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The Scot reached for the door and opened it, sending a blast of cold air inside.
“You really don’t think she’s safe?” Now she was worried for a whole other reason.
“Dante will ensure she is.” He said it confidently, but she couldn’t help but feel concerned for her friend.
And then all thought of Bonnie fled as they stepped up to the door. It wasn’t that she was afraid of being outside . . . well, not exactly.
It was that she didn’t know who was out there. If they could hurt her.
Come on, Cat.
You’re braver than this.
Stop being a wimp.
“I can feel you shaking. We can stop. Find someone to help you.” He turned her to face him, his face filled with concern.
This was so stupid.
She glanced around at the others. Rafael and Cairn were outside, watching the street, while The Scot stood behind them. They were all giving her privacy, which she appreciated.
Last thing she needed was more witnesses to her idiocy.
“This is all so dumb. I can’t be scared of going outside. Who is scared of that?” She dropped her gaze to her feet, ashamed of herself.
Is this what she’d become?
Someone who jumped at shadows just because some dumb bitch and an asshole, who she’d trusted, kidnapped her?
“Cat, look at me.”
She shook her head. She didn’t need to see him looking at her with pity.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been kidnapped or attacked. Why is this so hard?”
“Because it was someone you trusted,” he said quietly. “And that hits harder. Mikey was supposed to protect you, not harm you. Plus, I think it’s troublesome knowing someone out there is pretending to be the Deity. Especially as you know he’s dead. That’s got to be scary.”
It was.
“Look at me, Pequeña,” he said in a firmer voice, tucking a finger under her chin.
She sighed and raised her head, staring up at him.
“That’s better. Keep that chin up. We don’t want your crown to slip.”
“Pretty sure it already has.”
“Nope. You’ll always be my Queen. No matter what. Stand proud, Preciosa. You are strong. You are brave.”
She sucked in a breath. She really, really didn’t think that was true.
“Say it with me. I am strong. I am brave.”
“I am strong. I am brave.”
“Good girl. Louder.”
She gave him a disgruntled look. “I am strong. I am brave. I’m also freaking cold, standing here. Let’s go.”
Turning, she took a deep breath, and with her head held high and her shoulders back, she stepped outside.
Nothing bad immediately happened. Of course it didn’t. Glancing around, she saw that there was just a man walking his dog farther down the block and the occasional car driving past.
Nothing to worry about.
Alejandro tucked her hand into his arm. “I’m proud of you.”
“For walking outside. Pfft. You have low expectations.”
“Catarina,” he said warningly.
“Right. Sorry. Where are we going to go?”
“How about if we just walk part way up the block? Okay?”
“All right, Papi.” They moved down the street. “Is it safe for you to walk out in the open like this?” It was something he rarely did. Was he risking himself just to show her that she was being nuttier than a fruitcake?
“It will be all right. The risk is low.”
“If there’s any risk, we should go back.” She stopped and tugged at his arm.
“I wouldn’t have brought you out here if I thought you’d be hurt or in danger.”
Crap.
No, he wouldn’t have.
“Just relax. We’ll walk back. You’re doing so well. Such a good girl. I think this deserves a reward. What would you like?”
She tried to think. Was that the same car that had just driven past? And was there a man sitting in the car across the road?
You are losing it.
The Deity wasn’t here. He wasn’t watching her.
She was safe.
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll think of something. My Preciosa deserves the world and I’m going to give it to her.”
“You always do, Papi.”
30
Cat stepped back and stared at her masterpiece.
“There, doesn’t that look great, Doomy?”
Bernie stared at the clay sculpture with his mouth open.
Obviously, he was lost for words.
The clay had arrived this morning and she’d gotten straight to work. It was now late afternoon and she had been going all day, practically non-stop. Pressing her hands to her lower back, she stretched.
“It’s great, isn’t it? Alejandro is going to love it. Although I don’t think I quite got his nose right.”
“It . . . he . . . you . . .”
“Aww, Doomy, are you speechless because it’s so incredible?”
“He’s probably speechless because of the mess you’ve made,” Rafael said. “You’re not going to sit for a week.”
“What are you talking about? It’s not a mess. It’s art. And Alejandro can’t be upset. I made it for him.”
Rafael walked around it. “What is it? Some sort of bird? It’s got a beak, but the body is more like a hippo.”
She gasped in horror.
