The Distance Between Us (MAC Security 3)

“Dig in!” Ma shouts when she sits down, clapping her hands to get all of our attention.

The room is deathly silent as we fill our plates with food and eat. I try to ignore the several pairs of eyes on me but I give up and place my fork down, looking up into Ty’s eyes.

I know he wants to talk to me, the constant ringing of my cell tells me that much. But since I saw him a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t wanted to talk to him, especially not after what went down with Kitty.

I’m almost certain that he’ll be able to tell what I did with her, and if she really wanted to get back at me, then she could tell him. Not just about that night a couple of weeks ago, but about all the other nights before. I wouldn’t blame her if she did because of how I treat her afterwards, but she hasn’t said anything as of yet so I’m betting that she won’t ever say anything.

The guilt swamps me the more I think about it, and the more I’m sitting here in this house the more my appetite disappears.

“Can I have a word, Charlie?” Ty asks, placing his own fork down on his plate and pushing his chair back then standing up.

“Tyson? We’re eating,” Ma scolds.

All eyes turn to him but he simply looks from me to Ma and says, “Yeah, I know, Ma. But this is important.”

She huffs and looks down at her own plate, shaking her head. I push back in my chair, the legs scraping on the wooden floor and follow him outside onto the porch. I school my features so that I’m a blank canvas and shove my hands in the pockets of my jeans, gripping onto the keys that sit inside.

“Why the hell haven’t you been answering my calls?” he growls.

I look away from his screwed up face and huff out a breath. “I’ve been busy.”

“Yeah?” He laughs. “Too busy to answer my fucking calls!”

I don’t answer him, instead I just raise my brows and wait for whatever the hell he wants to say.

“Kitty.”

One word and my stomach drops. Does he know? Is she in trouble? My mind spins with possibilities and I’m about to ask what’s wrong when he continues.

“She’s getting in deeper with Jonny, she’s not checking in as much. I gave her seventy-two hours before she had to check in and she goes right to the edge every single time.”

“But she’s still checking in, right?”

“Yeah, but... Fuck!”

He starts to pace the porch, his hands on his hips and a concerned look on his face. I’ve never seen him this worked up, not about a “normal” job anyway. He always has everything under control and I can see it’s starting to slip. He likes to keep his team close and I can fully understand that. I’m worried about Kitty too, but I know that she can defend herself and probably take every single one of them down within the blink of an eye.

“There’s just something about it that doesn’t feel right. The way she talks, it’s… damn… I don’t know. She just doesn’t seem herself.”

I frown and lean against the railings. Things can happen when you’re undercover, Ty knows that, but the fact that he seems so concerned, that has my stomach dipping and my fists clenching.

“I can’t believe you let her go in on her own. What the hell, Ty?” He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off. “You knew he was fucking dangerous and you still sent her in… alone.”

He stands in front of me, feet hip width apart and his hands clenched into fists at his side. “You do know who we’re talking about, right? It’s Kitty, she can take down a man three times her size.”

I know damn well who he’s talking about, I know her better than any of them. I’ve seen her vulnerable side, her happy side and her sad side which means I know how she can be worked around, and Jonny is the kind of guy who will work around her and make her think things that she shouldn’t.

That revelation has me spinning around, jogging down the steps and running straight to my car.

“Where are you going?” Ty shouts out to me.

I don’t answer him, instead I jump into my car, speeding out of there, determined to find out just what the hell is going on.

I grab my bag and jacket from the locker before making my way to Jonny’s office. This has become routine now, ever since my truck broke down he’s been picking me up from Wayward and giving me rides home. At first it was awkward and uncomfortable but now it’s just part of my new normal.

I knock on his door and wait for him to answer. When he tells me to come in, I open it up and smile.

“Hey,” he says, not looking up at me. “Just need to finish this paperwork and then I’ll be with you.”