Page 43 of Coveting Catherine

“Hello, Catherine. It's good to see you,” Leo's voice deepened as he noticed Ash pull her to his side. Catherine's grim expression told him she wasn't pleased with the show of possession. Catherine wasn't a woman to be owned by anyone. She needed a man to stand by her. “How are your parents doing?” Leo bit his tongue as he waited for her reply. He missed Carol and Henry.

“They're doing fine under the circumstances.” Catherine coldly responded, brushed her hair back from her shoulder, and stepped away from Ash. “I need to use the restroom. I'll be back.”

Ash lazily grinned. “Catherine's got baby bladder. I swear she's like a dog marking her territory wherever we go,” He chuckled at his joke, the team remained silent, and Catherine reddened as she turned toward the public restrooms.

Leo didn't like it one bit. The city never repaired the broken bulbs in the area where Catherine headed to the restrooms. Ash grabbed a beer and sucked it down while joking with Taco.

Shadow sent a chin nod in Leo's direction and slipped away. A few minutes later, his trained eyes watched as his friend followed Catherine. Ash seemed unconcerned his new bride walked alone. They’d be bugging out in two days, and Leo knew his head wasn't on the mission. He needed to clear the air with Catherine before they left.

As if Saint read his mind, he leaned slightly over, “We'll keep him occupied. Go talk to her.”

Leo moved to the other side of the fire as the crowd of friends and other military personnel joined them. Every now and again, he felt Ash's gaze search him out. He participated in conversations while his mind sped in the direction of the woman he loved. Taco handed Ash another shot of whiskey and winked at him as he placed the bottle on the ground. Shadow’s fingers curled around the bottle, giving him the go-ahead.

Leo rounded the corner as Catherine came out of the stalls. A yelp escaped her as he startled her. Her hand flew to her growing belly bump.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. The area isn’t well-lit, and you’ve been up here awhile.” His hands steadied her as she maintained her balance.

“Oh, I'm fine. I'm ready to head back down. Ash will be worried.” Catherine frantically scanned the area, making him frown.

“Can't you even look me in the eyes? We're leaving on a mission in two days. I don't want to leave with things hanging over us. Why did you marry Ash so fast, Kit Kat? We agreed to wait until you finished school. You're still grieving Olaf. I'm concerned about you.” He really wanted to pull her in his arms and grieve the loss of her brother and his best friend together. He wasn’t allowed to hold her anymore, she belonged to Ash.

Catherine licked her lips. “You needn't worry about me. We can't bring Olaf back, and I'm married. I didn't answer your calls because I had nothing to say to you. The best thing you can do for me is stay safe. Despite everything, I don't think my parents could handle losing you, too,” she sounded hurt.

“Kit Kat—” Leo's hand gently went around her upper arm to stop her from walking alone. Catherine flinched and held her arm as she started to back away.

He scanned her body as his voice deepened. “Stop,” The command in his voice made her immediately back against the stone restroom wall. “What's wrong with your arm?”

Catherine smiled shakily. “I got dizzy; it's the perks of pregnancy. I fell and hurt my arm while I protected my stomach.”

Leo walked into her space. Catherine's breath quickened as she gripped her shoulder and held her hand out to ward him off.

“Let me see,” he chided soothingly.

“I…I need to get back to Ash. He'll be wondering what's taking me so long.”

Leo clicked on his flashlight and saw the ugly purple bruise around her shoulder and down her arm. His eyes narrowed, and his hand clenched into a fist. “Kit Kat, did Ash?—”

“Did Ash what?” He didn't need to turn around to discern who stood behind him. Leo continued to observe Cat's face as a flicker of fear showed in her eyes as she tremulously smiled at her new husband.

“Leo caught me. I experienced another dizzy spell. He asked if you knew about them. Of course, he knows. He hasn't missed a single doctor's appointment,” she explained.

Ash grabbed Catherine's hand and gave it a slight tug as she hurried to his side. “Come on. I decided I’d rather spend the next couple of days in our bed. I'll see these assholes for God knows how long.” Turning his attention to Catherine, Ash stated, “I did some shots with the guys, you need to drive. We certainly don't want to risk the baby.” His arm enclosed around her waist, pulling Catherine close as he locked his lips with hers and made a show of exploring her mouth. Catherine made no effort to push him away. Leo held plenty of thoughts on what he wanted to do.

Ash released his hold on his wife and gave him a chin lift, “The wife and I changed our plans. Enjoy the evening.”

Leo's jaw clamped shut as he resisted the urge to grab the woman he promised his heart to and demand she tell him how they managed to get to this point.

“Take care of yourself,” Catherine whispered before Ash whisked her away.

How did he miss it? After the incident, she avoided the team gatherings. He, once, brought a date to one hoping Catherine showed up with Ash. When she didn't come, Ash informed him she didn't like hanging out with the team. He accepted everything Ash told him. Leo wanted to hear Catherine's side of the story. Did she trust him enough to tell him the truth?

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

The beeping got louder. Catherine's head pounded, and her throat felt sore and scratchy. Leo’s face lay next to hers. They died together. She never meant for him to follow her. She sobbed as Melody's sweet face popped into her head. A machine sounded as she tried to cough and dislodge the thing in her throat.

Leo raised his head and called out. A nurse hurried in and pressed a button on the wall. His face loomed in front of hers. She watched as his lips moved. She almost laughed. His voice remained muffled, but she knew he commanded her to do something. He never learned she didn't take orders from him. His face drifted away as her eyes closed of their own accord.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she felt Leo gently squeeze her hand. His usually trimmed beard appeared scraggily, and his bloodshot eyes searched her face. “Hey, Kit Kat,” he hoarsely whispered. His other hand drifted to the top of her head, soothing the headache away.

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