Inhale and exhale.
The cycle repeated. It was vicious, torturous.
But I couldn’t stop, and this… this would become my nightly routine.
Sleep came in fragments, and some nights, my dreams and memories blurred together. Every time I drifted too far, the cry found me again, dragging me back to reality with empty arms.
Over and over.
The endless nights were my enemy. Silence was the loudest of all, because war raged within me, explosive and loud, while its thorns dug into my skin and drew blood.
I was desperate to reach my baby, but the more I tried, the harder they wrapped around my heart and my throat, making it impossible to breathe.
I jolted awake, my skin slick with sweat. My breaths came fast and shallow, as if I’d been running from something I couldn’t escape.
I blinked, confused, my eyes darting around the dark room, searching with motherly instinct. The space beside me was empty.
My heart lurched, the loss of it stealing my breath away. But then everything shifted.
For the first time in a decade, she was close. Here, almost within my reach.
I could throw off the covers and walk down the hall. I could stand in the doorway and watch her sleep.
Except, if I got caught, I might be sent away. So, I stayed put and blinked my tears back, staring at the ceiling and telling myself my nightmare might soon end.
TWENTY-ONE
LYKOS
Isat in my office and stared at the amber liquid of my untouched glass, seeking solace between these walls. I had tons of work to do: reviewing numbers from my real estate businesses all over the world, checking on the status of all my illegal shipments, and now, figuring out what the deal was with this Obsidian Society.
But all I could think about was Violet, Violet, and more Violet.
Two days had passed, and I’d been avoiding her like the plague. Unfortunately, my—our—daughter didn’t. She had been actively seeking her out, which brought up conflicting feelings within me. On one hand, I wanted Aria to have a motherly figure and a woman to talk to, but on the other, I was terrified that Violet would decide that she didn’t want anything to do with her and turn her back on her again. Or that she would take Aria away from me and leave me behind without a second thought.
Dropping my head, I let the years of unbearable solitude slide through me.
I vowed when I got married that I would be a faithful husband. A good and kind husband. No matter what. I failed spectacularly.
Of course, I couldn’t have predicted what the future had in store for us.
But apparently, the shame associated with failing my wife remained despite all the excuses I could list. And Violet had seen right through them.
Damn the woman.
The door to my office swung open and I straightened in my chair as Salvatore sauntered in.
“Don’t despair,” he greeted. “Your buddy’s here.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. “You’re still here?”
“Of course,” he deadpanned. “I want to make sure my plan succeeds.”
Salvatore and I were close in age, but fuck, I felt so much older than him.
“Fuck you and your plan,” I grumbled. “And how many times do I have to tell you to knock before you enter my office?”
He grinned. “Tell me at least one more time.”
