supplements endorsement?” Kai stared at the woman, head shaking. Was there anything Gia and her staff didn’t know?
“She called your team and suggested the meeting. But that wasn’t because she wanted you out of the building.” Cat bounced her foot, a nervous habit that he’d never seen her do. “At least, I don’t think that’s why she told your people about it. She does stuff like that for all the players. I just…assumed…”
“She’d have me occupied for a four-hour test photoshoot just to see what happened? Or because she needed me gone so she could leave?’
“Kai…I don’t…know.” Cat sat back, her foot stilling as she curled her fingers around the armrest. “You…know about her and…her college boyfriend…” She shook her head, her mouth moving down into a frown. Of course, Kai knew. He’d known forever. But Gia had never named him. She’d never said much about him, and Kai hadn’t wanted to dig. He hadn’t wanted to spoil anything between. He nodded, answering Cat’s silent question. “Then you know why she’s so…distant sometimes. Why she pushes people away.”
Kai dropped his shoulders against the back of the chair, covering his face with his hands before he stared up at the ceiling. “It was like twenty damn years ago.” Cat’s frowned deepened and Kai hurried to explain himself. “And I’m here and whole and not a fucking ghost.”
“You know that’s not the only reason.” Cat rested her elbows on her knees, shifting her gaze around the room before she spoke. “She could lose everything if anyone finds out.”
“No one is better at her job than her.” He tilted his chin down, his quiet tone matching Cat’s. “No one is better than me at mine. They wouldn’t toss either one of us.”
“You can’t guarantee that and until you can, Gia is going to run. No matter how she feels, she’s going to run.”
Kai knew the truth when he heard it. Cat wasn’t wrong. She knew why Gia did the things she did. She got her better than almost anyone. But that didn’t mean Kai was going to accept things for how they were and be done with it. Kai was every bit as much a fighter as Gia was a runner. Now he wanted to fight for her.
“You…owe me now,” he told her, keeping his mouth hard and his eyes narrowed as he looked her over. “I’m calling it in.”
“I gave you info. That should suffice…”
Kai reached into his pocket, grabbing his cell. He slid his thumb across the surface and pulled up Kenya’s number, holding his finger over the call button as he watched Cat. “I can easily call him back and tell him you like daisies. Inside an hour you’ll be sneezing your head off from the amount of white daisies that fool can find.” When she didn’t respond, when Cat just moved her head like she hated him, just a bit for the blackmail, Kai lifted his hands, a small surrender he hoped she understood. “I just want to talk to her.”
Cat moved her bottom mouth, wetting her lips as she watched him. Kai couldn’t breathe right, didn’t quite know how long he could stand waiting on her to answer. “Fine then,” Cat finally said, ignoring the quick exhale Kai released. “It’s a house on Esplanade. She…she upgraded. I told her it’s way too big for her, but she said her folks would come to visit since she missed her trip to New York your…for…when your…well.” Cat waved her hand, cutting herself off, but Kai understood her meaning. Gia had postponed her trip to see her family to take care of him when Keeana died. “I’ll write down the address.”
Kai rubbed the bridge of his nose, blowing out a long breath before he grabbed Cat’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you. Sincerely. Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me, Kai,” she said, pulling her hand away. “Just make sure Gia knows you aren’t going to stop chasing her when she runs.”
THE DARKNESS SEEMED to bring out the foot traffic and the bumper to bumper crowd right outside of Gia’s new place. It was as close to a mansion as the French Quarter in New Orleans got—an white Victorian with a second story balcony, wrought iron railings, gas lanterns and thick dental molding covering every inch of the doors and windows on the exterior. If Kai knew anything about New Orleans real estate—and he’d been to enough parties with Wilson and Perez to say he did—he’d bet this was one of those