the phone. I let the moisture build up in my eyes, making my vision slightly blurry.
“Thank god…” She sniffed.
Martina stopped crying.
“I was so worried. I couldn’t sleep…I couldn’t eat.”
“Well, when we get off the phone, you should do those things. You need to rest. You need to eat.”
“Okay…”
“Martina needs you to be strong for her.”
“I know…”
I listened to her quiet sniffles slowly fade away. “Bates said I’ll be here for a few days. After that, we’ll head home.”
“You’re going to be okay?”
“Just a few scratches and bruises.”
“Cato.”
I sighed into the phone. “I lost a lot of blood. Broke some ribs. Have fractures in my arms. I’m in bad shape, but it won’t kill me. It’ll be a while before I recover.”
She sighed in relief. “Good…I’m glad you’ll be okay. I’ve been so worried.”
“I know. The worst is over.”
“Yes…” She sighed into the phone, her pain still audible.
I wanted to tell her how I felt, to tell her that I loved her from the bottom of my heart. But I didn’t want to do it over the phone. That was why I wanted her to visit me, so I could have the opportunity to do this right. “Bates told me you killed Damien.”
“Yeah…I did.”
“You’re one hell of a woman.”
She stayed quiet.
“I’m not happy you did that…but I’m proud of you for pulling it off.”
“I don’t care if you’re mad at me, Cato. I would have done it a million times. I wasn’t going to let you stay down there. I knew if I didn’t get away, you would find a way to rescue me.”
While being Damien’s plaything in the meantime. “You cut off his dick?”
“Right at the base.”
“That’s my baby.”
“I’m glad he’s gone. It was such a relief to watch him die…to know he couldn’t bother us ever again. I needed revenge for what he did to you. Seeing you so weak…it broke my heart. It broke my heart more than losing my mother or my father. This was a whole new kind of pain…I can’t even describe it.”
“I know.”
“It was so hard leaving Martina behind, but I knew I had to do it. If I didn’t come back, she would understand one day.”
She would understand her mother sacrificed herself to save her father. What could be more romantic than that? “It’s over now, so we don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
“I’ll feel better when I see your face…when I can touch you.”
“Me too.”
“What do we do when you’re released from the hospital?”
There was only one thing on the agenda. “We return to Tuscany and finish this.”
“Take out Micah and the rest?”
“Yes. We’ll work with our allies to bring him down. Now, we’ve declared war. Only there won’t be two sides. It’ll only be us annihilating them. Micah will go into his bunker for a while where we can’t get to him. But when he comes out, which he will, we’ll hit him hard. Then it’ll be over for good.”
“I can’t wait until that moment comes. We can finally be free.”
“Yes.” I would make sure nothing happened to the three of us ever again. I would annihilate my enemies, and they would know not to mess with me again. I was an enemy you didn’t want to have. “How’s our girl?”
“She’s very fussy. We’re in a new place, and her father isn’t here. I think she’s just uncomfortable.”
“I’ll see her soon.”
“She knows. She knows you love her too.”
She wasn’t the only one I loved. “You feel safe there with Giovanni? I can send Bates to you.”
“No, we’re fine. We’re just counting the moments until you’re out of there.”
I wanted to stay on the phone with her forever, but Bates walked back into the room. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Alright. Bye.”
I hung up and returned the phone.
“How is she?” Bates asked.
“Better now that she knows I’m okay.”
“Good. I know she’s eager to see you.”
“I’m eager to see her too.” As much as I wanted her here with me, I preferred to keep her safe. I was the target, not her. So, as long as she wasn’t near me, nothing should happen to her.
“How’s Martina?”
“Siena says she’s fussy.”
“Probably misses you.”
“I know she does,” I whispered.
Bates leaned back in the chair and relaxed. “Claw is on board with us. Said he’ll help us destroy Micah if we only make him pay back half of the loans.”
“That’s fine.” I didn’t care about money right now. I didn’t care about pride. I just wanted Micah to be gone in whatever way possible. “I don’t care.”