BK 2 - Chapter 13 - Werelion Run
Ricky watched the news and the plea from the FBI for the anonymous person to come forward, and he smiled. If that bitch decided to turn herself in, she would not make it to court to say how she got the money clip. He didn't want her to tell them how she had taken it because not only would that prove to the FBI that it was his, but it also made him look like a fool in front of his men.
He just wanted to get her to come out of hiding so he could make her disappear. Ricky ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. Gianni was now at the bottom of the bay somewhere. He had to pay for not doing as he was told and watching the hotel where the young woman was staying, allowing her to get away. Ricky had tried to get her name from the hotel staff, but they didn't keep records of who was staying as long as the room was paid for.
His attorneys said the best way to find her was to pressure the FBI that they needed to verify the chain of custody to validate the information on the card. Ricky knew his uncle Luca wasn't happy with him getting the money clip stolen or that the little bitch figured out how to get it open.
He had to be very careful because Luca wouldn't think twice about killing his own family member. Ricky was on thin ice, and that woman may be the one to make it start cracking.
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Agent Malcolm Prescott reviewed the list of names they printed from the card. Many of them he recognized as men that were just as bad or worse than Ricky. A life was a life, and they should have been able to be tried and convicted.
He knew that the only reason Ricky's attorneys were pressing for the person who dropped off the evidence to be found was so she could disappear. Malcolm wasn't going to let that happen. He would immediately put her into witness protection if she came forward so Ricky and his men couldn't touch her.
They had tried to identify her off the security cameras. However, she kept her head down so no one could see her face. Malcolm hoped she would be compelled to come forward by putting it on the news they were looking for her.
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Kitty stared at the TV in terror. Her plan was to hand over the money clip with whatever was on the card and be done with it. She knew Ricky may still come after her, but she had hoped he would be locked up before he had the chance to find her.
"It will be okay. You don't have to do anything. This is all a ploy for Ricky to get his hands on you." Aiden pulled her onto his lap. He could tell she was in shock. She turned her head into his neck, and he could feel her tears wetting his shirt.
"What am I going to do? I want to make sure Ricky is locked up for good, but at the same time, I don't want anyone to find out who I am. That will put a target on our backs for the rest of our lives." Aiden rubbed her back as she cried.
"We'll figure it out. I'm going to see if I can talk to my brother Trey so we can get his suggestion. Tomorrow I'll stop at my parent's house to find out if anyone's heard from him. I don't have his phone number because when he left here, he didn't give anyone a way to contact him. Trey really didn't want anything to do with our family." Aiden didn't want to see his family either, but he needed to talk to Trey.
"That would be great if you could speak with him."
* "We could always just go find this dirtbag and tear him apart. Then Kitty won't have to worry about him."* Harley was tired of this Ricky character causing fear in their mate.
*"I would love to let you have your way with him and his whole crew, but I don't think that's the best way to welcome Kitty to the werelion world."* Aiden wanted to protect her as much as possible from some of the more savage sides of the supernatural.
*"I don't think she would have a problem with it. After all, it will show her that we can protect her even when she doesn't think she needs protecting."* Aiden tried to hide his chuckle as Harley was strutting around in his head, but she heard it.
"What's so funny?" He couldn't possibly think this situation was a laughing matter, Kitty thought to herself
"Something Harley said about letting him take care of Ricky and his men." Aiden kissed her forehead as he saw the realization of what he meant hit her. To his surprise, she started laughing.
"Can he really do that?" Kitty thought about watching Harley kill Ricky, and she shook her head.
"He could, but I told him not to because we don't usually like to interfere in the human world unless we have to."
"As much as I would like Ricky to disappear, we should let the FBI handle him." Kitty laughed when she heard a light growl from Aiden's chest.
"Harley, if he comes after us, I promise I'll let you take him down." Harley started purring in satisfaction at Kitty's promise. He secretly hoped the idiot would dare come after their mate.
*"It's been a while since I've been able to run. How about we go up into the mountains so I can let off some steam. We can take Kitty, and I'll let her ride on my back."* Aiden thought that was an excellent idea.
"Harley just had an idea. Would you like to go into the mountains for a run?" She looked at him dumbfounded. Kitty was not the one to go running in the mountains. She was sure she would faint just walking.
"I'm not really a mountain climbing or running type of girl." Aiden laughed when he saw the look on her face.
"I'm sorry I should have explained what I meant. You won't be running or climbing mountains. You'll be riding on Harley's back while he runs. He gets antsy when he hasn't stretched his legs in a while."
Kitty thought about riding on the back of the gigantic lion, and she felt a little apprehensive but excited at the same time. Riding a lion was something she'd never thought about doing. Still, it was definitely an experience she couldn't pass up.
"Okay, let's do it."
Kitty put on a new pair of blue jeans, a long-sleeved black t-shirt, and a black jacket. Aiden only wore a t-shirt and athletic shorts, explaining he would have to take them off before shifting, so the fewer clothes, the better. They also took a backpack with some protein bars, a blanket, and water. Aiden snuck a couple of condoms into the bag, just in case.
They drove to a mountain range that was still in Monterey County but far enough away they wouldn't run into any humans. The higher they went, the cooler the temperature became. When they got to the point Aiden's car couldn't continue, they walked into the forest. Harley said it was safe to shift because he didn't smell any other humans besides their mate.
"I'm going to shift now. Once I do, Harley will lie down so you can get on his back. Hold on tight, but don't be scared; he won't let you fall. Do you have any questions?" He kissed her before she could answer. He was hoping this run would take her mind off things.
"No, I don't have any questions. This is exciting." Aiden saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew this was good for her.
Kitty watched as Aiden quickly removed his clothes, and she momentarily got distracted. Almost instantly, Harley was standing in front of her, purring. She reached her hand out and scratched behind his ear. He was a beautiful lion with golden fur that seemed to shine in the sunlight that was peeking through the giant redwoods.
She picked up Aiden's clothes and put them in the backpack. Harley lay on the ground and waited while Kitty thought about the best way to get on his back. She walked over and ran her hand from his head down to his tail, loving the feel of his thick fur between her fingers.
She took a deep breath and threw a leg over his back. She shifted until she was sitting on him behind his long golden mane. Kitty didn't know where the best place to hold on was, so she took handfuls of his mane.
"Is this okay, Harley?" She felt ridiculous talking to a lion, but he purred his approval. Kitty squealed a little when he suddenly stood up, and she looked down at the ground, a little weary. From her position, Harley seemed even more enormous. He turned his head toward her slightly, and Kitty knew he was waiting for her okay before he ran.
"I'm ready, but please go slow."
Harley started in a slow trot going further up the mountain and deeper into the forest. As they went higher, Kitty looked around at the beautiful landscape. There were large boulders and redwoods as far as the eyes could see. When there was a break in the trees, she could see the ocean in the distance with a slight fog off the coast.
Harley slowly started going faster and faster, but Kitty was having too much fun to feel any fear. She giggled as he leaped from a boulder and landed on his feet, barely giving her a jolt. She felt the wind blowing through her hair, the cool air on her face, and the massive lion beneath her; she had never felt so free.
Harley loved the feel of the cool ground beneath his paws and his mate on his back. He was anxious to mark Kitty so he could meet her lioness. That would make all the pieces fall into place.
Harley ran up the mountain as far as he could, and when he stopped, he lay down on the ground. Kitty slid off his back and winced. Riding a lion was fun, but it sure was hard on the body. She stretched and walked around a bit to loosen her sore muscles.
"Thank you for a wonderful ride Harley; that was unbelievable." Kitty turned around, and to her surprise, Aiden was standing behind her.
"We're glad you liked it. Harley is resting before we head back." She looked him up and down with a smile.
"You're not shy, are you? Would you like your clothes?" She took off the backpack and handed it to him, but he grabbed her hand instead, pulling her to him.
"I don't want my clothes; I want you. I think we can find something to keep us busy while Harley gets his rest." Aiden kissed her at the same time, taking the backpack. He pulled back and took out the blanket to lie on the ground. He also pulled out the condoms.
He started taking Kitty's clothes off, and they lay on the blanket when she was completely naked. He made sure that her thoughts were far from Ricky or anything else upsetting.
