Chapter 46
CHAPTER 46
“H ey, don’t bite your brother’s ear.” Stark gently separated the three kittens, lifting the biter and pressing a kiss against his spotted belly. “You don’t even have any teeth yet, so what’s with the biting? You’re going to be a troublemaker.”
Molly walked into the bedroom and jumped on the bed, rubbing up against Stark before stretching out on the bed beside him. The three kittens wobbled over to her immediately, lining up at her belly like cowboys at a bar. Molly chirped and purred to them, grooming them as they settled down to nurse, their purrs mixing with hers as they kneaded at her belly.
“Did you enjoy your break from the babies?” he asked, scratching under her chin. “Never thought I’d spend my Sunday night babysitting kittens so their mama can have a little alone time.”
Molly purred even louder, and he bent to kiss her forehead. “You’re my little sweetheart, aren’t you?”
He leaned back against the headboard, one hand still lightly stroking Molly as she fed the babies. Tomorrow, Kira would send the paperwork to Rayna, and in ten days, her property would be his.
He had no idea why Rayna had agreed to the three-fifty or why she wanted such a quick closing date, and he told himself he didn’t care. He’d gotten what he wanted, and that was all that mattered. He was happy.
No, scratch that.
He was fucking delighted to have all three properties finally, and he couldn’t care less what Rayna Abrams did with the rest of her life.
Oh yeah? Then why did you feel so guilty when you saw Rayna loading up her crappy SUV with boxes not even an hour ago?
He could feel a muscle ticking in his jaw. He should never have gone into the fucking den. Should never have looked out the goddamn window. Seeing Rayna carrying box after box to her SUV made him feel sick to his stomach, but he hadn’t been able to look away. She was obviously packing up her things, and it didn’t matter how many times he told himself he didn’t feel bad, the nausea in his stomach told a different story.
He’d watched her from behind the blinds like a damn stalker until she’d finished loading the boxes, climbed into her SUV, and drove away. His stomach clenched at the memory of how sad and defeated she’d looked.
Of course she looks sad. You took her fucking home from her, asshole.
He hadn’t. She came to him with the offer.
And you fucking lowballed her.
No, he didn’t. He’d given her a very generous offer, more than she would have gotten from anyone else.
Whatever helps you sleep at night, buddy.
Christ, if he clenched his jaw any harder, his goddamn teeth would crack.
He petted Molly repeatedly until some of the tension left his body. When his phone rang, he stared at the unfamiliar number and considered not answering it before reaching for it.
“Stark speaking.”
“Hello, Mr. Stark. My name is Gianna. I’m the cat foster coordinator for Little Whiskers.”
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“As you know, the rescue is closing down, and we’re reaching out to each foster to make arrangements to have their foster animal transferred out of their care.”
He sat up straight, his spine rigid and a vein pulsing to life in his forehead. “What? The rescue is closing?”
“Yes,” she said. “There was an email from Rayna sent to the fosters on Thursday night. Did you not receive it?”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” he said. He’d gotten the email. He’d deleted it without opening it as soon as he’d seen Rayna’s name.
“Oh shoot,” Gianna said. “I assumed you’d seen the email. I apologize for sharing the news so abruptly.”
“Why is the rescue closing?” He stood and paced his bedroom.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know the details of why it’s closing,” Gianna said. “We have three rescues who are taking over the care of the Little Whiskers foster animals. Our database says you currently have one cat named Molly and her three kittens. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Perfect. Would you be willing to transport them to their new foster, or do I need to arrange for a volunteer driver?”
“New foster?” he asked. “A new foster for Molly?”
“Yes,” she said patiently. “Another rescue will take Molly and her babies in.”
“No,” he said. “That is not fucking happening.”
The silence on the other end was deafening, and he took a deep breath. “I apologize.”
“Right,” she said, her tone now on the frosty side. “We are offering fosters the chance to adopt their foster animals free of charge. Am I to assume you would like to adopt Molly?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ll adopt her.”
“Perfect. I’ll have an adoption contract sent to you in the next forty-eight hours. Please sign and return the document to us via email as soon as possible. Now, are you willing to keep the babies with Molly until they’re weaned? Once they’re weaned, we’ll send them to a different rescue. If you want them moved immediately, we’ll need to send Molly to the other rescue temporarily until her babies are weaned, and then you can take her back.”
“I’m adopting the babies as well,” he said.
More silence before she said, “I’m sorry?”
“I’m adopting Molly and her babies,” he said.
“All three of the babies?” Gianna asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Send me adoption contracts for Molly and the three babies.”
“Okay,” she said, sounding a little dazed. “We’ll do that. Thank you, Mr. Stark. Have a good evening.”
He ended the call and stared at Molly for three seconds before jogging from the bedroom to the den. He stared out the window, muttering a curse when Rayna’s driveway was empty. He called her, pacing the den in large strides, snarling out another curse when it went straight to voicemail.
“Ms. Abrams, call me immediately,” he snapped before shoving his phone into his pocket.
What the fuck was going on?
* * *
Stark stared out his office window, scanning the parking lot as his entire body nearly vibrated with anxiety and impatience. Where the fuck was Lucas?
He cursed himself for about the fiftieth time. He’d called and texted Rayna multiple times, but she hadn’t read his texts or returned his calls. His plan to stare out the den window until Rayna returned so he could talk to her in her damn driveway, if necessary, had failed miserably.
He hadn’t slept well all week, and the lack of sleep had finally caught up to him. He’d fallen asleep in the chair in the den, waking up early this morning to a kink in his neck and Molly standing on his chest.
He’d immediately checked out the window. Rayna’s driveway was empty, although he could see fresh tire tracks in the snow, and he’d cursed so loudly that Molly had run from the den.
He rubbed at the kink in his neck as he craned to see the far end of the parking lot. Where the fuck was Lucas?
“Isaac!”
He spun around, staring in disbelief at Hollis, who was standing in his office. “Did you just call me Isaac?”
“Yes,” she said. “Because you aren’t responding to the seventeen Mr. Starks that I practically shouted at you.”
He rubbed harder at his neck. “Sorry. I didn’t… what’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” she said. “It’s time for our usual Monday morning meeting.”
He glanced at his watch. “Shit, sorry. Um… right. Do you know why Lucas isn’t in the office yet?”
“He’s here,” Hollis said. “He was upstairs the last I saw him, but that was five minutes ago.”
“Fuck,” Stark snapped before heading toward the door. He brushed past Hollis. “Can we meet later? I have to talk to Lucas.”
“Sure,” she said.
He stepped into the hallway, his anxiety cranking up a notch when he saw Lucas walking into his office at the far end of the hallway. “Lucas!”
He nearly ran down the hallway, barging into Lucas’s office without knocking. Holding a cup of coffee in one hand, Lucas arched an eyebrow at him as he sat in the chair behind his desk. “Hey. What’s up?”
“We need to talk,” Stark said. He shut the door and sat in the chair across from Lucas’s desk. “Why is Rayna closing the rescue?”
Lucas’s face shuttered closed immediately. “That isn’t my story to share.”
“A volunteer called me about moving Molly and her babies and said the rescue is closing. Rayna won’t return my calls,” Stark said.
Lucas sipped at his coffee, and Stark glared at him. “Tell me, or you’re fired, Lucas.”
Lucas laughed hard, and Stark flushed. “Okay, sorry, you won’t be fired. But something is obviously wrong. Rayna sold me her property, and she’s shutting down the rescue. I’m worried about her. Tell me what’s going on.”
“No,” Lucas said. “If Rayna isn’t returning your calls, then obviously, she doesn’t want you in her business.”
Feeling like his heart might explode from unfamiliar panic, Stark said, “I love her, Lucas.”
Lucas paused with his cup of coffee near his mouth. “What?”
“I love Rayna. I fucked up, okay? I know I fucked up, and I did that thing I always do, which is push people away when they hurt me. I shouldn’t have done that, and I regret it immensely, but I am also freaking the fuck out that something terrible has happened to the woman I love. But because I fucked up so bad, she won’t talk to me, and I don’t blame her for that, but Lucas, I am losing my mind with worry for her. Please tell me what’s happening,” Stark said.
“Holy shit. I think that’s the most you’ve ever said to me at once,” Lucas said. “And all of it was personal as fuck.”
Stark stared at him, his chest tight and that panic still fluttering in his stomach.
“You really do love her, don’t you?” Lucas said.
“Lucas, I am about five seconds away from taking a wrench to the gym shower and then demanding Sneaky Leaks send Rayna to fix it so that she can’t keep avoiding me.”
A grin crossed Lucas’s face. “She’d probably get here and throw that wrench at your head.”
“Probably,” Stark agreed. “I’m still going to do it, though.”
He stood, and Lucas shook his head. “Holy shit, sit down. I’ll tell you what happened, so leave the gym showers alone. They’re innocent.”
He couldn’t even manage a chuckle at Lucas’s joke. Not when every fiber of his being was worried for Rayna.
He returned to his seat, giving Lucas an expectant look. Lucas sighed and said, “So, it turns out that the rescue’s accountant, Mack, is a dirtbag piece of shit…”