Page 134 of Fall into Savagery

But what could I do?

Damien wasn’t the kind of man to be forced to do anything, and I knew there was nothing I could do to get him to talk to me.

My heart hurt from the thought, feeling like it was cracking.

I could only nod in answer to Mikhail.

I could only give him time.

* * *

I wokeup early the next morning to find that both Damien and Mikhail had left for the day.

Off to run their business and rule the world, as I stayed home.

I barely slept last night and doubted I could fall back asleep now, despite the early hours.

I let out a small sigh.

I didn’t want to grow resentful of the restrictive freedom. I knew it was necessary in our world, but sometimes, most of the time, I envied their freedom.

I envied the privilege they all had of being big scary men in this world, knowing they were hard to kill.

I looked down at the blanket.

Someday, Dmitriy and Konstantin would grow big and strong.

They wouldn’t be looking to me to protect them from everything.

And I didn’t know why the thought made me sad.

I looked around the empty room.

I had spent my night with Mikhail because Damien had left to do something later that night—though I had a feeling he only left to avoid being alone with me.

But I knew without coming out of the room that Mikhail had left for the day, and Damien probably went with him.

I grabbed my phone that had been charging on the nightstand and called Nikolay.

I was sent straight to his voicemail.

Shaking my head, I dropped the phone on the bed in my lap.

I wasn’t surprised by that.

Hopping out of bed, I set to prepare for my day, trying my best not to let it begin on a sour note.

Everything would just work out.

I had to believe that, or else I would drive myself crazy.

The morning passed in a blur, and in the afternoon, getting sick of looking at the four walls, I took the boys and Linda out for lunch as three men followed behind us, Gleb among them.

I didn’t know the other two very well, and they had kept a respectable distance from me from the moment I stepped out of the building with the boys.

I looked behind me before bringing my attention back to the boys, each holding onto my hand.

The sun was beating down on us, and I tried not to let the crowded New York streets get to me.

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