Page 49 of Unruly

Catrina tapped the side of her cheek with her fingertip, and smiled. “You’re a smart girl. I raised you, didn’t I? I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Ma—”

“Chin up, Catherine, or the crown slips.”

Her mother walked on past without another word. Catherine was left staring at the cross above the entrance doors.

What just happened?

She didn’t think she would like whatever it was when she did figure it out.

Catherine rubbed at the knot of stress forming in the back of her neck as she listened to the girl on the phone rant down the house.

“Regina hasn’t answered Jones’ calls in days, Catherine.”

“Reginella,” she corrected Sage.

“Listen, I don’t mean to be rude,” Sage barked, “but I don’t give a shit if I am talking to the man on the moon right now, okay? I need my details for next month, and if Jones doesn’t have them to give to me, then I can’t work.”

Catherine blew out a slow breath, willing her irritation to calm.

She finally figured out what her mother meant.

She was right.

She didn’t like it at all.

“I get it, Sage,” Catherine finally said, eyeing Cross as he came into her office. He stayed back as she finished her conversation, but she could see the concern burning in his eyes. The phone calls hadn’t stopped. All the L.A. girls that Catrina controlled, and their handlers, were left hanging in the wind all of the sudden. “I will figure something out, but hold tight until then, got it?”

“Whatever. Just … ugh.”

Yeah.

Ugh was right.

Catherine hung up the phone without a goodbye. She put it on the hook, placed both hands to her desk, and stared out the window. Darkness had already fallen over their property, and with the backyard lights off, the trees naked without leaves, and the heavy snow blanketing the ground, it looked … desolate and sad.

Kind of like how she felt at that moment.

Very appropriate.

Silently, Cross came to Catherine’s side. His hand found the spot she had been rubbing at the back of her neck. Deft, strong fingers burrowed into the knot of stress, and worked it out while Catherine finally relaxed.

God, she loved this man.

He knew just what to do.

“Talk to me, babe.”

Catherine looked over at him and frowned. “Ma left her girls hanging. She won’t answer their calls. They have no mediator between them and their clients. Their handlers are also getting radio silence. That’s fifteen girls who have zero idea where they’re supposed to be going over the next few weeks or what clients they’re working.”

Cross made a noise in the back of his throat. “Yikes.”

“I didn’t realize this is what she meant last week at church.”

“What are you talking about?”

She waved his question off. Cross had enough of his own business to handle without worrying about hers, too.