Page 209 of The Devil's Fire

It didn’t seem like it wanted to leave me, so with the kitten still on my arm, I made my way to the master bedroom on the ground floor to see if she would be there before checking the upstairs floor.

The door was open, and I saw her sleeping peacefully on the bed. The kitten jumped down from my arm, ran to the bed, and made itself comfortable next to her.

I let out a slow breath as I walked closer, my heart racing at the sight before me. Gently, I sat down on the bed and the longing I had felt so intensely made me place my hand on her cheek, lightly caressing it. I had almost forgotten how soft her skin was, and I felt relieved that she was finally taking care of herself.

A bottle of pills on the nightstand caught my attention. Frowning, I picked it up and saw it was sleeping pills. She was still having trouble sleeping on her own.

I let out a small sigh as I brushed some hair away from her face.

“How are you killing me, yet keeping me alive at the same time?” I whispered.

I was only supposed to see her for a second to ease my mind a bit, but now that I was here and able to touch her, I couldn't get myself to leave. Not yet. I had missed her too much.

I lay next to her and carefully pulled her closer to me as I wrapped my arms around her. It felt like an eternity had passed since the last time I had been able to hold her like this, and it filled the void inside of me.

I placed a kiss on her forehead and continued to caress her head, watching every single feature of her perfect face. There was no woman who could compare to her beauty, especially when it came to her captivating green eyes.

Her eyes suddenly flew open, and she looked at me. I stayed still, watching her unfocused green eyes as her brows slightly furrowed before she closed her eyes again. She snuggled closer to me, and a smile formed on my lips. I closed my eyes, listening to her soft and deep breathing.

A small, high-pitched sound woke me up, and I saw the kitten moving around on the bed, attempting to wake her up. Glancing over at the window, I noticed it was already light outside.

Fuck, I fell asleep.

Althaia stirred in my arms, letting me know she was waking up. I moved as quietly and carefully as I could and slid off the bed, and I rushed out of the bedroom before she could see me.

“Hi.” Her voice made me freeze in my step, and I felt my chest warming at the sound of her voice. “Are you hungry? All right, let’s get you some food.” She chuckled when the kitten continued to make those high-pitched sounds.

I walked into another room to hide when I heard her move and cursed myself up for falling asleep.

“You must have been really hungry.” Althaia let out a small laugh.

I rested the back of my head against the wall, closed my eyes, and listened to her voice. It stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me, making me shift slightly for a better glimpse of her.

She was sitting on the floor, watching the kitten eat while stroking its fur. The sight of her made my throat dry, and I desperately wanted to go to her. Instead, I stayed put and observed her from afar.

She let out a sigh, looked out of the window, and gazed at the beach waves.

“It almost felt like he was here…” She said quietly. “I miss him… but I’m not sure I’m ready to face him yet.”

My chest tightened at her words, but I couldn’t blame her. I was probably a constant reminder that I was the reason for her losses.

I watched her as she opened the door to the back porch and stepped outside with the kitten. I took this moment to get to the front door while she had her back to me. I quietly made my way out and reconnected the alarm system.

Antonio was leaning against the car when I made my way down the street.

“Feeling better?” He asked, making me stop before I could get inside the car.

I looked back at the house, feeling more at ease now that I had got to see and hold her. I gave him a brief nod before we drove away.

sixty-nine

Althaia

“Kiara!” I yelled after her when she once again ran over to the neighbor’s house.

I had found Kiara all by herself when I had gone for a small walk on the beach. Out of nowhere, she ran to me. I looked around to see if she belonged to anyone, but she was just a stray kitten.

She was all alone, and my heart couldn’t take it. I took her in, nurtured her, fed her, and she turned into the happiest and most affectionate little kitten I had ever met. She gave me a purpose again.

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