BK 2 - Chapter 18 - Finding Family
Kitty couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she and Aiden headed back to the apartment. Trey had told her the plan to stay anonymous, and she had a sense of relief hearing that from someone in law enforcement. She knew she would still need to be careful, but she felt safer being far away from Ricky and his men.
After the talk about Ricky, they ate Cat's delicious meal of steak, loaded baked potatoes, salad, and homemade brownies for dessert. Everyone was so full they could hardly move. Kitty and Aiden stayed for several hours, enjoying the company of Cat and Trey.
Kitty had never had a family, and the feelings that the sense of belonging brought her were indescribable. Trey was kind and caring; she felt entirely at ease with him. Cat was so incredible that Kitty was disappointed when they left.
They were planning on meeting them at the house they were buying for the group home the next day, and Kitty was looking forward to it. She was excited to see Cat's plans and was anxious to help her in any way possible.
"I've never seen you so happy. You look radiant." Aiden smiled at his mate, who hadn't stopped grinning since they left Trey and Cat.
"I am happy. You know I love you, and I'm so glad to have found you, but this evening with Trey and Cat felt like we were all family. I've never had that before. I can't get over how amazing they are." She squeezed his hand.
"I agree. Trey is just like I remember him, and Cat is something else. I'm anxious to see the house they're buying because I'd like to do the work for them myself to make it as they want. I think coming here was the best decision we could have made." They rode the rest of the way in happy silence, thinking about their evening.
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The next afternoon Aiden and Kitty pulled up to the house Cat and Trey were purchasing in Roseville. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the long tree-lined driveway that led to the enormous victorian style pale blue house. There was a wrap-around deck that Kitty could already picture kids sitting on to play or do their homework.
They noticed Trey and Cat talking to a tall leggy blonde with a short white dress. Kitty assumed that she was the realtor, but she didn't look very professional dressed like that.
"Exactly how do you and your brother have so much money if you don't have anything to do with your family?" She knew this house couldn't be cheap.
"Our grandparents left us an inheritance that set us up for life. Our family can't touch it. Even though our grandparents are still alive, the money became available to each of us when we turned eighteen."
She couldn't believe they had such generous grandparents. Even more impressive was that with all their money, these two brothers used it to help others. As they got out of the car, Kitty waved at Cat and Trey.
She saw the realtor set her sights on Aiden, and Kitty was secretly fuming inside. She may not be a werelion yet, but she would fight for what was hers. She didn't have to worry; Aiden paid the woman no attention and put his arm around her as he led her toward the house where Cat and Trey were waiting.
"Wow, Cat, this house is fantastic," Aiden said as they approached the couple.
"I know, can you believe it? Won't this be perfect for a group home? Let's go inside and look around." Cat took Kitty's hand, and they walked inside together.
The house had six bedrooms, a living room, a family room, a vast dining room, and a den. There were three and a half bathrooms. All the floors except the bathrooms were natural hardwood that needed to be cleaned up a bit. The original woodwork throughout the house made it seem warm and inviting.
When they walked outside, there was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom guest house in the back that needed very little work to make it liveable. Mostly it just needed to be cleaned out and the bathrooms and kitchen updated.
Kitty overheard Trey and Cat say that after they closed on the property, they would fix up the guest house so they could move in while the main house was completed. She thought that was a good idea, and it would allow them to oversee everything.
The two couples went back outside to walk around the property. Cat pointed out the fruit trees, which included lemon, orange, and peach. Cat said an area near the trees would be good for planting a vegetable garden. She also showed Kitty a spot that would be perfect for flower beds.
Kitty, Trey, and Aiden watched in fascination as Cat described in detail what she wanted to be done with the property. With her explanations, they could clearly see her vision.
"You've put a lot of thought into this." Kitty smiled as she looked around. She wished someone like Cat had taken her in as a child.
"I always imagined what it would be like to have a house. This is like my dream come true, and now I get to share it with all of you and the children we'll be helping."
None of them had noticed that the realtor had come outside, not far from where they were. When she heard what Cat said, she felt horrible about trying to flirt with the two men. This woman was getting this house not for herself but to help children in need. Heidi put her head down and walked back to the front of the house.
The four of them left the house and decided to eat a late lunch in Old Sacramento. They found an outdoor restaurant that looked over the river. As they talked about the house and their plans, Aiden made some suggestions and offered to do the majority of the work.
Kitty suggested putting a small art studio on the property for the kids. It helped her when she was going through rough times because she could always express herself through her art. Cat loved the idea and already knew the perfect spot for it.
After eating, they took a walk by the river and watched as a riverboat went by. Kitty had seen many boats in San Francisco but had never been on one. The large white riverboat was beautiful as it slowly made its way past them.
"Do you want to go on the boat?" Kitty heard Trey ask Cat. She looked toward her and thought she saw some fear on her face, but she didn't understand why.
"Let's do it," Cat said as she took Trey's hand and began walking in the direction they saw the riverboat heading. Kitty and Aiden happily followed.
"This is exciting. I've never been on a boat before." Kitty whispered to him as they walked.
"I'm glad I get to be the first to take you." He put his arm around her.
As the two couples approached the dock for the boats, Kitty noticed that Cat looked nervous. She wondered if she was fearful of water. She also heard a soft purring and assumed it was coming from Cat's lion.
When it was time to board, they walked over the narrow walkway, and Kitty felt her excitement bubbling to the surface. Once they were on the large boat, they found seats on the deck.
There was a nice breeze in the air and the smell of flowers all around them from the river banks. Aiden and Kitty sat a few feet away from Cat and Trey with their arms wrapped around each other.
"Do you realize this is the first time we've done something to enjoy ourselves without fear? I know Ricky is still looking for me, but after what Trey said, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders." She snuggled closer to him as they moved down the river.
"You're right. The entire time we were in Monterey, we stayed practically hidden. As Trey said, if Ricky's men come, you have a few lions to protect you. I know Harley is ready to go hunt them down now." Kitty chuckled when she heard a light rumble in Aiden's chest.
Once they returned to the dock, the couples exited the boat and decided to go their separate ways. Kitty and Aiden stopped at a store to pick up some groceries. Neither knew how to cook, but they figured they could put something easy together.
While Aiden and Kitty made their way around the store, they didn't notice the man following them and taking pictures with his phone. Ronaldo sent the images to Ricky. He couldn't believe his luck that he was in the store at the same time the girl Ricky was looking for was there.
When he received the mass text months ago with the girl's sketch, he never dreamed he would see her in Sacramento. Ronaldo thought this might be his chance to boost his rank with Ricky. He continued watching them as they left the store and got into a black car.
Ronaldo didn't have a car with him, but he took pictures of the vehicle. Now that he knew they were in this area, Ronaldo would make sure to come across them again. Maybe if he could kidnap the girl, Ricky would make him his assistant. As he left the store, he walked down the street with a spring in his step.
