Fractured Lies: Book 1 MAC Security Series Page 14

  Eli stood in the doorway with Luke and Kitty on either side of him. I could see his hesitation as he looked at Ty his eyes widening when they moved to me.

  “It’s okay bud,” he said.

  “Mama?” His small voice rang out in the silence as he walked toward me.

  “Hey, sweetie.” I opened my arms and gritted my teeth against the pain.

  He stepped into them and I encircled him in my arms, he stayed still as if he knew not to make any sudden movements.

  However much I liked to tell myself that he didn’t know what was going on, I knew deep down that he knew more than I thought he did. I think we both liked to pretend that we didn’t.

  I closed my eye and breathed him in, just knowing that he was safe and in my arms relaxed me more.

  “We staying here mama?” I pulled back and looked at him. His eyes shining, his face so confused. It broke my heart to see him like that.

  I turned my head to Ty, he smiled at me, one of those huge full teeth smiles. Everything would be okay. It would take time, but things would work out. I hoped.

  “Yes, sweetie. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah. Can I still watch cartoons though?” he asked with a completely serious face. I laughed at that. I didn’t care about the pain I was feeling, it felt good to forget about everything else and concentrate on something different for a while.

  “Depends,” Luke said from the doorway.

  “On what?” Eli turned to him.

  “If I can watch them too.” Luke lifted his lips at Eli, his eyes sparkling. It was strange to see Luke like this. Nice, but strange.

  Eli looked back at me and raised his brows. “Can I watch them now mama?”

  “You can if you want to sweetie” he nodded and went to move away from me.

  “Love you mama” he said before he walked off to Luke.

  “I love you too sweetie” I choked out.

  “Want to go now?” Luke asked.

  “Yeah, my favorite starts soon”

  Luke looked at me, a question in his eyes.

  “Bring him over to mine in a couple of hours” Ty said.

  I watched as they walked out the room with Eli’s small hand wrapped in Luke’s.

  “Will he be okay?” I asked Ty

  “Yeah” he looked over my head, I knew that Evan was still standing there but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

  “I’m sorry Kay” Evan whispered.

  I nodded.

  “I didn’t mean-”

  “Evan.” Ty said and tilted his head to the door.

  They both moved over to the door and Ty whispered something to Evan. He didn’t look happy and I wanted to say that it wasn’t Evans fault. He didn’t know that just by touching me I would freak out but I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth.

  “How you feeling?” Kitty asked. I moved my eyes from Ty and Evan to her.

  “Like I got ran over by a truck.” I tried to smile.

  “Ha!” she moved over to the couch and picked something up.

  “Take these. They’ll help with the pain.” She winked, handed me a box of pills and a bottle of water and then followed Evan out of the room.

  Ty turned back to me and leaned against the door frame. His big body intimidating, but to me it just screamed protection.

  “Let’s get you back to the house and into something more comfortable,” he said as he sauntered toward me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I’d imagined what Ty’s house looked like many times, the wrap around porch with the swinging chair screamed family home. If it wasn’t for the location I would have thought a family lived there.

  You know the type, happily married with two children, one boy, one girl. Dad who goes out to work while the mom stays home.

  I expected to find a lone couch and pizza boxes all over the place. A typical bachelor pad.

  I should have known better, I’d worked with Ty now for well over a month and in that time I’d gotten to know him pretty well. He was organized down to a T and never had anything out of place and always knew where everyone was at any given time.

  Opening up the front door with his free hand he carries me inside. I looked around noting the polished hardwood floors that led to a staircase lined with photos much like those in his office. It was all open floor plan with the living room to the right and a door at the back of the room.

  A large corner sofa sat in the middle facing an open fire and above that, the biggest TV that I had ever seen. He walked us through the living room to the door I’d noticed as I stared at the paintings that hung off the light gray walls.

  Pushing through the door my breath caught in my throat, I’d never seen anything like it. I’d only ever seen photos in magazines of these sort of kitchens, I’d never imagined I’d be inside of one.

  The whole back wall was covered in floor to ceiling glass doors, I watched the counters sparkle as the sun shone through them.

  Helping me sit in a chair, Ty walked over to the glossy white cupboards and pulled two glasses out. I stared in amazement out of the glass doors, the garden backed straight into the woods. It was breathtaking.

  My eyes wandered round the room, a big cooker with at least six hobs sat in the middle. Everything shined and sparkled in only the way an unused kitchen would. My fingers itched to make a mess in here, the kind of mess that only Eli and I could make while we made cookies.

  “Don’t get to taking those tablets until you’ve had something to eat,” he said and opened the fridge.

  “Okay” I wasn’t hungry but there was no point in me voicing that.

  I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, this place somehow settled all the rampant thoughts that swirled in my mind. I didn’t know whether it was the place or Ty.

  Maybe it was a combination of both.

  Ty had just pulled out some food and a bottle of water when the front door opened.

  “Bro? You home?” a deep voice shouted.

  My good eye sprung open and I gasped looking over at Ty my face full of panic. He hadn’t told me anyone would be coming over and the thought of someone new being in the same place as me had my heart racing uncontrollably.

  “It’s okay sweetheart.” Ty said as he rushed to me, the water and food forgotten.

  “I…Who…” I stuttered staring at the door we had come through.

  The footsteps getting louder.

  “It’s just my brother, Charlie.” he crouched down in front of me.

  “Bro!” I flinched at the voice, I felt so out of control. All I wanted to do was disappear.

  “In here.” Ty answered back.

  I could feel his gaze on me, his hand came up to my face and moved me to face him.

  “I’m here,” he said “I got you.”

  “What’s so urgent?” Charlie asked as he pushed through the kitchen door.

  I closed my eye and tried to control my breathing. Nothing bad would happen to me, not with Ty here.

  “Err…Hey?” The voice said, I opened my eye and looked up at him.

  He stood at the same height as Ty, but where Ty was all sharp lines and broody this guy screamed cocky. He had a badge clipped to his belt and what looked like a gun holster.

  He looked from me to Ty, I could see the questions in his eyes.

  “Hey,” Ty said and stood. He stayed beside me, his hand lay softly on my shoulder.

  “Want a drink?” Ty asked and went to move away from me.

  I moved to clutch his hand, I groaned my side screaming in pain.

  However much I really wanted to tell Ty that he was out of order for calling his brother, I couldn’t bare for him to be away from me.

  Not right now.

  “Na, I’m good.” Charlie said and moved closer to the table, I squeezed Ty’s hand.

  “So…” He pulled out a chair opposite me.

  “Am I here as your brother or…”

  Ty looked to me, I shook my head. There was no way that I would make an official statement. I knew
what happened to women who reported these things, there was never enough evidence and then they were worse off than they were if that had kept their mouths shut.

  “My brother” Ty pulled the chair out next to me and kept my hand in his. My entire hand was encased in his long fingers, his calluses rough against the softness of my skin.

  “Well?”

  “I needed you to see Kaylee.”

  “Ty?” I whispered.

  “Sweetheart,” he started “If you want to make an official statement then Charlie can do that” I was already shaking my head. “You don’t want to press charges?”

  “No.” I said with more force than I meant to.

  His eyes flashed as they scanned me from head to toe. I still had the blanket wrapped round me and I knew from the look in his eyes that he didn’t agree with me.

  “If you don’t want to make a statement,” he raised his brows, as if I’d change my mind if he repeated it. He huffed “Then at least let Charlie take something unofficial,” he scraped his hand down his face “Just in case.”

  It was only now that I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. I hadn’t thought about what everyone else must be feeling. I felt bad now that I thought about it. I’d turned up like this and just expected them to help me.

  “I’m sorry” I whispered.

  “What?” Ty pulled back.

  “I know your Corey’s friend and I just expected you to help me.” I looked down “I shouldn’t have done that”

  “Hey” he said softly “I’m not doing this because of who your brother is”

  I looked back at him, unsure. But those eyes told me all that I needed to know without any words being said. “I’m doing this because I care. For you.”

  “Corey?” Charlie asked.

  “Can you take some kind of unofficial statement?” Ty interrupted.

  “Yeah,” he drawled “But now might not be a good time?”

  Ty stared at me, his eyes doing that thing that they did, assessing the situation.

  “Why don’t you rest for a couple of days and then we can talk?” he directed at me.

  I nodded slightly, the more time I had to think things through, the better.

  “I don’t-”

  “Corey?” Charlie asked.

  “Yeah.” Ty ran his hand down his face.

  “Well, what’s he got to do with this?” Ty looked out of the windows, his jaw clenched.

  “Kay’s his little sister”

  Charlie’s eyes widened, his body slumping down in the chair as he looked from me to Ty.

  “Are you two-”

  “No.” Ty growled.

  “Cuz you know he wouldn’t-”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Well just-”

  “I said” Ty stood “I got it”

  He tilted his head to the door and said “A word”

  He didn’t move until Charlie was by the door, which I was grateful for.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said and leaned down planting a soft kiss on my head “Then you need to get some food down you then go to bed and rest.”

  “Okay.” I nodded and watched him leave.

  *~*~*

  The following couple of days went by quickly, I wasn’t apart from Eli for long and each night I fell asleep beside him. I couldn’t bear to be apart from him, I had to know that he was safe.

  Ty had given us each a guest room but I hadn’t stayed in mine yet. Every time I would close my eyes I would see Max standing there with a knife which meant I didn’t sleep much so I watched Eli sleep instead. The evil look on Max’s face was burned into my brain, nothing I did would ever make that go away.

  We’d made it to Thursday night before Eli asked to go back to preschool. I hated the thought of not being able to see him, to make sure he was safe. Just thinking of him not being behind the compound gates gave me chills.

  But when he asked me with those sad green eyes I couldn’t say no, he had this way of wrapping me round his little finger.

  We’d settled into a routine over the last couple of days. But now, as I sat watching Eli eat his breakfast, I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed he was in this environment. He was only ever like this around me, at preschool or when we were at Miss Maggie’s.

  Never around a man.

  But with Luke and Ty he’d been his animated self and I knew that he would be the same around Evan, but he hadn’t been around since I freaked out on him.

  I’d told Ty to tell him that he should come over but he still hadn’t shown.

  My eye had turned a lovely purple and the swelling had gone down I could open it a little, which helped. I could bare more weight on my leg now too, although it still hurt to walk. My side was covered with dark purple bruises, along with my neck and my voice still croaky.

  Luke had been around every day checking up on me, but each time I had managed to avoid him. I didn’t want to be the center of attention, I wanted them to forget what had happened.

  I wanted to forget what had happened.

  I didn’t want Max to have any control over me anymore.

  “Mama?”

  I startled at Eli’s voice; I’d gone inside my head again, that had happened a lot over the last couple of days.

  “Yes sweetie?”

  “I finished,” he said with a giant grin and a milk mustache.

  “Come on then” I placed my now cold coffee down and pushed off my seat gritting my teeth I tried my best to hold the groan in.

  Jumping down off the chair and placed his small hand inside mine. “Can I choose my clothes today mama?”

  I gasped when I went to push open the door and it swung toward me. My eyes widening when I saw that it was Ty.

  I’d barely seen him. Not for his lack of trying, he’d come to check on me and Eli making sure that I was coping okay and that we had everything we needed. I’d caught him watching us a few times but I didn’t say anything. I just needed time so that I could figure my own head out. I had this need to be by Ty, I’d never felt anything like it before and I knew that it was a bad thing.

  I couldn’t rely on Ty, it wasn’t fair on him to take all of this on he had his own life and didn’t need all of the baggage that I came with.

  He had this pull on me though and I didn’t know how much longer I could resist.

  “Ty!” Eli shouted and let go of my hand.

  “Hey bud,” he held his hand up for a high five and Eli jumped up to slap it.

  “Hey.” Ty said when he looked at me.

  His eyes full of questions, those questions were getting louder. I knew that it was natural for someone like Ty to want to know the ins and outs but I couldn’t tell him everything.

  “Hey.” I whispered back.

  We stood there with Eli between us. Neither of us saying anything out loud, but so many things being said with our eyes. I tried my best to not show him how much pain I was in as he watched me, but the bruise on my face didn’t help. His whole body would tense every time he looked at me.

  A small voice inside said that he was angry with me for bringing this to him. However much I tried to shut that voice up, it always came back.

  “Mama?”

  Eli’s voice brought me out of the trance and I grabbed his hand to shuffle past Ty without another word or looking back at him. Whenever he was around I had this inexplicable need to be near him. The itch I felt to touch him was becoming too much.

  I shouldn’t be thinking like this.

  Not after what I’ve just escaped from, but I couldn’t get him out of my head. I hadn’t been able to since the first day that I met him.

  I shook my head and tried my best to concentrate on the task at hand, getting up the stairs.

  It had gotten easier each time I did it, but it still didn’t stop my leg from burning or the throbbing in my ribs.

  It took us twice as long to get ready and once I was back down the stairs and pushing my feet into my chucks I felt like I could sleep for a week.


  Eli was beside me on the couch as I caught my breath, he jumped up when Ty came down the stairs, his boots banging on each step.

  “You ready bud?”

  “Yeah.” Eli stood and tried to put his coat on.

  I went to move to help him but Ty was faster. Then I noticed he was ready for work, belt clipped round his waste with a radio attached.

  “Ty?”

  “Hmm?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Putting Eli’s coat on,” his face was as innocent as Eli’s when he swore that he didn’t have any chocolate.

  Only I knew what that face meant, he was up to something.

  “No.” I shook my head wincing as I pushed up off the couch. Ty offered me his hand but I ignored it. I had to do this on my own.

  “What?” he raised a brow at me, the side of his mouth lifting in a knowing smile. He knew exactly what he was doing and I wasn’t in the mood to play games.

  “What are you doing?”

  He shrugged and pulled his beanie hat on his head “Taking Eli to preschool.”

  “I’m taking him.” I pointed at my chest.

  “No,” he said in a firm voice as he pushed his ear piece in.

  The door opened just as I was about to answer him back.

  “Mornin’!”

  “Luke!” Eli ran at him with so much force that Luke actually stumbled, but the smile that spread across his face said that he didn’t mind.

  “Could you take Eli to the car?” I said to Luke keeping my eyes on Ty, the sound of my blood pumping in my ears.

  “Err…Sure.”

  They shuffled out of the house, I didn’t move until the door had shut and I heard them go down the steps.

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” I seethed as I shuffled closer.

  “Kay-”

  “No,” I choked out “I can’t do this again.”

  “Sweetheart” he took two giant steps and was in my space. “Do what again?”

  I shook my head and looked down, I’d said too much already.

  “You need to rest, you’re not going to heal properly if you don’t” he said softly.

  There was no way that I was going to let someone else take Eli, that was my job.

  “Ty-”

  “No, you listen now,” he placed his finger and thumb on my chin and tilted my face back “I’m only looking out for you. I’ll take Eli today and then we can see how you are on Monday.”