Exposed: Book 2 MAC Security Series (13 page)

It may not have been the best idea but my gut told me that he wasn’t going to hurt us so I made a snap decision.

“Get back in your seat, Eli.” I watched as he scrambled back over the seats and sat in his booster seat.

Walking around the back of the truck, I pulled the tailgate down and waved at the dog.

“Come on,” I urged him. He limped around, looked at me and then at the truck. “Up you go.” I waved.

Whining again, I went closer to him and tried to help lift him. Even though you could see that he was underweight, he still weighed a ton. I didn’t know what made me think I’d be able to lift the giant thing, but I put all my strength into it and didn’t even manage to lift him an inch off the ground.

“Kay!” I startled at Ty’s voice, the dog turned around and growled, bearing his teeth. “Whoa!” Holding his hands up in the air, Ty stopped where he was with Evan behind him.

“He’s fine,” I said to them and turned back to the dog. “It’s okay.” Holding my hand out to him again, he let me stroke him.

Trying to keep the dog calm, I kept my hand on his back and turned to Ty. “He’s hurt,” I said. “I need to get him to a vet.”

“And you were just gonna lift that giant dog all on your own?” Evan laughed.

“I was trying,” I huffed and stood up straight. “I didn’t think he’d be so heavy?”

“Here.” Ty moved forward, holding his hand out to the dog in the same way that I did. “Come here, boy.”

“How do you know it’s a boy?” Evan asked, his eyes wide. He hadn’t moved from his spot from over twenty feet away.

“Can you not see that?” Ty shook his head and moved closer, his hand stroking the dogs head. “Help me lift him up and we’ll go and get him checked out.”

“You want me?” Evan pointed to his chest, his eyes wide. “To help lift that mammoth?”

“Just get over here,” Ty grunted.

“Nope.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.

“Come on, Uncle Evan!” Eli shouted from the truck.

“Fine!” He threw his hands up in the air, shuffling forward. “But if he eats me, I’m gonna sue your ass.” He pointed at Ty.

“If he eats you, you won’t be here to sue me.” Ty smirked.

“So, you want him to eat me?”

“Jesus, Evan, just help me lift him.” Rolling his eyes, he waited until Evan was closer and together they lifted him into the back of the truck.

Once I knew he was safely in the back, I walked around to Eli’s door and strapped him in. “Is he hurt, mama?”

“I think his paw is, sweetie. We’ll go and get him checked out. Okay?”

“Okay.” He turned in his seat, looking into the back of the truck.

Shutting the door, I got in the drivers’ side, did my belt up and turned the engine on.

“Let’s go,” Ty said, jumping into the passenger side.

“Huh?” I looked at him confused.

“To the vets?” I just sat there and stared at him. He was coming with us?

“Yeah,” he said with raised brows.

“Oh, right.” Clearing my throat, I wiped my hands on my jeans and did a U-turn. I’d never drove with Ty sat in the passenger seat and it made me nervous. Made me more aware of how I drove, I felt like he was watching my every move.

“Where’s Evan?” Eli asked.

“He’s gone back to the warehouse, bud.”

“Oh.” Looking into the rear view mirror, I watched as Eli turned in his seat trying to see the dog again.

“Will he be okay?”

“He should be, bud, let’s get him to the vets and they will know,” Ty told him.

“Where is the vets?” I asked, not knowing where I was going.

“Take the next left and go to the end of the road and then take a right,” he said, waving his hands about in the air. Why do people do that? They could never just say it, they always had to act it out with their hands as well.

“Okay.” I followed his directions and looked at him confused when we got there; thinking that was the end of his directions.

I was wrong, so wrong.

Fifteen minutes later, we finally got there after many, many more directions. I should have just let him drive, it would have been so much easier.

“I’ll go inside and get someone to help us,” Ty said and pushed out of the car as Eli undid his belt.

“Can I go see him, mama?”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

We got out and walked around to the back of the truck, pulling the tailgate down. The dog hobbling closer to us and lay down.

I stroked the dogs head when he moved closer, trying to comfort him as he whined. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain. Looking down at Eli, his face marred with a frown, I said. “It’ll be okay.” Not knowing whether I was talking to Eli, me or the dog.

Ty came back out a couple of minutes later with someone following behind him. Stepping back, I pulled Eli with me while we waited for them to get the dog down, before following them inside.

They went straight into a private room so we stayed back and waited in the reception area. Picking Eli up, I sat him on my lap and we waited.

I could hear his whines from out here and each one was more upsetting than the last. Finally, they stopped and that’s when I blew out a relieved breath, hoping that he would be okay now.

It was dark by the time Ty came out of the room, he stood with his hands on his hips and I watched as his chest moved on a deep exhale. Lifting his head, he met my eyes and smiled gently.

“He’ll be okay,” he said to me as he moved closer, then crouched down to Eli. “All stitched up.”

“He better now?” Eli asked wriggling in my arms. Letting him down, he sat on Ty’s knee and wrapped his arms around his neck.

“Yeah, bud.” He smiled.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“He’ll probably go to the nearest animal shelter when he’s better.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Can I see him?”

“Sure.” Ty stood up, taking Eli with him. Following behind, we walked into the room. My eye scanned the space looking for the dog and found him laying down in the corner, his paw bandaged up, and a bowl of half eaten food next to him.

Going straight over, I leant down and stroked his head. A lump formed in my throat, for some reason I felt sad at not being able to see him again. I’d only found him at the side of the road a couple of hours ago but that didn’t stop the connection that I felt with him.

“He’ll be right as rain in no time,” a soft voice said from behind me.

Standing up, I spun around and faced the voice. “He will?” I asked.

“Is he your dog, hon?”

“No,” I said shaking my head. “We found him at the side of the road.”

She walked forward, her chocolate brown eyes looked so familiar. She was dressed in a white coat with scrubs underneath. She pulled the hair tie out of her light brown hair, the silky strands flowing down her back.

“I think he likes you.” She nodded over to the dog and smiled. “Elena,” she said, holding her hand out to me.

I placed my hand in hers and replied, “Kaylee.”

“Ah.” She turned to Ty and then back to me. “You’re the infamous Kaylee”

“I... erm…” I looked to Ty for some kind of sign as to what to say.

His eyes flicked to her, “Ma,” he huffed.

“What?” she asked, letting go of my hand as she smiled wide.

“Kay, this is my ma.” He rolled his eyes and placed Eli on the floor.

His ma? He brought me here, knowing that we’d see her? Dammit, he should have prepared me. I twisted my hands together and shuffled my feet on the spot, feeling the nerves flow through me.

“You’ve made her nervous now,” he said to Elena, walking toward me.

“Ah, hush now, boy. I’ve been asking you to bring her around for ages.” Turning back to me, she said. “It was about time we met.”

“I…” Clearing my throat, I closed my eyes trying to get myself together. “Nice to meet you.” I finally said.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Just breathe.” Ty’s hand rubbed circles on my back, in what I think was an attempt to be soothing but him touching me had the opposite effect. Especially in front of his mother.

“Nice to meet you too, hon.” She walked past me and Ty, straight to where Eli was sat stroking the dog.

“Monty,” he said looking at each of us in turn. “Can we call him Monty?”

“I don’t know if you can name a dog that you’re not going to keep, sweetie,” I said.

He frowned and turned back to Monty then started to talk with Elena.

Nudging Ty in the ribs, I tilted my head to the door and walked out, feeling him behind me.

“What’s up?” he asked when we were alone in the corridor.

“What’s up?” I huffed. “You could have told me.” I said pointing back to the room.

This wasn’t how I wanted to meet his mother, I wanted to impress her the first time I met her. Maybe bake her a pie and bring her some flowers. Not turn up at her place of work, not having a clue who she was and covered in dog hair.

Way to make a first impression.

“If I would have told you,” he said, stepping forward and framing my face with his hands. “You would have freaked out.”

“I-”

“Just like you’re doing now.” He smirked, bringing his face down and brushing his lips against mine.

“Now, what do you say?” he said, his lips only centimeters from mine. I frowned up at him, completely distracted by his soft but firm lips. “Shall we keep him?”

“Who?” I asked.

“Monty.” He laughed, planting another kiss on my lips and turning around and going back into the room. Why did he always do that?

He could distract me so easily and I both hated and loved it at the same time.