Relief.
Hope.
“Shh,” I croon and rub my hands up and down her back. “I’ve got you, baby. Let it out.”
“I didn’t kn-know, this wh-whole time.” She takes a shuddering breath. “If she was even alive.”
“I know.”
“But sheis.”
“Yes, sweetheart. She is. And we’re going to get her back with you, where she belongs.”
Her arms tighten around my shoulders, and she continues to cry, and all I can do is keep holding her. Rocking her, brushing her hair with my fingers.
“We’re getting so close, baby.” I press kisses to her forehead. “So close. It won’t be too long now.”
“None of this would be possible without you.” She swallows and takes another ragged breath, but the sobs are slowing. “You’ve done this.”
“It’s a team effort.” I brush my lips back and forth over her forehead. “You have a whole army behind you now, and we won’t fail you on this.”
“I think I lost hope years ago,” she admits softly. “Even though I never stopped looking, with each year that passed, it felt more and more hopeless. And now, I have it again.”
“I will get her back for you,” I promise, tipping her chin up so I can brush her tears away. “I will do whatever I have to do to make sure she’s safe and back with you.”
“I don’t deserve?—”
“Stop.” I press my finger to her lips. “Don’t go down that spiral, Savage. You deserveeverything, including your sister in your life and safe from a tyrant.”
She blows out a breath and then leans on me. “Can we go home now?”
“Anything you want, baby.”
Twenty-Seven
VIOLET
Iclung to Mateo on the back of the bike during the short ride back to his building. The wind felt good against my skin, drying the tears that still fall.
It’s as though a dam has burst, and I just can’t get it to stop flowing. Seeing pictures of my sister, taken justweeksago, was surreal. She’s thinner than before, her eyes filled with resignation, and when I saw that her lip was split, it filled me with so much rage that I wanted to fuck someone up.
I still do.I need to sweat and punch the bag. I don’t want to go back to the penthouse and wallow and cry and feel sorry for myself.
Mateo parks the bike, and I swing my leg over and climb off, and he does the same. I pull my helmet off, another gift that he gave me earlier today, and pass it to him.
“Will you please take this upstairs?” He frowns at me and I lick my lips. “I’m going to go to the gym for a while. I’ll be back later.”
He’s already shaking his head.
“I can’t let you go anywhere by yourself. It’s late, and I can’t let you get hurt, Savage.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m going to be real with you right now. I’mangry, and I’m looking for a fight, and if you don’t want me to take it out on you, you’ll let me go.”
“You can take it out on me,” he replies easily. “Come on, I have a gym in this building.”
He turns to walk away, and even the sure set of his broad-as-fuck shoulders irritates me right now.
“I’m not good company, Mateo.”