The Distance Between Us (MAC Security 3)

The relief I feel is tangible, I don’t dwell on the fact that I lied so easily, or the fact that I’ve gone through twice as many pills as I should have in the last four weeks. Once it’s healed, I’ll be fine and back to normal.

He goes back to the other s

ide of the curtain, telling me I can get dressed. I grit my teeth, my arm throbbing from where he’s messed with it. The room spins slightly as I stand up and I have to hold on to the edge of the bed to regain balance before I walk back out to him.

“This is for another four weeks’ worth, after this, you should only need to take acetaminophen if you’re still in pain.” I nod my head in acknowledgement and reach forward slowly. “I’d like to see you in another month’s time, just to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“Great!” I smile, taking the prescription out of his hands. “Thanks, Doc.”

This time I do hold my t-shirt over my mouth and nose as I walk back through the waiting room. I hate sick people. Ugh.

I know that Evan won’t be back to pick me up for another hour, so I decide to take a cab home instead because waiting around here will just expose me to more sickness.

What I need is a nice long bath, to take a couple more pills and to have a nap.

My stomach tenses when I get into the cab, a tingling sensation drifting down my spine, almost as if I’m being watched. I spin around in the back seat, trying to see who it is, but I don’t see anyone so I settle back into the seat and fold up my prescription, making sure that it’s safe inside my pocket.

My eyes close on their own accord, the relief from having a prescription for more painkillers rushing through me.

I slump down in my seat, blowing out a deep breath and relaxing. It shouldn’t be too long until I’m back at the compound. I know I should really message Evan and tell him that I got a cab but all I can think about is the pain that’s now in my arm from the doctor prodding and poking me. I’m pulling out my bottle of pills and swallowing the last three before I know it.

“We need to stop at a pharmacy,” I tell the cab driver.

He grunts in response and I settle back down. My hand flutters to my arm, my fingers centimeters away from the bullet wound. The doctor was right, it is healing nicely but that doesn’t explain why I’m in so much pain. I really should have been honest with him and explained what was going on, but the words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. All I could think of was getting more painkillers and I somehow knew that if he was aware of how fast I’ve gotten through these, he wouldn’t have given me anymore.

The cabby pulls up to the pharmacy and spins around, grunting, “Pharmacy.”

“I’ll be back in a few,” I tell him, pushing out of the cab and into the store.

I hand in the prescription and wait eagerly for the pharmacist to sort it out. My eyes don’t move from the clock hanging on the wall, watching the hands as the seconds tick by so slowly.

“Kathe—”

“That’s me!” I jump up, wanting to take the prescription out of his hands, but instead I have to wait impatiently for him to ring everything up and submit it. My foot taps against the floor while he takes his time, my nerves jumping on end and my eyes not moving from the bag he holds with my bottle of pills inside.

Finally, he hands them over to me and I head out of the shop and back into the cab.

I reel off the compound address to him then change my mind. I don’t want to go to the compound, I want to see Charlie. I don’t like how I left things with him this morning and I don’t want to be alone right now; when I’m with him I feel safe and secure. At least at Charlie’s I won’t be watched over or fussed about, I just want to get better on my own terms and not have to worry about anyone else or any jobs.

I tell the cabby to take me to the precinct instead and ten minutes later, he’s pulling up outside and I’m stumbling out of the cab, throwing some screwed-up bills at him and making my way inside.

“Can I help you?” the strange woman behind the desk asks. Her bright blond hair whips around in the high ponytail that she has as her bright red lips move into a grim line.

“Yeah, I’m here to see my… my…” What the hell is he? “Sergeant Mackenzie, I’m here to see him.”

“He’s busy right now, you’ll have to come back later,” she sneers, looking me up and down and spinning around in her chair.

I narrow my eyes at this Barbie doll and lean against the counter. “You’re new here, huh?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” she huffs back.

I throw my head back laughing. This skank wants Charlie, that much is clear to see, hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s had her too.

“Here’s what you’re gonna do, sweetheart, you’re gonna pick up that phone there.” I point to the phone. “You’re gonna dial up to Sergeant Mackenzie and tell him that Kitty is here.”

Her eyes widen and for a second she’s gobsmacked, that is until she stands up, placing her hand over the handle of her gun. “Leave. Now.”

“Hey, hey, hey… all’s good,” a deep voice says from behind me. I turn to see Leroy come through the main doors and I breathe a sigh of relief. “What’s going on?”