MacKenzie Heat

Chapter Four: The Frasers

Malcolm was awake before the sun started to rise, having been set in a routine in Louisville, he found that he couldn't really sleep past 5 AM most days. He got up and showered. After he was dressed he went down to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee, being as quiet as possible. As he was pouring himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee he decided to get started in the barn mucking and feeding. It had been years since he'd seen his horse or any horse for that matter. He sighed.

Why did I stay away so long?

Malcolm finished his coffee and rinsed his cup before heading to the barn. He had already been working for almost an hour when he heard a noise behind him. Malcolm stood up and turned around. A fist connected with his jaw. Caught off guard, Malcolm staggered backward and quickly took a defensive position. He looked at his attacker and realized there were three of them.

Ah, yeah....that's why I didn't come home.

Malcolm changed his position and took a step toward the men before him.

“Francis, Fergus, Andrew,” Malcolm acknowledged the men.

The biggest of the men, Fergus Jr, growled and lunged at Malcolm. Malcolm felt like the ass whooping the Fraser brothers intended to give him was well deserved, so he didn’t move to avoid the next fist that caught him in the gut. He doubled over but before he could fully collapse the other two brothers had him by the arms and were holding him upright again, waiting for the next blow. The blows came repeatedly, the face, stomach, and ribs all taking the abuse. Malcolm grunted in pain with each blow, but he didn’t issue another sound.

“Ye’re a snake, Malcolm Mackenzie! You left her waitin’ fer ye and ye never came back! Ye’re a bastard and you dinnae deserve to breathe the same air as Amber!” Frankie growled in his ear.

After a few more blows a voice made the brothers stop their assault.

“Frasers! That’s quite enough.”

The brothers dropped Malcolm and he fell to the floor. He looked up to see Callum Mackenzie and Fergus Fraser standing in the barn entrance glaring at them. Malcolm gasped for air and struggled to his feet.

“I told ye boys no’ to touch Malcolm, dinna I?” Fergus spoke harshly.

“Aye,” the three brothers hung their heads.

“I sent ye here ta help Callum, I expect ye to do that. Now!”

The Fraser brothers left quickly. Fergus Sr. and Callum approached Malcolm. They looked at him and began shaking their heads.

“That’s one helluva beating ye took, lad,” Fraser said.

Malcolm cast his eyes downward. He was angry, but he knew that he deserved the beating, but still, it took a lot for him to not react. Now his temper was rising.

“I told ‘em to leave ye be, sae did Amber, och, but ye ken, they watched my girl cry for months, we all did, ye got a lot ta be apologizin’ fer.”

Malcolm glared, “I hurt Amber, and I ken I did, I owe her an apology, and sae much more, but I dinna owe them or ye anythin’.”

Malcolm walked out of the barn and jumped in his truck and took off. He needed to get away from the house before he lost his cool. Malcolm drove to the local gym in town and quickly signed up for a membership and went to the punching bag. He spent the next few hours taking out his anger and his desire for a drink, out on the bag. When he was done he left the gym, his shirt thrown over his shoulder, he was thinking that he needed food and was staring across the street at the cafe. He walked right into someone. Malcolm reached out to steady the woman he ran into.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered looking down. His whole body froze immediately and his heart started racing.

Dear god, I’m no’ ready fer this!

Amber looked up at Malcolm’s bruised and swollen face. She tsked and reached up to gently touch his jaw. Then she growled angrily.

“I told those oafs nae ta touch ye!”

Malcolm looked at the ground, “It’s fine,” he whispered.

“Welcome home, Malcolm,” Amber said cheerfully.

Malcolm raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Are ye nae mad at me?” he asked.

Amber scoffed, “Of course, I’m mad at ye, ye arse! Ye made me promise ta wait fer you and then ye didn’t come back! But that doesnae mean I am going ta be rude to an old friend. After all, we were friends before we were lovers, Malcolm.”

Friendzoned….guess that means there’s nae chance at all.

Malcolm felt crestfallen. He looked at her, she was still as beautiful as before, but older and her body was more curved out. She had her hair in a bun and he knew she must have been on her way to work.

“Amber…I….I’m–”

She looked away and interrupted him.

“Malcolm, we were in the past, we are not now. I have nothing to say to you nor you to me. I have to go,” she walked quickly away.

Malcolm frowned, she’d changed her accent. Her Scottish lilt was gone when she spoke that last sentence. She had sworn she’d never do that…but then he’d broken her heart. Malcolm sighed and walked to his truck.

Man, I could use a damn drink. And it’s nae even 10 AM.

Malcolm remembered what his chief said to him once.

‘Malcolm, when the craving hits you, call me, if working out doesn’t help, call me. I don’t care the time of day or night, and I don’t care how many years it's been. CALL ME!

Malcolm got in his truck and reached for his phone.

The phone rang three times when Mike picked up.

“Figured that I’d be hearing from you Mal, but damn boy, I didn’t think it’d be that quick.”

Malcolm scoffed, “Aye, well I didna think I’d find out my da has cancer, and then run in ta my ex’s brothers, father, and her all in the same day. f**k, Mike, I tried working out.”

Mike sighed, “sounds like you’ve had a lot sprung on you, my brother, I understand you’re stressed and I am sure that running into the Frasers wasn’t pleasant, but you are better than the drink. Did you go for a run?”

“Nay, I didna.”

“Well, I think you should try that then.”

Malcolm was already nodding and getting out of his truck. He locked the door and said his goodbyes to Mike, with the promise of calling again when he was home, whether he felt stable or not. Then he took off jogging back through town and headed out to the ranch. He had come to love jogging every morning with Mike and he had promised himself that he would do it even when he was back home. He would have to tell Dad, that he was happy to help with chores, but his health and sobriety had to come first. That meant up at 5, jogging, and boxing. It was routine, and he needed it. All he could think while jogging was:

“Damn those Frasers anyway! How could they so easily knock him back down his ladder of progress! Do I really have such little self-control? Or perhaps it's just being home. I’m not a kid anymore, I’m a full-grown adult with a great career, I’m not going to screw that up!”

Callum was waiting on the porch for him when he got home.

“Something happen to your truck?”

Callum could see that Malcolm was struggling. He grabbed his keys and jingled them.

“Leave your keys with your brothers, they’ll get your truck, I want you to drive me to Lexington. You can stay with me for a bit, but then I’ll need you to come home. I’ll be there for a few days, then you can come get me.”

Malcolm nodded. He was hesitant, but he could see the Fraser brothers moving around doing chores and knew he wasn’t yet in control. Leaving the ranch would be better, and hell, maybe it was time for some one-on-one time with dad.