Page 68 of Fall into Savagery

“There’s someone nicer than you, Daddy?” Dmitriy asked in disbelief.

Mikhail made a small noise that was a mix between a cough and a laugh.

I glared at him before schooling my expression and looking back at Dmitriy. Konstantin had pulled away from Mikhail and walked to us, standing beside his brother.

Dmitriy wrapped his arms around his brother immediately, as if this was instinct, and he had to protect his brother from everything wrong in this world.

I took in the gesture but didn’t comment on that.

I nodded. “Oh, yeah. She’s the nicest person I know. She doesn’t talk much, but she’s very pretty. And she’s wanted to meet you guys for a long time now.”

I looked up at Catalina to see her eyes shining with unshed tears. But she was smiling. The heavy pressure on my chest lifted marginally at the sight.

I held my hand out to her, and when she grabbed it, I pulled her down with me.

She took in the boys.

I held my breath when she opened her mouth.

“Hi-hi, boys,” she said softly.

My eyes met Damien's.

We didn’t think she would talk to them, which was okay. But she was making an effort now, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.

Dmitriy and Konstantin looked at each other before turning to her.

“Do you and Daddy love each other?” Dmitriy asked, looking from Catalina to me with wide eyes.

I smiled and turned to her.

Catalina blushed and looked away for a beat before she brought her eyes back to the boys, nodding.

“We do,” she said, her voice sure and firm.

I nodded. I was glad she could see how fucking desperately, possessively, and obsessively I loved her. I didn’t say it often—fuck, not often enough—but I hoped my actions spoke for me. I hoped she could see there was very little I wouldn’t do for her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist. She moved in closer to me.

It felt like forever ago since she let me hold her like this. I knew a part of her was still so angry at me for tying her up, and fuck, a part of me was angry at her for throwing herself headfirst into the danger.

I tried not to restrict her freedom more than necessary, but by allowing this, I allowed her the chance to follow us to Damien’s rescue, where she could have been taken from me at any moment.

I should have fucking tied her up again.

I let out a deep breath and buried my face in the crook of her neck.

One of my boys pulled on my shirt.

I pulled away and looked at them.

Pointing at the silent man behind me, I said, “Boys, your other Uncle. Now, he might look scary, but really, he’s just a big teddy bear, especially when it comes to children.”

And that was true enough.

Everyone knew Damien as the Russian Psychopath, but they didn’t know how soft he was for children. His torturing Luca wasn’t for me. Damien would have just killed the other man and called it a day if it was.

No, he tortured Luca for the little boy he discovered Luca had been keeping in his basement.

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