Page 17 of July 27

He walked around the bike and spotted the kitten. Only one left out of the litter hadn't found a new home. Knowing the kitten was friendlier than the mama, he scooped up the baby and held it against his chest.

Dio jogged over, picked up the mama cat, and opened the clubhouse door, letting the cat inside. Ruger pointed at the kitten in his arms.

"Put it inside when you're done holding it." Dio chuckled. "I promised Skye I'd put them in the clubhouse if I spotted them tonight."

"Is she going to miss this one if I take it?" asked Ruger.

"You want the cat?"

"Hell no." He tucked the kitten into his vest. "But I know someone who would take care of it."

"Yeah, go ahead. Skye's looking for a home for it. I'll tell her you took care of it." Dio stepped away. "Thanks, brother."

He was probably making a mistake. The kitten was only an excuse to return to Rachel's apartment and check on her. But the cat needed a place to stay, and Rachel needed something she could hold and love. Maybe she would sleep better at night when a cat was around.

He put on his helmet. The kitten sank its claws into his chest. Deciding he'd never make it to Offshore without the cat crawling out from inside his vest, he put the kitten in the duffle bag, making sure the zipper wouldn't come unzipped while he rode.

Looking forward to the night ride, he took off from the clubhouse, leaving the others to party.

In Offshore, he made his way through the streets to Rachel's apartment door with the feisty kitten who no longer wanted to be carried. The ride had taken all its patience. She would need to get used to living life without her mama.

He looked around. It was after midnight. Despite the complex filled with families, it was quiet. Some teenage boys hanging around the staircase looked at him but went back to smoking their cigarettes and bullshitting.

He stopped outside the door and knocked. After several seconds, he said, "Rachel? It's me. Ruger."

His voice boomed in the night. Imagining her freaking out over having someone at her apartment door that late at night, he knocked again and spoke louder. "It's Ruger."

"Shut up," yelled a woman several apartments away. "You wake up my kids, and you'll have to put them back to sleep because I'm done fighting with them."

He looked down the length of the complex. It would be the woman who woke her kids up if she continued to bitch.

The door in front of him opened a crack and then flew open, hitting the wall in the apartment. Rachel grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

"What happened?" she whispered, holding on to him.

"Nothing." He glanced down at her breasts pressed against his arm through her thin t-shirt. "Everything's okay."

She sagged against him. "I thought..."

He understood what was going on in her head. She thought Los Li members were close and going to come and get her. He cleared his throat and rubbed her back, settling her after the scare he'd given her.

The kitten meowed.

Rachel stiffened and pulled away from him. "What was that?"

He reached inside his vest, where the kitten clung to his shirt, and pulled out the ball of fluff. "I thought you might like someone to stay with you in the apartment."

"Oh, my God." She backed away.

He tilted his head. Had he done the wrong thing?

You're giving me a kitten?" she whispered, stepping forward again. "Really?"

He held the cat out to her.

She took the kitten and held it under her chin. He chuckled. Just like that, the kitten snuggled up to her as if she understood Rachel had a lot of love to give.

Rachel gazed up at him. "I can keep it?"