I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 126: An Early Return

It was strangely nostalgic when Alisha’s phone woke me up. But this time she pulled herself upright and felt around for it before pulling it into the bed with her, looking at it. When she saw the contact she sat up abruptly, swiped to answer and held the phone to her ear.

I was still sleepily waking up, processing that her personal phone had rung and started to push my weight upright as Alisha listened to the voice on the other side. I didn’t recognize it, I didn’t think. Maybe it was a little familiar but so distant in my memory I couldnt put a name to it.

“You’re aware that would be a dangerous move for me, correct?” Alisha asked. Her voice was composed, like hse had simply answered her phone in an office cubicle and not at five in the morning after being woken up.

There was more of that male voice on the other end, unintelligible to me.

“I’ll make it happen,” Alisha agreed, the tone in her voice dropping dangerously.

A couple more words came over before she hung up and let her chest swell then deflate with a slow deep breath.

“Alisha,” I protested.

“I know, I’m supposed to have another two days,” she agreed. “But this isn’t— this is important.”

My judgemental gaze continued as she selected Tye’s contact.

“It’s not business, it was the police chief,” she explained.

“Oh,” I agreed and let my gaze fall back to the blankets.

She didn’t get out of bed at least, simply waited until Tye answered and her immediate question was: “are you alone?”

He said something agreeingly.

“Okay, don’t ask questions but I need a full audit done of Damien’s men immediately. And I’ll be dropping in on Marco personally. No one else should approach him, do you understand?”

Tye’s voice was still tired on the other side but he did say something affirmative and Alisha hung up before getting out of the bed.

I started to follow.

“You can go back to sleep,” she told me.

I shook my head and instead followed her over to her couch. She sat with a gentle sigh and when I climbed on next to her, welcomed me into her lap.

I curled up, let her stroke my hair soothingly as she typically did when we got on the couch and pressed my face into the curve of her neck, finding her warmth even more comfortable than expected.

“Mm,” I mumbled agreeingly as she pushed my hair behind my ear.

“You shouldn’t base your life around mine,” she chided me gently.

“It’s not like that.” I yawned, stretched my arms out behind her then pulled myself closer into her. Her skin was still radiating heat from being asleep and it was hard not to let it lull me back into drowsiness.

“I just like you.”

She kissed my hair gently and inhaled my scent as she waited for the call back. When Tye did text her she gently nudged me to get up.

“I’ll come with you,” I told her.

“That’s not necessary.”

“I know.” I followed her into the closet and got dressed alongside her, despite the look she gave me.

When we went down the stairs, Sophia was already awake, and looked up as we were passing by.

I stopped and gave her a reassuring smile, “We’ll be back in a while,” I told her. “Help yourself to coffee or whatever’s in the fridge.”

Alisha said nothing. She had merged back into Ms Takeno with a sternness I suspected would result in someone getting maimed or murdered later today. 

“It’s early,” Sophia said. She hadn’t slept much if at all, based on the palor of her face.

“I know. We’ll be back,” I reassured and then slid away before she could ask more questions.

She didn’t follow as Alisha and I went into the garage.

Once the door was shut behind us I looked at her. “Are you waiting for Tye or Matteo?” I asked.

She shook her head. “This is a bit urgent.”

“I can drive so you can text or call or whatever.” I looked between the cars.

“Let’s take the Mercai,” she said.

I nodded and accepted the keys from her.

The drive itself was ordinary, even if I was acutely aware of my heart rate being elevated and the nervous energy under my skin. Alisha directed me to what had been Sergei’s territory, and inside of that was a small industrial pocket.

I eyed the buildings warily. They were mixed between respectable blue collar business and dilapidated warehouses that made me nervous.

“It’s that one,” Alisha told me, pointing to one tucked quietly between two others. A large work van was parked in front and as I pulled in, a shadow suddenly pulled away from one of the upper windows.

Alisha noticed it too and scowled. She didn’t wait for me to put the car in park before she shoved the door open and climbed out.

The clacking of high heels echoed against the buildings as I hurried to park and then follow after her, nearly planting my sneaker directly in a large pile of broken glass on the old pavement. I was a little more careful after that.

I pushed in the same door behind her, hearing it creak shut again behind me.

Alisha was standing in the open space gazing scrutinizingly at a man who was trying very hard to be casual.

“Marco,” she acknowledged him.

“To what do I owe the pleasure Ms Takeno?” he asked. He was somewhere in the middle aged range, short hair, pretty typical American build.

“Where is she?” Alisha asked.

“I don’t–” Marco started to protest.

“You do.” Alisha kept her posture rigid as she stared him down. “And you can either tell me or I will rip it from your person one way or another.”

This Marco person froze, barely breathing.

When Alisha took a step forward he broke, “she’s in the backroom. She’s not hurt,” he rushed. 

“Wait here,” she ordered him.

I stayed rooted to my spot. Marco wasn’t visibly armed but even so I reached behind me and drew my own weapon. I didn’t want to take chances.

Alisha disappeared into the back door. It was old with a faded and stained paint job. Dark brown spatter was still visible across it from what I hoped was spilled coffee.

Marco was trembling a little, muttering to himself under his breath.

All I could really catch was, ‘not supposed to,’ scattered among other less intelligible statements.

When Alisha came back, her hand was guiding a young girl out of the back room, to me.

My stomach twisted. She was dirty, but in a fresh way, not in a rough street living way. Like she’d been tossed into a dirty trunk with something muddy. 

She didn’t fight Alisha, but there wet tears still drying on her cheeks.

“Take her to the car,” Alisha instructed me quietly. I nodded and offered my hand to the little girl. She took it silently, almost numbly and I gently brought her out of the building.

“Can I go home?” she asked in that innocent voice only a young child could use.

“Soon,” I reassured her.

I prayed I wasn’t lying.