Chapter 20 - Returning to Sacramento
Cat and Trey woke up to the sound of the burner phone ringing. She held her breath as he reached for it knowing that one of these times, Roger would tell them to go back.
"Hey, Roger, what's going on?" Trey put the phone on speaker.
"I need you to come back to Sacramento. We've done everything we can without Caterina, but it's gone cold. I know neither of you wanted this, but right now, I see no other way." Cat was shocked. Roger had always sounded gruff over the phone, but she could hear the regret in his voice.
"Alright, we'll pack up our things and head back. Can you have Ellie pick up some of my clothes from my apartment? I'll be staying with Cat." Trey saw her smiling. They hadn't talked about this, but he knew he couldn't leave her alone in that apartment.
"Okay, we'll be set up when you get to Caterina's apartment. We secured an apartment in her building for surveillance. See you soon." Roger hung up before Trey could say anything more.
"You'll stay with me?" Cat couldn't contain her excitement.
"I can't be away from you now. That is unless you don't want me to stay with you. I should have asked first." Trey looked at her, worried that she wouldn't want him there. It was one thing being in a hotel, but she may not be okay with him in her home.
"Of course, I want you with me. There's no way I can sleep without being in your arms or hearing Atlas purring in my ear. What did he mean when he said they would be set up when we get to my apartment?" Cat couldn't imagine what they would be setting up.
"After we were reported missing, my team got a key from your landlord telling them they were investigating your disappearance. When it became obvious that we would have to go back, they hid cameras in your apartment and the common areas of the building. We take a victim's safety seriously, and the cameras ensure they'll see anyone suspicious. They also rented an apartment down the hall. They can be to you within a matter of seconds. No one knew I would be staying with you. Otherwise, they may not have done as much to prepare. Are you okay with all of this?"
She was staring at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe his team had done all that in such a short time. Cat didn't know how she felt about them having eyes on her every move. Her apartment was the one place she felt safe from the world.
Trey watched Cat's face and saw the fear in her eyes. Even though she was okay with him, he was sure having too many others around was still not a good idea. She suddenly looked up at him, and her face softened.
"Yes, it's okay because you'll be there with me. If this is the quickest way to catch Leo, I'll do it. Promise me if you see me start to panic, you'll hold me in your arms. It's the quickest way to calm me down." Trey couldn't believe his ears.
"You amaze me. I didn't think you would take this so well. I promise to calm you down whenever you need me to." He leaned down and kissed her gently. He wanted to do more, but they needed to leave.
Trey got out of bed and helped Cat up. As she headed for the shower, he went to see what food they had left. He was starving, but all he found were some granola bars. As he ate a couple of the bars, he thought about how far Cat had come in a short time. She was nothing like the woman who left with him from the hospital.
Cat quickly showered and dressed. She wasn't looking forward to returning, but she wanted to stop Leo. When she walked out of the bathroom, Trey was packing their things into shopping bags because they had no luggage. Cat started laughing when she saw him.
"What are you laughing at?" Trey asked, amused by her expression.
"You. I didn't expect to come out and see you with no clothes on. You are planning to get dressed before we leave, right?" Trey looked down and smiled. He hadn't thought about putting anything on after getting out of bed. He lived alone, so he was used to walking around naked whenever he wanted.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm going to get a shower, and then we should be ready to go, and yes, I'll be putting clothes on." He walked over to her while she stared him up and down. He leaned down to kiss her when he got in front of her. Cat wrapped her arms around his neck, threading her fingers into his thick hair.
When Trey pulled away, they were both breathless. Cat loved how his kisses made her lose all her senses and caused her knees to get weak. Trey chuckled at her dazed expression as he walked to the bathroom.
After he showered, they loaded the car and turned the key into the front office. It didn't take long for them to get back to Sacramento. Cat could feel the fear building as Trey pulled into the parking garage. Now that she knew Leo was in the area, she was worried he could be lurking around every corner.
Trey saw Cat's reaction and realized that the reality of everything happening probably just hit her. He leaned over before they got out of the car and wrapped his arms around her the best he could while Atlas purred. He felt Cat relax in his arms.
"Are you okay?" Trey stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, hating that she had even one ounce of fear.
"I am now. When we pulled in, I felt like Leo was watching me. Thank you for seeing that and calming me down. I couldn't get through this without you. I love you." Cat wanted to hold on to him a little longer before going upstairs.
"I love you too. I won't let Leo anywhere near you. Are you ready? I've often imagined what your apartment looks like on the inside." Cat smiled into his chest. She almost forgot that he'd been following her for weeks.
"Yes, let's go. It's nothing fancy, but I like it because I feel safe there. No one has ever been in my apartment. Please tell me there won't be cameras in the bedroom." Cat didn't want his team to see everything they did together.
"No, not in the bedroom or bathrooms. So we'll still have some privacy." Trey smiled, knowing what she was thinking.
Cat opened her car door and got out while Trey did the same. They got the bags out of the trunk and headed to the elevator. She couldn't help looking around to make sure no one was watching them. Trey saw her but didn't say anything. He couldn't blame her for being scared.
The door was already open when they reached her apartment, and Cat heard people talking. She started to back away, but Trey stopped her.
"It's my team. Roger will want to go over a few things, and then they'll leave. Trust me; I want them out as badly as you do." Trey put his arm over her shoulders, and she nodded. When they walked inside, all the talking stopped, and the four people turned toward the couple in surprise.
Cat stood awkwardly next to Trey feeling uncomfortable. She decided she wouldn't act like a victim, so she looked each of them in the eye.
There were three men and a woman. The woman was pretty, with long blonde hair in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. She gave her a warm smile, and Cat calmed down a little. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Cat then looked at the three men. One was tall with thinning brown hair and kind blue eyes. The next was medium height with tan skin and brown eyes. He barely looked up from his laptop.
The third man made Cat's skin crawl. He was of average height, heavy set, with greasy-looking black hair and light brown eyes. The way he stared at her gave her chills. She moved closer to Trey and saw anger flash in the man's eyes.
"Hi Caterina, my name is Roger Brooks; I'm Trey's sergeant. This is Detectives Ellie Camp, Marc Lopez, and Caleb Pierce." Cat looked at Detective Pierce, and he tried to reach his hand out to her. She slid back away from him, and he glared at her. She turned toward the others and gave a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you all. Please call me Cat." She spoke softly but firmly.
"We'll be out of your hair soon. I want to go over a few things. I'm sure Trey told you that we put cameras in your apartment. This is for your safety. We don't want to take any chances of someone getting inside. If someone does get in, we'll know immediately. Of course, Trey will also be here with you, so that will be extra security." Roger glanced at Trey as Cat blushed.
"Are you about done? We haven't eaten anything today, so we're starving." Trey held Cat to him tightly. He hadn't missed how Caleb kept looking at her, and he didn't like it. What was his problem?
"I have something I want to give you, Cat. This is a bracelet with a tracker hidden in it. Make sure you wear it at all times. If someone successfully takes you, we'll know exactly where you are." Cat felt the blood drain from her face as she took the bracelet that looked like an average silver charm bracelet.
"What do you mean, someone? I thought Leo was the only one looking for me."
"Leo is offering ten thousand dollars to the first person who can deliver you to him. It's our job not to let that happen." Roger spoke confidently, and Cat nodded. She wanted them to leave. This was getting to be too much.
"Roger, I think it's time for you all to go." Trey held the door open, letting them know it wasn't up for discussion. As they left, Ellie gave Cat another warm smile, and Caleb leered at her making her cling to Trey's arm. Once they were gone, Cat let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for asking them to leave. I was feeling uneasy with everyone staring at me." Cat looked up at Trey. She wanted to say something about Caleb, but not while they were on camera.
"I know. I saw your reaction. How about you show me around, and we order some takeout?" Cat nodded as she took his hand.
Her apartment wasn't big, but she loved it. She showed him her living room, which had a balcony overlooking downtown. She had white leather furniture with bright-colored pillows and a large black rug covering part of the hardwood floor in the living room. Her kitchen was small but functional. She loved to cook and hoped to cook for Trey.
Cat blushed a little as they went into the bedroom. She had a queen-sized bed with blue bedding. Her furniture was white here as well, but there was color everywhere.
Trey smiled as she showed him around. He loved her taste; it was very feminine but classy. He saw her blush when he looked at her bed.
"I like your apartment." He leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Thanks. Can I ask you something?" She was nervous to say anything about Caleb, but she had to. She didn't want him anywhere near her.
"Of course. What is it?" He saw her hesitation and worried that now she was back home, she might have second thoughts about him staying with her.
"There are no cameras in here, right? I don't want anyone seeing or hearing what I need to say." Trey nodded and went over to shut the bedroom door to ensure no one could pick up their conversation.
"No one can see or hear us." Trey watched her with concern.
"How well do you know Detective Pierce?" She asked cautiously.
"Not that well. He has only been with our team for a couple of months. Why?"
"When we first arrived, the look he gave me made me uncomfortable. He also got mad every time you touched me. I have seen monsters, and that man has something in his eyes like those I have dealt with before. Please keep him away from me and out of my apartment." Cat pleaded, hoping he understood.
"If he makes you uncomfortable, he won't be anywhere near you. I'll make sure of it." Trey wrapped her in his arms. He vowed if Caleb came near Cat, he would let Atlas kill him.
