Page 25 of Coveting Catherine

Kassie sighed. “Do you think Catherine will ever forgive me? Samantha won't even answer my calls or texts. I stop and bring her flowers every week with a note asking her to talk this out. Sometimes, I wonder if things would've turned out differently if I’d decided to stay put instead of going with Ash to Samantha's. Then I remember James and know he would've killed them in a heartbeat if I hadn’t shown up. I don't feel bad for killing the men who threatened my friend and her son. It's the guilt keeping me awake. I brought James Stanton to her door. Catherine convinced Leo to help me, or I’d still be on the run with Emma. I understand why they feel the way they do but I miss them. I want to help them as they did me.” Kassie whispered to Victoria.

“Oh, Luv, the three of you are destined to become lifelong friends. Even friendship contains highs and lows, this is one of them. Samantha’s very much like you. She's terrified for her child, hurt and confused. She needs time. And Catherine?—”

Kassie stood as the man in the red car opened his door. “Ah, ah, ah. Chase and Ivan will have both our butts if you step out those doors.”

“I won't allow them to hurt my friend,” Kassie strongly protested as she slipped out the door and covered her head with the black hood.

“Well, Luv, I believe you answered your own question,” Victoria sighed as she waited a moment before following the determined Kassie.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Leo hung back as the person in the red Chevy drove down the street. He stayed in the shadows and waited. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement. Shadow didn’t give the signal, which meant someone else watched the house. Leo crouched lower and waited for his prey.

The figure dressed in black moved behind the greenery directly in front of him, and he caught the flash of metal in his hand. Leo heard the signal from Shadow. A second signal sounded, alerting him that Shadow had discovered something. Leo remained silent, not wanting to let the stranger in front of him get away.

The intruder took the last step Leo needed when he clamped his hand over his mouth and attempted to drag the perpetrator into the dark alley. He struggled and almost elbowed Leo in the balls. The thought of putting the tiny shit out of commission crossed his mind, but Leo needed information. This break led him one step closer to the answers he sought. He held the metal of the gun to the intruder's head. “You try to elbow me in the balls one more time. I’ll blow your head off,” he growled in the suspect's ear.

A tiny sniff came out, and a few seconds later, Leo felt the tears wet his hand. Leo rolled his eyes as he thought to himself, what a freaking pussy. One single threat, and the guy cried. Saint would succeed in getting this guy to jabber in no time. Just as he arrived at the truck, he felt the intruder bite his hand. Leo swore before raising his hand and bringing the gun down hard on the intruder's head. The small body slumped forward as Leo dragged it to the dark passenger side and began tightly zip-tying the wuss's hands and feet.

Shadow appeared minutes later and dragged another suspect with him. This one wasn't going quietly. Leo dropped the head of his suspect to the ground carelessly as he made his way to Shadow to subdue the combative prisoner. Shadow shook his head as he signaled for his leader to turn on his flashlight. Shadow jerked the black hood off, and a cascade of red hair tumbled down.

“Victoria.” Leo gritted out in a whisper. “What are you doing here?”

Shadow loosened his grip and bent over. “Apparently, on a mission to take out my manhood, Boss. Shit, I haven't slept more than an hour in two days for you to call me back to have my balls taken out.”

Victoria furiously stepped forward, sporting a dark purple eye. Leo's eyes widened at the sight of her injury. “Shit.”

“I threw the punch to knock her down, but she kneed me in the balls. I meant to hit her nose,” Shadow offered. “Sorry, Victoria. Is there any chance we can keep this from Ivan and maybe your men?”

“Where's Kassie?” Victoria didn't bother to address them as she frantically searched behind Leo.

Shadow's head jerked up as it dawned on Leo, who he struggled with.

Running to the body on the ground. Leo flipped it over and grabbed the black hood from her head. Her face held black camouflage paint, but he recognized her instantly. He face-palmed himself. He stared at Shadow as Victoria rushed to Kassie's feet to loosen them while Leo cut the bonds around Kassie's wrists. Shadow moved Victoria out of the way, slipping his knife through the plastic like melted butter.

“Get a water bottle from my truck, Victoria,” Leo commanded as he gently patted Kassie's face. “Come on, PITA, wake up.” He cringed as he noticed the rock debris stuck to her forehead when he uncaringly dropped her head to assist Shadow with the struggling Victoria.

Kassie lay unmoving as Victoria handed the water to him. Shadow grabbed another bottle and instructed Victoria to hold it against her swelling eye. Victoria brushed him aside as she crouched beside Kassie like a mother bear with her cub.

“Shadow put a call into Doc. Have him meet me at the hospital. Keep an eye on Catherine,” Leo cursed as he bent to pick Kassie up and placed her in the truck.

Victoria hesitated and turned toward Shadow, “We don't need this getting out in any papers. Her face is easily recognizable. Chase doesn't need bad publicity when the hospital opens. The newspaper headlines would read, Former Mrs. Stanton married to Serenity Mountain Abuser.”

Leo nodded to Shadow. “I'll call Doc, Saint’s watching the house, check in with him and hunker down. Taco will relieve you when he lands,” he ordered as Victoria got in the cab's backseat and laid Kassie's head in her lap.

Leo sped down the streets and turned the truck toward Serenity Mountain.

“What the hell were you thinking, Victoria? Why is Kassie dressed in black and prancing around in the dark at Catherine's? I almost killed her. She's probably got a concussion.” Leo pressed Doc’s number and waited for him to pick up. He swiped his hand through his hair, thinking of Doc's reaction when he pulled in with Kassie. Worry hit his gut as he recalled how hard he hit her. Were women's heads softer than men's? He shook his head. No, definitely not.

Victoria remained stubbornly silent.

“I know you have your own army thing going, and you're probably calculating my time of death right now. Damn it, Victoria, you better have an answer by the time I get off the phone with Chase, or Ivan's number will be the next call I make.” Leo threatened as Chase picked up the phone.

“Leo, what's going on?” Chase sleepily answered.

He didn't waste time, “Doc, I need you at your hospital. My ETA is fifteen minutes. I’ve got an unconscious female and one with a black eye.”

“I'm not accepting patients yet. Take them directly to Seattle Health. If it were one of the team?—”

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