Page 398 of Savage Bosses

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

An image of Bryce’s smiling face flashed in her mind. The memory brought tears to her eyes. She clutched her chest, feeling sick with guilt.

“Distance,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion as the decision solidified in her mind. “He’s been distant lately because that’s what he needs, distance. I need to give him that. Seeing me will only make him remember what he’s done. That’s probably the real reason behind their abrupt trip to Italy. Hearing my voice will only make him sadder, which is probably why he doesn’t have much to say when we talk on the phone each night. I’m no longer his light, no longer his moral compass. I’m now the reason he’s riddled with guilt. He just doesn’t know how to say it. He just doesn’t know how to end it.” A strangled sob almost escaped her. She held it in. “I need to leave this town... for both our sakes.”

An overwhelming sense of loss washed over Tatianna as she resolved to distance herself from the man she loved in order to keep him from looking at her and remembering what he’d done. But how could she tell him she was leaving?

How could she find the words to explain that she needed to walk away without revealing the truth about why she was leaving? She didn’t want him to know that Melinda had told her the truth. She knew for a fact that his worst fear was for her to see him as a monster. If she revealed to him that she knew his secret, that would devastate him.

“Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t know I’m leaving,” she thought, her fingers absently tracing the outline of a heart on the countertop. “It’ll hurt less if he thinks I’m just... gone. Won’t it?”

Ugh, she didn’t know. Would he even want to talk about it if she questioned him? What if she told him she wanted to go, and he simply said okay? What if he was already done with her and just hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell her?

What if that was why he was being distant?Shit. She couldn’t think straight right now. It would be best if she slept on it. That night, Tatianna lay in bed, unable to sleep, as she stared at her phone, waiting for Bryce to call. But he didn’t call. So, she called him, because leaving without talking wasn’t the answer.

No matter how scared she was, she had to hear it from him. Did he still want her, or was he now disgusted by the mere thought of her? She needed to know. But when she called, he didn’t answer. She cried herself to sleep that night. The following day, she tried calling Bryce again, knowing there was a time difference but also knowing he’d call her back when he saw the missed call. He didn’t answer, neither did he call back.

With a heavy heart, Tatianna began packing her belongings, her hands shaking as she folded her clothes and carefully placed them into a suitcase. As she packed, she let the memories of her time with Bryce wash over her: the warmth of his embrace, the taste of his kisses, and the laughter they’d shared late into the night.

Each memory felt like a dagger to her heart. She fought back tears as she zipped the suitcase closed. Again, she checked her phone. No missed calls. Seated at her corner desk, she logged into her computer and typed a letter of resignation, which she emailed to the manager of Southern Heat.

She then called her mom and told her everything, knowing her mother wouldn’t tell her dad or the Cattaneos. Her mother may be a diva, a bit crazy, and quick-tempered, but she’d always protected Tati fiercely. And she’d always taken Tati’s side.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” her mom said. “Don’t worry about your dad. I’ll tell him you decided to go study cooking abroad. Maybe you should do just that.”

“I don’t want Bryce to find me.”Would he even bother to come looking for her?

“Sweetie, he’s a Cattaneo. If he wants to find you, he will find you.”

“Is there nothing you can do? Uncle Rory has been off the radar for a decade. Dad said you helped him escape the FBI.”

“Remember the rule, dear. We don’t talk about my brother. Ever.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, mom.”

“It's okay. Tati, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, Bryce didn’t actually do anything wrong. Had I known it was Marco who attacked you, I would’ve hired someone to kill him.”

“Mom, don’t say that out loud.”

“You’re right. You never know who’s listening. Let me think. Um… I have a friend who may be able to help. His son is good with fake IDs. And he helped me in the past with He Who Must Not Be Named.”

Uncle Rory.

“How long will it take? I want to leave tonight.”

“My sweet, naïve child, there’s no way you can leave tonight. It will take a couple of days at least. Maybe longer.”

A couple of days? Maybe that would be okay. Bryce wouldn’t be home for another two weeks.

“Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up in the morning. And sweetie, you can hide from Bryce. But you can’t hide from me. I must know where you are at all times. I swear I won’t tell anyone,” her mom promised. “Not even your father.”

“I know, mom. I’m going to go to bed now. I’m tired.”

“Wait, Tati.”

“Yes, mom?”

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