We returned to Alisha’s house and I was relieved to be back and to be able to put the gun away in its box in the glove compartnt. This ti Alisha didn’t stop .
The garage door opened slowly as we approached and Tye’s car kept going a bit further down where there was a second garage, still attached to the house, but there couldn’t be a door directly inside from there. He did appear through a door in the first garage and I figured they were connected.
Alisha got out of the car, still angry but also tired now. It had been a good amount of driving for one day, and she didn’t usually subject herself to that.
Tye held the door to the inside open for us and I gave him one of those grateful nods. He returned it and followed through the door, pulling it shut behind him and turned the lock again. He, too, had a weariness to his movents as he and Alisha went to the dining room and she sat at the table putting her phone down before reaching up and burying a hand along her scalp to stare at the ceiling for a long mont.
“I’ll make so coffee,” I said and started the process of getting water and grounds in the machine.
“Thank you, Kitten,” Alisha said. Her voice was tired, too.
“Have you reached out to Nicco yet?” Tye asked.
“I have but he hasn’t heard anything from anybody about any discrepancies,” she explained.
The coffee machine buzzed before the thin trickle started into the carafe.
“Which leaves Sergei,” Tye followed.
“Which leaves Sergei,” Alisha sighed, agreeing, and sat forward to lean her weight against the table. “But it doesn’t make sense. It’s stupidly obvious it’s him so… is it a bluff? Or a double bluff?”
“Is there anyone that doesn’t like Sergei?” Tye asked. “Other than you?”
“I’m sure there is but this feels far more constructed than a vendetta against him.”
I got so coffee mugs down as they were discussing, and then rembered Tye didn’t drink coffee and stared at it for a long mont. What would I get him? Water? Or tea? I’d seen him only drink water, wine and beer and as far I knew he didn’t really like wine… and I didn’t know which of Alisha’s wines were drinking wine and which were fancy entertaining wines or if there were any of those vintages that shouldn’t be drank and simply allowed to appreciate in value.
I poured a glass of water for him and brought it out with a couple cups of coffee.
Tye was still standing as I set a mug of coffee in front of Alisha before sliding the glass of water over to him and finally took my own seat on one of the chairs.
Alisha reached over to pat my hair, an expression of gratitude, I thought, since she imdiately took a few sips of the coffee and closed her eyes for a mont, appreciating it.
I held my mug in front of , letting the heat warm the palms of my hands until it stung. It helped keep in the mont right now instead of having my mind wander off to darker places with rats wriggling their way out between people’s bloody lips.
I shuddered and took a sip of the bitter liquid, letting it soothe so of the sick feeling in my chest.
Tye pulled sothing from one of his pockets that crinkled like a candy bar, but as he peeled the wrapper off, I recognized it was a protein bar of a peanut variety.
He chewed on it for a while before swallowing. “I’ll have my people start poking around his n, see if anything pulls loose, but it’ll take ti.”
“I know,” Alisha said. “I’ll have Claire give a list of nas of whoever turned in incorrect revenues. That might narrow down your search.”
Tye nodded. “I’ll keep it peaceable for now but let know if you want things escalated.”
“Of course,” Alisha agreed.
Tye then picked up the water I had gotten for him and drank it quickly before leaving.
I leaned against Alisha once he was gone and she wrapped an arm around .
“My poor Kitten,” she said.
“I'm okay,” I told her. “I knew what I was getting myself into when I said I'd co.”
“You didn't,” she told and ran her hand across my cheek. “Still, I'm sorry the day we were supposed to spend together got overridden with this ss.”
“It's not your fault,” I reassured her.
“But it is. I should've disposed of that man when I had the chance.”
I went quiet. “Would that have helped though?” I asked.
“It would've sent a ssage,” she said, “that people don't get to sneak around behind my back and as you saw today, I spared him just for him to bleed out with a rat in his mouth. I don't feel like I did him any favors.”
I nodded. “I see…” It wasn't her fault soone had done sothing so horrible to him, but I imagined she would've been quick about it at least.
She patted my head. “I should call Nicco to get this ss sorted out.”
I looked out the window at the sun hanging low in the sky. We had yet to eat anything today and my stomach was queasy so I wasn't feeling it yet but Alisha had to be hungry.
“Would you like to have dinner first?” I asked. “I can throw it together quickly.”
“That would be very sweet of you but I'll be okay if you don't.” She still had her coffee in front of her, occasionally taking a small sip.
“I'll take care of it,” I told her. “You can make a phone call if you want but I'll have it out soon.”
She ruffled my hair, sinking her fingers in deep.
Oh, if only I was a real kitten I would be purring so lovingly at her touch. We probably would not be having sex if that was the case and I wouldn't be able to make her dinner but it was still a nice sentint.
I went to the kitchen and got a couple bowls out and started to fill them with the spring mix from the fridge, letting the leaves mound over the rim a little bit before scouring for toppings. Still out of blue cheese, I used feta again, and finished that container off. If I had a chance I'd go to the store tomorrow to pick up more but I couldn't be sure if Tye would be around to drive .
Today I used both cranberries and apricots and to go a bit crazy added a couple of the lonely olives from the fridge.
I even drizzled so of the brine over my salad, missing salad dressing even if the leaves were palatable without it. The salads Alisha made just tended to be a bit dry.
I brought the two bowls out and set one in front of her.
She was on her phone, texting as usual. “Thank you Kitten,” she told without looking up. I sat next to her and stabbed so leaves with a fork before chewing them. My appetite didn't really return but I wasn't sick enough to not eat and I knew skipping als was the last thing I wanted to do as my body was still recovering from the amount of neglect I had put it through.
After another few texts, Alisha set her phone down on the table and pulled her bowl closer. She chewed while thoughtfully staring at the wall.
We finished our salads in silence and I took it upon myself to clear the dishes before retreating upstairs. Alisha made so phone calls that I couldn’t really make out what was said. Part of wanted to know, but I also needed to distance myself for a bit.
I got upstairs and started to browse so relaxing videos of cats online, finding the shenanigans soothing. There was still a relieving emptiness at my back from not having a gun shoved into my waistband anymore. How Tye did it all day, I didn’t know. He probably had a proper holster though, and maybe his pants were a little bigger so the gun didn’t get pressed against him quite so hard.
I should get a purse, I decided and swapped to browsing for them online. So far I’d needed one multiple tis and simply not had one. Alisha would probably loan one, if I asked, but I also didn’t know the price point of hers… I imagined they were expensive. The few tis I had handled hers, it did not feel like the kind of plastic leather I was used to having, so it was probably real leather and real leather was expensive.
I should get a job, I considered. At least then Alisha wouldn’t have to worry about clothing and feeding out of her own pocket. She would surely continue to pay for things for , but at least it wouldn’t be all of my needs.
My phone vibrated with a text ssage and I opened it.
Sophia: Hey, just wanted to check in! How was the dinner with her mom?
I had completely forgotten that I’d asked her for advice about that.
Her family history is… complicated, I offered, and her mom does not like .
I’m so sorry to hear that, Sophia said. At least you got it out of the way, I guess.
Yeah… Alisha now refuses to talk to her entirely.
Christ, that’s dramatic. What did her mom say?
I considered what to tell her. There were nuances to everything but I could at least explain the worst one without worrying about leaking any sensitive information. She called a ‘low-class girl.’
Yeah, that is awful. I’m sorry you had to listen to that.
Yeah. It was awkward. I didn’t really know how to handle that, but Alisha stord out of the restaurant in a huff.
I don’t bla her. You shouldn’t say stuff like that about soone’s partner, much less to their face.
I tried to think of what to say next. It would be good to move on from this topic but so far the only stuff I could think of was the murder and Nicco’s equally insensitive remarks about , neither of which I could really talk about.
Is there a ti it would be good for us to et up again? Sophia asked. I’d love to catch up in person.
Nows not really a good ti, I told her. Theres been so ergencies at her work and I don’t know when things will be settled again.
You don’t have any free ti? She asked.
Her security is preoccupied and she hasn’t had much ti to take care of herself, much less arrange a chauffeur for .
It sounds serious, Sophia comnted.
It is. I’m sure things will clear up soon, I just can’t make any promises. I sighed. It would be nice to get away from this nonsense for a day but with Tye occupied and probably Matteo and the other enforcers also scurrying around, I didn’t know if Alisha could give a ride and there would be no one to keep an eye on her.
I’ll see about arranging sothing for next week, I told Sophia after a long mont. That would give us ti to work things out.
Okay, that would be great! Take care of yourself, okay? And you’re not low-class.
Thank you, Sophie! I relaxed a little. I’d ask Alisha what might work when things weren’t moving quite so quickly.
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