12
Cat
It was cold for early September. And East was late. I’d gone from standing outside the clinic, now closed and locked, to leaning against the windowsill at my back. Texts and calls had gone unanswered. I was about ready to give up this whole business and march home. Rudy wouldn’t leave me locked out if he knew I’d been stood up . . . probably.
On a final huff, I pushed to my feet and headed for my apartment.
Of course, this was how my day would end.
Between the ominous roses and the spilled coffee, this was just icing on the cake. While I walked, my mood spiraled right into misery.
Losing my parents had been hard. Cleaning up their financial mess had sucked even harder. Giving up my childhood home in order to make the lease payments on the clinic had been a tough decision. Rudy’s offer to let me move in had saved me.
It was the only reason I let him boss me into tonight’s date. Or at least that’s what I’d told myself.
And now, East was ghosting me.
Ugh. I really needed to stop picking unavailable men.
Head down, I made a sharp right into the alley, intent on cutting through and eliminating my walk through downtown. The last thing I needed was to spot a patient or a friend and be stuck chit-chatting for twenty more minutes.
I needed wine and pajamas and quiet. In any order.
Easton Raines could go screw himself. Or anyone else for that matter because it damn sure wouldn’t be me.
Up ahead, something moved.
I slowed my steps, sucking in a sharp breath as I squinted into the darkness. My senses prickled with an ominous sort of anticipation. Part of me wanted to retreat to the safety of the main road, but pure human stubbornness rooted me. If I ran every time Midnight Falls felt weird, I’d never leave the house again.
I waited, but there was only silence. Stillness. I was alone and obviously paranoid.
Hitching my bag higher on my shoulder, I picked up the pace again.
Another sound.
This one a soft swish of air. Something was moving in the alley.
I spun a full circle, angry at being frightened over what was probably a feral cat.
“Who’s there?”
A brush of a hand on my arm.
I yelped and whirled, praying for a raccoon. Or a squirrel. Hell, I’d take that feral cat right about now.
Instead, it was a man. And not even close to the one I wanted to see.
“What the hell, Travis. You scared the shit out of me.” I sucked in a couple of deep breaths, willing my heart not to explode.
“I had to make sure you weren’t being followed.”
“I am being followed,” I said. “By you.”
“Cat.” He closed the distance between us so fast that I nearly toppled.
His arm shot out, circling my waist with enough rough force to nearly send me sprawling.
I slapped his hand away and stepped back, but he followed. Fear speared through me. I didn’t stop until my back hit the brick wall behind me. He kept coming, boxing me in.
Shit.
This was not good.
“What do you want?” I demanded, hating how small my voice sounded.
“Did you get the flowers?” His eyes held the same brightness I’d seen the day he’d nearly shifted on me.
“Yes, and it was completely inappropriate.”
His expression tightened.
“You shouldn’t be here. I don’t want to see you anymore,” I said.
He shook his head. “You don’t mean that. Look, we were both upset. I’ve given us both time to cool off. We can work this out, I know it.”
“I don’t need time to cool off,” I protested.
His eyes gleamed, and I realized I’d said the wrong thing.
“Even better.” He leaned in until I could smell his stale breath. No alcohol. So this was all his own crazy-ass mind then. That was probably worse. “Let me make it up to you, kitty cat.”
His use of East’s nickname for me made me want to vomit.
Oblivious to my disgust, he invaded my space. His nose nuzzled my cheek, and I wrenched away, breathing heavily. Fear zipped up my spine, leaving me lightheaded and nauseous. I had to get out of here.
I glanced up and down the alley, but there was no one else around. What a dumbass move, cutting through this deserted alley. I might as well be the virgin in a horror movie right now. Except I was anything but a virgin, and unfortunately, the last guy I’d slept with was turning out to be the psychopath.
“Travis, stop it.”
Wrenching away, I managed two steps before Travis crowded me in again, pressing me against the wall at my back.
“While I appreciate you playing hard to get, this is silly, don’t you think? You forgive me. I forgive you. We should cut right to the—”
“Wait. You forgive me? For what?”
“Spending time with Raines.” His voice twisted, and I shuddered at the look of hatred he wore now. “That asshole doesn’t deserve you, Cat. I considered punishing him for touching what’s mine, but then I decided we should just move past it. That’s why I’m here tonight.”
“Travis.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You aren’t listening.”
“No, you aren’t listening.”
He moved too quickly for me to see. I grunted as he shoved my back against the wall, pinning me with an evil glare.
“You’re mine, Cat. Always will be. Don’t forget that.”
“Cat?”
East’s voice drifted back from the mouth of the alley.
Travis hissed.
“Cat, you still here?” East called again.
“Here,” I called before Travis could stop me.
Footsteps came closer.
“This isn’t over.” Travis released me and vanished into the shadows.
My knees buckled as relief washed through me.
East appeared.
He took one look at me and closed the distance. Instead of pinning me as Travis had, he reached out and cupped my face in gentle hands.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Travis was here.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No, I . . . He—” I broke off, and East gathered me into his arms.
I buried my face in his shoulder, inhaling the scent of him and letting it steady me.
Some small
