Page 96 of Alec’s Dream

Big family event.

Alec’s first and he wanted Macy and the kids there with him.

After he talked her around to that, he was going to suggest they host Christmas dinner at their house.

The burn that’d been smoldering in his chest caught once again and it felt so goddamn good he had to grip the edge of his desk to keep upright.

Their house.

That was what he wanted—her and the kids under his roof making a home together—a family.

Alec didn’t just want it—he needed it.

“How’d drop-off go this morning?” Jonny asked before his ass was even planted in the chair in the conference room.

“Good. We took Rory in first, had a word with the principal. I’ll be walking Rory in every morning and I’ll pick her up from the office after school. Talked to Caleb’s school officer, he said you called and briefed him, so he was in on the conversation we had with the middle school administration. Wayne’s out front for both drop-off and pick-up so he’ll keep watch.”

Jonny settled in and Alec debated telling his friend that Jameson had checked in. He didn’t want to keep the man in the dark, but there was only so much one person could take, and Jonny had been taking hit after hit from his brother.

And right then they had more important things to discuss, though Alec couldn’t get the sour in his gut to subside. Something was seriously bothering him about Spencer. Sure the man was a prick, but it was like he gave up too easy. Everything inside of him was screaming to protect Aurora. If Doug was going to make a play it would be for his daughter. And Rory was the most vulnerable, the most trusting, and she wouldn’t understand if Macy or he told her if she saw her father she was to run. No way in fuck would Alec do that to the little girl, even if that was exactly what needed to be said to her.

Fucking hell.

Thirty minutes later, Alec, Jonny, Nixon, and Weston finished up their meeting.

There wasn’t much to go over since Josh Malone had been smart and they had nothing tying him to the shooting. But there was still a warrant for his arrest for assaulting Macy. All they needed to do was hunt him down.

“You know, for such a small fucking town it sure is hard to track someone,” Weston noted and that was the God’s honest truth.

Alec had tracked men down in the city with fifty times the population faster than finding Malone.

“Problem with a small town is, no one talks.” Jonny's face twisted in irritation as he spoke. “As much as they gossip, when shit like this goes down, they shut up. Retribution is handed out quickly and they know it. If not by Malone direct, by his family, or one of his boys. There’s no escaping it. We live in a community where everyone knows everyone.”

“Holden’s still out, but coming up empty,” Nixon added and winced. “He’s sitting in front of Misty Greenbrier’s house now, hoping Malone will stop there.”

Alec had met Misty once but her reputation had preceded her. She was known as the town slut and from what Alec had endured during their encounter, the citizens of Cliff City had it right. The woman had been relentless in her attempt to pick him up. Alec didn’t like aggressive women and figured the way she threw herself at him and was pissed when he’d declined, the men she was used to didn’t share his opinion.

There wasn’t a damn thing attractive about Misty Greenbrier but she put out and she didn’t care who she fucked—married or not, she’d take it. And apparently, she also didn’t mind fucking men who beat women if Malone was a regular at her house.

Alec’s cell rang and he glanced down at the screen to see Macy’s name flashing on the screen.

“Macy?” he answered.

“Alec.” Her voice was flimsy and panicked.

Acid infused his veins and his body locked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Josh called.”

“Come again?”

Out of the corner of his vision, McKenna entered the room, Nix stood and the room went static.

“Just now. He called and said that if I didn’t start making payments I’d start paying a different way. He said next time he wouldn’t miss and he’d be aiming at Caleb.”

Alec heard the hitch in her voice. She knew Malone would make good on his threat. The caustic poison that was pumping through his system turned bitter.