“If I need you, I’ll call, but I just need this time to sort my head out, to be myself again. I hope you can understand that.”
I nod my head slowly, leaning down and resting my forehead against hers. My arms slowly wrap around her as I stand up straight, her head going to my chest and I relish in the feel of her in my arms, afraid that this could be the last time I get to hold her like this.
Neither of us say another word as she pulls out of my embrace, shoulders her bag and takes Kay’s hand, both of them wandering into the airport.
I watch her until I can’t see her anymore and then turn to Ty where he stands a few feet away, talking on his cell. His eyes meet mine and he moves closer.
“Cartel,” he whispers, pulling the cell away from his ear. “Evan has some more info.”
I nod my head and pull my own cell out, dialing Jonny. “I’ll set up a meeting with Jonny, you’ll need to be there.”
Ty nods in response and I walk to the driver’s side of my SUV, determined to throw myself into work.
If I can’t be there with Kitty, helping her through this, then I need to keep my mind busy, and work is the only way I can do that.
I nod my head in greeting at Ty, Luke, Kay, and Evan and wave my arm at my guys to follow me. Jonny told us that he could meet the next day but that he’d only meet on his turf and on his terms. I told him that wasn’t a safe option but he refused to do it any other way, and knowing that he had inside information that none of us would find out if it wasn’t for him, I had no choice but to agree to it.
So here we are now, all of Ty’s guys and all of mine, walking into Diva’s, the place where Kitty was shot, the thing that caused her to spiral out of control.
The two guards standing watch at the front doors do their best to ignore our presence as we walk in but the quick flick of their eyes gives them away.
“I don’t like this,” Ty says, coming to stand beside me.
“Me neither,” I answer him. “But it’s the only way that I could get a meeting with him.”
Ty grunts in response and as soon as we push through the next set of doors, I see Jonny sitting in the middle of the room with several guys standing behind him, all facing the entrance.
Me and Ty move forward, sitting opposite him as all of the guys hang back, making sure that this isn’t a set up. I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Sergeant Mackenzie.”
“Jonny.”
“This must be your brother and Kitty’s boss, Tyson.”
“That’s me,” Ty tells him, leaning back in the chair.
Jonny claps his hands, looking around the place, his eyes moving over all of the guys who have spread out around the place before he frowns.
“Kitty?” he asks.
“Rehab,” I growl, not willing to give him any more information than that.
He doesn’t say anything even though I’ve caught him by surprise, but ever the businessman, he shakes his head and leans forward.
“I can help you get the cartel,” he says. Six words and he has all of my attention.
He raises his brows and leans back, lifting his hand to one of his men before they hand him a file which he hands over to me.
I look down at it and then pull it open, seeing dates, times, and places. There’s a whole page full and I frown down at it, looking back up at Jonny.
“What are these?” I ask, passing the file over to Ty so that he can see the information.
“They’re your hits, where you’ll be able to capture all the members of Fernando’s cartel.”
“They’re all on the same day,” Ty announces.
Jonny chuckles and shakes his head. “Of course, they are, you need to do it all in one day otherwise you won’t get them all.”