RP Chapter 11
“I came back as soon as I clicked up the camera and saw the man let her fall to the floor, if I’d turned it on sooner I could have stopped him.” Kyle’s deep voice rumbled beneath her ear.
“Man, what man?” Shawn demanded laying a hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t know, he had a very different accent, one I can’t place, and he was wearing a mask and gloves.” She mumbled into Kyle’s chest.
“What did he want?” Kyle whispered to her.
She didn’t want him to know, she couldn’t tell him. She let out a shaky breath, but she had to. “He thought you gave me something, it had something to do with Donny, but I gave him an empty flash drive, I didn’t know what else to do.”
She felt Kyle stiffen in her arms and beneath her cheek, which caused some more pain for her.
“Come on, Kace, I’ll take you home.” Shawn began.
“I’ll take her, you and Davis try to figure out who the man was.” Kyle picked her up and they made their way to the elevator.
“Fine, but don’t leave her side, Kyle, seriously, no matter how upset she gets at you, you stick to her like glue.”
Kacey buried her head into Kyle’s broad chest, hating that they were talking like she wasn’t even there, but she was too drained to put up a fight.
“Sweetheart, do you have your keys to your truck?”
“Left pocket.”
“Okay, I want to take you to my place, they shouldn’t think of you being there.” Kyle whispered as he carried her out of the building into the now cool darkened night.
She didn’t fight or object, just let him take her to her truck, where he placed her in the passenger seat then got in on the driver’s side.
“Do you have paper?” she asked randomly.
“What?”
“At your house, do you have any paper?”
“Yes, but you’re not working anymore tonight.”
“Okay.” She gave in, even though her heart was screaming not to. This was for Donny. She had to help Donny.
~
Kyle pulled into the garage of his apartment building. He shot a look over to Kacey, who was staring out the windshield, unseeingly. He sighed as he muscled open the door and made his way to her side in long strides.
He slowly opened her door still making her jump as their gazes collided. “Come on, Kace.” He held his hand to her, and she placed hers in it, tightening her fingers around it.
He helped her out of the truck, even as he closed the door and all that surrounded them was the barely soft glow of yellow lights from above, he could still make out the ugly bruises along her cheek and throat. He grumbled a little as he pulled her close to the side of his body and made the way to the elevator.
~
She moved more robotically than normal. His eyes kept darting to her as the doors slid close and it made its way up.
“Stop, Kyle.” She whispered.
“Stop what?”
“Watching me so carefully, like you’re waiting on me to completely break down.” Her words jumbled together a little.
“Kace, that’s not why I’m watching you so carefully, it’s a small part of it but I always watch you closely.”
She skimmed her eyes over his face but went right back to staring at the doors of the elevator. “Why?”
“Because I care about you, have for a very long time now, even when Shawn told me not to.”
“Didn’t stop you from being with anyone else.” She gritted out.
“But it stopped you from trying to find someone different, anyone would be better than me, that’s apparent.”
“We’re made different then you men.”
“Well, isn’t that the truth.” He slid a hand down to her hip, squeezing as he pulled her closer. He led her out of the elevator as soon as the doors slid open. He fished his hand into his pocket, pulling out his keys and slid the key into the lock, then pushed the door open slowly.
Kyle pulled Kacey inside, locking the door behind them. He flipped on a couple lights on the way to the joined kitchen and living room.
He made her sit on the brown couch then made his way to the kitchen. He began to open the fridge and pulled out some potato soup and cheese. He poured the contents into one of his big blue soup bowls warming it up in the microwave then added the cheese. He grabbed a spoon, made sure the cheese was melted, and made his way to Kacey.
He laid his hand on her knee as he sat across from her on the coffee table. “Here, Kacey, eat while I get you some clothes to change into, then you can go to bed.”
He watched her hand tremble a little as she reached for the bowl. She stared down at the contents then slowly moved the spoon to her mouth. She opened her tiny mouth and slid the spoon inside and he felt like a heel as he watched her, and his body instantly tightened.
He hurried to his feet and made the short walk down the hall from the living room to his bedroom. He picked out a pair of boxers and one of his white sleeping shirts. He’d let her have the bed tonight, while he took the couch. He had to talk to her about the attack tonight, but he didn’t want to push her either, but he had to know what it was about.
He headed back to the living room but froze when Kacey wasn’t on the couch anymore.
He relaxed some when his gaze found her at the kitchen sink, rinsing off the spoon and bowl. He made his way over to her as she placed the clothes on his shoulder and stepped closer to her rubbing his hands up and down her arms slowly.
She leaned back into him, her whole backside pressed against his front. “Kyle,” she whispered.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
She shivered a little. “Please don’t make me sleep alone tonight.”
“If that’s what you want, c’mon let’s get you in the shower, then bed, babe.”
She nodded a little but didn’t move.
Kyle let out a sigh, making her turn a little and he began to take her to his bedroom. He took her into the bathroom and turned the water on for her.
“Honey, is it okay to talk about it, once you’re out of the shower?”
“S-s-sure.” She stuttered.
Kyle’s chest ached hearing her voice sound so broken. “Are you sure?”
“Y-yes.”
“Okay, here’s a pair of boxers and a shirt.” He laid them on the gray vanity top. He kissed the top of her head and retreated from the bathroom.