Page 68 of Bears Not Included

I’m even wearing makeup and my hair cascades down my back in loose curls. Veronica keeps saying how beautiful I am. When I look in the mirror at my reflection, I see this other side of me that’s new and different, and I like her.

It’s my first dinner with them after the ritual. My first dinner with them ever. My nerves are properly on fire, and butterflies tug at my stomach. I just don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know about my father….

After Veronica leaves, I still have half an hour until I arrive downstairs for dinner when my phone rings.

My heart sinks to the depths of my soul. The call is from Babs and I immediately panic that something happened to Jimmy. I’m not ready to say goodbye to one of the dearest people I know.

“Babs,” I say, uncertainly. She’s on a video call and I know she never does those kinds of calls. She looks ten years younger in an instant. Her smile is so broad and beautiful that it makes me smile and I don’t even know why. The one thing I’m certain of now is that nothing happened to Jimmy.

“Livia, dear sweet girl. Thank you. Thank you so much. Jimmy and I don’t know how... how can we ever…” Her face starts to crumble, and tears flood her face, but she’s still smiling.

“Babs, what are you saying?” I’m so confused.

“Mr. Walsh transferred... I can’t believe I’m saying this. Mr. Walsh transferred ten million dollars to our account. He said it was a retirement present from you. Livia, you were always our angel. Our light when we needed it most. When we lost Rebecca and found you, you made our hearts a little lighter. And now this? We can retire. Not just retire, we don't have to worry about anything. Wait, Jimmy wants to say something.”

My heart just soars when I see Jimmy’s face on the phone’s screen. He never does things like this.

“Livia,” he says, then he smiles, and I know he can’t say any more, but he does. “Thank you, angel.”

In a split moment, I take everything in. Ten million dollars. Jimmy and Babs can enjoy the time they have left doing whatever they want with no worries. They deserve it. They’re the best, most honest people in the world. It never crosses my mind to want them to give the money back because of whose money it is. I can’t let them do that for me. But the happiness in this elderly couple’s eyes is priceless and I don’t care anymore. They really deserve happiness.

All I’m feeling is so much overwhelming gratitude. I tell Babs I’ll call her back soon and disconnect the call.

I have to thank them. What they did for the Kepplers is not something I could ever, in this lifetime, have done for them myself, even if I tried.

I lift the hem of my gown and immediately go to find them. They aren’t in the dining room hall, but I don’t give up. I know their study is on the ground floor, from something Veronica mentioned before.

It takes me forever to find them, but when I do, a black cloud sucks me in and throws me into the pit of hell. It steals my breath and punishes my lungs until I want to rip out my organs. I wonder if I’m going mad or if it’s a cruel, heinous, and brutal joke at my expense.

What I see eviscerates me down to my core.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Livia

They know I’m there before I can take my next breath. But in that same breath, I can’t unsee what I saw. It’s burned into my brain and will remain there forever.

“Livia,” Callen says, his tone heavy, his brows knitted together, his calm demeanor gone.

“Put it back on,” I say, icily cold. “Put it back on right now.” I’m rooted to the spot, my fists are clenched so tight that the pain in my palm is not enough to trigger me.

“Livia,” Mason says, coming toward me. I step away from him before he can touch me. I don’t want anyone to touch me. Ever. I will never be the same again. Ever.

“Put it back on right now!” I scream, looking at all three of them. I’m disintegrating. I’m barely breathing. My blood has drained from my veins, and I feel like a puppet, standing on the tips of my toes, held up by a fragile string. If I fall, I will fall to my death.

“Put it back on.” They won’t keep this from me unless they drag me out by my hair and kill me. My tone belies that sentiment because it’s the only thing that prompts them.

Deacon clicks a button. On the monitor on the desk, I see a nightmare unfold.

I can’t help but see the time flickering on the screen. This has already happened. It happened last night… while I was being nurtured and worshiped, warm, safe, and protected. While I was being taken into strong arms and held so tightly, somewhere else something unthinkable, cruel, and monstrous was happening.

A man fills the screen. He’s wearing a purple silk shirt with a thick layer of chains around his neck. His hair is messy, and he looks evil.

I’ve never met him before. I’ve never seen him before either but I know who he is.

Kirill Yenin.

The man I should be marrying. He turns away from the camera and faces a woman in a chair.

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