CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Seth
The case was over.
At least for me it was. My undercover mission was finished, and I was given the all clear to return to D.C. unless Bryce was put on trial and then I’d have to come back to Vegas to testify. But given what Joss had told me, I wasn’t sure it would happen. I was sure no one missed having Tony and a no-named pimp off the streets. I sure the hell didn’t.
But I didn’t want to go back to D.C. I was serious when I told Cat that I’d take a vacation and go with her to Miami until she could get away. And I didn’t care where we went. Cat was back in my life, and I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. Of course, that wasn’t realistic, but I was prepared to spend the next few weeks with her twenty-four-seven.
“Ladies,” I greeted, walking in the front door.
All eyes turned to me, but I only looked at the brown ones I dreamed about. “Hey!” Cat beamed. Not only did I see Cat’s eyes light up, but she smiled. She fucking smiled. Then she stood and came to me.
“Kitty Cat,” I said with a grin and opened my arms to embrace her. She rushed into my arms. “Have a good day?”
She nodded against my chest. “I did.”
“Did you see Paul?” Joss asked.
I looked to her, Cat still in my arms. “Nope.”
Joss shrugged. “I’m not sure who he’s meeting with. I was just curious.”
“Well, I got the all clear.”
“It’s over?” Cat asked, looking up at me.
I kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, baby. It’s just you and me now.”
“Well, I should head home. Baby is making me tired, and Gabe should be home from the range by now,” Autumn said, starting to stand.
“Tell him thank you for me,” I said. “Even though he only dropped Paul and me off, it felt good walking in there knowing he’d have our backs if need be.”
“Definitely.”
I grabbed a beer while they said their goodbyes. Afterward, I sat on the couch, and when the girls came back in, Cat sat next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. It felt strange for a moment that we were doing this in front of Joss. For so long I’d had to hide my feelings, and now we were out in the open flaunting it.
“So, what do you two want to do tonight?”
I balked. “With you?”
Joss laughed. “Well, me and Paul.”
“Don’t you two want to be alone?” I knew I wanted to be alone with Cat.
“We have forever, but you two will be leaving soon.”
“Speaking of, we should probably figure that out,” Cat stated.
I took a pull of my beer before responding. “Yeah, whatever you want. I told my lieutenant I’d be back in a few weeks.” The moment those words left my mouth, a sinking feeling washed over me. Even if I convinced Cat to move to D.C., she wouldn’t move right away.
Cat lifted from my side. “I should go back tomorrow.”
“Kitty Cat.” I frowned. “You’ve just been through some shit.”
“Everyone back home doesn’t know that.”
“You didn’t tell them?” Joss asked.
“No. How could I tell them something like this over the phone?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to hear it over the phone either.” We were silent for a few seconds, all of us probably thinking about the previous night. “Let’s book a flight for tomorrow. We can always come back to Vegas to visit Jossie and Paul.”
Cat’s eyes lit up. “I want to come back after Autumn has her baby.”
I smiled. “I’m sure we can work that out. Then we’ll celebrate with some champagne.” My dick started to stiffen at the memory of tasting the tart wine on Cat’s skin. Best fucking way to drink champagne.
I could definitely use some more celebrating.
Cat cancelled all her patients for the rest of the week, and two days later we were flying to Miami. That was the soonest flight we could get on.
Each night, I held Cat in my arms. I didn’t think either one of us got much sleep. For me, I didn’t want to go into a deep sleep in case she needed me, and even though Cat had never said as much, I knew she was thinking about the ordeal she was put through. I could relate. The first time I shot a person, I replayed that day over and over again. I hadn’t killed the guy, but it was still traumatic. Even with my training.
The plane touched down, and after we grabbed our bags, we went to wait for our ride. Before we’d left, Cat had messaged Nathan on Facebook and asked him to pick us up. I’m sure he was dying to hear all about our time together since Cat had left him and came to me.
Nathan pulled up in a convertible, red Ford Mustang. After putting the car in park, he got out and rushed to Cat, hugging her while I stood awkwardly with our bags. If he only knew that the hug probably meant more to Cat than ever because she’d almost lost it all.
“Nathan, you remember Seth.”
He stuck out his hand, and I shook it. “Nice to see you again,” he said.
“You too, man. Thanks for picking us up.”
“Anything for this girl.”
“Even pretending to date her,” I teased.
Nathan rubbed the back of his neck. “That was all her doing.”
“It’s cool. It all worked out in the end, right?” I smiled at Cat, and she grinned back.
“Well, get in, and I’ll bring you home, baby girl.” Nathan gestured to the passenger door and then went to the driver’s side. I opened the door, and Cat climbed in the back, me in the front. After we were on the road, he asked, “So you had a good time?”
My heart clenched, and I wished I could see Cat’s face. I wished I could hold her hand. “I have something to tell you, but not while you’re driving.”
Nathan looked at me and then glanced at Cat again in the mirror. “What? You two got married?”
“I wish, dude,” I replied, trying to ease whatever Cat was feeling. “I fucking wish.”
The car was silent at my confession. I didn’t care. I’d marry Cat tomorrow if she wanted to. Cat told Nathan how we reconnected and spent the next day and night together. What all we did in Vegas, leaving out the intimate details. She left the conversation as though we’d spent the entire time together. Not that she’d been kidnapped.
Once we pulled up to a one-story house with a pavered driveway, we got out. Back in D.C., I didn’t live in a house. I had a condo because I didn’t have time to keep up with a yard or anything like that. That, of course, would change once Cat and I figured out where we were going to live.
Nathan and I grabbed our bags while Cat opened the front door. When I walked in, I totally knew it was Cat’s house. It was just so girly. A crystal chandelier hung in the entry, and another one hung above the wooden dining room table that had flowers on it. Granted the flowers were now dead. And when I got to the master bedroom, big fluffy pillows were on a made-up bed.
After my tour of the inside, the doorbell rang. I looked at Cat, and she smiled. “Hannah.” I watched as she opened the door and was engulfed in a pair of arms.
“You are never allowed to go MIA again. I was so worried about you.”
“Han,” Cat mumbled. “You want to meet my boyfriend?”
Hannah pushed away from Cat in a hurry and her gaze locked with mine. I smiled and stuck out my hand. “Hey, I’m Seth.”
She stared at me for a moment as Cat closed the door and then Hannah’s hand came out to meet mine. “So you’re the reason she went MIA?”
And there went my heart again. It clenched in my chest. I wanted to be the reason Cat went MIA, but not for the reality of the situation.
“Han, I have something to tell you.” Hannah’s eyes cut down to Cat’s hand, and Cat chuckled. “No, we didn’t get married.”
“Well, tell me what it is,” she whined.
“Come out to the lanai. Nathan is out there, and I can tell you both at the same time.”
Cat led us to her backyard where Nathan was waiting. “Nice view,” I praised, looking out at the lagoon.
Cat smiled and took a seat. “Thanks, but don’t go swimming in it. There are gators.”
“No shit?” I asked as I sat next to her. Hannah sat next to Nathan after giving him a quick hug.
“Yeah, but they’re harmless. Still scary, but they don’t chase you or anything.”
“Well, I don’t plan on going in there to find out.” I chuckled.
“So what was it that you wanted to tell us?” Nathan asked.
I grabbed Cat’s hand, linking our fingers and rubbed my thumb across the back as she told them everything. When she was done, they stared at her as though they were in disbelief.
“You’re joking, right?” Nathan asked.
Cat shook her head.
“You were kidnapped and sold to a pimp?” Hannah asked.
Cat nodded. I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head.
“And you saved her?” Nathan asked.
Cat didn’t go into much detail about the case other than I was undercover and stopped her from almost being raped. “Not soon enough,” I confessed.
“I never want to go to Vegas,” Hannah stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair.
“It’s not a common occurrence,” I affirmed.
“Except it happened to Cat just by getting in a taxi,” Hannah countered.
“There’s sex trafficking rings all over the world. I’m sure there are a few here in Miami. You just never know.”
“Well, Cat and I are going to go to a self-defense class or something. This shit has me scared.”
“After Seth and I go on a real vacation.” Cat smiled up at me which made me happy. Not only because we were going away together, but I knew talking about what had happened to her couldn’t have been easy.
“You two deserve it,” Nathan said. “I can’t even imagine. You’re a strong chick, baby girl.”
“Oh my God!” Hannah gasped suddenly. “Remember that guy Dan from speed dating? Could you imagine if he’s really a murderer?”
I watched as Cat’s eyes widened and remembered seeing that Dan guy had called Cat while we were in Vegas.
“Well, I’ll never hear from him again anyway,” Cat stated. “I lost his number when they took all my stuff when I was kidnapped.”
“Should I be jealous here?” I asked. I was jealous hearing Cat talk about another man even if it was her saying she’ll never hear from him again.
Cat snorted. “No. I don’t even know the guy’s last name. He’ll probably just think I’m blowing him off.” She waved her hand dismissively.
“Good,” I stated. I had plans. Big plans and they didn’t involve me fighting for Cat with another dude.
I never saw a gator, though I was looking. When I spent my summers in Miami, I’d seen a few. Never swam with them, though.
“Your friends seem nice.” We slid under the covers of her king-sized bed.
“Yeah, they are.”
“How long have you been friends with them?”
Cat placed her head on my chest and paused, thinking. “I’ve known Hannah since my senior year and Nathan about Five or six years.”
“Oh, right. I remember you mentioning Hannah when we used to talk that year. I’m glad you had people.”
She looked up at me. “Now I have all my people.”
I leaned down a little and brushed my lips against hers. She returned the kiss, and before I could stop myself, my tongue licked against her bottom lip, and she opened, granting me access. We kissed for long seconds until Cat rose and straddled my hips. We went from being together several times a day to nothing, and now, as she sat on top of me, my dick hardened.
And then Cat retreated, scurrying away to her side of the bed.
“Kitty—”
“I’m sorry.” A tear slid down her cheek, and I brushed it away with my thumb.
“Don’t be sorry.”
“But I’m broken,” she cried.
I rolled to face her, raising up on my elbow. “I’m gonna say it again, baby. You went through some shit.”
“Yeah, but I can’t even be with my boyfriend. When I feel something down there, I think about the faceless man.”
I brushed more tears from her face. “Kitty Cat, I loved you before we were having sex, and I’m going to love you when we’re old and I can’t get it up anymore. We’re gonna get through this.”
She chuckled through her tears. “I hope we have sex again before you can’t get it up anymore.”
I grinned down at her. “I hope so too, but if not, it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”
Cat smiled tightly up at me. “I love you.”
I softly kissed her lips. “I love you too, baby.”
The next morning, after we got Cat a new cell phone, we drove to my grandma’s. It was a lot nicer than the trailer she once had. She had a one bedroom apartment in a senior living facility that had everything she needed.
“When was the last time you saw your grandma?” Cat asked as I pulled into the driveway.
“It’s been a couple of years. Once I made detective, finding vacation time was hard.”
“I’m glad we’re going to Fiji next week.”
While Cat and I ate breakfast, I’d booked us a trip to Fiji. When I brought it up, Cat joked that she’d always wanted to stay in one of the huts on the crystal blue water. So I said, “Let’s do it.” Cat had turned to me, wide-eyed as I was already searching flights. I didn’t care. I’d go into debt for this girl. I wanted to give her the world because she deserved it.
“I know, baby. Just you and me in our own private hut.”
“Can’t wait.”
We exited the car, and I grabbed her hand as we walked to my grandma’s front door. I’d half expected Grandma to be waiting in the parking lot for us. I knocked once, and the door flew open.
“Sethie!” Grandma cried and rushed into my arms. I dropped Cat’s hand, embracing my grandma.
“Hey, Grandma. Long time no see.”
She pulled back and cupped my cheeks. “Too long.” Grandma looked at Cat. “Catherine Stone, you’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady.”
The women hugged. “Thank you so much, Mrs. McKenna.”
“Come inside. Harold and I have some lemonade made.”
I swear Harold and Grandma were like teenagers in love. It was good to see my grandma happy. The four of us sipped on lemonade while I told them about my work in D.C., the undercover job in Vegas, how Joss was married and then Cat told them about her ordeal. I wasn’t expecting her to say anything, but the way Cat was able to rehash it all over and over seemed therapeutic. And she needed that. I’d heard therapy was like that. You’d talk about your problems, get them off your chest, and then have a sense of relief. Whatever Cat needed to do, I was all for it.
Before we left, I pulled Grandma aside and said, “Grandma, I’m gonna marry that girl.”
Our next stop was dinner at her parents’ house. In all the years I’d known Cat, I’d never met them. I’d seen them drop her off at Joss’s trailer a few times during the summers we spent together, but not once had either one of them gotten out of the car.
Cat directed me to her folk’s place in Coconut Grove. It was a two-story tiled roof home that to me screamed money. Not like Mark’s place in Vegas. That was unreal. But this house was a Spanish style home with a three car garage, a circular driveway, a lush yard with palm trees around it, and a pool that overlooked part of the ocean. Now I understood why Cat was freaking out about missing work. Just seeing this house told my intuitions that Dr. Stone was good at his job and their practice was successful.
Cat didn’t bother to knock as we entered the front door. No one was there as we made our way inside. We found her parents outside, underneath the upstairs balcony sitting at a table that pointed to a pool that overlooked the water.
“Mom. Dad. This is Seth McKenna.”
I stuck out my hand and greeted them with a nod each. “Nice to meet you both.”
“Over the years we’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”
I glanced at Cat noticing she was blushing from her mother’s words. “All good things, I hope.”
“You did break her heart, son,” Cat’s father stated.
I rubbed the back of my neck, but Cat spoke for me. “That’s in the past. It was actually a misunderstanding.”
“Oh?” Cat’s mom asked.
“I was young and dumb, and Seth was just out of the academy. The time just wasn’t right.”
“Fair enough,” her father said and sat back down, gesturing for me to sit as well.
“You have a lovely home, Dr. Stone.”
“Please, call us Carroll and Cora. There isn’t a need to be formal.”
I smiled at them. “Will do.”
“So, Cat,” Carroll turned to her, “tell us about Vegas.”
And so it began.
Carroll and Cora didn’t take the news well. I didn’t blame them. But Cat was strong, assured them that everything was going to be okay and she had me to protect her now. I’d take a bullet to the heart before I’d let anything happen to her again.
Cat and her mom were in the kitchen preparing dinner while Carroll and I sat under a fan outside. “There’s something I need to ask you, Carroll.”
His gaze flicked to mine. “Okay?”
“I’ve known your daughter almost my entire life. I’ve loved her since I was fifteen. Since I first laid eyes on her. And I know I screwed up letting her get away, but this time, I’m not. I want to marry her. I want to make her my wife and spend the next eighty years making up for the past eleven. I want to give her the world, and I was wondering if I have your blessing to ask for her hand?”
He stared at me for a beat, and I thought he was going to say no, but then he surprised me by saying, “It’s about fucking time.”