The gates swung open and I drove through, a collection of cars were straight ahead so I parked next to them. There were SUV’s, Vans with company logos on the side and even an old clunker of a car circa nineteen eighties.
The place was huge. All the cars were parked outside a big warehouse; I could make out at least two other buildings further back. I squinted, trying to make out what they were. Houses?
The whole place was surrounded by woods, it reminded me of my dad. I shook that thought from my head as soon as it popped in. That was the last thing I needed to do, I’d spent too long in the past this morning. I needed to look to the future.
I swung my door open and jumped down, pulling my bag out with me. Swiveling on the spot I looked for some sort of sign as to where I was meant to go.
“Can I help?” I jumped, my hand flying to my chest.
“Crapstickles!” I spun round.
“Crap what?” I looked to the voice and did a double take.
Standing a couple of inches shorter than me, which is saying something because I was only five-foot-four, was a girl with lavender hair that sat in a side braid and eyes rimmed with black glasses. I instantly liked her, she gave off that welcome vibe. Her light brown eyes showed kindness and warmth.
“I’m here for an interview,” I squeaked.
She stood with her feet hip width apart, arms loose at her sides. Studying me from head to toe she tilted her head and looked into my eyes. She nodded her head after a couple of seconds then pointed to the end of the warehouse.
“I’ll take you in.”
I followed behind her, rushing to keep up with her quick pace. She turned the corner of the warehouse and pulled open what looked to be a heavy metal door.
“In here,” she said and waved her hand inside.
I stepped in cautiously, not knowing what I would find. Corey hadn’t told me anything about the place, I probably should have asked more about it.
I scanned the warehouse, to my right there was a table with six chairs round it and an open space in the middle covered with gym mats. We walked past the mats, then past two doors. The first one was open so I peeked in, a small kitchen with a sink and a coffee machine. I nodded to myself, that was a must.
Coffee.
“I’m Kitty by the way.”
“Kay,” I said to the back of her head.
The second door looked nothing like the others, made from some sort of steel with a small screen sat next to it.
She knocked on the third door then waited. I scanned the back part of the warehouse, several computer screens lined the wall opposite the doors, they were all attached to one keyboard. Next to it sat several gym machines.
“Come in,” a gruff voice said through the door.
Kitty opened the door and said, “Interview.” She waved me in and shut the door behind me.
I stood and waited for him to lift his head, my eyes roaming the room. The walls were off white with sun shining through a skylight in the middle of the ceiling. Photos scattered along the walls, all of them filled with people in uniform. A small couch sat in the corner and two desks opposite it.
My eyes moved to the man, he sat at the back of the room behind his own desk. This one larger than the others and the only one that had a computer.
I could only see the top of his shoulders and forearms but from what I could make out he was ripped. He wore a black t-shirt, stretched across his muscles. Tattoos danced down his skin, one side black and gray the other side full of color.
He lifted his face toward me and pulled off the beanie hat that sat on top of his head. His large hand ran through his light brown hair trying in vain to tame it.
“Kaylee?” His deep voice vibrated through me, this man screamed danger. The good kind. Wait, was there a good kind?
“Yes,” I croaked. I cleared my throat “Yes,” I said louder.
He raised his brows at me, tilted his head to the chair opposite him then scribbled something on a piece of paper.
I moved forward, sat in the chair and wiped my hands on my legs, my palms had never sweat before and now was not the time for them to start. He carried on scribbling on the paper for several more seconds, then lifted his head up.
“So…” He leaned back in his chair. “You want a job?” He crossed his arms, his muscles moving in a way I’d never seen before.
“Yes.” I could feel my cheeks heating from his intense gaze.
“Have you worked in an office before?”
“Yes. I worked the reception desk at a small hotel until I was eighteen.” Hotel was a stretch, but experience was experience. Right?
“And how long ago would that have been?” Was he asking how old I was?
“Four years.” I shifted in the chair. He scanned me, much the same as Kitty had outside. His chocolate brown eyes held me captive. Assessing me, seeing down to the depths of my soul. I looked away and cleared my throat.
“That makes you twenty-two?” I nodded in reply.
“Any other experience that would help you in an office.”
“I can organize things?” That was lame but I had nothing else to say. When I worked at the small hotel, I never had to have an interview, they were friends of my mother’s so naturally they gave me a job. I’d loved working there, but I had to give it up when I had Eli.
“Organize things?” he repeated.
“Yes, I have to organize a four-year-old every day, and let me tell you, it’s not easy to do.” I laughed at that, the sound shrill to my own ears.
Trying to lighten the mood was not working.
“You have a kid?”
“Yes, is that…” I clutched my hands in my lap. “Will that be a problem?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. I had come across this look so many times, the judging. He was working out how old I would have been when I had Eli, thinking that I was some kind of slut to get knocked up while still in high school. Yes, I may have got pregnant at a young age but I did everything I could to care for Eli.
“No,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your work.”
“It won’t” I breathed a sigh of relief.
“The job involves answering phones, book meetings…” He shuffled some papers on his desk. “General filing, that sort of thing.”
“I can do that,” I said, confident that I could.
“Here’s what I’m gonna do.” He leaned forward, interlocked his hands and rested them on the desk. My eyes glued to the way his veins popped in his forearms. “I’m gonna give you a month’s trial.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, see how you get on.” I smiled wide, I actually got the job.
I. Got. The. Job.
“Besides,” he continued, then shrugged, “I’m desperate for the help.”
“I can start tomorrow, if you need me to?” I said, eager.
He chuckled at that, then picked up the papers that he had been looking for and held them out to me, I shuffled forward in my chair and took them from him.
“Fill those in and then I’ll take you on a tour of the place.”
I took the pen that he offered and scanned the forms feeling his eyes on me the whole time.
I left my name blank and filled out all of the other stuff first. Just basic information and references, I put down the hotel information and added Miss Maggie as another reference. She was the only other person that I could think of.
The only thing left to fill out was emergency contact information and my last name. I held the pen over the paper, ready to write it down.
When I looked up he was watching me intently. He’d recognize my surname straight away.
“Erm…” I leaned back a little, my eyes looking anywhere but at his. I traced the white ‘MAC SECURITY’ logo on his chest.
“Yeah?”
“So I err… well...you see.”
“Goddamnit, woman, spit it out.” My eyes shot to his, sure to find him pissed off at my rambling but they held laughter. I hadn’t expected that
. I blew out a breath causing the hair that had fallen over my face to fly in front of me. I pushed it away, then clutched my hands in my lap.
“I was given your number by my older brother. He was the one who told me about the job.”
“Yeah?” His eyes narrowed.
“I don’t want you to give me the job because of my brother, but I thought that you should know.”
It was ironic how I felt the need to be honest with him, yet I was lying to Max about being here and I would be every day.
“Okay, Shoot. Who’s your brother?” His fingers drummed on the desk to some imaginary beat.
I cleared my throat before answering, “Corey Anderson.”
His fingers stilled, the air in the room was sucked out at his silence. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach, I was unsure how to take him. I sucked at reading people.
Corey never told me much about his work friends, in fact I couldn’t even tell you any of their names. He said he liked to keep family and work separate, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the real reason. He had always had this irrational need to protect me.
“Corey Anderson?” he asked, his eyes were wide, his jaw slacked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Corey has a sister?”
“Huh?” My brows furrowed. What did he mean?
“He never told us.” He stared over my head, I didn’t think he meant to say that out loud.
“Well, he told me that his friend needed help in the office and gave me your number,” I rambled, he wasn’t listening though.
I placed the pen on the table, picked my bag up from the floor then got up out of the chair.
“Look, if it’s going to be a problem then I’ll just leave.” I spun round and made it halfway before a hand grabbed my arm. Right where Max had left bruises.
I squealed in pain. He let go of my arm as if I had burned him and stared at his hand in confusion.
I tried to catch my breath but the throbbing in my arm made it impossible.
“Fuck, I’m sorry.” His face paled “I never...”
“It’s fine,” I said through clenched teeth. My lips lifted in an attempt at a smile which I’m sure came out more of a grimace.
“It’s not going to be a problem.” He cleared his throat and stepped away from me. “I was just shocked, we all thought…never mind.” He shook his head.
“Are you sure it’s not going to be a problem?”
“Certain.” He smiled, revealing straight white teeth.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath; the throbbing wasn’t as bad now. “But can we not tell anyone else?”
“Kay-”
“I just don’t want to be known as his little sister.” He studied me in that way again, I squirmed under his gaze until he nodded.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” I repeated.
“Let’s take a look around, introduce you to the guys, then you can be on your way.”
He opened the door for me and stepped out behind me. He showed me all of the areas of the warehouse, the computers were Evan’s department, he was the one I had spoken to on the phone yesterday. I’d meet him tomorrow.
He also said that I could use any of the gym equipment any time I wanted. I laughed at that, the idea of me and exercising was a joke. My legs ached from climbing the four sets of stairs to my apartment every day, I told him this to which he said, “The offers there,” and carried on his tour.
“We have a meeting each morning to go over active or new cases. It starts at nine, I expect you to be here, to take notes.”
“Okay.” I followed behind him, watching his muscles ripple in his back each time he moved.
“Kitchen, Office and safe.” He pointed to each door and headed to the one that he said was a safe.
“It has a palm reader as a lock.”
“What’s in there?”
He turned, his brow lifted.
“What do you think is in there?”
“I dunno? Files?”
He laughed. So loud and unexpected that it startled me. I felt my own lips lift as I watched his whole face open up.
“Weapons.” I jumped at the voice and spun round. Kitty was stood behind me. Again.
“Jeez, are you going to do that all the time?”
“Should always be aware of your surroundings.” She grinned. I stuck my tongue out at her, shocked at my own response. It was so unlike me. I didn’t know what possessed me to do that, but I couldn’t stop it. She winked at me, then walked off into the kitchen.
“You’ve met Kitty,” he said. “That’s Luke.” He pointed at the man that came through the door.
He was as big and ripped as- “Wait.” I laid a hand on his arm. “What’s your name?”
He furrowed his brow at me “What?”
“You haven’t told me your name”
“Oh, Tyson Mackenzie.”
“Or just Boss!” Kitty called, coffee in hand as she went to the office.
“Luke!” Tyson called, he looked at us then.
“This is Kaylee the new office girl”
“Lady,” I interrupted. Ty looked down at me, lifted the side of his mouth and shook his head.
Luke scowled, his ice blue eyes narrowed at me. He ran his hand through his slick backed blond hair, grunted, then walked straight past us and into the office. I followed him with my eyes, confused. I looked back to Tyson, his eyes focused on his arm. I frowned realizing that I still had my hand on his arm.
“Sorry,” I whispered and moved my hand. I followed Tyson to the door.
“So…” He clapped his hands and held the door open “Monday? Be here just before nine”
“Okay.” I pulled my keys out as I walked through the door, turned back and lifted my hand to my eyes to shade from the glaring sun. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”
He nodded and leaned against the door. I turned, headed for the car and checked my cell. Time had flown by; I’d only just make it back in time to get Eli.
I heard the sound of the metal door shut just before I got in the car. Looking around at the place, there was something about it that felt…I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It just felt right.
Chapter Five
We visited with Miss Maggie after I picked Eli up from preschool. Eli and Miss Maggie spoke most of the time about the superhero movie she had watched while I did nothing but think about the people I had met at Mac Security. They all seemed nice, though I wasn’t sure what Luke was all about. It was nice to know that there would be another woman there and a relief to know that I wouldn’t just be known as Corey’s little sister.
All throughout school, that’s all I was known as, Corey’s little sister, everyone stayed clear of me. Especially the boys. Max was the only one brave enough to approach me, but even that had been once Corey graduated. The most frustrating thing was that we never attended the same school.
Corey was only three years ahead of me but he was a whiz at school and was moved a grade above.
I was in a constant daydream for the rest of the night, the smile on my face a permanent fixture. I had a job! I was there in body but my mind was still back at the warehouse when Max came home. He ignored me, ate his dinner in silence and went to sleep on the couch. It was a welcome reprieve after the night before. I honestly didn’t know if I could stand to talk to him without saying something that I would regret.
My good mood seemed to rub off on Max, either that or he felt guilty about the other night. He offered to take us out on Saturday night and we had the best time. I hadn’t been this happy in so long.
It was funny how the little things could change your whole perception. If I’d known this was how it was going to feel then I would have tried to find a job sooner. I still had to start the job and do a day’s work, but at this point I was looking forward to it.
By Sunday night, I was on edge, butterflies were swarming my stomach and I had that first day of a new school feeling.
I’d already planned in my head w
hat clothes I would wear, how I would do my hair and even tried to apply eyeliner in a straight line. After the third attempt, I scrubbed my face clean and decided I would forgo the makeup.
They all wore combat pants or jeans and a t-shirt with MAC SECURITY on it. But I didn’t want to wear that sort of thing. After all, I was going to be working in the office so I decided I would wear something similar to what I wore at the interview.
The bed shifted as Max slid in next to me. “You good, Kay?”
“Yeah, why?” I moved on to my side and faced him. Only being able to make out his profile in the darkness.
“You seem, I don’t know, different,” he said softly.
“Do I?”
“Yeah.” He shifted closer to me and I blew out a big breath. I didn’t know how I felt about him sleeping in the same bed as me. This made it two nights in a row.
“Everything is fine. Night.” I rolled over and closed my eyes. The sooner that I was asleep the better.
“Night.”
I woke up early the next morning, Max was already gone so it gave me time to get all my things ready for the day. I started by packing me a lunch, much like Eli’s, and jumping in the shower. I had my hair dried and hanging in loose waves by the time Eli stumbled out of his bedroom.
I fixed him some breakfast and then went back to my room. Choosing a maroon skirt and another vest top, I tucked it in and shrugged my gray cardigan on. I made a mental note to get some better shoes with my first paycheck as I slipped my feet into my chucks.
“Eli!” I found him some clothes and went to the bathroom.
“Come on, sweetie, wash and teeth,” I said as I sat on the edge of the bath. I passed him his toothbrush and watched as he brushed his teeth. Grinning widely, he scrubbed at them, toothpaste flowing out the side of his mouth.
“You look pwetty ,mama,” he said once he spat the toothpaste out.
“Aww, thanks, sweetie.” I washed his face and then ushered him to his bedroom to get him changed. “You look handsome.”
“I know.” He rolled his eyes and sauntered into the hallway to put his shoes on. I followed chuckling to myself.
We made it out the door five minutes early.
Fractured Lies: Book 1 MAC Security Series Page 4