RP Chapter 3

She heard her name, but she just kept walking, pulling her phone out. “Director, I’m here.”

“I’ll meet you in the lab.”

Kacey let out a sigh. “Yes, sir.” She headed to the steps and began the descent down along the brick steps. It was where she belonged, beneath everyone. Sheltered away from everything. She never should have let Kyle in.

As she rushed down the steps a voice called again.

“Kacey!” her arm was grabbed, and she was pulled back to face the huge man she’d given everything to a few short hours earlier. “Kacey, you need to know Shawn’s already down there, and he’s not happy.”

“Yeah, thanks.” She pulled away from the man who had broken her heart so many times now. She rushed away from him. She had to get her act together before she saw Shawn. He’d know something was wrong.

She flew into her lab and stopped dead when her eyes landed not only on Shawn but Davis Davenport and the Director.

She felt someone plow into her, sending her forward, but then a pair of thick, strong arms wrapped around her waist and shoulders pulling her back against the toned, broad chest she had been able to explore with her hands earlier.

“Let go, Kyle.” She nudged him away from her and moved further into her lab. Her gaze darted to the three men in front of her. “What’s going on?”

~

Kyle hated that she was so mad at him, and he didn’t blame her, but it seemed to be more than he just left her alone after. He stepped away and leaned back against the wall, his eyes glued to his short nerd.

Shawn began to talk first. “We know Donovan is missing, we're pretty sure he’s not dead, but he's betrayed us.”

Kacey stumbled to the stool in front of her long, metal table. “Betrayed? There’s no way Donny wouldn’t do that, how can any of you think that? That’d be like thinking I would do it.” She shot her beautiful teal eyes around at the four men behind her purple, square framed glasses.

“Kacey, I’m just needing you to stay cautious and if he tries to get in touch with you to be very careful.”

“Why would he try to get in contact with me?” she demanded, when it seemed to dawn on her, she stood up from the stool. “Because I’m the stupid, naive one, who’s so innocent and the baby who would fall for him trying to convince me he is innocent.” She poked the glasses up that had slid down her cute, pert nose a little.

Kyle took a step toward her, but she shot a glare at him. He stopped and looked at Davis and Shawn. “If we let her check out things she could get this solved.”

“I already said no.” Shawn practically yelled.

“That’s not your decision.” Kacey glared at her older brother.

“I’m the lead on this team and I say no as well.” Davis stepped forward.

Kacey ’s gaze shot to the director. “Is that how you feel, sir?”

He raised his dark hands in front of him. “They want you safe, Kacey, and I feel like I’ve put so much on you already and I’m sorry.”

“Then why did you drag me down here? You could have told me this over the phone.” She slowly sat on the stool, she looked so defeated.

“I wanted to introduce you to your new temporary partner.” Cunningham motioned behind Kyle.

Kyle spun and watched as Agent Herz walked in. Kyle heard a crash behind him and turned back to everyone else. Kacey was sprawled out on the floor, the stool knocked over, and some tubes shattered on the ground.

“No, I don’t want a temporary partner, I can do this by myself, and I definitely don’t want Agent Herz.” Kacey stayed on the ground, her beautiful gaze darted to each of the men around her.

Kyle was shocked when no one went to help Kacey up, so he headed over to her and pulled her to her feet, tucking her up against him. “What’s wrong, Kace?” he whispered in her ear.

“I don’t like him.” She whispered back, her lips barely moving.

“Just go with it for now, if he does anything you let me know.” He squeezed her hip gently but got her to nod.

“There’s no one else, Kacey, it has to be done, I want him to work on the five newest Kaces, you work on the other fifteen.” Director Cunningham ordered.

“Fine.” She pulled away from Kyle and went to pick up the stool she had tripped over and began to clean the tubes up as well.

Kyle shot a look at his brother and best friend. They were up to something.

“Ky, give Agent Herz the disc with emails and voice recordings.” Davis instructed.

“I don’t have it with me, I’ll have to get it and bring it back.”

“Kyle,” Shawn started. “You knew you were supposed to bring it.”

“Yeah, I got, distracted.” His gaze slid to Kacey. She was in the same Boston University sweatpants and hoodie she had been in when he stopped at her house randomly. He’d take the distraction she had given him anytime as long as Davis, Shawn, and Donovan never found out.

She shot him a glare and turned away from him as she got rid of the broken glass.

He sobered quickly. “I’ll get it and bring it back in a bit.” He began. He got frowns from the men as they walked past him, but he stayed rooted to the ground below him as his eyes went back to Kacey. He moved forward to touch her.

“Don’t even think about it, Davenport.” She gritted out.

“Kace, I’m sorry, I never meant anything to happen, I just needed to hold you, to be reminded of what innocence was like.”

“Yeah and you took that too.” She murmured as she swung back around toward him.

“I didn’t mean to, Kace.” His chest ached.

“Just leave, Davenport, and leave me alone.” She pulled away from him, the hurt on her face and in her beautiful eyes very evident.

“Kacey, talk to me.”

“Get out!” she yelled.

He slowly went back to the swinging door and shouldered it open and slipped out into the hallway. When he said he didn’t mean it, it was the wrong thing to say. He wanted to try to make her understand, but he made it ten times worse, because when he got around Kacey Matthews, his brain and mouth were totally separated from one another.

He clenched his back teeth together and began to head up the stairs, he stopped when the shorter man, Agent Seth Herz, blocked his path. “What?” Kyle demanded.

“I wouldn’t be rude, Agent Davenport, if you don’t want the new secrete I know to get out, you took Agent Tammerson’s baby sister’s innocence, that’ll go over well, wouldn’t it?”

Kyle glared at Seth. “That was a private conversation.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have had it at work.” Seth shrugged his much less bulky shoulder.

~

Kyle clenched a fist, fighting the urge to punch Herz. He was such a tool bag. Then again Kyle himself was one as well. He glared at Herz and shouldered past him. The faster he got the disc, the faster he could make the switch, and let Kacey take a look at it. And try to get her to forgive him.