Page 122 of Fall into Savagery

That had sealed her fate.

I didn’t want to let her go.

Couldn’t let her go, even if Damien hadn’t become as obsessed with her as he was now.

Fuck. I could still remember it with full clarity.

Could remember how her eyes had taken in every one of my features in equal measures of both fascination and wariness.

My dick had hardened at the sight of her blushing cheeks, her wide eyes that spoke of innocence that I wanted to tarnish.

I leaned down and molded my lips around hers, and on those rare occasions, I kissed her sweetly to show her that I could be a sweet man for her.

I could be soft and weak in her hands.

I could be anything she wanted me to be. Like a fucking sculpture in Picasso’s hands.

She gasped when I nudged her lips with my tongue, opening her mouth and letting me in. We both moaned as my tongue glided against hers, taking in her taste.

I would only be gone for a few days, but not having her close by would be like the harshest form of torture.

Her hands moved to my waist, and she gripped me there tightly as if she didn’t want to let me go, and I knew she didn’t.

I knew she was still feeling the aftereffect of Damien being taken from us. Knew she had probably convinced herself that if I walked out that door, it could be the last time she saw me, and fuck, I hated that so much.

I hated that she was already feeling so shaky regarding our safety. This was no way to live, but there was no other way around it.

Our world was dangerous.

Catalina knew this better than anyone else, considering she had been used as a pawn her entire life.

And fuck, but some part of me didn’t want to leave her.

Didn’t want to leave my kids.

A scuffling noise caught my attention then, and we pulled away just as Konstantin and Dmitriy ran into view.

Catalina smiled as the boys attacked us, holding onto our legs.

“Daddy, do you have to go?” Dmitriy asked, looking more like his age. He had spent most of his life trying to protect his brother that his age sometimes passed over my mind.

But he sounded like a nine-year-old now.

I bent down and carried them both in my arms. Konstantin wrapped his arms around my neck right away.

Catalina looked up at me in between them.

Three sets of innocent eyes focused on me, reminding me I needed to return home to them no matter what.

Her bottom lip trembled, and I made a small protesting noise at the back of my throat. “Princess, don’t look like that. I’ll only be gone for a couple of days. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Doubtful,” she muttered.

I smiled a little and turned to my boys. “You are to be good for Daddy, okay? And I’ll bring back presents when I return.”

“You promise, Daddy?” Konstantin asked.

I nodded. Yeah, I didn’t think I would forget the presents, but he surprised me when he added, “You’ll return to us soon?”

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