BK 2 - Chapter 4 - The Plans
Aiden looked at Kitty as he processed what she said. Most likely, Ricky wouldn't want the authorities to get their hands on whatever was on that SD card. His first thought was to have her turn it in to the police, but he was worried that would put an even bigger target on her back.
Kitty watched Aiden's face silently, hoping he wouldn't tell her to leave because of all the trouble she may be bringing to his door. He didn't look mad at her. He looked like he was planning something. After several minutes she couldn't take the quiet anymore; it was making her even more anxious.
"Say something. Do you want me to leave?" Kitty looked him in the eye, waiting for his answer. He looked at her in surprise and held her hand tighter.
"No, I want you to stay here. I'm just trying to figure out the best thing for us to do." She smiled slightly when she heard him say us. She took that to mean he was in this with her. She had never depended on anyone, but it felt good not to go through this alone any longer.
"Thank you," Kitty said softly. Aiden looked at her in confusion.
"For what?"
"For saying us and not kicking me out as soon as you heard about my trouble. I may literally be bringing the Italian mob to you." She wanted him to know how much she appreciated him. They may have only met a few hours ago, but she felt she had known him her whole life.
"I will never kick you out. From the moment I saw you today, I knew you were special. I know this may be sudden, but will you stay here tonight. I don't mean sleep with me; I'll sleep on the couch. I would just feel better knowing you're safe." Aiden let the words tumble out of his mouth before he could stop them. When he saw the look on Kitty's face, he felt like a fool.
"You want me to stay here? You don't even know me, and I just admitted that I steal from people. How do you know I won't wait for you to fall asleep and rob you blind?" She would never do that, but he didn't know she only stole what she needed.
"I don't blame you for stealing to survive. You did what you had to do because it was your only option. I'm a light sleeper anyway, so if you tried to sneak past me while I'm asleep on the couch, I would hear you." Aiden winked at her, and she laughed.
"Alright, I'll stay with you, but we can share the bed. Unless you didn't want to sleep with me. I don't mean sex; I mean actual sleep. I know you won't try anything, but I can't make the same promise." Kitty had to bite her lip so she wouldn't laugh again when his face turned red.
Before he could respond, there was a knock on the door, letting them know their food had arrived. Aiden had almost forgotten about eating after all the information that Kitty had shared. He wanted to get back on that subject and not think about her lying beside him all night.
He took the food from the man at the door and brought it into the apartment. Kitty looked at what he had ordered and smiled.
"Pizza? That's your favorite food?"
"Yep. The best is at this little pizza shop in Monterey. Do you like pizza?" Aiden set the food on the table and got plates, napkins, and cups for the soda.
"Is there anyone who doesn't? It's my favorite too. I could eat it for every meal and never get tired of it. So you're from Monterey? I've heard of it and seen it on TV but have never been there." She watched as he poured their drinks and put a slice on each of their plates. He slid one in front of her before sitting down. She'd never had anyone wait on her like this before.
"I grew up there. I travel back and forth because my family still lives there, even though I don't have much to do with them. They're not very nice, except for my older brother Trey." Aiden took a bite of pizza before he could say more. He almost said something about his family not liking humans. He wasn't ready to reveal the lion side of himself, much to Harley's dismay. Harley wanted to tell Kitty that they were mates and mark her.
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" She bit into the pizza and closed her eyes. The cheesy, saucy goodness was like biting into a piece of heaven. She opened her eyes and saw Aiden watching her; now, she was blushing.
"It's been a while since I've had pizza," Kitty said as she took another bite.
"To answer your question, I have two brothers and two sisters. I'm the youngest. All of my siblings except for Trey live in Monterey. My family is a bunch of spoiled rich selfish brats. That's why I prefer to spend my time here in San Francisco, where I can get some space from them." They ate in silence for a few minutes while Kitty thought about what Aiden had said.
"How did you become so kind and compassionate, wanting to help people if your family isn't like that?" She didn't understand how he ended up so different from his family. There had to be someone that influenced him.
"My brother Trey was my hero. He believed in helping others who had less than us. My parents and siblings would get mad at him for being so generous. That's why he moved away. I haven't seen him in a while, but I still remember when he would take me out to volunteer with him. I liked seeing the joy we could bring others by helping them. Sometimes the smallest thing can mean the world to a person who has nothing." Aiden looked at Kitty, knowing they had very different upbringings.
"I'm glad your brother had such a significant impact on you, or we may have never met." She smiled at him as she reached over to touch his hand.
They finished eating, and Aiden cleaned everything up. He decided to bring up the topic that hadn't been far from his mind.
"I think we should turn in that money clip to the authorities. You don't have to tell them how you got it, but I think it would be better in their hands. You may help put Ricky and his men behind bars." Kitty was scared. If Ricky found out she turned it in, he would surely come after her.
"What if I turn it in, and Ricky tells them I stole it from him? I don't want to go to jail. Also, if the information on that card is really bad, he'll come after me. It's been hard enough staying undercover for the past nine months. I don't know how much longer I can keep it up." She looked away with tears in her eyes. Living on edge all the time was not how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
Aiden saw Kitty's tears, and they pulled at his heart. He took a chance and walked over to her so he could put his arms around her. She was surprised at first, but she quickly wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't remember the last time someone hugged her, but it felt nice.
"I won't let anyone hurt you. How about we give the card to the police and then leave San Francisco. We can go to Monterey, and I can show you where I'm from." Kitty looked up into his face with uncertainty.
"We haven't even known each other for a whole day. Why are you doing this?" She wasn't complaining, but she didn't want him to feel obligated.
"I know we just met, but I care for you more than I've ever cared for anyone. If you can trust me, I promise I'll never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you." Aiden looked down into her sweet face and saw Kitty looking up at him with her big green eyes.
"That means a lot to me, but I don't need someone to protect me. It would be nice to have you by my side, and I would love to see where you're from. I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me. I don't have anything to offer you other than myself." She held her breath as she looked at him.
"You're more than enough, and I know you don't need me to protect you, but that won't stop me from trying. I want to be with you because of you. Are you okay with my plans of turning the clip over?" Aiden ran his hand through her long hair. It was getting late, and he was starting to wonder if she meant what she said about letting him sleep in the bed with her. He would love nothing more than to feel her in his arms all night.
"I trust you to know what you're talking about. I'm getting tired and would like to take a shower. Do you have something I can put on afterward?" Aiden tried to clear his thoughts from thinking about Kitty in his shower.
"Yes, I'll get you something." He went into his bedroom and grabbed a t-shirt and shorts that he knew would be big, but at least it was better than nothing.
"Will this work?" He handed the clothes to her, and she took the t-shirt leaving the shorts in his hand.
"I'm sure the t-shirt alone will be enough." Kitty smiled as Aiden looked flustered. He led her to the bathroom, handing her a towel and washcloth.
Kitty took a quick shower and put her panties back on under Aiden's t-shirt that came mid-thigh. She walked out of the bathroom, and he was waiting for her.
"I'm going to get a shower as well. You can go ahead and lay down if you want." Aiden was trying not to stare at her bare legs sticking out of his t-shirt. She had never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.
"Don't be long," Kitty said as she sashayed past him and went into his bedroom. He heard her getting into the bed while he was still standing there dumbfounded. After he snapped out of it, he ran into the bathroom and took the fastest shower possible.
When he was done, he dried off and put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Aiden walked to the bedroom and saw Kitty lying in his bed. He wanted to jump in with her but didn't want to be overly anxious.
"Are you planning on messing around all night, or are you going to lie down?" She asked as she pulled back the sheet, indicating he should get in with her. He walked over and lay down close enough that he could feel her body's heat, but he didn't touch her. Kitty shook her head as she watched him being careful while looking stiff as a board. She decided she would take the initiative because she wasn't planning on lying like a statue all night.
Aiden felt Kitty moving, and before he knew it, she was lying against his side with her head on his shoulder. She then threw one of her legs over one of his and put her arm across his abdomen. He thought he'd died and gone to heaven as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.
"Are you okay with me laying on you like this?" She asked, taking comfort in the warmth that was spreading over her body from lying against him.
"Yes, more than okay." He turned slightly so he could wrap his other arm around her and entangle his legs with hers. Even though they couldn't see each other's faces, they were both smiling as they fell asleep.
