Page 13 of Love Bomb

“Oh, we wouldn’t want that,” she yelled back. “Gimme a sec.”

She ran to the bathroom, turned on the shower and closed the door. Then she grabbed a small bottle of wine from the mini bar, along with two glasses, she poured the wine into both. It was the best she could do.

She opened the door.

Bain did indeed look pissed.

“We need to talk,” he said ominously.

“Not out here.” She grabbed the front of his sheepskin jacket and hauled him into the room. “The cat will escape.”

He toppled inside as she closed the door behind him.

“Cat?” Bain asked before his eyes met Tom’s, who was still sitting on the bed. “That’s not a cat. It’s a lion.” His eyes went wide as he glanced between her and Tom. “What is he? I’ve never seen a cat that size.”

“It’s a Maine Coon. They’re notoriously big and gentle cats.” And sometimes as dumb as a bag of socks. Not Tom though. If anyone asked her, she told them he was the smartest cat on the planet. And she would never say otherwise.

“What’s its name?” Bain reached for Tom.

Without thinking, she started to say Tom then quickly changed it to the first name that popped into her head that started with the same sound.

“Tonya,” she said.

Bain cocked an eyebrow. “You called your cat Tonya?”

There was nothing she could say to that.

“Why are you here?” she demanded instead.

Bain held his hand out for Tom, who sniffed it. He wasn’t impressed. With an air of disdain, he cocked a leg and proceeded to lick his backside.

“Uh, Rona, you know that Tonya is a boy, right?” Bain said, watching the cat.

“Of course I know what sex my cat is.” She folded her arms. “Can we get to the reason you’re here?”

Bain shook his head and turned to her. “Sure.” He reached into his pocket, took out the drive and lobbed it at her.

She fumbled for it, in a graceful move that didn’t go unnoticed, judging by Bain’s smirk.

“Go ahead and use the drive,” he said. “You can visit me in jail when you’re done.”

Well, that was a bummer. She’d thought for sure he’d at least be a bit worried she might hand it over to Kitty.

“You sure about that?” she asked. “Kitty loved her roses, and that woman knows how to hold a grudge.”

Bain snorted. “I know. The one she was holding with the Savage family started back in the Second World War and only ended a few months ago.” He gave her a disapproving glare. “You could have gotten yourself killed filming me back then. What were you thinking?”

“I was thirteen,” she said. “My brain wasn’t fully developed, which means I had no way of recognizing my questionable decisions.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “That explains the video. What’s the explanation for trying to blackmail me with it now?”

“I’m desperate.” She shrugged.

“Poor excuse, Rona,” he said in a superior tone.

“Give me a break,” she snapped at him. “Like you’ve never done anything questionable to get what you want.”

“Ah, but you see, the difference between you and me is that what I do works.”