Chapter 38 - The Kitchen
Cat's first night out of the hospital was a rough one. She woke up multiple times, screaming and terrified. Trey and Atlas did their best to calm her down, but it broke their hearts that they couldn't do more.
She barely seemed affected by the nightmares when she woke up in the morning. Cat told him that she'd had them for so long that she was used to it. He knew she was trying to be strong and put everything behind her, but he thought it would be better if she talked about it so she could begin healing her mind.
Trey understood that it had to be her decision, and he would never push her into something she wasn't ready for. He was hoping that she and Valerie could spend some time together and maybe Valerie could help her. When everything hit her, he wasn't looking forward to the breakdown. It scared him that it could damage Cat a little more, send her into panic attacks, or back into the darkness she was trying to avoid.
It was his mission not to let any of that happen. Even though they were still trying to catch Leo, Trey wanted to help her heal in all aspects. When he got out of the shower, he smelled something delicious that made his stomach growl.
Trey quickly dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Cat was in there cooking, and he let the aroma lead him over to her side.
"What are you making that smells so good?" His mouth was watering.
"I'm making western omelets, hash browns, and fresh squeezed orange juice. You came out at the perfect time. I'm getting ready to put everything on the plates, so sit down." Cat stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
"You shouldn't be waiting on me; you just got out of the hospital. Why don't you sit down and let me serve you?" Trey tried to guide her out of the kitchen while she laughed.
"I'm fine. Thanks to your blood, I feel good as new. Please sit down and let me do this. I'm glad I finally have someone to enjoy my cooking." Cat began preparing their plates. He watched as she moved around the kitchen and smiled.
He kept trying to convince her to let him help, and Cat gave in, telling him to carry the orange juice to the table because she didn't have enough hands. She watched his face as he took the first bite of his omelet, and he shut his eyes with a look of pure joy.
"This is the best omelet I've ever had. It tastes like it's bursting with flavor." Trey took another bite and savored the taste.
"It's all the herbs and spices I put in it. Valerie made sure we were well stocked with both, so I took advantage of them. I'm glad you like it." Cat started eating her food with a smile. She loved being able to cook for Trey.
After they ate, he called Roger to see if there was any news on Leo, but it appeared he had gone underground. Caleb had told them where his apartment was down the street from Cat, but by the time they got there, Leo had cleared it out.
With no idea where he went, Trey was even more thankful for Roger and Valerie allowing them to use their pool house. They decided to go to the main house to see if Valerie wanted some company. Cat didn't feel so overwhelmed now that she had time to settle in, and she wanted to thank their hostess again.
Valerie was all smiles when she saw Cat and Trey. She hoped they would come to the house to see her, but she didn't want to appear pushy.
"Good morning, you two. How was the pool house last night?" Valerie thought the question was innocent enough, but the look that passed between Cat and Trey told Valerie that something had happened.
"The house is fantastic. I can't thank you enough for stocking it for us. I've missed cooking, so it was nice fixing dinner last night and breakfast this morning." Cat skipped over how the night went, and Valerie didn't miss what she had done.
"I'm glad. I love cooking too. In fact, I wanted to see if you both would like to join us for dinner tonight. If you're up for it, I could always use help in the kitchen. It gets lonely in this big house by myself." Valerie hoped to get to know Cat a little more.
Cat debated on if she was comfortable eating with Roger and Valerie. She decided it was only dinner, and helping Valerie cook was the least she could do when they were letting them stay in their pool house. She looked up at Trey and could tell he would let it be her decision.
"That sounds great, and I would be glad to help."
Cat was still getting used to Valerie looking like her mother, but now that she had seen her again, she could spot more differences. Valerie led them into the massive house, and Cat looked around, stunned. The entryway was three stories high, with a large crystal chandelier that looked like it would crush all three of them if it fell.
A double staircase was in the first room they came to, reminding her of staircases from old movies. Cat expected people in formal wear to be walking around. Valerie continued walking them through the house, and Cat was speechless with each room she saw. The house, in her opinion, could not be described as a house. It was a mansion.
When they got to the enormous kitchen, Cat found the room she liked the most. It was big enough to fit her entire apartment. There were double ovens on one wall and a sizeable gas stove top with eight burners.
In the center was a large island that had six barstools on one side. The appliances were black stainless steel, and the countertops were black granite. The cabinets were a light grey with glass doors and lighting inside. A light marble grey and white tiled floor accented the kitchen.
"This is the kitchen of my dreams," Cat whispered. Valerie smiled at her expression.
"This is my favorite room in this whole place. The kitchen is the heart of the home." Valerie winked at Trey, who was standing behind Cat.
The minute Trey saw Cat's reaction to the kitchen, he decided that wherever they moved, he would build her a kitchen to rival this one. She would have nothing but the best of everything in her kitchen. Trey put his arm around her shoulders and smiled when she leaned into him.
___________________
Leo screamed into the phone at one of the men who was supposed to be finding Caterina. He threw the phone across the room in anger after he hung up. Thanks to that son of a bitch Caleb, he had no idea where Caterina was.
He knew that Caleb had kidnapped and almost killed her before being arrested. He shouldn't have trusted that bastard. Caleb was way too obsessive about Caterina, and now it got him locked up.
Leo quickly packed up his apartment when he heard Caleb kidnapped Caterina. Caleb was a rat, and he knew as soon as he was arrested, he would sing like a canary.
Now Leo was staying in a hole-in-the-wall apartment that he was sure had roaches and bedbugs. He didn't have a choice right now. His name and face were all over the place, thanks to Caleb. The police were no longer keeping it quiet that they were coming after him.
Leo couldn't concentrate on his business when he had to start from scratch, looking for Caterina. All of his contacts were of no help. After she left the hospital, they had no idea where she went. He had people watching her apartment and different hotels around Sacramento, but no one had seen her.
He knew she was most likely with her new boyfriend, who was also a detective. Leo saw them together, and the large man at her side was the only reason he didn't try to get her himself.
Her boyfriend was so much bigger than him that he feared he would break him in half. That detective would be a problem, but he just had to hope that one of his men took him out, so Leo didn't have to worry about it.
If Caterina thought what Caleb did to her was bad, just wait until he gets his hands on her. Every day she made him wait to kill her was extra pain he would be sure to cause her before her death. Leo couldn't wait to get his hands around her skinny little neck and watch the life leave her eyes.
