SBC Fighter: Tails Of Love Part 27

Thomas stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

Kendra bent forward and held out her hand, rubbing her fingers together as though she had a treat. "Come on, Tom.

Let's go home now."

He didn't move.

Kendra straightened and sighed. "OK. But keep yourself safe walking the streets. And, when you're done, remember you have someplace to come home to."

Thomas watched Kendra reenter her garage. Part of him wanted to join her, to curl up in the warmth of her lap. But he was a cat with a mission. He could be self-indulgent later.

For now, he needed to know where the male who'd helped Kendra off the ladder lived.

There was something about the male that made him think he could be the one to make his mistress happy. Thomas turned to chase after him.

He didn't entirely regret the trick he'd played on Kendra.

Climbing onto the roof had been an act of desperation. He could smel her fear as she stood on the ladder reaching for him and was sorry for it, but he couldn't let her leave with her mate.

Harvey wasn't the one for her. He was mean and selfish.

Kendra was kind and giving. She needed someone who would love her the same way. Unselfishly. Generously. The way she deserved to be loved. Perhaps the male he tracked was that someone. Thomas was going to find out.

He had to find a way to repay Kendra's kindness.

Two months ago, Thomas had been beaten almost to death by a gang of strays that protected their territory with vicious zeal. He'd lain bleeding to death on the sidewalk.

That's when Kendra had arrived in her vehicle and rescued him.

She'd taken him somewhere to heal. At first he'd hated it.

They'd poked, pinched, and p.r.i.c.ked him from head to tail.

But he'd admit to feeling much better afterward. Wel -fed and strong. As he'd regained his strength, he realized he didn't mind it there. But then he'd gone home with Kendra, and he liked that even more.

They hadn't understood each other in the beginning.

Having lived his entire life on the streets, humans were a mystery to him. He'd had the sense she hadn't been used to cats, either. She'd tried to keep him indoors. The mean streets of Westervil e, Ohio, weren't always kind to cats, but he couldn't imagine living behind locked doors.

Thomas watched the male cross the street and turn toward a house on the corner. He froze. That corner belonged to the gang that had almost kil ed him.

As soon as the thought came to him, a black Bombay emerged from the bushes, fol owed by an orange Somali and a gray-and-white ragam.u.f.fin. Shadow and his crew.

CHAPTER TWO.

Thomas had been hungry, weak, and lost when he'd first clashed with the other cats. He'd wandered into this no- cat's land hoping to find food and shelter, just until he could regain his strength.

No sooner had he crossed the street than Shadow and his cats-Red and Decoy-had jumped him. They'd given him the worst beating of his life. He had the scars to prove it, including a deep one bisecting his forehead to the bridge of his nose. And half of one ear was gone.

Flanked by Red and Decoy, Shadow stalked to the curb and hissed, baring his teeth and glaring his hatred. Red and Decoy weaved around their leader, seeming to dare Thomas to cross the street.

He knew the odds didn't favor him. His last encounter with Shadow and his gang had proven that. He'd been lucky to escape with his life. He'd been lucky to meet Kendra.

But Thomas didn't want fear to rule him. He had to make a stand. He arched his back and hissed his response.

Shadow pawed the air, hissing and spitting. Thomas could feel the other cats' aggression build. He hesitated.

Was he doing the right thing? He was al alone. There were three of them. He'd failed before. Would he survive this time if they beat him again?

Thomas sc.r.a.ped together his courage and placed one shaking paw into the street.

Shadow erupted in fury, bunching his muscles and screeching his outrage. His back arched, making him look double his normal size. Red and Decoy joined, hissing and cal ing, wailing their rage. Together, the gang formed a seemingly impenetrable wal .

Thomas froze. Fear fil ed him. His whole body shook with it. His muscles went lax from it. He managed to pul back his paw and stumble onto the sidewalk. In shame, he turned and raced back to Kendra.

Kendra half-sat, half-reclined on her fluffy red sofa, feeling Thomas's soft gray fur beneath her palm. The bobtail pressed against her chest. His body heat warmed her. His hind paws braced on her lap. His front paws kneaded her stomach. She gazed into his slumberous green eyes and stroked his wide forehead back to the crown of his head.

He leaned in closer, then closer stil , then . . . head-b.u.t.ted her. Laughter rushed from Kendra, loosening the melancholy that had gripped her before Thomas had demanded attention.

Stil grinning, she nuzzled his forehead. "You're right. I shouldn't waste a perfectly good Sat.u.r.day morning feeling sorry for myself."

Her doorbel rang. Kendra stroked Thomas's forehead another time or two, then lifted him from her lap and set him on the brown carpet.

He trailed her around the mahogany coffee table to the door. Through the sheer cream curtains covering her side window, she recognized Harvey standing on her walkway.

Might as wel get this drama over with. She was happy to see Harvey, but this make-up talk would come with a price.

She straightened her clothes-orange tank top and blue denim shorts-and finger combed her shoulder-length dark brown hair.

Kendra unlocked her door and stepped aside as she pul ed it open. He looked good, as usual. Like a male model stepping onto the runway. His cream polo shirt bared sinewy arms while his blue linen pants emphasized his long legs.

"Hi, Harvey."

He kissed her hard and quick on the lips as he crossed her threshold. His spicy cologne teased her. "We need to talk."

"About what?" She locked her door, then led him to the center of her living room. Thomas kept vigil beside her.

"You know about what. That cat."

It real y bothered her that Harvey wouldn't use Thomas's name. It was as though he didn't want to place that much value on her pet. But Paul, her rescuer from the prior evening, had used Thomas's name during their first meeting.

"What about Tom? I told you yesterday I wouldn't choose between the two of you."

He patted his soft black curls. "I was talking to Myrna last night."

"Myrna?" Kendra's brows rose at the mention of Harvey's gorgeous and voluptuous coworker. A Viveca Fox look alike.

"You didn't expect me to waste your movie ticket, did you? It's bad enough we had to make a later show."

"You went to the movie with Myrna?"

"She happened to be available."

In more ways than he claimed to realize. Was he real y blind to how much the other woman wanted him?

Unbelievable.

"And what did Myrna have to say?"

Harvey relaxed. "She told me about a local animal shelter. They take care of strays until they find homes for them."

"Why would Myrna tel you about an animal shelter?"

"You can take that cat there, and they'l care for it until it finds a home."

Kendra had been sucker-punched. Her lips parted but she couldn't breathe. Her eyes widened but her vision blurred. He wanted to take Thomas from her. Not now. Not ever.

"Tom has a home-with me."

As though sensing he was the subject of discussion, Thomas began to meow. Kendra glanced down at him seated beside her, but he seemed fine.

Harvey spread his arms. "It's obviously too much for you."

She stiffened defensively. Her voice was tight. "What makes you think that?"

In her peripheral vision, she saw Thomas stand and close the distance to Harvey. He stroked himself against Harvey's leg. Either her boyfriend didn't notice or didn't care. It was probably the former.

"You're always shopping for it and playing with it. You even talk to it. You know, it doesn't understand you."

Kendra begged to differ. "I'm not going to apologize for caring for Tom. I'm sorry you're feeling neglected, but you're not being fair."

Final y becoming aware of Thomas's actions, Harvey glanced down to where the cat was tracing figure eights around his legs. "What in the hel is it doing?"

"He's showing you affection. You could learn something from him."

"It's also getting fur on my pants." Harvey lifted his right leg and shook it. "Cal it off."

Kendra briefly closed her eyes, then leaned forward, extending her right arm toward her cat. "Come here, baby."

Thomas continued to pace around Harvey's legs.

"It's a cat. Not a baby." His tone was just short of snappish.

Kendra tipped her face up to meet his eyes. "That's a term of endearment. Or should I be offended every time you cal me baby?"

Harvey looked away. "You're obsessed with it."

"You're just upset because you no longer feel like the center of my world. I'm sorry for that, but it can't be helped."

"Wil you get your cat away from me?" Harvey growled and lifted his right leg again. But this time he used it to kick Thomas away.

Thomas cried out as Harvey's foot connected with his side, bouncing him across the carpet.

"Have you lost your mind? " Kendra screamed as she kneeled to check on Thomas.

Her shaking hands slowly moved over the brawny little body checking for b.u.mps, bruises or-Heaven forbid- broken bones. Thomas stared up at her, stunned. She didn't feel any damage, and Thomas never cried out.

Maybe he was OK. But Kendra was fit to be tied.

She wanted to rip Harvey apart. She wanted to kick him even harder than he'd kicked her cat. Instead, she made Thomas her priority, lifting him into her arms and cuddling him close to her body.

She straightened and turned to face Harvey. Her voice was low and shook with fury. "Don't you ever touch him again." Kendra shifted her arms to keep hold of Thomas's wiggling body.

Harvey's eyes widened. "He was leaving fur al over my pants."

"So?"

Kendra gasped as Thomas launched himself from her embrace onto Harvey's chest. Harvey shouted and stumbled back. Thomas clung to him, hissing and spitting fury. Harvey tried to grab Thomas's paws while avoiding the cat's unsheathed claws.

Kendra fol owed them across the living room, managing to wrap her hands around her cat's struggling body. She tugged him back toward her, but Thomas's claws hooked into Harvey's polo shirt.

"Stop. He's shredding my clothes." Harvey scowled and tried to untangle Thomas's claws from his shirt. Once free, Harvey stepped back. "You see? That cat's dangerous."

Kendra was just as furious as Harvey sounded. "You attacked him. What did you expect him to do? Pack up and leave?" She kept a firm hold on the stil hissing-and-spitting Thomas.

"Why didn't you have him declawed?"

"Because he has to be able to protect himself from bul ies who'd attack him." She gave Harvey a pointed look.

"That cat is crazy and so are you."

"That should make it easier for you to stay the hel away from both of us."

Harvey's eyes grew so wide, Kendra thought they'd pop from his head. "You're choosing that cat over me?"

"If someone had told me you were capable of hurting a defenseless animal-one that was showing you affection, one that belonged to your girlfriend-I would have told them they were crazy. Little did I know I was a horrible judge of character."

Paul had told her animals were good judges of character.

Considering Thomas had never cared for Harvey, she now was inclined to believe him.