The Distance Between Us (MAC Security 3)

I head straight to the hair section in the store, piling the hair dye in my basket and then make my way to the candy section, throwing Twizzlers in there too before I check out.

I pull one of the Twizzlers out as I drive back to the compound and hum the tune on the radio. It’s one of those that always sticks in your head. You know the kind where you only need to hear someone else singing or humming the tune and you can’t get it out of your head for days.

Once I get back to the compound, I head straight for the bathroom in my cottage and turn my Spotify playlist on my phone, placing it into a tumbler to make it louder.

I plonk the dye on my hair and add a facemask for good measure, may as well do two things at once.

“Kitty?”

I walk to my door and open it to see Ty’s face and I wave him inside, ignoring his wide eyes when he looks at me. He follows me into the kitchen and places a box on the counter and opens up the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water.

“So, you’re back.” He grins, leaning against the counter.

“Looks like it,” I say, opening my arms wide and turning around in a circle. “Admit it, you missed me.”

He raises a brow at me and chuckles. “Yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes and tilts his head to the box. “Brought you some work.”

My eyes flick from the box to him and I wait for him to tell me what work it is, but when he doesn’t, I finally relent. “What work?”

“New case. Well, technically an old case.”

“Yeah?” I ask, pulling the lid off the box and seeing it crammed with files.

“Political corruption, thought you might want to be the lead on this one.” He steps forward and squeezes my shoulder. “Glad to have you back.” He touches the mask on my face, pulling a face at the feel of it on his finger before he walks past me and out the front door, closing it with a soft click.

I pull the first file out and hesitate, I know that once I get stuck into the files that I won’t be able to stop and if I don’t wash the dye off I’ll end up bald.

Dye first, then work.

I step into the shower, washing the dye out and taking the mask off before slipping into my shorts and top pajama set. Grabbing the box along with a couple of bottles of water and the Twizzlers that I bought from the store, I go into my room, turning on the TV for some background noise and diving into the files.

Ty knows that political corruption is close to me, there were many times that I wished I could have brought my dad down, created a case against him and had him charged. The things that he used his power for were never good. Now though, him being in Canada and me in America, I know there’s no way for me to do that without bringing him back into my life and I won’t do that. I’ve worked too hard to get away from him.

Four hours later and I have a pretty good handle on the case. Corruption in politics is hard to prove and I know why this case is cold, because the people have been bought off. I just need to follow the paper trail and find some kind of evidence to back up my theory.

This is probably one of the things I love most about this job. The fact that you can take a cold case, turn it on its head, and find justice. And once I have my teeth into a case, I don’t let go, I’m like a dog with a bone and I won’t rest until the truth is found. No matter what it takes.

My hand moves to my arm unconsciously, gently tracing over the spot that I was shot. I grab the empty bottles of water as I get up off the bed and carry them into the kitchen with me, placing them in the trash and grabbing a new bottle.

I pull the hair tie off my wrist and put my hair up high on my head in a messy bun as I walk into the bathroom. My hand reaches out for the pill bottle only I come up empty. I snap my head to the counter and then it hits me.

I left them at Charlie’s. Fuck!

/> My heart beats so fast and loud in my chest that I’m sure it’s going to break out of me. How could I have left them there? I never should have rushed out of there like I did, but I wouldn’t have had to if Charlie didn’t tell me to get out.

His voice rings loud in my head. OUT. OUT. OUT. That’s all I can hear, his stupid voice shouting at me and now I don’t have my pills. Pills that I need.

My feet are in my boots and my arms are through my jacket sleeves before I even realize what I’m doing. My feet take me to my car and I’m out of the compound within minutes.

My hands grip the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turn white. I make it to Charlie’s house quicker than I ever have before and I pull up outside, grabbing the door handle and then I stop.

What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if he tells me that it’s over for good? I don’t think I can handle that right now. Not another rejection.

Think, Kitty, think. What can I do?

The light in his living room being switched off catches my attention and my mind starts to come up with theories. I could sneak in, grab my pills while he’s asleep and then head straight back home. No one would know and I’d be able to calm the thoughts in my head and stop my skin from crawling. My thoughts are too scattered, I can’t concentrate without them.

No, no I can’t do that. He’ll know if someone is in his house, he has that sixth sense and I’ll never be able to explain why I needed to get them. Why, at 3 a.m. I’m sneaking into his house.