SBC Fighter: Tails Of Love Part 28

Kendra and Harvey locked gazes. Hostility arced between them, and Kendra lost track of time. Thomas continued to screech and struggle in her arms.

Final y, Harvey stepped back. "You deserve each other."

He turned, unlocked the door, and let himself out.

"Thank you."

Kendra knew he couldn't hear her, but that wasn't the point. This marked the end of their four-month relations.h.i.+p.

But she was too angry to care.

She marched to her front door, intending to close and lock it. As she reached for the doork.n.o.b, Thomas leaped from her arms and sped down her walkway.

"Tom." Kendra hurried after him.

Harvey's car was gone. That was quick. She watched as Thomas raced away. Where was he going now? Kendra turned back to her house. Thomas knew his way home. She just hoped he'd be OK.

He'd taken a risk by weaving around Harvey's legs.

Thomas had known the male would get angry. But he hadn't antic.i.p.ated that kick. Meow, that had hurt. He needed to work on his reflexes.

Kendra had been furious. Her expression and her tone had told him that, as had the fear and concern he'd sensed from her. This was the perfect time for the other male to move in. Thomas would have to play it by ear to persuade the male to take him home to Kendra. That would give them time together while Kendra was stil mad at Harvey.

But one thing Thomas couldn't play by ear was entering Shadow's territory. He'd have to get to the male's home by coming from the southeast street corner. It would make for a longer trip, but it should be safer-if Shadow had only marked the southwest corner and not the entire block.

Thomas quickly traveled the detour. It had rained overnight. The ground beneath his paws was damp but warm. Birds sang in the trees overhead, making him hungry. A cool June breeze threaded his fur and tickled his whiskers. It carried with it the scent of warm earth, cut gra.s.s, and new roses. Heady fragrances that made him feel alive.

feel alive.

Thomas slowed as he approached the southeast corner of the male's street. He sniffed the air. Something was wrong. He tentatively approached the territory, one paw in the street, the other three stil on the sidewalk. The wind rested and the birds quieted. Danger, but from where?

Another step and now three paws were in the road and the fourth remained on the sidewalk. He cautiously brought his fourth paw off the curb and crouched low in the middle of the street. Watching. Waiting.

A rustling from the hedges straight ahead on the opposite sidewalk claimed his attention. Shadow appeared, fol owed by Red and Decoy. The black Bombay had marked the entire block. That's what Thomas had been afraid of.

CHAPTER THREE.

Shadow sauntered to the edge of the curb, his expression vicious, his manner threatening. The black cat hissed a warning and bared his teeth. Thomas's heart drummed painful y in his chest.

What had he ever done to anger the Bombay? Crossed into his territory when he'd been tired and hungry? And for that he deserved to be bul ied for the rest of his life?

No. Shadow and his crew stood between him and his goal, finding a suitable mate for Kendra. This mission was too important for Thomas to back down.

Gathering his courage, Thomas raced across the road and sprang into battle. As he leaped toward Shadow, the Bombay raised one paw. The slash cut four deep grooves into Thomas's left cheek, drawing blood and sending him sprawling onto the sidewalk.

Mindful of the other two cats, Thomas ignored his pain.

He rol ed to his feet, keeping his back clear. Red and Decoy flanked Shadow. The three cats stalked Thomas. He arched his back and hissed his chal enge. He wouldn't back down. He wouldn't show fear. His body was stronger now, thanks to Kendra. He wasn't the same hunger- weakened cat they'd preyed on months ago. And he was ready to prove it.

Shadow charged him, coming in low, then leaping high.

Thomas reared up onto his hind legs and swatted his attacker midleap. This time, Shadow landed hard on the curb. But Thomas didn't take his attention off the Bombay's friends.

Red rushed him. There was a tangle of paws and teeth.

Red screeched loudly and long as Thomas wrenched free with a portion of the other cat's ear. Payback was sweet.

But he couldn't celebrate now. Decoy had jumped him, clawing his back. Thomas arched in pain. He twisted left, then right, trying to dislodge the ragam.u.f.fin. With one last desperate heave, he shook off his a.s.sailant-and felt his flesh torn for his efforts.

Dizzy from blood loss, Thomas turned to face the strays.

Decoy rose shakily to his feet. He hissed and Thomas screeched back. The other cat's eyes widened before he turned and scampered away.

Red was already gone. That left Thomas to face Shadow. The two locked gazes. Anger and hatred glowed in Shadow's pale gray eyes. And something else. Fear?

Respect? Before Thomas could decide, Shadow turned Respect? Before Thomas could decide, Shadow turned and sauntered away.

Thomas waited until Shadow was out of view before letting down his guard. He sank onto the sidewalk. He was weak, shaky, and bleeding from a mult.i.tude of wounds. He needed help. Kendra was too far away, but he could see the male's house. Thomas pushed himself to his feet and limped toward his destination.

It seemed to take a long time to arrive in front of the male's town house. Thomas was winded and weaker. It took everything he had to bat against the screened door once, twice, three times.

The door opened and the male stepped forward. "Tom."

Thomas noted the male's shocked expression. He thought, You should have seen the other cats, just before he crumbled to the walkway.

Through half-closed eyes, he watched as the male disappeared briefly, then returned with a blanket. Thomas felt himself being lifted with care from the walkway and wrapped in soft yarn. He closed his eyes, feeling as safe as he'd only ever felt with Kendra.

Who in the world was leaning on her doorbell? It had better not be Harvey.

Kendra flung open her front door. Her temper drained and her mind blanked at the sight of Paul Strahan holding a b.l.o.o.d.y and unconscious Thomas.

"Tom! Tom! Oh, no! What happened?"

"We have to get him to a vet."

Her breath was coming too fast. "Oh, no, oh . . ."

"Kendra." Paul's voice was firm, his gaze direct, pul ing her back from hysteria.

"Yes, yes. Of course." She s.n.a.t.c.hed her purse, car keys, and cel phone from a corner cabinet in her living room, then jogged back to her front door on rubbery legs. It took her shaking hands two attempts to lock up.

Paul led her to his car parked in her driveway. "Let's take my car. The engine's stil running."

And his doors were stil open. "Yes. OK. I'l direct you to the clinic." Kendra climbed into the pa.s.senger seat, then reached for Thomas.

"Buckle your seat belt."

Impatient, she strapped herself in, then held out her arms again. Paul helped her settle Thomas on her lap. Kendra swal owed a sob as she studied his wounds. Too many scratches to count. Blood had turned his fur black. Seeing him like this again hurt even more than the first time.

Probably because he'd come to mean so much to her.

Would he recover this time? He had to.

"Oh, Tom. Hold on, baby. Hold on."

Paul reversed out of her driveway and broke the speed limit to the clinic. When Kendra wasn't giving him directions, she was crooning to Thomas.

Paul pul ed up to the clinic's entrance. He jumped out of the car and hurried to help Kendra from the pa.s.senger seat with the fragile bundle in her arms.

Kendra walked quickly but careful y to the receptionist's desk. "Please. My cat's been badly hurt in a fight."

One look at her bruised and bloodied companion, and the medical staff rushed into action. They took Thomas from her but wouldn't let her fol ow them to surgery. Instead, Kendra remained behind to give the receptionist her information so they could pul Thomas's chart.

"What's going on?"

Kendra turned at the low, smoky voice. She hadn't expected Paul to join her. Then she saw her purse in his fist.

"Oh, thank you." She shrugged it onto her shoulder. Her mind wandered as she waited for his good-bye.

What cat had attacked her poor Thomas? Was he the same cat from two months ago? Why was he after Thomas?

"What's going on?" As he repeated himself, Paul guided her toward the waiting room chairs. His touch was warm on her cold skin.

Kendra was confused by his behavior until she saw the concern in his eyes. Concern for her cat. He touched a piece of her heart with that look.

"Tom's in surgery." Her voice broke on the final word.

"For how long?" He helped her into one of the cus.h.i.+oned seats.

"I don't know." She was grateful that Paul settled into the chair beside her. She didn't want to be alone.

"He'l be OK."

He seemed to be rea.s.suring both of them. Kendra lowered her head to blink away tears and noticed his afghan in her arms. She shuddered at the sight of Thomas's blood and fur on the yarn.

"Thank you for helping Tom. I'l wash your afghan before I give it back to you."

"Don't worry about it." Paul took the blanket back, folding it so neither of them could see the evidence of Thomas's wounds.

"It's beautiful."

"Thanks. My mother made it."

And he'd wrapped her bleeding cat in it. "How did you find Tom?"

"He came to me. He knocked on my door. I don't know how he knew where I lived."

It took mere moments for Kendra to figure it out. "Tom took a walk right after you left yesterday. He must have fol owed you home."

"Why?"

She gazed into his brown eyes. He had such kind eyes.

"He must have sensed something in you that he liked."

A corner of his ful lips curved upward. "Unlike the way he feels about your boyfriend?"

Kendra nodded. "And he's right. Harvey wouldn't have wrapped Tom in paper towels much less an afghan his mother had made for him. And he wouldn't be sitting here beside me waiting for news on Tom's recovery."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"So am I. That's why we're not together anymore."

Paul arched a brow. "Real y?"

"Real y. I owe that to Tom as wel ."

"Smart cat."

Kendra smiled. "That he is. Have you ever had a pet?"

"My family had cats and dogs. And goldfish."

Kendra's smile grew. "A menagerie. We didn't have pets. Tom is my first."

"Where did you get him?"

"I found him in our complex a couple of blocks from my town house. He'd been pretty badly beaten. I wonder if it was the same cat he fought with today?"

"What made you keep him?"

Kendra shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's because he had nowhere else to go." She huffed a breath and crossed her arms. "Why does he have to roam the streets and get into fights? Why can't he just sit in the window and look cute?"

Paul gave a surprised bark of laughter. "Then he wouldn't be a cat. He'd be an ornament."

Kendra blinked at him, then she laughed, too. "I guess you're right."

They talked about nothing. The act of making conversation kept her nerves at bay. More than an hour pa.s.sed. Paul offered to get some lunch, but neither of them was hungry.

Final y, Thomas's doctor entered the waiting room. The pet.i.te, curvy redhead approached them. The paper booties covering her shoes crunched against the tiled floor.