Page 48 of The Billionaire Who Saved My Cat From The Mafia

“It was a recent move.”Real recent—like a few nights ago.“But please go on.Tell me more about your family.”

He does, and they seem like quite a collection of strong personalities.He describes his brothers in such vivid detail that it’s like I can see them in my mind’s eye, almost hear the sound of their voices.

There’s the stoic and serious Cal, the CEO of most things happening around the ranch.Then there’s the angsty tech genius Finn.The fancy-boy attorney Evander.And Declan, the goofball computer programmer and pilot.

By the time I clean my plate, MacLaine has moved on to describing his precocious niece Jasmine, Finn’s daughter from his first marriage.Next, he moves on to his sisters-in-law.There’s the Ivy League business guru Victoria.French chef Emma.Nurse Phoebe.And all-around ranch goddess Summer.

He says that Summer’s the one who accompanies him on the range most days—at least she did before she got pregnant.Now he’s on his own more often than not, and he says he likes it that way.

I sit back in the comfortable camp chair and cross my legs.My belly is full and the fire’s warm.It occurs to me that if I found MacLaine’s emotionless drone oddly compelling, then he’s tied me up and carried me off with his storytelling.His voice has a soft lilt to it.He chooses his words precisely, and his sense of humor shines through every sentence.

Special K is a natural-born teller of tales.Which means the silence must be an act.How interesting.And it seems I’m calling him Special K now in my head.Also interesting.

He speaks of his father Jamie with heartfelt respect, telling me that the family patriarch has a spine of steel, and his word is law.

But I notice he hasn’t mentioned his mother.“What kind of spine does your mom have?”I ask.

He nods and stares into the fire.“She died of cancer when I was little.”

My heart drops.That was such a hurtful thing for me to say.Way too flippant.I should have picked up on how she was absent from his family stories, and how his aunt became a den mother.Ah, shit.

“Hey.”I lean toward him and reach out to rest my fingers on the back of his hand.

A spark flies between us, and I instantly snatch my hand away, pretending nothing weird just happened.“I’m sorry about the spine comment.I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

He shrugs.“It’s okay.You had no way of knowing.”He tips his head and looks at me for a long moment, frowning.“Be right back.”

I watch him carry Pussy to the trailer.He reaches in to grab a blanket and brings it to me, somehow wrapping it around my shoulders with one hand while carrying my cat with the other.

That damn cat is thrilled to be in his care.

I get it.I understand why she feels that way because I think I’m having the same reaction.There’s something about Special K MacLaine that makes a girl feel safe.

It’s only a false sense of security, of course.He’s gentle and kind, but he’s not a superhero.

As long as Niko Koslov breathes, I’ll never be safe.

I tug the down-filled blanket close and wait until Special K is seated again before I say anything more.

“I lost my mom when I was little, too,” I tell him.

“How long was she ill?”

I hear my own bitter laugh.“That’s a loaded question.She ran off when I was three and then overdosed when I was twelve.But her death hardly even registered with me, since she was never a part of my life.”

He stares at me, the golden firelight flickering against the masculine planes of his face.“I’m so sorry, Frankie,” he says.

“Thanks.I’m sorry too.About a lot of things.”

CHAPTER 25

Special K

We sit in silence for a long while.The fire crackles.I hear an owl hoot from high in a tree at least a hundred feet beyond our little circle of firelight.Pussy purrs loudly in my lap.She sounds like the motor on Finn’s expensive sailboat.

Frankie—beautiful Frankie—is a complete mystery to me, and it’s obvious she wants to stay that way.I understand.No one wants to spill their secrets to someone they’ve just met.I barely want to shareanythingwithanyoneother than my family.I don’t like to answer the most routine questions about myself.

Like my name.Whether I come here often.Or if I want fries with that.