Page 17 of Coveting Catherine

Catherine stilled.

“How much do we have left?” Ash asked as he watched her face turn pale at his questions. Ash began to pace and rub his forehead at the same time. He needed the money.

“I invested half of it and put the rest in Melody's college fund.”

“How much?”

“How much in Melody's college fund?” Catherine asked, confused.

“No, damn it. How much do we have in total.” he roared, desperate to save himself.

Catherine jumped to her feet. “I…I think it's close to four hundred thousand.”

“Where is it?” Ash persisted. It might be enough to get Rahimi off his ass.

“I told you, it's invested in Melody's college fund, Ash. I have an investment banker here in Seattle,” she explained.

“Call him. Liquidate everything, including Melody's college fund. I want it done today.”

“Ash, it's not that simple. When you withdraw the funds, they deduct a penalty and take out the taxes. If I took all the money out, by the time they deducted taxes and penalties, the amount decreases considerably.” Catherine hesitated. “Not to mention, it's a three-day weekend. The banks close for Columbus Day,” she added softly.

“Damn it.” Ash swiped the coffee table with his arm, knocking magazines, coasters, and his beer onto the floor. Catherine jumped and moved in front of the kitchen doorway where Melody played with the magnet alphabet letters Catherine placed on the refrigerator.

The phone rang. Catherine shot Ash with a panicked look.

“Go answer your phone. I'll get this cleaned up.” Ash demanded as he began picking up the mess.

“What in the hell was he going to do now?” Ash knew the moment Rahimi disconnected the call, the timer started counting down. No one defied Rahimi and lived to tell the tale. Ash scrubbed his face with his hands. The heavy weight Ash carried started to lift as he pulled the phone from his pocket. Dialing Leo, he waited for him to answer. The call went straight to voicemail. The team offered him protection and Leo owed him for Maverick. He needed to get his facts straight and approach the team. If Catherine and Melody’s safety concerned Leo and the team, they’d offer protection to him and his family.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Melody and Catherine sat at the living room table making little clay people and a purple dog. Over the last week, she watched her daughter withdraw from her happy little world into a quiet one with no sound. They spoke in whispers. When Melody forgot and giggled out loud, she’d turn her large green eyes in Ash's direction, fearful of what he might say or do.

Whether Ash wanted to admit it or not, he exhibited the classic signs of PTSD. Every night, he went around the single-story house, checking all the locks on the windows and doors. He woke at every sound and paced the floors. Catherine started sleeping in the room with Melody. Ash didn't seem to care or notice. He sat in the living room with a bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Catherine started her new position in three days and prayed the opening for childcare still existed. She signed Melody up for kindergarten in the morning. While Catherine worked the evening shift, her daughter remained safe in the hospital’s childcare. She planned to ask her mom to take Melody on the weekends, limiting her daughter’s contact with Ash. Catherine didn't trust Ash to refrain from hurting Melody or threatening her. She needed to play along until she figured out a plan of escape.

Claire stopped by for a couple of visits. In the first one, Ash answered all of Claire's questions and asked her questions concerning PTSD. He seemed receptive to Claire's answers and found a partner at his group therapy session. In the second one, Ash lashed out angrily. He refused to talk to Claire or even acknowledge he struggled during the week. He drank more and seemed on edge, especially during the evening hours. Catherine jumped at the opportunity to work on the evening shift. When she returned home at night, Melody fell asleep in the backseat, limiting her time around Ash even more.

Catherine rolled the little clay pieces into shapes as Melody placed them together. Ash leaned over, invested in what the two made.

“A purple dog? Where have you seen a purple dog?” Ash laughed as he picked the clay animal up and inspected it.

“He's Rollo. Uncle Chase's dog.” Melody replied as her tongue stuck out, and she pressed down on the arm of the clay person she worked on.

“Who is that? Uncle Chase?” Ash inquired.

“No, it's Uncle Leo. He has big muscles in his arms. They protect me and Mommy and Emma.” Ash towered over Melody, and Catherine pulled her daughter into her lap.

“Ya know what? I'm getting hungry. Why don't we figure out what we want to eat for lunch? How do PB and J sandwiches with carrot sticks sound? Or chicken nuggets? I think we still have some dinosaur ones in the freezer.” Catherine held onto Melody and placed her body in front of her as she made the way to the kitchen. “Why don't we count the dinosaur nuggets?”

Ash wandered into the room and pulled a beer from the fridge as Melody placed the chicken on the cookie sheet. Catherine wedged herself next to Melody as Ash sauntered closer. The anxiety in the room thickened. Even Melody stopped chattering and shot weary glances Ash's way.

“How many nuggets do we have?” Catherine attempted to redirect her.

Melody began to count. “One, two, three…”

A hand slapped down on the counter in front of her, making Melody jump, and she began to cry.

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