Page 145 of Scars Run Deep

“I’ve missed you,” I breathed into her hair, taking in that familiar Chanel scent of hers.

“I’ve missed you too, Kill. So much.”

I held her to me for a long time until a buzzing of a phone had her tensing, then pulling apart from me.

She pulled it out from her tiny purse and silenced it, then stowed it back inside.

“You have a phone now?”

Samuel didn’t let her, as a rule. No communication with the outside world, except these events.

“Just while he’s not here. He needs me to coordinate with the staff.”

“Really? Well, that’s… different.”

She shrugged, looking away as she murmured. “I guess.”

“Mom? What’s going on?”

She met my gaze again, regret palpable. “I have to go and see to this event. I’m so sorry I can’t stay with you any longer, but meet me before you go… downstairs… later, and we’ll catch up in detail.”

“Meet you? Really? Won’t he be here by then?”

“Yes, but he’ll be preoccupied. We’ll take a few minutes before the show begins. There’s a service entrance around back. Meet me there ten minutes before?”

This was unprecedented.

Hell, it was way out there for her.

“Mom? What’s going on?”

She didn’t speak to it, instead asking, “Before I go, quickly, tell me something about your life, just a little nugget to tide me over for the next couple of hours.”

“Mom, what’s—”

“Please, Kill.”

I sucked in a breath. Whatever was happening, it would be done with soon. It wouldn’t matter. We were fixing it all. We would fix it.

“I met someone.”

Her eyes lit up. “A special someone?”

“Very special.”

“Your father won’t like that.” She grinned and whispered, “Good.”

I chuckled, then whispered back, “She’s worth it.”

“I’m glad you found someone else after the blonde your father was ranting and raving about.”

“What? You know about that?”

“He couldn’t contain himself, he was so enraged. Days it took him to calm down.”

“Mom, it is her.”

“The blonde?” she asked, her eyes wide.

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