He chuckles. “Yeah, not so much. She ditched me today.”
“Sorry, brother.”
“Meh,” he quips. “Her loss. Anyway, I was calling to see if everything at the house is in order. I wasn’t sober enough last night to remember to ask.”
I laugh. “Yeah, perfect. Thanks again, man.”
“Remember, it’s an open lease. You stay as long as you need. I know you won’t bloody well tell me why you need the place when you’ve got your own in town here, but whatever. The invite’s open-ended.”
“Appreciated.”
An awkward pause hangs between us. I know he’s waiting for me to give him something, anything.
“She’s my neighbor.”
“Knew there was a reason,” he says triumphantly.
“Her husband beats her.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. We’re at the station now, filing the papers.”
“You’re a good cunt, you know that, right?”
I chuckle at Ty’s use of crass language to dampen the touchy-feely element of his compliment. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Another stretch of silence, equally as laden as the last.
“What are you going to tell her?”
“About what, Ty?”
“You know what about. Don’t be an ass.”
I close my eyes, and ponder the answer. How do I break that to her? “She thinks I’ve done her a favor. She thinks I’m helping.”
“You have to tell her.” He warns.
“Yeah, right. Like I can just up and tell her that I hunt down the scum of the town in my spare time. That I treat people no better than that asshole did her, and that I get paid for it.”
“I didn’t say you have to give her the whole gory truth about our business, but you will need to warn her about the dangers of it—that is, if you’re intending to keep her around. How permanent is this?”
“That’s up to her.” Unfortunately. We’ve had a day, and already I’m wishing for more with her.
“Whatever happens, you did good, Malice. Not everyone would step in to help a stranger.”
“Yeah, well, let’s say I hope she’s not going to stay a stranger.” I eye the station, double-checking she isn’t there, listening in.
Ty chuckles. “Damsel in distress needs a knight in shining armor, huh, and you just happen to be there?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Sounds like it is,” Ty says.
“It’s more than that, but I don’t need to justify it to you. Look, I’m thankful for the place, hey? But I’m not comfortable talking about this yet.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know you. I bet you’ve broken out in hives telling me that much.”
“Almost.” I laugh.
“Catch ya later, hey.”
Ty disconnects, and I take a moment to suck in some fresh air before I head indoors again. Ty’s right; I can’t tell him everything about Jane, just as I can’t tell her everything about me. Right now, there’s no need for him to know much more about her, and there’s no need for her to be introduced to that part of my life, either. I’ve never been a fan of freely giving when nothing was expected to begin with.
The boys know enough about my history to understand me, but I don’t openly share my troubles with the world—or my close friends. I can’t see the reason why they would need or want to be burdened with my shit. So, I do what’s best, and I keep it to myself.
I’ve seen first-hand what can happen when a man crumbles, and it’s not pretty. Women cry, not men. Guys like me, they keep their secrets untold, and their problems buried.
It works better for everyone that way.
MALICE WALKS back in to the station, pocketing his phone. I should be listening to Officer Jenkins, but my head is elsewhere. Why did he take the call outside? Was it a girlfriend? Maybe that’s why he didn’t want me staying at his house next door? I can’t recall ever seeing a vehicle other than his, but that doesn’t mean to say he didn’t pick them up.
Why am I thinking like this? It’s not as though it’s any of my business.
“We’ll type up what you’ve told me here into a formal report, and be in touch. I’ll need you to come back in to sign it once it’s complete. Are you okay doing that?”
I smile at the officer. He’s been so supportive, and strikingly genuine about it all. I could nearly say I feel confident he’s going to do something about Dylan. “I managed to get through today, so I think signing will be fine. Thank you for your help.”
“That’s what we’re here for.”
He offers his hand, and I shake it. The tension in the air tells me Malice is close before I look.