Page 25 of The Sicilian's Obsession
Arturo
I was using this room as a home office space. There was a ton of work to do, but I couldn't stop thinking about Katima. She was perfect. This morning was probably the best morning of my life and I even slept well. That never happens to me. Not only that, but I felt closer to her, like I could wake up next to her every day for the rest of my life. She would probably freak out if I told her my thoughts. I was going to have to ease her into it. I heard her pad upstairs and stop at the door. She didn't knock, but the phone pinged in my pocket.
Katima: I didn't want to bother you, but do you think you could add looking for my father to today's agenda?
Arturo: Worried?
Katima: Extremely
Arturo: You got it.
Katima: Thanks
I didn't question why she hadn't come into the room. I think she probably needed space to think about everything that happened this morning. I didn't want to rush or push her. I just needed her to think about us. She'd always be protected. I could keep her safe, and I was starting to understand what made her tic. It was slow but coming. I didn't think she realized just how much she had opened up to me. My mind flashed to her being underneath me with her legs spread, and I groaned at the thought of having another taste of her. She was intoxicating.
The call that came through saidJake, so I hustled to answer it.
He started, "We got a problem, boss man."
"What's wrong?" I was fiddling with the cameras, trying to get the perfect angle of the property.
"I lost Charles Sweets. He was spotted on CTV in England but disappeared and hasn't resurfaced." I cursed loudly. This couldn't be good. "I can say he was not there for business. He told staff he was looking into expanding, but he doesn't have the financials for that." A thought hit me.
"We need to track his financials from the time his wife died. I have a feeling." My gut was churning with an ugly thought. I think the reason he was so overprotective of Katima had something to do with that time, and I needed to find out what really happened.
"I'll get started on that. You need to call Brendan. I think he may have found something on our stalker guy," Jake reminded me. I didn't know what I would do without him. He was always making sure I was on top of things. This was why I could leave him in charge of the company and never wonder if there were any issues.
"I'll do that right now. Thanks, chief." I hung up on his laughter. Jake was one of those happy-go-lucky guys. He also loved nicknames; it was the best way to show him he was doing a good job. Not that he would ever second-guess that. Sometimes people needed reaffirmation. I dialed Brendan to follow up on his lead.
"Hey, did you get a lead?" I didn't just want to jump down his throat, but we needed something on this case.
"Yeah, a big one. You know that hot chick who worked as a PA for Katima?" He asked me like I could forget. She was just fired. Good riddance.
"Rebecca was her name, I think." I knew that, but I refused to show she had any power by being someone memorable. Not after how she'd treated Katima.
"Well, seems like Rebecca was getting huge deposits into her checking account, like thousands of dollars, and she doesn't have another job. She spends just as much as she gets too, so it's never in her account for too long. Otherwise, I think she would have left that company."
I knew Brendan had already worked on what was going on or had an idea. "What are your thoughts?" My gut clenched more as a bigger picture was painted for me.
"Blackmail of some sort, of course, or she saw something she wasn't supposed to."
She seemed like a bad person, so I think it was the first one. "I think she was blackmailing someone. We need to find out who and how all this connects." That's why we were one of the best security companies out here. We never trusted the clients, and we investigated everything behind the scenes. If it was on the up and up, we didn't need to take our investigations any further.
"You'll also want to know that Sweets had a stopover in Italy before he took a fancy jet to England. One he can't have paid for himself."
I grunted, ideas hitting me. "We need to track the money. I'm raising the threat level. In a few days, I'll be bringing Katima to a safe house. I just need to get her to agree to it. This place is not safe for her, not with so many balls in the air." I was thinking out loud. It hadn't hit me until right now to move Katima. She wasn't working at the company, so there was no reason to keep her here. We could go to the safe house right after we went to my ma's. With a game plan forming, I let Brendan get back to work and set about operation seducing Katima to the safe house.
A few hours later, I emerged from the bedroom so I could spend time with Katima. I wouldn't admit this out loud, but I missed her. Her mere presence sent me into fantasies of poetry, wooing, and flowers. I rubbed my chest because my heart was throbbing. At least, I think it was my heart. Maybe I was dying and didn't know it. Katima was in the kitchen fixing food, and I could imagine her in my house barefoot, swollen with my child, and cooking dinner for us. I felt like I was struck by lightning. What was happening to me? One time with a woman shouldn't have me thinking of the future like I was, but Katima was different. She was special. She hit me differently. She wasn't one-night stand material. I think that was why I treated her so differently. I just wanted to be with her. I probably should be thinking about slowing down, but she needed to get away from her father. She also needed to start living her own life. I liked to think I could help with that. She turned and caught me staring at her like an idiot.
"Hey, you. Did you finish your work?" Had I mentioned how much I loved that she didn't stutter with me?
"For now. What are you up to?" I could see she was making food. I just wanted to keep her talking, keep that smile on her face. I'd kill to keep her happy. The thought struck me, but it felt right. She was like my brothers-in-arms. I would die to protect them, and I would do the same for Katima.
"Making sandwiches for both of us. I was going to bring yours up to you, but since you're down here, you can eat with me." She shot me another beautiful smile. I wanted to swoon at her feet like a female.
"Sure, do you want me to pick out a movie?" She nodded her head, and I wanted to pump my fist in the air. Movies meant cuddling. Cuddling led to canoodling. That was part one of my plan. I went into the living room and chose a nerdy movie that I was sure Katima would love. She came out of the kitchen carrying the plates and I went back in, grabbing soft drinks for us.
"Back to the Future?How clever of you." She mused up at me. We ate our food quietly and watched the movie. I had to pause because Katima always, without fail, washed her hands after eating. After spending so much time with her, I did now, too. When we were back in the living room, she cuddled up against me. I grinned like a fool over her head. I never thought, after my last tour, I would find someone who could help me feel calm and happy, but Katima had that effect on me. I hoped that I also positively affected her.
