Scorch (The MacKenzie Family Book 17) (2 page)

“Hold on,” she said. “I’m going to need another beer if you’re going to talk about my parents.” She got the bartender’s attention and held up a finger, indicating one more.

Declan chuckled and knew exactly how to reel her in. “You graduated high school at fifteen. What took you so long?”

She was silent for a minute and he wondered if she would tell him the truth. And then she turned over her wrists so he could see the scars there.

“I would’ve graduated at fourteen, but I had a little
set back
.”

“It would’ve been a hell of a shame if you’d been successful. The world is much better off having you here.”

She gave him an indulgent look and said, “The rest of the world? I don’t know about that. Maybe just a small corner.”

“Every soldier you’ve saved is damned glad you’re still part of this world. And believe me when I tell you the things you’re going to do in the future are things that no one but Lacey Shaw can do.”

“My parents treated me like an indentured servant. More of a robot than a child. They built me from the ground up. They dictated what I ate, what I studied, what piano pieces I’d learn to play, and a daily exercise routine that was the only “play” time I got. I could speak three languages by the age of four. Six languages by the age of ten. My parents had every aspect of my life planned. I wasn’t a human being to them. I was a machine. And I felt dead inside. There was no love in that house, no affection. I didn’t think I was any worse off being dead than being alive. At least I might have peace in death. Izzy, our housekeeper, was the one who found me.”

She traced the scar on her wrist with a long, elegant finger. “My parents were mortified of course. My father had all of the hospital records expunged, as well as the psychiatric evaluations. And they were furious that I’d delayed my studies by several months. They hadn’t included a suicide watch in their meticulously laid out plan.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I don’t like your parents.”

She laughed, and it was the first time he’d seen her face unguarded and free of the burdens she carried. She hadn’t had an easy life, and the path she’d chosen wouldn’t mean an easy future. But Lacey Shaw had been given a second chance at life and it was obvious she wanted to make as much of an impact as possible. If she came on with MacKenzie Security it would be to their mutual benefit.

“So you graduated at fifteen and then immediately started the summer term at Harvard. How did you get to class if you couldn’t drive?”

She rolled her eyes and her youth made him feel ancient, though he was just shy of a decade older. “Izzy drove me. Talk about having no chance of fitting in anywhere. I was too young to have anything in common with the other students, and to make it worse, I was driven to my classes in a
Bentley
. It was mortifying. Not to mention I was under closer scrutiny than ever before. My professors sent my parents weekly reports. If I spoke to any classmates a background check was run on them. I was also given proper doses of medication and twice weekly therapy sessions by one of my father’s colleagues.”

“They wanted you to be a doctor?” he asked.

She relaxed visibly the longer they talked. “Yes, but they had a purpose for me, and money and power are what matters most to my parents. The surgeon only gets to play at being God. Those who create cures and sell them to the highest bidder get to
be
God. It’s what I was created for. And I say created in the most clinical sense, because the thought of my parents having any passion in their lives is laughable. They’d actually terminated two pregnancies before me because testing of the fetus came back with slight abnormalities. If I’d followed their plan I would’ve been finished with medical school by the age of twenty-two, which would’ve made me the youngest ever American doctor.”

“And instead you joined the Army.”

“
Hooah
,” she said, tipping her bottle at him. “You can imagine how well that went over.”

“You do have commendations for bravery.”

“Stupidity was more like it. My parents and I haven’t spoken more than a few sentences to each other in six years.”

“Sometimes what we have inside of us is bigger than the people who love us can understand.”

She nodded and her stare was sober. “The question is, how do we figure out what’s inside of us?” She held up her wrist and said, “The fourteen-year-old girl who did this didn’t think she had anything worthwhile inside of her.”

“Maybe not, but the woman you are now knows her worth. You worked harder than any of us could ever know to pull that fourteen-year-old girl out of the despair she was in. You’re a fighter at the heart of it all. And your parents shaped your destiny just by pushing you in the direction they did. If they’d known you’d be so stubborn maybe they would’ve done things differently. Or maybe they wouldn’t have. But it was you who made the decision to join the Army. You went in as a second lieutenant, but you asked to be a medic. Not many people would request the dangerous jobs, especially not with officer’s bars.”

“It was the best way I knew to be the most help.”

Declan nodded and recognized the steel core in her. She was tougher than she looked. She might look like a sorority girl, but she was anything but. Her hair was gold under the soft glow of the lights and it was pinned loosely at the base of her neck so a few wisps escaped and framed her face. Her eyes were large and her lashes thick, but it was the color that was so arresting. Amethyst. Not even a hint of blue. A true amethyst.

“You earned your medical combat badges, and you’re an expert marksman. You received special permission to go through Ranger school just for the hell of it, even though they don’t allow women to become Rangers. You’ve saved countless lives, and you bark orders with the skill of a four-star general. It was a pleasure to watch you work in Syria.”

“I never did find out what you were doing there in the middle of a military operation,” she said, arching a brow in curiosity.

Declan smiled, but didn’t answer. “You’re a survivor. And you’re a woman who needs a challenge. When that challenge is met you’re going to need another one. And another. To hell with your parents. You’ve forged your own way, and now you have to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

“Is this the part where you explain whether or not the rumors are true about MacKenzie Security and offer me a job?”

He barked out a laugh. “You’ll do, Lacey Shaw. I handpick everyone on my team, and I want you on that team.”

“What could you possibly do with a formerly suicidal, honorably discharged Army medic with a biology degree from Harvard who can speak multiple languages?”

“Before I answer that, tell me what
you
want. You retired from service. It must’ve been for a reason.”

She rolled the empty beer bottle between her palms. “I want to be a doctor,” she said and blew out a breath. “But I have no idea what kind or specialty, and that’s the first time I’ve admitted that. My thoughts are all over the place and I have no focus. I loved being a medic. I loved the adrenaline rush of being in the thick of things, and I loved having a purpose. I loved that I got to save lives. I don’t have the letters behind my name yet, but there’s a part of me that feels as if I’ve already done it all. I don’t even know if that makes sense,” she said, shaking her head.

“It makes perfect sense. And I think I can help.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked. “Let’s hear it.”

“MacKenzie Security will send you to medical school. But it’s going to be a little…different than if you were back at Harvard.”

She arched a brow. “I’m intrigued.”

“I know.” His smile was sharp. Rule number one of working an op. Always know your prey. And though Lacey Shaw wasn’t prey in the typical sense of the word, she was his target. And Declan was used to getting the outcome he wanted. “Have you ever heard of the Brighton School?”

“No, should I have?”

“Not unless you’ve been digging into classified files,” he said. “The Brighton School is off the books. It’s for those who show exceptional aptitude in certain areas. Kind of like the X-Men’s Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.”

She laughed at the reference as he’d intended.

“The government likes to get a handle on those who might become useful later down the line.”

“And what happens if somewhere down the line I don’t feel like working for the government and I just want to live a normal life and open a regular practice?”

He shrugged. “We create covers every day. It’s not a big deal. Or they’ll kill you. It’s kind of a crap shoot.”

“I don’t particularly want to work for the CIA. Last I heard neither did you. That’s why you left to create MacKenzie Security.”

“What I have in mind for you doesn’t fall under CIA protocol. You’ll answer to me and only me. What I’ve created has been in talks for more than thirty years. But I’m going to be the one to orchestrate it. I don’t get as bogged down in red tape as others.”

“You have to answer to someone. Otherwise you’re going to end up with a bullet in your head. No one can have complete power.”

“Believe me, I answer to someone. And I take full responsibility for my team. But what I want from you is a little broader. You’ll work for me, but you’ll be serving the whole. I want you to run an off-the-books hospital for black-ops agents and certain classified military personnel. No one admitted into the hospital lives under ordinary circumstances.

He recognized the disbelief on her face and said, “We’ve waited for you this long, so we can wait a few more years. You’ve got the skills of a black ops agent yourself, you’ve been in combat, and once you have your medical degree you’ll be completely qualified for the job. You’re not afraid to buck the rules to save a life, and you think outside the box when you need to.

“The hospital will be yours. You’ll recruit the best doctors and scientists in the world to work on everything from research and development to cancer treatments to cell regeneration for burn victims. I’m talking science fiction at its finest. Your budget is unlimited. And your paycheck will be a hell of a lot more than military pay.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, “I don’t do anything for money. I do it because it’s what I want to do.”

“We can keep your military grade salary and benefits intact,” he said without missing a beat.

“I never want to be the kind of person who does what I do for money. I’m not my parents.”

“Understood. You’ll receive a modest salary and excellent benefits, because that’s what the entire team receives, as well as housing. You won’t be home much anyway while you’re finishing medical school and setting up the hospital.”

“Where is this hospital supposed to be?”

“Not far from here. The building is finished and waiting for your personal touch and direction. It’s secluded, for safety reasons, and personnel will have a minimum level-six clearance. Research and development, a level-seven. You’ll have level-eight as the chief.”

Her eyes were constantly moving, constantly scanning the crowd for possible threats. He’d always found it was the easiest way to spot law enforcement or military. They all did it. But then her gaze landed somewhere and she seemed curious. Or maybe mesmerized was the better word.

He looked to see what had caught her gaze and he realized she was looking at his brother, Shane. As usual, Shane was surrounded by three of the bridesmaids and a couple of attendees. And he was loving every minute of it. There was something about Shane that drew women to him like flies to honey, and it didn’t seem like even the stoic Lacey Shaw was immune. Or maybe he was wrong and she was simply curious as to his behavior.

“That’s my brother, Shane,” he said. “Fifty bucks says he’ll go home with at least two of those women.”

“I’m a keen observer of humans,” she said. “And I can tell you that’s a sucker’s bet.”

Declan laughed approvingly and said, “We keep thinking he’ll grow out of it, but we’ve been saying that for years. He’s a SEAL and he loves the attention it brings.”

“And sometimes the attention is needed to erase the darkness in a person’s life. I’d think a SEAL might live in quite a bit of that darkness.”

Declan sighed. She’d been correct in saying she was a keen observer of human nature. “It’s not an easy life. But at least I have one brother who managed to find his light in the darkness. The rest of us aren’t that lucky.”

“Sometimes luck doesn’t have anything to do with it. Everyone has a chance to find their light. Without the promise of light there wouldn’t be any hope.”

“That’s very philosophical for someone who stands firm in science.”

Her cheeks flushed red and she took her gaze from Shane. Then she changed the subject to the topic they’d been discussing before. “You’re sure I’m the best fit for your hospital?” she asked. “I’m sure there are others who are older and more experienced you’ve considered.”

“Of course,” he said. “But people who are older and more experienced tend to like things a certain way. They’re not fans of change. And sometimes that fear keeps them from coming up with the best solutions. You’ll sign your life away in nondisclosure agreements, but it seems little to ask for what you’ll be getting in return.”

“What happens if I finish medical school and discover I don’t want to be a surgeon? What if my specialty is something else?”

“I have a few ideas,” he said. “But I thought I’d wait to mention them to you in case the realization comes to you later down the road.”

She arched a brow at that. “You’re telling me you know what I’ll want to do with my life, before
I
know what I want to do with my life?”

“Pretty much. It’s my job to gather information. I know you as well as you know yourself. And I also have the benefit of being an observer to your true nature, whereas you’re too close to the matter at the moment to get a clear picture.”

“I was going to go to Aruba before you asked me to come here,” she said. “To assimilate into civilian life again.”

“Our plane can have you there by tomorrow afternoon if you’d like. We have a villa that’s empty at the moment. Take a couple of weeks off. A month if you wish. Have an island romance. You’ve earned it.”