by Rayna Stone
Mac’s face turned beet red, and Jay was covering his laugh behind his hand. “Well, he’s not here. He’s at Kelly’s,” Mac said reasonably.
“Why? And why do you look nervous?”
“I am not nervous, kitten. And stop looking at me suspiciously. I didn’t lie to you. Carson is my dog. I trained him to be a watchdog, and then I sort of moved him in with Kelly. She lives alone and needs companionship and protection. I pay all his bills, so he’s still technically mine. But, kitten, from now on if I want to buy you a gift, I do not need to barter with you to do so. I know you have a lot of pride, especially where money is concerned, but it does not belong here in this relationship. Are we clear?”
She couldn’t help but smile at him. He found a way to protect his friend, and he thought she would call him a liar? She wanted to hug him for being such a sweet and caring man. And he was revving up for a fight with her over gifts, too. She had no intention of fighting with him, though she would clarify one point.
“Mac, I’m not mad about the dog. I think it was tremendously thoughtful to give Kelly a dog that would love and protect her. And I won’t argue about gifts anymore. But I don’t need them, Mac. You do not have to buy my affection. I’m not interested in money. I’ve lived long enough without it to appreciate it, but I don’t need it. I need the men who cuddled me all night.” With that she leaned over and kissed him. Then she left him smiling to go clean her plate and get ready for work.
* * * *
Jay turned to Mac. “I love her, Mac. I didn’t know I could fall in love so fast, but there it is. I truly love her.”
Mac knew just how he felt. In such a short time, this woman had changed the path of their life. He knew she still needed some time, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to wait long. Kitten belonged in their home with them. She was their mate, and he knew that she was falling in love with them, too. “I love her, too, Jay. And we are definitely keeping her.”
Kitten came back to the kitchen in her scrubs, ready for work. “I need to get to the clinic. Can one of you drive me, since I don’t have a car here?”
“Jay is going to take you, love. I have to go out of town for the night on business. I’d like for you stay here with Jay, but we understand if you need some time alone. Think about it, and let him know before your shift ends, okay? We make sure to always tell each other where we’ll be so no one has to worry. Can you agree to that?”
* * * *
“Of course. I won’t leave you wondering or not able to get in touch with me.” She definitely had some thinking to do. She wanted to stay and never leave. Could she really be in love with these men after just a week? Everything in her said yes. Part of her recognized that she had never felt as strongly toward her ex in all their time together. Now she wondered if she had ever even truly loved him at all. And was it smart to keep distance between her and her boys just because it wasn’t common to fall in love so quickly? What was the point in waiting around for some magical period of time to elapse? Hadn’t she wasted enough of her life just existing? Maybe it was time to take a chance and really live.
She would stay home tonight and really evaluate her feelings. Then, she needed to know where the men stood. They talked about her in terms of forever. If they loved her, too, she wouldn’t worry about how fast it happened. She’d just be grateful she’d found them.
* * * *
“What the hell?” Kat gasped. As soon as they got close to the clinic, she could see police cruisers in the lot. Jay’s face was tight with worry as he swung the car into a parking space. Kat leaped out and ran for the clinic.
“Hold on, miss. This is a crime scene. You can’t go in there.” The police officer at the door was blocking the entrance.
“Officer, I work here. What happened? Is anyone hurt?” Kat was terrified something had happened to James or Ryan.
“No, ma’am. Everyone is fine. I’ll let the detective know you’re here.”
Kat looked at Jay. They were both still worried, but at least nobody was hurt. What could have happened in there? And why was the officer getting a detective?
“Kitten, you don’t go anywhere with the police without me, understand?” Jay was all serious lawyer man now. She hadn’t done a damn thing wrong! He was making her nervous.
Just then Suzy came out of the building. She looked at Kat and Jay. Then she went all sugary sweet. “Jay, what are you doing here this morning?” Kat was pretty sure if Suzy got any closer to her man, she would hiss at her.
“Jay brought me to work this morning. What the hell’s going on in there? Why are the police here?” Kat wanted her attention off Jay. She did not like the way Suzy was eyeing him up.
“Well, you move fast. Are you fucking Mac as well? You might not want to parade your boyfriends around the clinic. James and Ryan have an image to uphold. They don’t need you bringing your toy of the week over for clients to see.” Suzy looked at Kat like she was trash. Oh, no, bitch. She did not just insinuate Kat was a slut. Suzy didn’t have to like her, she didn’t like Suzy, but she would not be spoken to like that.
Quick as lightning, Jay stepped forward, about to open his mouth. Kat slapped a hand to his chest. He didn’t need to fight this battle for her. She had dealt with women like this in high school, and she could deal with it now. She had to work with Suzy. She would make sure this woman understood that Kat didn’t need her men to defend her.
“My relationship with Jay and Mac is absolutely none of your business, Suzy. I’m not parading anything. If James or Ryan has any concerns about my social life interfering with the reputation of this clinic, they can address those concerns with me. I was not only hired as the technician here, I am the office manager. Which means I am also your boss. If you cannot treat me with respect, I have no problem writing you up for insubordination.
“This is a business, not a cheerleading squad. Feel free to find new employment if you’re uncomfortable working with me, but do not ever speak to me that way again.” With that, she grabbed Jay’s hand and walked in the door. She wasn’t waiting around any longer.
“Damn, baby. That was incredibly hot. Please let me know if you have to lay the smack down again. I want permanent front-row seats.”
“Jay, this is not funny. The police are here, I have no idea what’s going on, and that bitch just implied I’m a slut. I’m a bit pissed right now.”
* * * *
Jay was beyond pissed. He was trying to lighten the mood for Kat, but it took every ounce of his restraint to let her handle Suzy. Nobody treated their woman that way. He let her deal with it because this was her place of employment, but if Suzy said one more word to upset Kat, he was going to have his own conversation with her.
“Honey, she also insinuated I’m a manwhore. I feel very hurt by that. I might need you to comfort me later.” Jesus, he wanted her to calm down. If the cops were going to be asking her questions, she didn’t need to be fuming over Suzy.
Kat stopped and stared at him. Finally, a smile. “She did, didn’t she? Baby, you can my manwhore, okay? I’ll make you feel really good about it later, I promise. Now can we find out what’s going on?”
* * * *
Kat knocked on the office door, and the officer from outside opened it. He frowned at her, but she ignored him. “Kat, glad you’re here, come in,” James said. Kat and Jay entered the office and sat on the couch. James and Ryan were standing by James’s desk, and there was a detective in the middle of the room.
“We had a break-in last night. Someone stole all our Xanax. The police think it was an inside job because all of our locks were intact. Vets in Denver get hit all the time for drugs, usually in small quantities that are less noticeable and easy to sell. But as I explained to the detective, we’re a rather insulated community and we’ve never had a break-in.” James seemed at a loss. “I also explained that I cannot imagine one of my employees stealing drugs.”
James walked toward the door and spoke to her in an apologetic tone. “I’m sorry, Kat. They’r
e going to have to ask you some questions.” Then he turned on the detective. “But I do hope you remember that I value Katherine as an employee and a friend. I do not for one minute believe she had anything to do with this, and I won’t have her harassed.”
Holy shit! Someone stole drugs, and the cops thought it was her? Damn, her whole day was turning to shit, and it wasn’t even seven o’clock. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t a thief. She had nothing to hide. This detective could ask all the questions he wanted, but they better find who was responsible. She would not walk around with a cloud of suspicion over her head.
Jay stood up and addressed the detective. “I’m her boyfriend, Jay Renolds. I am also her lawyer, should I decide she needs one. Katherine will answer your questions for now, but I will call a stop to this interview if I feel it necessary.”
Yeah, detective man was not impressed with Jay. He turned his attention to her. “My name is Detective Ross, ma’am. I just have some standard questions for you. Where were you last night, Miss Haynes?”
Kat felt herself blushing. She was pissed, nervous, and could now add embarrassed to the list. Awesome. “I was at Jay’s house all night. In fact, I’ve been with Jay and his partner, Mac Dunna.” There, let him stick that in his notes.
Detective Ross just raised his eyebrow. “And have you ever taken Xanax?”
Now she started to squirm. This might not look so good. “Yes. I have an anxiety disorder. Xanax is one of two sedatives I have a prescription for to alleviate panic attacks. I only use them when necessary, and I certainly don’t need to steal them to get them.”
Jay’s jaw tensed. “She has an alibi. Her medical condition is irrelevant. She has valid prescriptions for her medications. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what your theory is.”
Kat did not like that Jay stepped in. It made her very nervous to know he thought it necessary to intercede. Maybe she did need a lawyer.
The detective looked at Jay with distaste. “Mr. Renolds, I understand that you have a personal relationship with Miss Haynes. However, as her lawyer, you should understand the implications of this situation. We have a theft in a business that has never before been the target of any crime. Miss Haynes just moved into the area and has no ties to the community. Nobody knows anything about her beyond what is on her resume.
“We received a tip that Miss Haynes was seen at a club taking pills on Saturday night. Then this morning, her employers reported stolen drugs. Her medical condition is most definitely relevant since she is taking the same drug that was stolen. She may have a prescription for them, but it wouldn’t be the first time prescription drugs were misused.
“You understand I have to wonder if an addiction or recreational use has caused Miss Haynes to seek out more of the drug than her doctor is willing to provide. I understand that she has an alibi, sir. Please don’t take offense if I investigate further. It also wouldn’t be the first time a lover covered for a crime. There are two of you, after all. Perhaps she slipped out of the house while you were otherwise preoccupied.” The detective’s tone was decidedly derogatory.
Jay turned to Kat and efficiently pulled her from the couch. As he started toward the door, he spoke in clipped tones. “This interview is over, Detective. If you have any further questions for Miss Haynes, you can get in touch with me.” He handed Ross a business card and escorted her out the door.
* * * *
Jay could not believe this shit. Kat was being set up and practically handed over to the cops on a silver platter. He had a perfectly good idea of who it was, too. He had to figure out a way to expose Suzy. She was the only person in this town that hadn’t immediately taken Kat in. He didn’t see her at the club Saturday, but he knew she was a member. She had the same access to those drugs as Kat did. It was so obvious it was almost stupid, except for the fact that Kat was the one new to the area and taking Xanax. Fuck. He needed to make sure Suzy hadn’t planted any evidence at Kat’s place. It may be obvious what was going on here to him, and he was sure Mac and their friends would agree, but none of that meant shit to the cops. If they were convinced Kat was guilty, she was in trouble.
She was also white as a ghost and hanging on to his hand for dear life. “It’s Suzy, isn’t it? That crazy bitch is trying to get me arrested! What the fuck am I gonna do, Jay? How am I supposed to prove I didn’t do this?”
“You’re going to let me handle it. This is what I do, kitten. We’ll figure this out. I am not letting them arrest you, honey. And we are not letting Suzy get away with this.”
“I’m scared, Jay. It looks really freaking bad. That cop does not believe me at all,” she whispered.
“I know other detectives, sweetheart. We will handle this.” He noticed Kat had starting gasping for air. Shit, she may not know all her triggers, but this had to be one. He had to get her to her apartment. The last thing they needed was for Detective Ross to see her taking any pills right now.
“Hang on, baby. We're almost at your door. Do you have your medicine?”
“Yes.” Damn, she was barely audible now. He quickened his pace.
Chapter Twelve
Kat was lying in her bed relaxing and trying to keep her anxiety at bay while Jay was combing her apartment. He had already called James and told him to get the crew together. They would all meet at Jay and Mac’s house. He needed to make sure the stolen drugs were not in her apartment. He really hoped he didn’t find them. If Suzy was smart enough to get them in here, she was probably smart enough to wipe her prints off. He was, for the first time in his life, contemplating destroying evidence. He would not let Kat go to jail. If he had to break a law himself to prevent that from happening, he knew he would.
His phone rang just as he was getting her keys to search her car. “Hello?”
“What’s going on over there, Jay? James just called me and told me I needed to get in touch with you. Is kitten okay?” Mac was frantic. Shit, he didn’t have time to call Mac, he’d been a tad busy here, but he felt awful Mac had to hear from James first.
“Kitten’s fine, Mac. We’re in a bit of a situation though. Some drugs were stolen from the clinic last night, and the cops think Kat did it.”
“What? Why the fuck would they think that?” Yup, Mac was frantic.
“Calm down, Mac. I think Suzy set her up. For some reason, that bitch just upped her crazy. We had a bit of a confrontation in front of the clinic this morning. I’ll be honest, it looks pretty bad for kitten, but I’m searching her apartment and car right now. She’s resting, but once she wakes up, I’m going to talk to her about moving in with us. I don’t like not being able to keep an eye on her. Suzy could try anything. We need Kat close.”
“I agree. Suzy has been a nuisance for years, but this is serious. I want that apartment locked up, and I want it made clear to the police and Suzy that she no longer lives there. If that psycho wants to come at kitten, she’s going to have to do it on our turf.
“I booked an earlier flight. I’ll be home later tonight. I’m not comfortable staying here overnight after this development.”
Jay smiled at the phone. No, Mac would be here now if he could defy the properties of physics. That was one of the reasons he loved this man. He’d do whatever necessary to be with his partners when they needed him. And Jay had no problem admitting he’d feel better with Mac around. Mac could take care of kitten while he handled Ross. There were plenty of benefits to having two partners.
“Thanks, Master. I’m putting a call in to Davis later today and the gang is meeting at our house in a few. Everyone will watch out for kitten. Hopefully Davis can help us on the legal end.”
* * * *
Kat woke up from her little nap feeling much better. She had no clue what they were going to do, but she trusted Jay to figure this out. God, it felt good to have someone to rely on. Looking around her room, she noticed her few belongings were back in their packing boxes. What was going on now?
“Jay? Where are you?” Jay walked into the bedroom looking a l
ittle rumpled.
“Hey, baby. Are you feeling better?” He settled into the bed with her to hold her.
“Yeah, much. Why is my stuff in boxes? Are we going to skip town? Get disguises and go off the grid?” She was trying to laugh but wasn’t quite making it.
“No, honey. I went through every nook and cranny of this place, your car, too. There’s nothing here to implicate you in the theft. But I think you should move in with us. Mac and I want you where we can protect you. We don’t feel safe leaving you alone in this apartment. I don’t know how far Suzy is willing to go to play this game she started, but I will not leave you here by yourself to find out.”
Wow, he sounded really worried. Suzy wouldn’t actually come after her, would she? But if he thought she might have gotten inside to plant evidence, maybe he had a point. Still, she didn’t want to move in with them because they wanted to guard her.
“Jay, I love that you want to keep me safe, but I can’t move in with you guys just so Suzy can’t fuck with me in my sleep.”
Jay looked at her like she had grown two heads. “Baby, we want you to move in with us because we love you. Of course we want to protect you, but if we didn’t want you with us, we would have gotten you better security, not move you in. Mac and I are in love with you, Kat.
“I know it seems too fast, but it isn’t. I can’t stand the thought of not having you with us. We want to make this permanent, kitten. You can tell us you’re not ready, or tell us to wait. We will, but we’re not going to stop pursuing you. We want a life with you, a future. When we’re together, I can’t explain it, but I’m finally complete. I don’t feel like I’m searching for that one fundamental missing thing that Mac and I need in life anymore. Can you honestly say you need more time? That you don’t want this so badly you’ll do anything to hold on to it?”