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He couldn’t understand that the only way for our family to ever be together was to destroy the Blackwoods.
Danika walked toward me, hugging both Cas and I, while her entire body shook.
“Mama loves you, my darling boy,” she murmured, pressing her lips to Cas’s chubby cheek. “I love you so so much.”
God, I couldn’t do this.
“I’m not leaving you because I want to leave you,” she continued, breaking my heart over and over again with every new word. “But because I have to. For now,” she added. “And Dada loves you.”
Was this what heartbreak felt like? The lack of oxygen, the need to simply fall to the ground and weep for days on end, because it felt like my life was ending. My heart was breaking for our family.
Our little unit.
“I love you so much, son.” My voice broke, my lips pressed to his head. “I’ll always love you.”
But we had to do this. As much as I hated it, I knew we had to do it. There was no other way.
Like a band-aid, right?
Danika moved from me just as I started moving toward Gabriel, handing Casimir over. Our little boy grabbed the collar of Gabriel’s shirt, staring at him in wonder before he smiled brightly. That was Casimir’s thing—he loved strangers.
Hell, he loved everyone. In the moment when Gabriel smiled back at him, I knew our son was going to be okay. For now.
But we would go back for him. That was a promise I intended to keep.
“Take care of my son, Gabriel,” I said, taking a step back and then two, until I stood next to Danika who was barely holding herself upright. “We will come back for him.”
“I know.” Gabriel nodded. “And we will be waiting.”
I wrapped my arm around Danika’s middle as Gabriel started walking away from us, his eyes holding a thousand promises I hoped he would keep—the most important one being the well-being of our son.
Danika shuddered the further away they went, as if each step was a physical blow to her, and I couldn’t imagine how she felt during this time.
“Dani—”
“Promise me we will destroy him,” she blurted out through gritted teeth, just as she tilted her head up, looking at me. “Promise me we will level Judah Blackwood, destroying everything he holds dear.”
There were promises I knew I couldn’t keep, but this one—this one was the one that wasn’t just a promise, but a vow.
“I promise, baby girl.” Her lips parted, her rosy cheeks and misty eyes breaking everything inside me. And as my lips sealed over hers, drowning in her pain, giving her everything I had, I knew I would do everything possible to get my family back.
One way or another.
We wouldn’t be forgotten.
THE END
