Page 58 of Canvas of Lies
It was also, I had to admit, sexy as fuck to see her turning so fierce on my behalf.
“Look, I’m going to scan the photos in and work up a program to send them out when we’re ready. If you’ve got any particular news outlets in mind, let me know. I think it’s probably best if we scatter them to make sure your father doesn’t take it out on any one reporter or organization. We’ll need a message to send along with the photos, though—I think aiming for subtle rather than combative would be in our best interest,” I said, tugging her across my lap as I sat down on the sofa.
Kat drew back and let her jaw drop. “Are you callingmecombative?”
“I would never,” I deadpanned. My steady gaze held hers until she smothered a laugh with her palm, then I grinned. “I would, however, describe you as tempestuous, ferocious, and just the tiniest bit impulsive at times.”
She sniffed delicately and hiked her chin in the air, but her eyes glinted with amusement. “And you, Mr. Kidnapper, are just an even-tempered sweetheart, huh?”
I grinned. “Clearly.”
Despite the particularly pleasant form of distraction Kat offered, my mind continued to circle back to the photos. Once they were released, that was it. There would be no taking it back. Willoughby would know for certain who was behind it.
I wished I could predict exactly how the man would react, how much danger we might be in, whether her father would try to hurt Kat in retaliation.
Maybe, I thought just before I dozed off later that night with Kat spooned in front of me,maybe I can convince her to take a long weekend at the cabin.When I finally fell asleep, memories of our time at the cabin filled my dreams.
I spent the following day setting everything up for the release of the photos, but my suggestion of a weekend retreat was met with a flare of annoyance and not-so-subtle disdain from the woman in question. No matter how I pitched it, Kat brushed off my concern and insisted that she needed to spend the weekend scouting out new items.
“Nico, for fuck’s sake, just give the program the green light and let’s get on with it,” she said, leveling a knife at me from where she stood chopping vegetables in her kitchen. “The more we delay, the more on edge you get. If I have to murder you for my own peace of mind, I’m going to be really pissed, but I can’t take it much longer.”
That sentiment I certainly understood. I squeezed the bridge of my nose between my fingers.
“Fine, you’re right. I’ll make sure it goes out tomorrow, then. But if you think I’m leaving you to traipse through garage sales and antique malls alone this weekend, you’re very much mistaken. I’m sticking to you like glue as soon as those photos go public.”
Kat leaned over and gave me a smacking kiss on the lips. “I happen to like when you stick it to me,” she teased, waggling her eyebrows at me.
I laughed, but even her light-hearted quips couldn’t dissolve the knot of nervous energy in my gut when I sent out the photos just before lunchtime the next day. I’d held back the one of Kat and my father, choosing instead to turn that one into the wallpaper on my phone screen. Maybe I could pick up a frame for the printed version while I tagged along on her scouting expeditions.
As soon as the slew of anonymous messages were launched into cyberspace, I grabbed my overnight bag and headed to Kat’s Keepers.
Erin, for one, was delighted to see me. “Kat’s busy with some repairs at the moment. Can I get you some coffee? We have a fresh pot brewing.”
I gave her a broad smile. “That’d be great, thank you. If I don’t touch anything, is it okay to poke around and look at this stuff?” I asked, gesturing to the shelves lining the big warehouse space.
“Oh, of course! Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.” She slipped into a break room beside the office, the door to which was still firmly closed, and I stuck my hands into my pockets as I wandered the perimeter.
They had an impressive array of old toys, ranging from iconic to quirky to downright bizarre. My phone pinged as I studied a mechanical tin shepherdess, and I let out a tight breath—the first news site had thrown a slapdash headline together and published some of the photos. By the time Erin came out with a mug of coffee for me, three more had gone live as well.
For a brief moment, I considered storming the office to inform Kat, but Erin managed to convince me to sit down in the break room with my coffee and a slightly stale donut leftover from what she called their “TGIF morning splurge.”
By the time Kat emerged from the other room, her fingers streaked with some kind of grease that required dish soap to remove, a dozen more alerts had come through my phone. She paused just inside the break room doorway, hands aloft to avoid staining the vintage movie tee she wore under her beloved jacket,and raised her eyebrows in question when she saw the look on my face.
“It’s done,” I said simply.
It seemed to take a great deal of effort for her to move her feet, but she eventually made it to the sink so she could scrub the grease from her hands.
“It’s done,” she repeated, nodding slowly. “So now all we have to do is wait.”
I nodded. I was tired, weighed down in a way that I wasn’t sure even she could lift. Kat dried her hands on a towel and then came over to wrap her arms around me. Without hesitation, I rested my head against her soft stomach and slid my own arms around her waist. We stayed that way for a few minutes, sharing our strength, until Kat finally stepped away.
“Now, if you’re finished fueling up with coffee and donuts, let’s get out of here,” she said, tugging at my hand. “We’re playing hooky this afternoon. I sent Erin home already, but you and I have a couple yard sales to hit.”
Whether she seriously wanted to start her weekend of scouting early or, as I suspected, she simply wanted to distract me from the impending fireworks, her plan worked. There was nothing quite like watching her haggle over a few grimy and often broken hunks of plastic or painted metal.
“You’re one cool customer,” I told her, impressed, as we left the first sale with an armload of goods.
Kat beamed at me and dropped a little curtsy. “I do try. I’m sure half of these people think I’m completely ridiculousfor bargaining over toys like that, but whatever. This one will probably sell for close to a hundred after I get her cleaned up,” she said, holding up an ugly doll who looked like she’d gotten a nightmarish makeover from a toddler.
