, eyes closed. West and I stepped forward instinctively.
"She’s stable,” the nurse said hurriedly, her voice tinged with urgency, noticing the panic flickering in my eyes. “We’ve stopped the bleeding from the stab wound. No major vessels hit.The wound’s sutured and packed. She’s not actively hemorrhaging anymore. Her blood pressure remains stable with fluids, and her oxygen saturation is good. The CT scan came back clear. No skull fracture, no intracranial bleed. She’s still unresponsive, but her pupils are reactive. She’s breathing on her own.”
A strangled sob escaped me as relief flooded over me.
She was breathing.
“Thank you,” I choked out.
“She’s not out of danger yet,” the nurse said softly, her voice cold with necessity. “But she’s alive. She’s stable. That’s good news.”
I nodded fiercely; my throat felt constricted, my words caught in my throat.
“Can I sit beside her? Please.”
She studied me long and hard, then finally nodded. “Alright. Just stay out of the way of the team.”
I didn’t wait for her to change her mind. I was already moving when West stepped into my path.
“Let me.”
The nurse blinked at him, her expression cautious. “And you are?”
“I’m her step-dad,” West said smoothly, a hint of coldness lacing his tone.
Well, that was news to me. I fought to hide the shock that flashed across my face, but failed.
