I grabbed the rag I’d set aside earlier, still warm, and cleaned her gently with smooth, careful strokes. She hummed, eyes closing as I pressed a kiss to her thigh before pulling the blanket over her.
When I climbed into bed beside her, I didn’t just pull her close—I dragged her to me. Chest to chest, her head tucked under my chin, her scent branding my skin. My hand settled on her hip, thumb tracing circles, relishing in the warmth of her.
“You’re mine,” I whispered into her hair.
She didn’t argue.
Her breathing steadied against my ribs. And even though I wanted to stay in that quiet, in that softness she never gave anyone else, my thoughts took me somewhere I didn’t want to go.
The comfort of her body made it harder to face.
She deserved to know the truth—the parts of me I’d tried hard to bury. The pieces that made me the monster I never wanted her to see.
Chapter 53
CEZAR
“Tell me about your mom, Cezar.” Lina snuggled closer. I wanted to tell her—almost everything. It was a painful topic, memories stained with darkness. Before my thoughts could spiral too far, she cut in softly, “What was her favorite food?”
She smiled, and for a second, I questioned if I’d ever known what a real smile even looked like.
“Meatloaf,” I admitted. The gasp that flew out of her made me laugh. “Yeah. She loved that shit. But she always made me something else on the side because she knew how much I hated it.”
Lina squeezed my hand. “What was her name?”
“Fiora.”
It had been years since I’d talked about her. My brothers never broached the topic. Sometimes, I tried with Codrin—but he’d shut down immediately.
The pain I felt was almost as raw as when it all happened. I didn’t want to sit in it, but part of me needed Lina to understand just how monstrous my father really was. I didn’t know her long-term motives—not fully—but I couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt because of him.
Not her.
“Lina… Lina—” My voice cracked, and she grabbed my face, like she knew exactly how close I was to fucking drowning.
“Cezar, don’t force it. If it hurts this much, don’t push yourself. Tell me only if you want to. Not because you feel like you have to.” Her smile faded. “I know you are hurting, and as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes it does help to talk.”
I buried my face in her hair and breathed her in.
“You sound like Dorin,” I muttered. “But you’re right. It hurts to talk about. And I never get to talk about her. I want to tell you about my mom… just—bear with me.” I sucked in a breath, chest tight.
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
She calmed my senses.
“My mom… was the best. She loved my brothers and me more than anything.” The words came out blunt, flat. “I was young when she was murdered.”
Even knowing how we lived, Lina’s whole body went rigid. For a moment, she made no sound at all.
“I always knew what my father was,” I continued. “He took everything out on me, or at least I thought so. I didn’t know he was hurting her, too. For a long time, I thought our house was normal.” My throat tightened. “When I was eleven, she came into my room in the middle of the night and told me to get up. Told me to pack. I trusted her without asking questions.”
My voice trembled harder the deeper I fell into the memory, every word leading me back to that night.
“She said she was going to get my brothers next, and then we’d all leave together. Before she walked out, she whispered, ‘I love you, my sweet child. Don’t ever change.’”
I sat up with a grunt, shifting Lina with me. “Feel like I’m going to throw up.” I tried to breathe through the nausea while the past replayed in my head.
She was rubbing my arms, saying something, but it all sounded like gibberish. I couldn’t focus on anything except the memories until she cradled my face and kissed me.
