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6
Ivy
The door to my office flung open on Wednesday and Kat marched in with a gun slung over her shoulder. She wore black yoga pants and a matching T-shirt. Even her beanie was the same color.
“How are all the fur babies doing today?” she asked.
I blinked, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The money drop with Lance wasn’t until later, but Kat looked ready to kill. “So, we’re ignoring the gun?”
“You avoided Sam yesterday and this morning, so he couldn’t loop you in on the mission. Hence why I’m here early, plus I need to move into position.”
The prior day, before Sam woke up, I texted Justin to come pick me up and bring me to the clinic. When I’d made it to work, my cell phone had buzzed in my pocket. I’d ignored it because I had three dogs to neuter and a pyometra surgery. I’d avoided all his calls. Benji and Justin had helped me most of the day, and when we locked up the clinic and stepped outside, Sam was in the parking lot waiting.
I’d felt like a teenager getting caught sneaking out. He’d told me to get in the truck. Part of me had wanted to say no, but I also knew I should go because he had my ring. The entire ride home, he hadn’t broached the conversation from the night before.
We’d eaten with the Ross family and afterward, he excused himself from the table to feed the animals and I snuck off to the bedroom. When I woke up, he was in the kitchen cooking breakfast and told me he would take me to work. It hurt that he’d never tried to talk about the night before, but a conversation wouldn’t fix the past.
“We have a long history.”
Kat folded her arms over her chest. “Any good relationship will have issues. It’s how you work through them that counts. Antonio and I got married, and the next day, we were in a gunfight. My uncle, who was the director of the CIA, forced me to believe Antonio had died. Years passed before we found each other again. So I know it’s not every day you get a second chance at love.”
“I’m not in my thirties.”
“Neither is Sam. I don’t know what happened between you two. He’s worried about you and it’s not in a helping friend way. When this minor issue is over, you guys should talk.”
I needed a second to think, so I grabbed the next chart from the pile. “I’m not sure that we can repair the damage. But this guy?” I waved the folder. “In forty minutes flat, I’ll have him feeling better. You can hang out in my office until we have to prepare for the drop.”
Kat cocked her head. “Oh. It’s time, and I closed your clinic down for the rest of the day.”
The schedule wasn’t full, but I had a few appointments still. I never agreed to close Happy Paws for the day. “I can’t turn my patients away. I’m heading out to the front.”
I’d only made it a few feet, and Kat was next to me. “Lance, Vinnie, and Louis showed up early. I assume the big boss didn’t like us digging into his life so he came, but it will be fun. I’m ninety percent sure I won’t kill anyone.”
The woman kept a straight face as I stalked to the front desk. A white piece of paper hung on the door. “Can you fill me in on the plan?”
Kat slid her gun to the other shoulder. “I’m taking position on the roof. Sam’s on his way here.” She held up her phone and on the screen was a blue dot. “He’s only a few blocks away.”
“Does he have the money?”
“We have a little time to go over the strategy. Sam is going to talk to Louis. Antonio and I need to stay hidden during the conversation. We don’t think the mob boss is behind the extortion. I’ve crossed paths with him a few times over the years. Just because people spread rumors about him doesn’t mean they’re true, but they do make him look worse. I’m pretty sure this will go down smoothly.”
Sam’s truck drove past the front.
“Since you know this person, no killing, right?”
Kat sighed. “I need to get set. As for your questions, criminals are dumb. I’ll only shoot if Sam is in trouble, but with the information we collected for Sam, I think we are good. I’m heading out. You stay here and we will come get you when it’s over.”
She winked and turned toward the rear door.
My ex had caused the mess in my life. No way did I plan to sit back and let others fight my battles now. I marched behind her.
The woman seemed way too excited to be heading into a fight with a mob boss.
* * *
Sam
I’d told Kat to make sure Ivy stayed inside, but she strolled out the rear entrance right toward me.
