BK 2 - Chapter 27 - Preparations
Aiden was sitting in the kitchen talking with Cat and Trey. He wanted to speak with them privately while Kitty was occupied putting their things away in the spare bedroom. He was planning a small birthday party with just the four of them. He still wanted it to be special because Kitty had never celebrated her birthday. To ensure his mate didn't hear anything, he spoke to the couple in mindlink.
*"Kitty's nineteenth birthday is a week from Saturday, and I want to do something for her. I'm hoping you guys can help. She's never had a party or done anything for her birthday."*
Cat looked between the two men excitedly. Kitty's birthday was a week before their wedding. She understood how it felt never to acknowledge your birthday and wanted this to be special for her. Cat's wheels were already spinning on how to make it small but spectacular.
*"Let me handle the planning. I'll take care of everything and let you know when to show up with Kitty."* Aiden was going to argue and tell Cat he didn't expect her to do it all by herself, but Trey stopped him.
*"Don't bother Aiden. Once Cat has her mind set on something, there's no use in trying to convince her otherwise."* Trey leaned down and kissed Cat's forehead while she laughed. Aiden decided to give in; besides, he had to get ready to mark Kitty.
*"Alright, I'll leave it in your capable hands."* Cat smiled and looked toward the stairs. Kitty was coming down looking satisfied.
"I can't thank you guys enough for letting us stay here. I've finally got everything unpacked and put away, so it doesn't look like a tornado went through the room." Kitty sat next to Aiden.
"I was getting ready to start breakfast. Do you want to help me?" Cat began pulling out bread, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon as Kitty walked over to her.
"Sure, what are we making?"
"I thought I would show you how to make french toast. Aiden said it's your favorite." Cat smiled when she saw Kitty's excited expression.
"That would be great. Much better than those frozen french toast sticks." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Aiden watched as Cat and Kitty worked together, making breakfast. He was proud of his mate as she followed Cat's instructions perfectly. She was determined to cook for them when they were able to move back out on their own. After finding the body at Trey's apartment, they decided to let that place go and find their own apartment once it was safe.
He was anxious to finish breakfast so he could get Kitty alone and begin their plans for marking her. Now that she agreed, Aiden and Harley were ready to get it done. Before he knew it, Kitty set a plate in front of him with french toast that had a light layer of powdered sugar, sausage, and warm maple syrup on the side.
"Taste it, Aiden, and let me know what you think." She stared at her masterpiece, hoping it tasted as good as it looked. She watched in anticipation as Aiden took the first bite.
"This is delicious. Way better than any we've gotten at a restaurant." He ate more as Cat put a plate in front of Trey with a smile.
"She made it all on her own. Before long, she'll be making five-course meals." Kitty blushed slightly under Cat's praise. She wasn't accustomed to having people compliment her.
"Thank you, Cat." She returned to the stove to finish cooking a serving for herself and Cat.
After everyone was done eating, Cat put the men to work cleaning the kitchen so she could have a minute alone with Kitty. She wanted to go over what she'll experience in the first few days of going through the changes. She took her out onto the small deck, where they sat on the swing.
"While they clean up, I wanted to talk with you once more before you get marked. I know I explained the pain you'll feel and how you may feel sick for a few days afterward, but there's more." Kitty turned toward Cat, ready to hear whatever she had to say.
"Okay."
"When you're first bitten, it will almost feel like an out-of-body experience. I forgot the pain instantly and felt nothing but pleasure. There was a connection between us that wasn't there before, and it was even more intense when I marked him. You'll feel the need to be around Aiden more than usual, which may make your emotions go haywire, so I want you to stay calm when you feel all over the place." Kitty looked at Cat, wondering what she was getting at.
"Aiden explained some of that to me," She said cautiously.
"I'm telling you this because I know you haven't told Aiden everything about your past and the things done to you." She looked Kitty in the eye, and it felt as though Cat could see straight into her soul.
"What are you talking about?" She looked down, afraid Cat could see the truth in her eyes.
"You can open up when you're ready, and I'm not pressing you to do it before you're marked. I want you to be prepared to be highly emotional through this process. If there are things you're not comfortable speaking with Aiden about yet, you can talk to me. Valerie is also available. She's the wife of Aiden's sergeant and a therapist. She helped me when I was going through some bad times."
Kitty understood what Cat was saying, and she appreciated the warning. She should have known she would pick up on her secrets.
"Thanks, Cat."
"Okay, that's enough of the deep talk. Have you guys set a time for when you'll do the deed?" She smiled, trying to ease the heaviness of their conversation. Kitty smiled back, thankfully.
"No, I'm sure Aiden will want to talk about it as soon as they're done cleaning up. I'm ready to do it right now." The two women looked up when they heard the door open. It was Aiden, and they both started laughing as Cat stood up.
"Well, I'll let you discuss today's events. I'm going to the main house to talk with Valerie about the wedding plans. Maybe later, you can show us some of what you've prepared for the group home." Cat waved as she went back inside. Kitty snuggled up to Aiden as he sat down.
"Are you ready to talk about me marking you?" He looked down at her, making sure she still wanted to do this.
"Yes."
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Otto and Tito sat across from the apartment building until the middle of the night, waiting for the black car that Ronaldo had shown them on his phone. They saw several cars, a large truck, and multiple other vehicles but not the one they were looking for.
"Let's go upstairs. I have a funny feeling." Otto said. He and Tito got out of their SUV and went into the apartment. At first, it looked the same as they had left it. However, they realized they'd been deceived when they got to the bedroom.
Ronaldo's body was gone as well as the plastic and bedding he'd been lying on. The bloody message was off the wall, and the blood that had gotten on the floor was also gone. Tito didn't smell any bleach, making him wonder how they'd cleaned up so quickly without it.
"They had to be in one of the cars we saw leave, but none matched the picture. How did they get this room clean so fast? You can't tell there was any blood or a body here. Let's get out of here. We have to think of something else. The closet is empty, so I don't think they're coming back." Otto motioned for his brother to follow him.
The twins went back outside and drove to their hotel. They discussed different options, but now they were at a loss because Ronaldo was dead and they had no further leads.
"Ronaldo said the boyfriend's name was Aiden Galloway. We know he resides in Monterey, but let's see if he has any associates in Sacramento." Otto called one of their computer whizzes back in San Francisco. He had him search for any associates of Aiden's in the area.
It didn't take long before Otto received a text with the name Trey Galloway. He got excited when he saw the message until he opened it. Trey was a detective with the Sacramento Police Department. Otto looked at his brother.
"Ricky sure got us in a mess this time. The brother of the girl's boyfriend is a decorated detective. It was in his apartment that we left Ronaldo's body. I'm guessing that Aiden and the girl have told him everything, and if we go for her, it's not going to be so easy. I'm not looking to go down in a blaze of glory for a pickpocket homeless girl. We'll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning."
