I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten Chapter 83: A New Page

Alisha put the knife in a safe that was hidden under so of the carpet in her closet.

This was also, I noted, where both of our personal docunts were as well as an old style gun with notches in the grip I could only assu weren't there just for show.

We got ready for sleep, the routine falling into a familiar rhythm. I was grateful to finally crawl onto the giant bed and sink into the plushness and the soft sheets and comforter. She was soon to follow behind , still fixing her hair a bit before curling up in our usual sleeping position, her arm draped around my waist protectively.

I felt settled in and even fell asleep easily just to wake up shortly after drenched in cold sweat and heart pounding.

This was turning into the norm every night. I started to pull away from Alisha but her grip tightened and my back was pressed flush against her front.

“Alisha,” I said quietly, hoping not to wake her up fully and just to get free. Her arm tightened a little more.

“I like Kippen,” she mumbled and her face buried against the back of my neck. The warmth of her breath blew across my skin.

“Are you awake?” I asked.

She nodded gently.

I reached to hold her hand a bit, reassuringly. “I am, too,” I told her.

She was quiet and only rubbed her face into a little more.

“I'm a bit disturbed,” I told her.

Her breathing was still slow and even, then she inhaled deeper. “I'd be worried if you weren’t,” she said.

“I guess… it's just… I an Nico was a bad dude but the way– the knife in his eye socket, you know.”

She shifted to soothe my hair back and kissed the back of my neck.

“I know. It's ssed up.”

I was quiet for a long mont. “Will it always be like this?” I asked.

“Violent? Probably.” She soothed my hair back again. “As long as I can rember, people were murdered and tortured and brutally dismbered.”

I nodded. “Does it have to be?”

She didn't answer right away, letting the quiet stretch on for quite a while. “I was taught it was necessary. But I just don't know anymore. It's not like I need to threaten Tye and Matteo for them to do what's needed.”

“But you can't exactly fire soone either,” I continued. “And that's the real problem, huh?” I gave up on sleep and instead pulled free of her to sit up.

She let go, a bit hesitantly as she let her arm trail across as I got up. A while later she sat up as well, watching .

“Can you get by with less violence?” I asked softly.

Her face was complicated. There was both hope and fear there as she let the idea process. “This life is kill or be killed. I don't think there's any way around that.”

“I know when it cos down to it…” I agreed. “But maybe there should be so steps you take before then. To correct behaviour more directly before murder and maiming and torture becos necessary.”

“Are you suggesting I put together a performance improvent plan for rats?” She asked, a level of cynical skepticism I'd never heard in her voice before.

“Well… I guess so.” I didn't know what a performance improvent plan ant but her distrust of it was enough to know it probably wouldn't do much.

She stared at her hands for a while. “I’ll try.”

“I won't bla you if it doesn't work,” I told her. “I know this life was never your choice.”

She reached over and pulled closer, burying her face in my hair and closing her eyes.

“I don't want it to be yours either,” she murmured.

“I know. I'll be okay, though.” I waited for her to get more settled before starting to lay down again.

We cuddled again, her pulling tight. I let myself fall asleep, even knowing it was going to be fleeting.

When morning ca, we got up together. I was very relieved that our usual routine seed to resu like we had never left this house. It made things feel more normal, even if there was a taint to everything.

I pointed that gun at Nico, and prepared myself to fire it. The desperation I felt in that mont was still lingering. I just wanted Alisha safe and happy, even at the cost of another person's life.

But Nico wasn’t a good person, as I kept reminding myself. I didn’t like that I had even threatened him but he wouldn’t have hesitated, and probably wouldn’t feel any remorse even if he had done horrible things to .

I welcod coffee, and sitting at Alisha’s dining table as she set up a new phone. We didn’t have too long before I heard the front door open and looked over, alert.

“It’s Tye,” Alisha inford , without looking up.

I did my best to relax and settle back down, though I still felt on edge. It was indeed Tye that ca into the room a mont later and pulled a chair out to sit and stare intently through the glass of the table for a long mont as Alisha finished sothing on her new phone.

She finally put it aside and addressed him. “How was Sergei?” she asked.

“He was quiet,” Tye inford. “Behaving despite your absence.”

“Hm… he’s the one I’d think we’d have to dispose of before anyone else,” she comnted.

I opened my mouth to speak and then stopped myself, though Alisha waited expectantly.

“What is it, Kitten?” she asked.

I tried to hide the fear I felt over asking such a dumb question. “Didn’t you pardon Nico’s rats?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes, but information is important. I should still keep an eye on them even if they don’t get exterminated.”

“I see,” I followed.

Alisha turned back to Tye. “Do you have soone in mind to replace yourself as Kit’s guard?”

Tye hesitated. “Yes but…”

Alisha waited patiently as he put his words together carefully.

“I know she's not the most experienced but she's probably the most trustworthy.”

Alisha scowled. “Lili?” she asked.

Tye nodded. “Lili,” he agreed.

“Is she really suited for a posted guard position?” Alisha sat back and folded her arms.

“Who is…?” I asked.

“Matteo’s sister,” Tye explained. “Liliana. She goes by Lili.” He then looked at Alisha. “She'll be squirrelly but she's the most trustworthy person I have, and since Matteo will spend most of his ti with you, Kit needs soone dedicated to watching her. This also ans if there's a problem we can have Matteo sit her down and have a heart to heart. She'll listen to him if no one else.”

Alisha still hesitated. “Fine. But if there's any problems she's not getting special treatnt. I don't care if Matteo hates .”

Tye was not convinced of that last bit but agreed anyway. “I'll let her know then.” He sent a ssage on his phone before continuing. “I'm assuming you want to see Jess personally about Nico’s phone.”

“Mm,” Alisha agreed. “I would prefer that. I'm glad she didn't get sucked into the drama.”

They discussed who was who in the underworld. A lot of it was stuff like, ‘Joseph seed displeased about your disappearance’ and ‘Luka stuck to Nico’s side like glue.’ Alisha didn’t make any threats against anybody but she certainly was making a ntal list of who needed to be watched and who could probably be trusted on their own. I continued to sip coffee and wondered about groceries, letting them handle their business things I couldn’t really comnt on.

The front door opened again and Tye stood.

“Is that Lili?” Alisha asked. She set her coffee mug down.

“And Matteo,” Tye confird. The siblings ca down the hall and into the room, Matteo hulking as usual. I expected Lili to take more after her brother but she was much smaller. Still tall, but with a figure that was arguably very attractive in a curvier way than Alisha’s. Her waist was very narrow while her chest and butt were well fleshed. Her skin was also very dark. Matteo was definitely brown but Lili was even darker, her skin color approaching an ebony.

This did make a little uneasy, only because she ca from a culture I didn’t fully understand.

Alisha’s dining room was getting crowded, not because it was too small but because I had never seen this many people in it at one ti.

“Kit, this is Lili,” Alisha explained. Her gaze pierced the girl with ferocity.

Lili didn’t budge though and held her hand out to .

I took it, hesitating as my brain scrambled.

“K-kit,” I managed to introduce myself.

“Lili,” Alisha began, keeping her fixed in that intimidating gaze. “You understand the importance of your task, correct?”

Lili released my hand, and gave her a stoic nod. “Her safety is my priority,” she agreed. “Above all else.”

Alisha nodded. “In light of recent events, this won’t be an easy task. There will be people who take interest in harming her.”

I suppressed the urge to swallow fearfully. I hadn’t thought about my safety after the Nico problem. Since I had shown my face and even pointed a gun at Nico, I was an enemy to his underlings, whoever they ended up being.

Lili agreed with Alisha, and then Alisha gathered up her things and looked at . “Let know if there’s any trouble Kit, okay? Your safety is my biggest priority.”

I felt a bit of heat from embarrassnt at that. She was getting more comfortable fawning over in front of others. People would talk.

She, Tye and Matteo all left, leaving alone with Lili, who promptly sighed once the door was closed and pulled a chair out to slouch onto.

I avoided eye contact as she did so, but her gaze was tangible against anyway.

“You're the one that got into Alisha’s pants?” Lili asked skeptically.

I couldn't stop myself. “It wasn't like that,” I protested. The regret was imdiate and I shut my mouth before anything else ca out.

Still, Lili rolled her eyes and took her phone out. “Whatever. Just scream if soone tries to break in, ‘kay?”

I didn’t wait long before going up to the bedroom to curl up on the bed, debating things.

This was such a different person than I thought. I should tell Alisha this…

But did that put Lili at risk?

So far I didn’t think Lili was a bad person, just maybe… immature.

Yes, that was the word. And I couldn’t fully bla her, she looked like she could still be in high school.

Why had Tye chosen her to accompany ? Surely there were better choices… Maybe he thought a woman would be easier for to adjust to. It wasn’t like I had trusted Tye at first either, and I was getting more comfortable with Matteo, even if his deanor would always make uneasy.

I heard television from downstairs, playing loud enough that the glass rattled a little. Lili was far from an ideal guard.