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Not for the first time, Celia witnesses Kitten's fire. The terrified girl raises the gun. "Let her go, Caleb. I'll keep her here."
Celia is on the verge of actually being afraid. She doesn't fear Kitten for a moment, but Caleb reminds her of a cornered animal and he has been known to behave erratically on occasion. His arm only loosens after Kitten pleads with him a second time. He keeps a tight grip on her nape.
"What's the plan, Caleb?" the girl asks with feigned calm.
"I need to go meet them."
"You can't! What if they're just waiting to kill you?"
"If everything is as Celia says, then there's no reason I shouldn't go downstairs."
"No," Celia interjects, "Felipe sent me to warn you."
"Why would he warn me?" Caleb insists on being skeptical.
"Felipe knows what's been happening between the two of you and hasn't said a word to Rafiq. He doesn't want to deal with the fallout. You've been here for months, instead of the few days Rafiq originally promised. The last thing he needs is bloodshed in the house," Celia snaps out in Spanish. Her eyes are beginning to water and she hates that she can't stop her voice from cracking. Soon. It will all be over soon, she reminds herself.
Caleb speaks to Kitten, "Stay here with her until I get back."
"Caleb, please don't go. Let's leave. Right now."
Celia cannot abide Kitten's wishes, no matter how much she wants the beauty to find happiness with her beast. Felipe needs Caleb. "I'll get her out if there's trouble," she says. Caleb stares at her incredulously. "There are passages in the walls. Felipe had them built in case we needed to escape. I'll get her out, I promise."
"Why would you?" Caleb asks, bewildered.
"Not for you," she spits. "I don't want her to suffer."
Caleb nods. "Thank you, Celia. I'm in your debt."
"If anything happens to Felipe, I'll be sure to collect," she warns, because threats are beneath her.
Caleb removes his hand from Celia's neck and grabs a shirt. "The library?" he asks. He leaves after a single nod of Celia's head.
Kitten breaks the silence. "Caleb says Felipe's been watching us. He said you've been watching us. Why would either of you help?"
"Felipe trusts no one, Kitten. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but Felipe means more to me than you. I love him."
The girl is a sobbing mess and her arms shake with the weight of the gun in her hands. "Did you really come to warn us, Celia? Is Caleb walking into a trap right now?"
"I swear I came to warn you. As far as I know, Caleb is meeting his friends and nothing more. The worst thing you could do right now is panic." It's not exactly a lie. She meets Kitten's wary eyes and witnesses her open longing. She wants to believe. She has to believe.
"I believe you," she says and lowers the gun.
61. Felipe
"Celia?" Felipe knocks softly on Caleb's door. Uneasy about Celia's absence and Caleb's hesitancy to speak on the subject, he went to investigate the matter just as soon as he was able. After several long minutes, he repeats his query. "Celia?" He switches off the safety on his 9mm. Plans aside, he has to prepare for any deviation.
"I'm in here with Kitten," Celia says through the door. Her voice is strained, as though she's been crying and is now trying to hide it for Felipe's benefit.
"Why is the door locked?" Felipe rattles the knob. He's going to have keypads installed on all the doors as soon as possible, not just his and Celia's rooms.
"Caleb was worried," she says cautiously. "Where is he?"
"Downstairs with Rafiq. Open the door," he commands. It takes a while, but Celia gingerly opens the door. Felipe's heart clenches in his chest at the sight of a tearful Celia. He enters the room with his gun raised and his eyes vigilant.
"Tell her Caleb is all right," Celia says. She stands firmly between Felipe and the girl.
"Why have you been crying, Celia? What happened here?" Felipe's tone is deadly calm.
"Nothing, my love. I've just been keeping Kitten company." She attempts a rueful grin. "She's scared, Felipe. Tell her Caleb is all right. She's worried about him."
"He's fine," Felipe relents. Whatever has caused Celia such distress, he'll root it out later. For now, it's more important to him that he get Celia and Kid to safety. Whatever is to pass, it's going to happen tonight. "He and Rafiq are having a drink. He should be up here shortly. We can all wait for him," he says without lowering his gun.
"Why didn't he come himself?" Kitten frets.
"He couldn't, not without raising suspicions. As it was, I suspected something might be happening up here. Why were you crying, Celia?" Felipe asks again more softly.
"It's just girl talk, Felipe. Please don't make a fuss. She was terrified you were coming to hurt her, and it made me think about..." Celia's voice trails off. Slowly, she raises her hand to his cheek. "Don't you remember what it was like in the beginning?"
He does. He lowers his gun and presses a fervent kiss to Celia's forehead. "I'm sorry she made you remember," he whispers, "especially when I've tried so hard to make you forget."
She reassures him. "I have, Felipe. I promise you, I have."
With that, Felipe returns his attention to the other woman in the room. "Go wash up, sweet girl. Your master should be coming back any minute, and I suggest you're ready for him when he does. You don't have much time together."
"What do you mean?" Her lip quivers.
Felipe is not without a heart, and this girl's boundless capacity for love and forgiveness prods at his idle conscience. "I wish there was more I could do for the two of you. I've enjoyed watching your relationship unfold. Good luck to you, Kitten." He means every word. He takes hold of Celia's hand and escorts her out of the room.
62. Kid
Kid has been beside himself with worry for several hours, waiting for Felipe or Celia to come and retrieve him...or for someone else to take him prisoner...or to hear that one or both of them has been murdered. He's angry with Felipe all over again for locking him away. His fingers rub the spot where Felipe's punch landed. He'll be tender for days.
Finally! A voice comes over the intercom; it's Felipe's. "Open the door, Kid. The code is 27-44-56-29." Kid wastes no time in punching in the code. Celia envelops him in her arms and sobs into his neck.
"Felipe? What's wrong?" Kid holds Celia to him as though she'll fly apart if he doesn't.
"There's no time to explain. Put on these clothes. We're leaving." Felipe brooks no argument and Kid knows better than having to be told twice when his master is this serious.
