Page 60 of The Kat Bunglar

Suddenly, Laila’s voice sliced through the stillness, low and icy. “We are not friends, Kat. You stole from me. You violated my space, my trust, and you hurt my friend.” Her gaze never left Kat’s, sharp and unwavering. “The only reason I’m here, without the police, is because I feel like I should at least hear your side of the story before possibly ruining your life.”

Kat flinched, leaning back slightly, unable to meet Laila’s eyes.

Laila leaned closer, her voice dangerously calm. “Unlike you, I don’t take pleasure in turning someone’s life upside down. Don’t mistake my need for fairness as kindness. Don’t think for a second that this changes anything between us.” She tilted her head, her piercing gaze boring a hole into Kat’s soul.

Kat rolled her eyes in irritation. “Okay, I’m sensing some slight hostility here, and while I can understand what brought this on, I do think it can be cleared up just as easily.”

Laila briefly lunged forward before Gabriel put his arm around her waist and gently nudged her to sit back down. The waiter arrived, dropping off menus. Sensing the tension, he quickly made a hasty retreat.

Kat pulled out the wallet with a smug smile on her face. “I believe this belongs to you,” she handed it to Laila with a flourish. Kat beamed, “You’re welcome.”

While Laila went through the various compartments of the wallet, Gabriel cleared his throat to speak. “This does not make us even. You cannot return an item that you stole and act like you’re doing us a favor.”

Kat nodded. “I understand. But to be fair, I was under extreme duress,” as Gabriel’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, Kat sped up the speech she had rehearsed. “I owe you both an apology.” Her eyes darted between them. “Laila, I found your wallet on the beach a few weeks ago, and I naturally looked you up. Your life was so perfect and shiny and rich and everything that I wanted to be.” She took a sip of water to lubricate her suddenly dry throat. “Your life is what I was pretending to be. Except I was being sued for failing to disclose brand criteria properly on social media—still being sued, by the way—and I couldn’t pay my rent. Then your wallet landed in my lap. I really thought it was the answer to all my problems. I could go into your place, grab a few things, pay off my debts, and no one would be the wiser.”

Laila pulled out the Virginia Woolf quote her mother had given her, her fingers lovingly tracing the faded edges. “This quote means a lot to me. It was one of the last things my mother said to me before she passed away. I think she meant it as a way for me to be strong and keep carrying on.” Laila smiled and reread the words out loud. “I am made and remade continually. Different people draw different words from me.”

Kat joined her in reading the last line, causing Laila’s eyes to widen in surprise. Kat’s gaze flickered to Gabriel, and she saw the anger still lingering in its depths. She winced. “I especially did not mean for you to get hurt. We didn’t think anyone would be at the suite. We had been tracking Laila’s vacation on her Insta stories—”

Laila gasped slightly, realizing that Gabriel wasn’t the only one who had been watching her.

“So, when Gabriel showed up unannounced, we panicked, and it was awful. I’m really, truly glad that you’re okay. Leaving you in that state haunted both of us for days.” Kat wished her knee would stop jostling under the table; it was making it hard for her to concentrate.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as he leaned back in the booth, his expression unreadable. “I appreciate the apology,” his voice firm and unyielding, “but there’s a lot more to sort out here than just words.”

Kat nodded, aggravated that they both weren’t letting go of the grudge. The waiter returned and arched an eyebrow in query. They all murmured for coffee except for Kat, who asked for a kale smoothie.

As the waiter walked away, Laila said in a more subdued tone, “I appreciate you being honest with us and apologizing. I know showing up like this couldn’t have been easy. There’s also one other thing I was looking for: my mother’s emerald ring set. There was Urdu writing inscribed on the side. Do you remember seeing it?”

Kat closed her eyes and recalled Joseph saying something about pawning it to pay the rent. Shaking her head no, she said, “I’m not sure. There’s a lot I need to fill you guys in on. I wasn’t acting alone. Joseph Chery kind of masterminded the whole thing—if I’m being honest. But before we get into that,” Kat sat up straight in the booth and slid over a yellowed, slightly crumpled envelope. “Did you know that there was a safe behind the Rajasthani painting?”

Laila blinked. “Yes, it’s where Jay kept some of his confidential client documents. I didn’t really venture there.”

Kat nodded gravely. “It was important that I give this to you in person. The minute I read it, I knew we would meet one day. Because this is so sensitive, I knew I had to be the one handing it over to you. I have very built shoulders in case you need somewhere to cry.”

Laila unintentionally snorted a laugh and raised an eyebrow. “This must be some envelope, then.”

“It’s the document they took from the safe. I remember it was the last thing they took before the alarms went off,” Gabriel’s eyes never left Kat’s face. She had a feeling he didn’t believe a word coming out of her mouth.

Feeling oddly apprehensive, Laila opened the contents and unfurled the brittle pages. Her breath left her body in a soft whoosh as her face went pale. Gabriel’s arm instinctively moved around her, his protective instincts flaring. “This can’t be right,” Laila whispered.

“Preciosa,” Gabriel’s voice was soft but urgent. “What is it? It can’t be that bad.”

Laila took a sip of her coffee, her hands shaking. “It’s a dowry agreement between my father and my husband from ten years ago. My father provided 50% capital for Jay’s business ventures along with a $25,000 payment... to marry me.”

Laila closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear to have Gabriel look at her with pity or even this Kat person. Was her marriage even real? Had Jay ever loved her? Would she ever know why her father did what he did? She realized with startling clarity that all the men in her life had been lying to her, her entire life.

“Are you sure it’s legitimate?” Gabriel asked, his voice edged with concern.

Laila nodded, still not daring to open her eyes. “It’s dated ten years ago, a month before we got married. It even has a Notary Public stamp on it. And a lot of the language is in Urdu. I don’t think Kat could have forged this.”

Kat straightened slightly. “I’m a little awkward in Urdu. However, my flawless Bengali would be lost on you two.”

Laila shook her head in bemusement, not quite understanding the girl sitting in front of her.

“Okay, so glad we got all that cleared up and behind us—this is the part where I need your help.”

Gabriel coughed as his coffee went down the wrong pipe. “You want us to help you,” he sputtered.

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