"When?" I asked as I swallowed. Hard.
"Tomorrow. Can you get away?" There would be another guard "protecting" me then, so I would need to think about a way to escape. I could always climb down the trellis and order a taxi. It was the only way.
"Yeah, I can get there. What time?" I asked. It was going to be tricky, but I knew I could pull it off. I'd always been good at escaping.
"Noon."
Perfect.
Janson
I walked in the door to the smell of home. Or rather, what I’d always wished home would be. I couldn’t identify every single smell that was coming from the penthouse, but I knew that it was good. Savory and warm, it smelled like a feast.
"What is this?" I asked as I approached her in the kitchen, taking in the sight of her. Kat was wearing a sundress with a pink apron over it, and I wondered where she even got it.
"Cooking was a huge part of my teenage years. My mom taught me everything there was to it. So, I thought I would make you dinner. Especially since I cost you your cook."
She meant Michael.
"You didn't cost me anything. A man like that couldn't be trusted, and it was better to know it now than later. He could do so much more damage-" I cut myself off. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is us right now." My voice dipped as I said it.
She smiled and looked at me. "Do you like the outfit? I bought it when I was out with Michael."
"I do. Very much." I wrapped my arms around her waist and bent down to kiss her neck. She smelled amazing. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. This woman drove me absolutely crazy.
I wanted her. She was in the middle of baking me a feast and I wanted nothing more than to throw her up on my table and f*ck
her.
I was crazy as hell.
"I've got the chicken in the oven, mashed potatoes are done, pulled out some drippings for the gravy, working on that now."
"What else?" I asked.
"Green bean casserole. I know when you came over, Mom always made it."
"It's my favorite."
"I guessed." She blushed. I forgot that she'd been crushing on me for years. Especially now that I was f*ck
ing her. I forgot all of that when I touched her.
But sometimes she reminded me exactly of what she was.
Halfway to womanhood and I was taking advantage. Part of me was repulsed, but the monster in me was delighted. She was all mine to do with as I pleased and I liked it.
Hell, I f*ck
ing fed off of it.
"Kathryn, we need to talk." I was measured in the way I said it, but her face fell immediately. I'd already f*ck
ed this up.
"You think we should stop this?" she asked. I'd sent the wrong signals. "I figured you were going to say something like that. It's been too nice."
"No. I mean, yes, we probably should. But I don't have any intention of stopping. Not now that I have you," I admitted.
I didn't want to make this a conversation about our relationship, if we even had one at this point. No, this was much more important. It was life or death.
I needed to tell her the plan to get our fathers in jail. I just needed to be smart about it.
"Okay, then what?" she asked. She was at the range stirring the gravy. Watching the way her ass shook just a little while she stirred was too f*ck
ing distracting. I walked around the counter and stood on the other side.
Maybe a barrier would help.
"I spoke with Greyson about the little proposition Michael came to us with."
"You did?" she asked. "Is he pissed? Is Michael in danger?"
"Greyson was surprised, but he wasn't as pissed as I thought he was going to be. He thinks it's batshit crazy and wants no part of it." I swallowed. "But he thinks you should do what you need to do. If you can get us from being implicated and if you don't have to testify."
Her eyes flashed, and I knew she was happy. Seeking revenge on her father was really going to bring her happiness.
It was a crazy world.
"I think they'll want me to testify," she said and then swallowed. "Don't you think?"
Ice ran through my veins. It was the very last thing that could happen. At least right now. She needed to be kept safe.
She was mine and I wasn't going to have her put a f*ck
ing target on her head.
"You can't. If you do, we'll be forced to put out a hit on you, and I will not let that happen." It was my god damn job to make sure that wasn't going to happen, but it was more than that. I needed her. I wanted her. None of this should've been happening. I shouldn't have been feeling those feelings. But I was.
I was starting to f*ck
ing fall for her.
"I can see what I can do," she said. "I also have something to admit.”
"What?"
"I've already been in contact. I'm meeting with the contact tomorrow," she admitted.
"What?" I tried not to let my anger show, but I was absolutely furious. She knew how I felt about this. She knew that I didn't want her even contacting them. And she went behind my back and did it.
It didn't matter that we were going to give her permission, she went ahead and f*ck
ing did it without any consultation from me. She didn't give a shit about what I thought.