Chapter 14 Kitty
FOURTEEN
KITTY
“You shouldn’t go in,” Stan grumbled from the bed as he watched me pull on some clothes that a housekeeper had deposited in our room yesterday.
The wealth in this household terrified me.
The clothes were my size. They fit me perfectly. And they put my current wardrobe to shame. There were so many designer labels in the capsule collection that I could start up my own clothing store.
As I dragged on a pair of pants, regretting snapping at his offer of help, wincing as I bent over, I didn’t have the chance to moan more than once before he was there, clucking as he urged me into sitting down, then dressing me.
I didn’t particularly appreciate being kidnapped.
Nor did I appreciate being almost raped.
And I certainly didn’t appreciate dealing with the aftermath of a beating, but that I saw this side of Stan was almost worth it.
My ovaries had no business eavesdropping into our relationship, but this man’s caretaking abilities definitely fascinated them.
When he’d finished tutting as he helped me dress, he griped, “Just call them. You can’t go in when you’re this injured. Surely they’ll accept that.”
I gaped at him. “I work in a hospital, Stan. The one area of modern life where workplace standards mean dick. You think they care that I’m ‘bruised?’ Hell, one of my friends was assaulted by a patient one night and was expected to come in the next day!”
Stan frowned. “How often does that happen?”
“Not that often.” Shit, I knew that anecdote was going to bite me in the ass in the future. I patted his chest. “Look, you already won. I’m going in to tell them I can’t work. If I was at home, I’d have gone in and fulfilled my shift.”
His cell rang before he could argue with me further.
“Fuck. I need to get this, duci.”
“That’s fine. I’ll head out—”
“No. I’ll come with.”
“You’re busy, Stan,” I chided. “Don’t you have someone else who can take me to the hospital? Jesus, I’ll grab a cab—”
That earned me the deadeye. “My woman doesn’t take cabs.”
I shot him a dopey smile. “That’s me, huh? Your woman?”
“You know it, liunissa.”
He pecked my temple, still cautious around touching me, and, I’d admit, I appreciated it.
Last night, he’d made me jump when getting out of the shower and I’d nearly slipped before he’d caught me. That was why he’d argued I shouldn’t go into work. My reaction times hovered around nil as I remained on edge.
He was right. I just didn’t like admitting it out loud.
When his cell buzzed again, he heaved an impatient sigh and hissed something in Sicilian, so I ordered, “Take your call. I’ll be back soon.”
He did as I requested, unhappily, after anointing my other temple with a kiss.
I stepped outside. A few doors down, I found Lauren hovering by the top of the stairs where she was, I assumed, pretending to dust.
She’d definitely get along great with Ma if they ever met.
“Hi, Lauren,” I greeted.
“Kitty! Oh, what a surprise, dear.” She shot me a wide smile. “How are you feeling today?”
“A little rough. Stan convinced me to head into the hospital where I work and tell them I need some time off.”
“Can’t he send someone to do that for you?” she asked, her concern clear. “You do look rather… battered, Kitty.”
“I kind of need to prove that to them,” was my dry retort. “I’ve already taken a lot of PTO this year, so it’s going to be a fight.”
“Isn’t Stan going with you?”
“He wanted to, but I told him not to.”
She clucked her tongue. “He’s very protective.” Definitely not a negative in her eyes. “You should take him with you. He’d make sure management let you have time off.”
“I have to work with these people, so I’d prefer him not to terrify them.” When her lips moued, I chuckled. “You know that’s how any conversation between him and my supervisor would go.”
“You’re not wrong, dear. I suppose you’re the reason Luigi’s been hovering outside the house for the past ten minutes?”
“I guess. Stan wanted me to take a driver and a guard. Between you and me, Lauren, I’m not looking forward to this.”
“Then you shouldn’t go.” Her concern doubled when I shook my head, only to wince—I’d done something to my neck and it still hurt. “Call Stan if you have any issues, Kitty. Promise me?”
“I will.” Touched by her care, I patted her arm. “Right, I’d best go.”
Each step was painful and I shuttered my eyes, hoping my expression remained blank as I accepted that Stan had been right about me needing to rest.
“Everything okay, dear?” Lauren called.
“Yeah,” I croaked. “Bit stiff.”
When she popped up beside me and let me put my weight on her, I thanked her.
“This is ridiculous,” she admonished, sounding unerringly like her son. “The labor laws in this country are horrendous.”
As she drifted into a diatribe about how Europe protected its workers, I focused more on not taking us both down the stairs for a quick tumble.
Tears pricked my eyes by the time we made it to the foyer, but I turned to her with a rasped, “Thanks so much for that, Lauren. Could you… maybe not tell Stan?”
“I won’t, dear.” I earned another pat to my arm. “Now, come home as soon as you can.”
“I will.” Neither of us mentioned that word.
Home.
Yet we both accepted it.
Which. Was. Insane.
But god, it felt right.
“I’ll make sure there’s some dinner ready for you,” she informed me as I headed for the door. “Stan’s appetite is back. It’s so good to see. You can eat at the dinner table for once. What’s your favorite dish?”
A touch wistfully, I asked, “If it’s not too much… shepherd’s pie?”
“Oh, I love shepherd’s pie. Right, that’s what you have to look forward to, dear. I’ll see you in a little while.”
When she bustled off, I stopped myself from thinking about how I’d like to follow her and have a cup of coffee, preferably with Ma and Lauren, and instead forced myself to leave.
Luigi confirmed he was waiting for me because he climbed out of the fancy car when I stepped onto the front stoop and let him help me into the back seat.
With every mile that took me away from the house, the frenetic nature of NYC itself, for the first time in my life, felt hostile.
Just a couple nights ago, it had been a relief to know my captors hadn’t taken me out of the city limits, but that had faded.
I already knew the evils out there. Knew that violence was around every corner. Had experienced it in my home. But this was different. I felt different. And I hated it.
Shrinking against the seat, wishing Stan were with me, I cursed myself for a fool when I’d repeatedly told him that I didn’t want him to come.
“You idiot,” I grouched.
Unknown Number: Stan said you were going into work? Is that wise?
When my phone pinged, I stared at the unknown number, but my tension lessened once I figured it was Stan’s sister.
Me: This is Aurora, right?
Unknown Number: Yes
I added her to my contacts.
Me: I don’t think they’d believe the state of me if I didn’t give them proof
Aurora: Luigi might not seem like it, but he’s handy with his fists. You have a problem, go to him
Me: As much as my supervisor is an asshole, Aurora, I doubt things will get that far
Me: Appreciate the offer though
Aurora: No worries
Aurora: I wanted to ask you for a favor
Me: Oh?
Aurora: Our very first meeting…
Me: Patient confidentiality matters to me, Aurora
As much as that was true, I still grimaced when I remembered the state of her after that chemical burn I’d treated.
Aurora: You won’t tell Stan? Or Hunter?
Me: Of course not!
Aurora: I appreciate that
I bit my lip, then flinched when I tugged on one of the wounds where my teeth had torn at the flesh during the beatings.
Then, unable to help myself, I typed out:
Me: You don’t do that anymore, right?
She didn’t answer. Just as I figured I’d overstepped, she replied:
Aurora: No
Me: I’m glad
Me: Anyway, that’s between me, you, and the ER, okay?
Aurora: Again, thank you.
Nah, I had to thank her.
This message thread had come through just before overstimulation hit.
Aurora: You should probably know that I tried to set you up with Stan after my visit to your hospital
Me: Huh?!
Aurora: Funny how things turn out, isn't it?
Me:
When she fell silent, and the traffic didn’t, my thoughts began to race again.
One after another. They tumbled and fell, making me crave Stan’s presence, needing him to distract me.
I couldn’t call him though. He’d talk me out of heading into the hospital and I had to do this.
So, in desperate need of comfort, I texted Millie:
Me: How are the kiddos? Is my goddaughter performing like a charm in kindergarten?
Millie: Hey hey.
Millie: She’s rocking level D books. (Should be at B/C at this point.)
Millie: Mostly, they’re driving me insane. Why did I want to be a mom again when I could have been a sexy businesswoman in the city?
Me: You’re a Charlotte, not a Carrie
Millie: I’ll take that as a compliment lol.
Millie: Which makes you…?
I smirked.
Me: Stanford
Millie: Shut up
Me: I have the same bad taste in men as he did lol
Millie: Nah. You’ve been quiet. I figured I’d give you a couple days to get over Mejiiiiico.
Me: Consider me over it.
Millie: You didn’t have a good time?
Me: It was an experience.
I’d made the decision to keep the past few days under wraps.
George went out of his way to be the big brother to Lara and me, but I didn’t have it in me to loop him in on Stan.
I already knew Stan’s red flags cosseted me better than a sleep hoodie mid-winter.
I didn’t need George’s puppy-dog eyes ramming home the dangers of a relationship with a mobster.
Millie had probably hitched her wagon to the only guy I knew who was pure green flag.
In fact, that green flag put the green in the tricolor to shame!
Me: I’m heading into work actually
Millie: I miss work
Me: Not much to miss lol
Millie: My only conversation from 9-5 is toddler talk. It’s a whole dialect. I’m officially losing my mind
Me: I’m here if you need me
Millie: I know. Sorry. Ignore me
Me: Never!
When my cell rang, I tsked.