Page 188 of Fall into Savagery

I looked around my surroundings as I waited for him to gather his thoughts.

“I’m retiring,” he said finally.

I paused. “What?”

“I’m retiring,” he repeated.

So, I didn’t hear him wrong the first time.

“Retiring? Like Bianchi is allowing you to do that?”

He laughed. There was nothing humorous about it. “That was a part of our deal. I help him take over the west, and he creates a safe passage for me to retire. For your mom and me.”

He said the last part quietly, but I heard him loud and clear.

“She’s with you?”

“Yes. We’re going away. And we won’t ever contact anyone from this life again. It has to be this way. You understand, right?”

My eyes glazed over at a small tree in the open field. Catalina had planted it herself when we first moved in.

“Yeah,” I said finally. “I understand.”

“Good. I just wanted to let you know. Do you want to talk to her?”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah.”

“Hold on.”

For the one long second it took her to come on the phone, I thought about her features. Similar blue eyes to my own, a delicate nose and small lips, always curved in a smile. That was how I wanted to remember her for the rest of my life.

I hadn’t spoken to or seen her since that time we visited her years ago. And I knew this would be the very last time. She deserved the peace and happiness she would find in this next chapter with Ricci by her side.

I knew the moment she came on. I could hear her soft breathing through the line.

“I love you,” I said without thinking. A small gasp hit my ear, telling me she was crying. She didn’t say anything. “I hope you’ll be happy and at peace. And I’ll try to be the same. Okay?”

Nothing happened for a moment. Then, her voice came through, and I felt like my heart was breaking and being glued together all at once. I rubbed my chest when I felt a small pinch there.

“I love you too, baby.”

I smiled and closed my eyes. “I know.”

And then I hung up.

I took a moment for myself before I made my way back inside the house.

I headed straight to Catalina’s room, where I knew everyone was.

Catalina caught my eyes first. She was sitting on Nikolay’s lap, her eyes soft, probably from laughing about something Nikolay said while Damien massaged her feet.

I took in the scene and felt my heart lighten.

She smiled and waved me over.

I didn’t hesitate.

I joined them in bed.

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