Page 29 of Dangerous King
Papà exhales. I can hear his breath shaking. "You sound like your mother. She said the same thing when she married me."
That makes me laugh harder, and I press the heel of my hand against my eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling faster.
"Is Mamma there?" I ask, voice barely holding steady.
"She's right here." A rustle. A moment. Then her voice fills the line, soft, warm, and trembling.
"Tesoro...my baby girl."
"Mamma." My breath breaks. "Mamma.I'm okay."
She's crying. I can hear it. "I can't believe I'm hearing your voice without someone staring over my shoulder. Without having to watch every word."
"I know. I know. Me too."
Then another voice chimes in, bright, quick, breathless. "Cat? Cat! It's me—it's Sabine!"
My little sister. "Sabine." Her name cracks through my lips like a blessing. "I can't believe it's you."
"It'sallof us," she says, her voice hitching on a laugh. "It's me, Lucas, and Nico; we're all here. We've been waiting."
"Lucas?" I ask.
"Right here," comes the deeper voice of my older brother. "I've been dreaming of this moment, Sorella.You sound strong."
I cover my mouth, sobbing now. "I didn't think I'd ever get to say your names out loud."
"We said yours every day," Lucas says. "We never stopped."
"And Nico?"
"Hey, gatto selvatico," a teasing voice drawls. It's sharp and clever and unmistakably Nico—the second-oldest. I can practically hear the smirk in his tone. "Still sneaking around and surviving? Or are you finally going to let someone fight beside you?"
I laugh again, hiccupping through it. "Still sneaking. But I think I might be done running."
"Good," he says. "Because we're done waiting."
Their voices blend together; everyone is talking at once, overlapping, laughing, crying. It's chaotic. Messy. Beautiful. I press the phone harder to my ear, like I could crawl through the speaker and into their arms.
"I want to come to see you," I cry.
"Soon," Papà promises. "They said we're only waiting on some papers, and then they'll take us to you."
"Tell me everything," I whisper. "I want to know everything."
They start talking again. My mother's voice mixes with Sabine's laughter, Nico teases someone in the background, and Lucas tries to speak but gets drowned out in the joyful chaos.
I'm smiling so hard it hurts, and tears slip freely down my cheeks, soaking the collar of my shirt. I want to live in this moment. Freeze it. Breathe it in forever. Way too soon, the door opens softly behind me. Heavy footsteps enter. I turn slightly, still holding the phone close. Enrico steps into the room, slow and quiet. His eyes meet mine across the space. He doesn't speak. He doesn't have to. His eyes say it all. It's time.
"I have to go," I say, in a trembling voice. "But I'll see you soon. I love you all. Vi voglio bene."
The chorus of goodbyes hits me like a warm wave. "We love you, Cat."
"Soon, Sorella."
"We'll be there soon."
I end the call.
