"Olivia," Dwayne called out as he knocked on the door. "Zee's awake and she wants to take Jazzy."
A few moments later, Olivia opened the door, wrapped in a robe, sleep lines streaked along her face, her long, black hair safely tucked under a satin bonnet.
"McKenzie, I'm so glad you're awake but why do you want to take Jazzy now? It's 2:00 a.m." Olivia stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
McKenzie inhaled deeply. "Olivia, I've always liked you and have the utmost respect for you. Jazzy is my child and if I want to take her at 2:00 a.m. then I have a right to do so. Move."
"McKenzie, at least wait until the sun is up," Olivia said, worry stretched across her face.
"It's dark out, it gives us better cover. Move." Impatience crept into McKenzie's voice.
"At least let me pack a few things for the both of you from the kitchen before you leave," Olivia said but remained firmly in front of the door.
"Olivia," McKenzie's voice darkened, "if I have to ask you to move one more time I'm going to put my hands on you."
Olivia shot Dwayne a look and he shrugged. She stepped to the side and McKenzie entered the room.
"Olivia," he pleaded with his sister, "she isn't well enough to leave. We can't let her take Jazzy."
"She won't." A strange look washed over Olivia's face.
Before he could respond, McKenzie rushed from the room and punched Olivia squarely in the face then tackled her to the ground where she landed a few more punches.
Dwayne was frozen for a few seconds, surprised by McKenzie's sudden outburst. Once he snapped out of it, he dragged a stark raving mad McKenzie off a stunned Olivia.
"Where is my daughter!?" McKenzie screamed as she struggled against Dwayne's hold.
Slowly, Olivia stood to her feet, her lip was busted and her left eye had already begun to swell.
Olivia licked her lip. "She's safe."
"Where the fuck is my child, you bitch!" McKenzie screamed as she tried to attack Oliva again but Dwayne held her close, his arms firmly around her waist, locking her arms to her sides.
"Olivia, what is she talking about?" Dwayne asked, confused. "Isn't Jazzy in there?"
As far as he knew Jasmine had been with Olivia over the past three days.
How would you know? You've been locked in the room with McKenzie for three days.
"No, she isn't. I did what needed to be done," Olivia said sternly as she watched McKenzie squarely in the eye.
McKenzie scoffed, "You did what needed to be done for my child? Where is she, Olivia?"
"Why? So you can take her and put her in harm's way? I'm not telling either of you where she is." Olivia folded her arms across her chest.
Dwayne felt his blood boil. "Olivia! That wasn't your decision to make! You can be charged with kidnapping. Where is Jazzy?"
Olivia huffed, "As a doctor it is my duty to report when children are in dangerous situations." She turned and spoke to McKenzie, "Dwayne told me about your living conditions and what happened at the hospital. It seems to me that the only person you've been thinking about is yourself and not that precious baby."
McKenzie growled and tried to pull away from Dwayne. He knew that if he let her go that the next thing he'd be doing is planning his sister's funeral, and honestly she'd deserve it! He couldn't believe Olivia made a decision like that on her own.
McKenzie barked, "Since Dwayne has nothing to do but talk my business, did he also tell you that he pays me to fuck him three times a week?"
His breath hitched as Olivia gave him a look of disapproval.
McKenzie continued her rant, "Did he also tell you that he resents you for not being there three years ago when your parents died because you were too busy trying to work on your marriage that failed anyway? What was it Dwayne said? That your husband just disappeared? I wonder what kind of wife you were for your husband to disappear, never to be seen again!"
Olivia's eyes widened and Dwayne couldn't bring himself to look at her. Next time he needed to keep his mouth shut! He knew he fucked up.
Big time!
On both accounts.
McKenzie sneered, "You just killed whoever has Jazzy. When her father finds her no one is going to stand in his way from taking her! Their blood will be on your hands. But, you're a doctor right? So you're accustomed to having people's blood on your hands."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "McKenzie, you can hate me all you want but..."
"But nothing! If anything happens to my daughter I will come back and kill you with my bare hands," she threatened. She clawed at Dwayne and shrieked, "Let me go!"
Reluctantly, he removed his hands from around her waist but stood between her and Olivia, just in case. He disagreed with what Olivia did but he couldn't let McKenzie attack her again, could he?
She pointed a finger at him, her face contorted with rage. "Never speak to me again. I blame you for this. You promised to protect, Jasmine. I should've never let you back in my life! I hate you!"
McKenzie turned and stomped down the stairs, the front door slammed a few seconds later, letting him know that she left.
He pulled the phone out of his pocket, "Razor, Zee's coming out, don't stop her. Follow her and take Canine with you. Let me know where she goes."
Razor and Canine were two of the men sent over by Richard to help protect McKenzie.
"Sure thing, D."
He hung up and turned to Olivia, pissed.
"Why the fuck did you do that? What were you thinking?"
Olivia shrugged. "I was thinking of getting Jazzy away from a lifestyle that was toxic as hell! What the fuck were you thinking encouraging McKenzie in that shit!"
"Jazzy is not my daughter! Nor is she yours! You overstepped your boundaries. I regret asking you to help us!"
"Would you rather Jazzy die because McKenzie is too proud to ask for help or in the hands of that bastard father she has? I did what you didn't have the guts to do."
"If anything happens to Jazzy…" Dwayne's tone held a steel edge.
He knew if he said what was on the tip of his tongue he wouldn't be able to take the words back, so he kept them to himself. He glared at his sister one last time before he took to the stairs two at a time. He couldn't stay there with Olivia anymore.
He hopped into his truck and called Razor.
"Where is she?" He asked as he started the van.
"She just turned onto Lancaster."
"I'm on my way."
The call ended and he screeched out of the driveway and headed towards Lancaster. It wasn't long before he saw McKenzie walking briskly along the pavement.
As he slowed down next to her he rolled down the window and called out to her.
"Zee, get in."
Ignoring him, she continued to walk.
"I was just trying to help. Richard and I found you passed out under the bus shed with Jazzy on top of you. Olivia is right though," he clenched his jaw in admittance.
McKenzie stopped abruptly, still looking ahead.
He continued, "Your pride has made Jazzy's life harder than it needs to be."
She turned to me and laughed bitterly. "This coming from the same man who walked out on me when I needed him most? And your sister is a baren bitch. What do either of you know about making the right choices for your children? Neither of you know what I've been through so just fuck off."
"I'm not leaving you here. Let's go back to the ranch and find out where Olivia sent Jazzy."
"Fuck you!" McKenzie yelled as she continued to walk.
Just then Dwayne noticed a vehicle approaching. It looked like…a black panel van.
Fuck!
"Zee, get in now!" Dwayne demanded.
"No! Fuck you!"
Suddenly, bullets ricocheted off the back of Dwayne's truck and McKenzie screamed.
"Zee! Let's go!" Dwayne screamed as his heart pounded in his chest.
Without further protest, McKenzie hopped into the front of the truck, keeping herself low as Dwayne sped off.
How the fuck were they going to get out of this?