Chapter Forty-Five
Tristan
I only left her when I was sure she was okay and I made sure I had a man watching the house. Just outside. Not inside because I didn’t want to disturb the air of freedom Isabella spoke of.
I’ll be back later to help her pack what she wants and we’ll head back to LA in a few days.
I’m on my way back to the house we rented. We had some casualties on our side but nothing close to what the Mortimer and his men suffered.
Our main people got out alive. What a fucking battle though. These past years have seen us in battles that were life or death.
The ones where you know if you make it out once you hope to never experienced anything like it again. Having it happen twice and making it out again changes you.
I saw how my brothers had my back and I feel that trust is restored between us.
I don’t know what will happen next but I know I have to be on the lookout for it.
One thing I promised myself though is that I’m not going to spend my days consumed with rage and allow life to pass me by. I’m not going to spend every waking hour thinking of revenge the way I have for the last six years.
I won’t do that to myself because things have changed for me and I’m about to be a father. I won’t allow myself to take anything from my girl and my kid, and that means stealing happiness.
I’ll be ready for what comes next but what I do from here on will define me.
I want a chance at happiness too and I want that light I promised Isabella. More than anything I want it with her.
I walk into the house and Massimo rushes down the stairs. There’s a panic in his eyes that tells me something else is going on. instantly I think of Candace.
“What’s happened? Is Candace okay?”
“Yeah, Candace is fine…” he runs a hand over his beard and glances over at the window. When he looks to me again the panic turns to sadness.
“What’s going on Massimo?”
“Dominic’s gone,” he answers and my chest tightens.
“No… what? Maybe he…” I can’t think of what to say. My brain scrabbles in a gamut of confusion because Dominic wouldn’t just leave like that. “Massimo, he wouldn’t do that.”
“He has. He left me this,” he says holding up a little note. “He left one for you too in the bedroom. I woke up and found mine next to my pillow. I’ve been looking around for him ever since. Looks like he must have left in the early hours of the morning.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Tristan… you had other important things to tend to, and I knew… I wasn’t going to find him. I’ve never lived a day without knowing where you guys are. All I can do is hope he comes back soon, and that wherever he is he’ll be okay.” He rests a heavy hand on my shoulder and gives me an uneasy smile. “Go read your letter. You should read it.”
I walk up the stairs with a heavy heart and I see the letter on the nightstand.
It’s sitting there just waiting for me.
I pick it up and open it hoping it will give me some clue as to where Dominic has gone.
It says:
Dear Tristan,
I know you’re gonna lose your shit when you read this and discover I’m gone.
I know you’ll blame yourself at times for not being able to help me, and I know you’ll be the one who goes looking for me.
Of anybody I’ve ever met you are the most determined person I’ve ever known in my life. You never give up even when it looks like there’s no hope. You also never lose that fight inside you to go after what you want.