Chapter 27 - Future Plans
Leo was livid. He had posted Caterina's address in the chat with hopes that someone would get past her detective and bring her to him. Once again, she got the upper hand and is nowhere to be found.
Caleb was on his shit list because he didn't know where she had gone. What good was it to have an insider if they had no information? Leo threw a glass against the wall in frustration.
It was taking a lot longer than he'd thought to get his hands on her, and it was messing up his plans. Caterina was supposed to be dead, and he was supposed to be long gone by now. Instead, he's running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
His phone buzzed, and he became even angrier. Caleb's text stated that his sergeant wasn't disclosing Caterina's location to anyone other than those that needed to know. If Caleb was part of the task force to protect her and get Leo, why was he not on the need-to-know list?
He started thinking that maybe Caleb wasn't the right person to have on the inside after all. It appears that even his superiors didn't trust him. Leo couldn't blame them; Caleb was a snake.
He decided it was time to take things into his own hands. No more depending on others to bring Caterina to him. He would kill her and be done with it. Leo decided to make the phone call that would cost him a lot of money but would be the quickest way to finish the job. As he dialed, he silently cursed Caleb. Maybe he would have the person he was calling do two jobs for him.
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Caleb was at his desk in the station. He was trying to find where Trey had taken Cat. He could tell that Roger didn't trust him. That's why he had been sent to work at the station and was no longer allowed in her building.
When he told Leo that Caterina was in hiding again and he had no idea where she was, Leo threatened that if he didn't find her, his head would be on a platter. He knew Leo had resources that could make him disappear. However, Caleb wasn't planning on going down without a fight.
He still planned on getting Caterina, no matter how hard Trey tried to keep her from everyone. Caleb drummed his fingers on his desk while he was thinking. There had to be a way to locate them. He knew that Trey's phone would be untraceable, but Caterina's may not be.
Caleb's eyes lit up as the idea hit him. He quickly texted Leo and told him to start calling her again now that she had her phone. He would then be able to find her location, and they could plan the best way to get her. Caleb laughed; these idiots he works with thought they had outsmarted him. He'd show them.
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Cat was lying in the huge bed, feeling perfectly content. Trey was next to her, still sleeping. She had come to realize that her werelion required more sleep than she did.
She looked up at his handsome face and smiled. Trey treated her with such care that she felt all her worry that he would get tired of her evaporate. She was ready to start focusing on the future and what she wanted to do after Leo was locked up.
She knew she didn't want to go back to the hospital. Cat wanted to do something that would make a difference in the lives of others. She had an idea of a way to help children that had survived similar circumstances to hers.
While deep in thought, she hadn't noticed Trey woke up. He was watching her with a smile because he could see the wheels turning in her pretty little head.
"What are you thinking so seriously about this early in the morning?" He leaned down and kissed her startled mouth before she could say anything.
"Good morning, handsome." Cat leaned up and kissed him again before answering. Trey held her against him and rubbed his hands on her silky skin. He pulled away when he started to get a little carried away. He still tried to be cautious when it came to sex because he never wanted her to feel like he was forcing her to do anything.
"I'm still waiting on an answer." He said while trying to control his desire for her.
"I was thinking that after you catch Leo, I don't want to go back to the hospital. I want to do something that has meaning to me." Cat stopped there without saying what she wanted to do.
"You know you never have to work again if you don't want to. I'm wealthy, and we could live happily in a life of luxury if that's what you wanted." Trey didn't want that, but he would do anything for Cat. He became a police officer and then a detective to help people, and he would still like to do that.
"That sounds wonderful, but I would go nuts if I had nothing to do. I'm going to tell you my idea, and you let me know if you think it's something we can do, okay?" Trey smiled when he heard her say we.
"Alright, let me hear it." He didn't care what idea she had. No matter how impossible it may seem, he would make it happen to make her happy.
"I was thinking that I would like to open a group home for abused children. Somewhat like the one I was in, but I want it to be more focused on healing than just a place to stay. Kids that come from situations like mine need time to heal and not be sent from foster home to foster home. I want the group home to have a home-like feel and be in a house, not an institution. I want therapists there who have worked with children who have been abused so they can provide real help. What do you think? Does that sound like a crazy idea?"
When Cat looked up at Trey, he had the widest smile she'd ever seen. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Many people would have jumped at the opportunity to never work again, but not his kitten. She wanted to help abused children, no matter how painful it may be for her.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. You know more than anyone what those children need. As far as therapists, I may know someone who would be willing to help. Valerie, Roger's wife, is a therapist that specializes in abused children. I think this is something she would love to do with you." She jumped up and sat, straddling Trey's abdomen so she could look down at him.
"That would be fantastic if she could help. Do you really think we can do this? I know it'll take a lot of money and work, but it would help many children. I want to show them that they're not victims, they're survivors, and there is life after the monsters." Cat thought about how much it would have meant to her if she'd had a place to go like the one she wanted to make. It would have given her a whole new outlook on life.
"I know we can do it, and money is not an object. Whatever you want and however you want it is how we'll do it." Cat began peppering his face with kisses. Trey laughed at her excitement.
She lay on top of him, and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. She made him incredibly happy just by being with him and accepting him as her mate.
Trey thought about their future together, making the group home and hopefully having cubs of their own one day. Atlas began purring his approval at Trey's thoughts.
They ordered room service for breakfast, and afterward, Cat turned on her phone that she had let charge overnight. Her voicemail said it was full, which surprised her because no one ever called her.
She turned the phone on speaker so Trey could also hear her messages. The first twelve were from her manager at the hospital, wanting to know if she was alright and when she would return to work. The next four were hang-ups, and the remaining four messages sent fear down Cat's spine. They were all from Leo.
*"Hi, little bitch. I know where you are, and I'm coming for you. You should know I always repay my debts, and I owe you a lot for what you did to me."*
*"Why aren't you answering your phone? Are you scared of me? You should be. When I kill you, I'll make sure it's excruciatingly painful."*
*"I saw that you have a boyfriend now, and I assume you think he can protect you. Guess what; he won't. He'll be dead just like you if he gets in my way."*
*"I know where you're hiding, little bitch, and I'll be coming for you. You can't hide forever. You should know better than anyone; the more you run, the worse it will hurt. See you soon."*
Cat felt herself shaking with fury at hearing Leo's voice. Something in her snapped, and she wasn't scared anymore. She was pissed. How dare he call her after all these years and threaten her? She felt the anger building in her, and she wanted to throw her phone, but instead, she turned to Trey.
"They can't trace him from voicemails, right? I need him to call me and answer the phone so that they can track him." Trey was surprised by Cat's demeanor. He was sure when she heard the messages from Leo that she would need to cry, yell, or something. However, she was very calm.
"That's right. They need you to answer when he calls. Are you alright?" He walked over and wrapped his arms around her where she stood.
"No, I'm not alright. At first, I was scared, but then I got angry. Leo has no right to talk to me like that. I hope he calls me back so I can tell him off and Roger can find where he's hiding like a coward." Cat held onto Trey, trying to calm her rage.
"You amaze me. I thought after hearing Leo, you may break a little, but you're stronger than ever. I'll call Roger and tell him about the messages. They'll be able to use them in his trial. If Leo called you four times, I'm sure he'll call again."
Trey grabbed his phone and called Roger. While he was on the phone, Cat's phone began ringing. She looked up at Trey and nodded.
Cat took a deep breath. She knew it would be Leo and wanted to sound confident when speaking to him. She refused to let him send her back into the darkness. She put a smile on her face as she answered.
"Well, if it isn't my piece of shit, scumbag uncle."
