AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pushed her away. I had an icy cold heart because of past mistakes. But when McKenzie took my hand and held it, I felt relief. Like I wanted the walls to come down.
“Again, I’m here.”
“I know. It’s just…when I’m with you, I realize my mistakes, McKenzie. That I was cold, and I made decisions, I would later regret. So, I guess that’s why I’m trying to be open with you. Because I want to open up a little bit and not be so cold,” I admitted.
“I understand.”
As I thought about this, I took a deep breath. I knew I had to tell her, even if it meant coming to terms with the darkness inside.
Chapter 11: McKenzie
WhenIheardAaronsay he had baggage, I just expected that he was an overworked father. But as we walked toward the benches and sat down, he took a deep breath.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard about this, but back in the day, I was…in a biker gang,” he started.
“Wait, really?” I said.
He nodded. “I had a day job working as a manager in a hospital, but in my free time, I also was part of The Hounds.”
I heard about them. They were a rumor in high school, and I knew they were bad news.
But…to think Aaron, of all people, was associated with them was strange.
“I’m surprised. I never thought that you were the type,” I told him.
I mean, Aaron was cold and refused to take shit from anyone, so hearing that he did have a past like that surprised me. I looked at him as he took a deep breath. He then spoke.
“Yeah, the biker group did a lot of heinous things. We stole shit, burned shit, and we even got into the trade of selling guns and drugs. I was having this double life, all while being the manager of a hospital,” he explained.
To think that Aaron had this kind of baggage. I never expected this out of him.
“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” I pointed out.
“I know. I’m pretty sure that this was not what you expected when we came out here today,” he replied.
“No, but…” I sat down and touched his shoulder. “It fascinates me. I’m excited to hear more. And I feel like…talking about this is good for both of us. Not just because it lets me understand you better, but also you get to understand yourself a little better too.”
I understood his concerns. After all, it wasn’t like this was easy for a guy like him to talk about.
“Thanks. So, yeah, I was doing all of this while working as a manager during the day. I even took time off to go handle deals with rival bikers. And it…it was fun, you know?” he admitted.
I could see why he might find it fun.
“Yeah. I get it. You enjoyed it, even though it was a hard life to keep up with,” I told him.
“You’re telling me. But sadly, all great things need to come to a close. That’s when…things got bad. I used the funding to buy the hospital I was a manager for. I invested in it, and through some moves, I became a billionaire. But the last thing I wanted was to let others know that I was a billionaire. So, I had to cover my tracks,” he explained.
I understood that. I then looked down at my feet, which sank into the sand.
“Yeah, you had to hide that. Nobody wants a person running a hospital that’s got a track record like that. How did you do it through?” I asked.
How does a person hide a past such as that? Using blood money in order to get a hospital.”
He looked downwards and put his hands together.
“I did it by hiding the truth from both my wife and Emily. I never wanted them to find out. I covered my tracks by pretending all the time I was out with the gang was me working late at the hospital. Eventually, things got really bad between Natalie and I. Emily also started to suspect things.”
I scoffed.
