Claiming Their Cat

by Maggie O'Malley

  He eased the plastic lid up. Cat was crouched in the back holding her nose. He extended his hand to her. She looked at it and then her gaze found his. Her lower lip quivered causing him to reconsider blasting her for being so stupid. God only knew what germs she was wallowing around in.

  Cat eased her shaking hand into his. It was cold, not a good sign. She continued to hold her nose as she stood up. He reached over, grabbed her waist, and hauled her out. His hellcat dropped her head, maybe waiting for him to chastise her, but he wasn’t going to do that. Her emotions were killing him. She was afraid, disappointed, and swayed on her feet.

  “Cat, this is Doc Lucy. She’s gonna take care of you, okay?”

  Cat barely nodded.

  “Come with me. I think a bath is probably what you need first.” Lucy gently took her arm and led her back inside. Rio followed at a discreet distance. He didn’t want to add insult to injury, or whatever the hell that saying was.

  The water rolling over Cat’s skin was heaven. Four or maybe five days without taking a bath was torture, but it couldn’t hold a candle to a dumpster. God, what made her think that was a good idea? She used an old bucket beside the bin as a step, but getting her butt over the edge had been a challenge. How the hell did Rio find her? Never in a million years would she suspect anyone to hide in a dumpster, so how did Rio figure it out?

  She scrubbed her body and washed her hair trying to get the garbage scent out. Could she stay in here forever? Unfortunately, the shower was small with no seat, and she was about to fall. Turning the soothing water off took a lot of will power. Pulling the curtain back, she was surprised to see the lady offering her a towel instead of Rabid Rio.

  “Let’s get you dried off.” The towel was so big and fluffy; she just wanted to wrap in it and lay down. After she dried off, the woman handed her an extra-large green gown open down the back or front depending on how you choose to wear it. It reminded her that she was finally going to get a checkup for Cat2, and she prayed everything would be fine.

  Back in her exam room, Rio casually leaned against the wall.

  “Out,” the doctor ordered.

  His gaze slid from her to the doc, and he casually cocked a dark brow. Apparently, he wasn’t used to taking orders. She wondered if these two were lovers. If not, she was extremely comfortable with telling him what to do.

  “I gave her a shot of antibiotic just for good measure,” he said.

  “What kind? Most antibiotics are okay for pregnant women.”

  “Amoxicillin. And at the time, I didn’t know she was pregnant.”

  “That one’s okay.”

  “I had to stitch up her shoulder.”

  Cat was amazed he didn’t mention the transmitter. Was it because he didn’t want the doc to know how much trouble she’d be in if Alvarez found out?

  “I’ll look at it. Out you go, and tell Marge to find me a sonogram machine.” He pushed away from the wall and stopped in front of Cat. “Are you okay?”

  He seemed genuinely concerned when she expected him to yell at her for trying to escape. Cat could only nod, her voice was still somewhere back in that disgusting dumpster. His face was unreadable as usual. When the door closed, the paper on the bed crinkled when the doc patted it.

  Cat sat on the bed while the doctor snapped on a pair of latex gloves. She’d had a few exams from that quack doc that Alvarez owned, but she doubted the worth of them. The quack was only good at patching up the men who’d gotten wounded doing Alvarez’s dirty work. God, she wasn’t even sure the man took a bath, let alone washed his hands before surgery.

  The doc listened to her heart and lungs, before taking her temp, blood pressure, and pulse. Then she examined the stitches. They were sore when the doc pressed around them. “All that looks great, even those ragged-ass stitches. Now lie down and let me check out your baby.” The doc adjusted the pillow and Cat lay down, placing her feet in the stirrups.

  “Have you had a sonogram before?”

  Cat shook her head. That wasn’t part of Alvarez’s setup. A soft knock sounded. The doc opened the door, and the receptionist wheeled in a machine. She should be happy, but fear assaulted her. Cat2. Boy or girl. Did she want to know?

  The doc covered her legs with a sheet and pulled her tunic up over her small belly. “Sorry, I haven’t had time to warm the gel, so this is going to be cold.”

  And it was.

  “How far along are you?”

  That was a loaded question. What was the truth? Even she didn’t know. “I don’t know.” Cat didn’t miss the slight uplift of the doc’s brow.

  The wand skimmed across her belly, and Cat’s eyes were glued to the screen. Cat2’s alien head came into view, along with tiny arms and legs.

  “He or she hasn’t been very active since Rab … Mr. Rio shot me full of a sedative.”

  The doc’s brows did shoot up then. “He did what? Oh, hell. I don’t even want to know.”

  Well, I did stab him with a steak knife.

  After several moments of moving the wand around her belly, the doc announced, “Everything appears normal. I’d say you’re about seven and a half to eight months along. Does that sound right?”

  Her face heated whenever she remembered that night. She’d found a brothel just inside the border and paid a woman to trade places with her for one night. The only qualification for the patron was he had to be clean, because some of the men in that hellhole had never had a drop of water touch their skin. Cat had kept the light off because she didn’t want to meet the man on the street someday. But wow, was he good in bed. He made her feel…all woman. She’d forgotten how many times he’d pleasured her; so many times, she almost made a mistake. Because she was so sated, she’d nearly overslept. The sun’s long rays were creeping in the window when she’d rolled from the bed, dressed quickly, and slipped from the room.

  “I don’t know,” she finally answered. Admitting anything about that night was hard.

  “Okay. Do you want to know the sex of your baby?”

  She shook her head. No, she didn’t because she was so afraid that she’d either lose it or have to…kill him or her. She would not let Alvarez kill her baby. With his sick twisted mind, he’d probably make an example with Cat2.

  The doc pulled a picture from the machine and handed it to her. “There’s your baby’s first picture.”

  She stared at the picture thinking Cat2 was indeed an alien. Her lip quivered. This could be the only picture of her baby if she didn’t figure something out fast.

  The doc put away the wand and wiped off her belly. “I’m going to do an internal exam. It will be a little uncomfortable.”

  Cat braced herself and winced a couple of times during the examination.

  “Everything feels fine. You can continue to have sex.”

  Her face heated. “I’m not having sex.” Ever again. Did the doctor think she and Rio were involved? That would never happen. He scared the shit out of her. Besides, no man would be interested in a pregnant cow.

  “Now, let me see your feet.” After a few seconds, the doc said, “These blisters look worse that the stitches.”

  “They hurt worse too.”

  “I bet. How about that scrape on your inner thigh?”

  Cat flushed. “Your window.”

  Lucy nodded absently. “I’ll give you some antibiotics that should take care of everything. I need to draw some blood and then we’ll be done. I know you don’t know Rio, and he can be kinda scary, but he’s really a puppy dog on the inside.”

  “Kinda? He’s the scariest man I’ve ever met besides…” She was going to say Alvarez, but the good doc didn’t need to know. The puppy dog reference was the most ridiculous thing she’d heard all day. Full-blooded pit bull was more like it.

  “He said he would take care of you and your baby, and Rio always does what he says. You can trust him.”

  “I don’t…can’t trust anyone.” Especially Rabid Rio.

  Lucy tied off Cat’s arm. “You have to trus
t someone. Your baby’s due soon. You can’t have him or her born in some back alley or a dumpster. I can get you into a women’s shelter.”

  “No. An organization is the last place I can go.” Records. She couldn’t go anywhere there was record keeping. She was sure every woman’s shelter in three states was staked out.

  The doc lifted an inquisitive brow. “Do you have any parents? Relatives?”

  “No, I have no one.” Her heart clinched in pain. She’d never go near anyone she knew especially her parents, and she prayed Alvarez wouldn’t find them. She’d been so careful, claiming she had no parents or siblings. Since that day she’d walked out of her parent’s house fourteen months ago, she hadn’t called or written. The only reason she’d told Alvarez her middle name was so that maybe one day, if something happened to her, someone could piece it together and let her parents know.

  The doctor cleaned her arm with an alcohol wipe. “Then if roaming the streets and the women’s shelter is not an option, I think that leaves Rio.”

  She felt a little stick and watched the red blood pool into vial. Rio must be her punishment for choosing to use a baby to reach her goal. Lord knows she deserved it. Rio would be her choice—for now, but somehow, she’d figure out a better option for her and her baby.

  “I’ll go with Rio, but I need you to do something for me.”

  “Anything.”

  “I need to write a letter—to someone, and if you find out something’s happened to me, mail it.”

  Lucy’s eyes grew wide, but she recovered quickly. “Sure. I’ll be right back with a pad and pen and some clothes.”

  “And you can’t tell Rio.”

  Lucy stopped halfway to the door. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He can’t help you unless he knows everything.”

  “The letter’s not going to make a difference whether I live or die.”

  “The only way that you’ll be dead is if Rio is dead too.”

  Did this doctor know what Rio did for a living? Did she know that most people trembled in their boots just hearing his name? He’d probably used all his charm and convinced her that he walked on water. Women, unlike her, could be so trusting where a handsome face was concerned. Rio lived for the money, lived for the kill. Maybe he already knew what Alvarez wanted her for and need to keep her alive while he negotiated for more. Whatever was going on, she’d figure out how to get out of it.

  Rio leaned against the wall and listened to the conversation, waiting for Cat to beg Lucy for help. He couldn’t blame Cat, and he wouldn’t hold it against Lucy if she gave her asylum. And if that happened, he didn’t know what he’d do, because he had to protect her.

  And he had to be with her.

  His wolf perked up when it heard seven and a half to eight months. Could Cat be carrying his baby? That would be impossible. His wolf would have had to bite her during sex, and surely, he would have remembered something so erotic. And he hadn’t seen a bite mark. No, that baby wasn’t his.

  He pushed that thought out of his mind when he heard she was writing a letter to someone. There was no way in hell Lucy would give it to him. Lucy never wavered on her morals. His beast instantly bristled. Was it a former lover? Did she have a boyfriend before Alvarez came into the picture? Was her beau someone at the brothel? Did she think she could get more money from Alvarez than working at the whorehouse?

  The door opened, and Lucy slipped out. “How is she?”

  “She’s fine. Exhausted, but other than that, she’s good. She just needs rest and peace of mind, which by the way, she doesn’t think she can have with you.”

  Lucy stepped into Rio’s personal space and poked her finger into his chest. “I’ve gone out on a limb for you. If you betray her, I’ll personally see that you pay.”

  Lucy’s threat meant little to him, but he admired her standing up for a stranger. “I’ll give my life to protect her, I swear.”

  “And you’re not going to tell me why she’s different?”

  He shook his head. Lucy wasn’t a werewolf and telling her was out of the question. “Just remember, sometimes people don’t know what’s good for them. They make decisions based on what they think.”

  “What are you babbling about?”

  “I heard about the letter. I want it.”

  “You were eavesdropping on my patient.”

  “Yes.”

  “The answer is…absolutely not.”

  “Listen, a very bad man wants her, and I don’t know why. She may have family members that need protecting too.” Or a boyfriend that needs killing. “I can’t do that if I don’t know about them.”

  “Then I suggest you turn the charm up on high and make her trust you. Ask her. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you, but I’m not betraying her confidence. I trust that she knows what she’s doing, and you’ll just have to do the same.”

  Lucy turned and headed down the hall. Well, it was worth a shot. He still had a card to play on Cat, but he’d have to be careful, sort of like a negotiation. He never negotiated, just took what he wanted or needed. But that wasn’t going to work on his Cat.

  “Can I go in?” he called to Lucy.

  “No. She’s not dressed.”

  Cat, being behind that door naked, conjured up all kinds of wicked thoughts in his mind. He remembered lying on that too small cot with her backside nested against his throbbing cock. He didn’t sleep much, but he was surprisingly content. Her skin was soft, and she smelled so—sweet. If she hadn’t been sedated, he would have made a move on her. But she had slept peacefully which was probably what she needed instead of him keeping her awake all night.

  Relief had flooded his wolf when he heard Lucy tell Cat she could have sex, because not being able to pleasure Cat would be the hardest thing in the world for him to do. She’d trapped his wolf with her smooth skin and sensual scent. He may not claim her, but he planned to do everything up to that point. Over and over.

  Lucy returned carrying a care-package that she kept on hand for wayward souls that included a change of clothes, flip-flops that she affectionately called Galilee gliders, and toiletries. Lucy was the best. There would be no record of this visit. Lucy would provide any necessary pills and keep her mouth shut.

  He waited impatiently. Ten minutes later, Lucy opened the door and motioned him in. Cat sat on the chair staring at the floor.

  Lucy handed him two pill bottles. “Here are some antibiotics for her shoulder and her feet. She needs to stay off those feet until they heal. Take one pill three times a day. The other one is prenatal vitamins. Take one once a day. In about five or six days, those stitches will need to come out. I can do it if you’re out this way, or you can do it for her. I’m sure they taught you that in the military. She needs to rest and eat. Can you see to that?”

  “Yes ma’am. She’ll be in good hands.” And she would be, because he planned to spoil her. Wait? Where did that come from? He’d never spoiled a woman. In fact, he avoided it. No need to ask for clinginess.

  “She’d better be.”

  Rio pulled ten one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and laid them on the counter. “Is that enough?”

  “No. It’s too much.”

  He didn’t miss Cat’s surprise at the money. She probably thought he was buying Lucy’s silence, but that was one thing he didn’t have to pay for.

  “I’ll have the results of her blood work in a few days. Just give me a call.”

  Lucy walked to Cat and stuck out her hand. Cat timidly shook it. “You take care and don’t let this brute of a man walk all over you.”

  Cat’s eyes widened.

  “Lucy, you could have gone all day without telling her that,” he said.

  “She needs to know you can’t boss her around.”

  He would boss her around in some things, like when she was in danger. She needed to obey him at those times, but that discussion could wait until later.

  “Okay, you two. Stay safe.”

  Cat stood. “Thank you for everything.
”

  “My pleasure.”

  She glanced around the room. “Where’s my backpack?”

  “Your clothes and pack are in the truck.” She was extremely possessive of her pack, but there was nothing special in it, because he’d looked. It needed washing, and he was going to throw those clothes away. She needed new clothes, and that meant a trip to a mall.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  She shook her head no, but her scent said otherwise.

  “Let’s go grab a bite to eat.

  He handed Cat the medicine and scooped her up in his arms.

  “What the hell are you doing?” asked Lucy.

  “Protecting her feet. Get the door for me.” Yeah, perhaps this was over the top, but he’d caught sight of her toes, and they were a mess. Cat weighed nothing as he made his way out the front door. After settling her in the seat, he went back to Lucy. “I owe you—again.”

  “You just keep her safe.”

  “That is the one thing I can do.” He kissed Lucy on the forehead and headed for his vehicle. His beast urged him to get his ass in the truck and feed Cat. She reclined against the seat in her freebie clothes and stifled a yawn. He needed to feed her fast before she slipped into sleep. He wondered if her hormones made her tired and why didn’t he ask more questions of Lucy.

  He pulled on the highway. “Let’s do a drive-through for supper. What’s your preference, McDonalds, Burger King, Bo Jangles?”

  “McDonalds would be great.”

  “Ten minutes we’ll be in Mesilla. Can you hang on that long?

  Her eyes were closed, and she nodded. If she made it into town it would be a miracle, but keeping her talking was cruel. She had to eat to take her meds. Then he’d take her to a motel and toss her ass in the bed.

  “Before you go to sleep, tell me what you want to eat.”

  “Burger and fries.”

  “How about a milkshake? You know. For the baby.”

  “Chocolate would be good. Why do you care so much about me and the baby?”

  He didn’t expect that question, and he certainly didn’t know how answer. He wasn’t even sure he was ready to examine the whys. “You need help, and I can provide it. Is there anyone you need to tell that you’re safe?”