Chapter 7 #2
“Catherine,” Kassie said gently. Her eyes filled with tears as she rushed to her best friend’s side and held her close.
“It’s not fair. He can’t leave us now. We have a baby on the way,” Catherine wept. “How can I keep his memory alive if I feel like strangling him right now?”
“Anyone who knows him will expect nothing less from you,” Kassie teased and giggled. “I’m guessing you read his letter?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding and taking the tissue Kassie grabbed from the bedside. “Did you read yours yet?”
Kassie swallowed. “No. I planned to do it tonight. Something came up. Victoria rushed back to Ireland. She called Texas and asked for help. Someone kidnapped Tori’s mom, Katie. She thinks it’s the rival mafia family. They know all her men, and she’s asked the team to assist her.”
“Oh my gosh, Kassie. You must be worried sick. You talk to Katie at least once a week and send her photos,” Catherine said, sniffling.
“I’m terrified for her. I’ve asked Matthew to help,” she said. “I know they’ll find her.”
“Still, it must be scary,” Catherine said sadly.
“We’ll get through it. It’s my job to keep my daughter safe.
Victoria has men headed our way for added protection.
She’s calling Whiskey and Bear as we speak.
I feel damn helpless. Leo goes missing, and we can only sit here and wait.
Katie gets kidnapped, and I must stay on my guard for my daughter’s sake. ”
Catherine nodded as she picked up the letter, neatly folded it, and put it back in the envelope. “It’s time you read yours. If you want, you can take it in the other room for privacy.”
“I have nothing to hide from you,” Kassie said, shaking her head. “I didn’t want the kids to see me.”
“I know. Melody’s struggling with all this,” Catherine said pensively.
Kassie opened her bag and took out the envelope. She peered wearily at Catherine as she ripped it open and took out the contents.
Like Catherine, she steeled herself for what Leo wrote and then read.
PITA,
You’re still the little sister I never had and still a pain in my ass.
I know you will care for my family, but I have another favor to ask.
Since you’ve hung around Victoria, you’ve adopted her attitude.
Use it to keep Kit Kat motivated. Don’t let her wallow in grief.
I know I’ve placed a big responsibility on her, and I’m asking a lot of you.
I can’t be there for her, and it kills me.
Knowing you and Doc will help her pick up the pieces eases my worries.
I know my men won’t let me down, but you know her the best.
Thank you for supporting my teams. I’m grateful for the life and gifts you’ve given me. You’ve done more for me than any of my so-called family ever did. Take care of your little circus with all your monkeys and know I’m watching over you.
Please continue our legacy and save as many people as possible.
Everyone deserves a place like Serenity.
If anyone can do it, you can. I love you, PITA.
I’m glad Kit Kat has you to lean on when she’s struggling.
Make her move forward and live a happy life.
It’s my greatest wish for her. She has a lot of respect for you, and you’ll be the one who will make her listen to reason. Love you, PITA.
Your Big Brother,
Leo
Kassie folded it up and put it away as she cried. “Now I’m mad at him. I want to punch him in the gut,” she sniffled.
“I know how you feel,” Catherine commiserated. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“Anything,” Kassie insisted. “You only need to ask.”
“We need another meeting with the team. It’s time they returned home. Leo considers his family his biggest accomplishment, and those men are losing time with theirs. Sparky recently married. She needs time with her husband,” Catherine explained.
“You want them to come home?” Kassie asked, stunned. “They haven’t found Leo.”
Catherine sat quietly for a minute, gathering her thoughts.
“I’m sure Leo asked you to support me. He wants us to move forward.
If my husband lived, he’d find a way to alert his team.
My daughter needs closure. She’s struggling.
Her grades have slipped, and she’s trying to remember everything about Leo because she’s afraid she’ll forget about him.
Melody deserves to enjoy her childhood, not play second parent because she feels her mom can’t handle it. ”
“Melody’s hurting. Once things settle down, she knows we’ll be here for you,” Kassie insisted.
“For how long?”
“What?” Kassie asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“How long will you continue coming here and letting Chase put your kiddos to bed? When will you realize your husband has needs and wants you home in his bed? Didn’t you once tell me you two agreed to put your family above all else? How can you do it if you’re here with me?”
“But you need me?—”
“No matter how long you try to prolong the hurt, I have to feel it at some point,” Catherine whispered.
“We have to face facts, Leo doesn’t have nine lives.
He survived the awful mission, which cost him Whiskey.
Then, we lost the entire team in a horrible helo crash.
How many times do you think he can survive? ”
“He has a fifty-fifty shot,” Kassie argued. “Each mission holds its own dangers.”
“True. But he’s my husband, and he’s asked me to move forward,” she said with a shaky breath. “I’ll never love anyone else, but I can honor his wishes. If he went to all this trouble to hire a different attorney and do all this, he must’ve felt something might go wrong. We need to call them home.”
Kassie drew a shattered breath before nodding. “Of course, I’ll support your decision. I’ll talk to Chase and Whiskey. Then, I’ll reach out to Victoria and Ivan.”
“Thank you,” she murmured as tears ran down her cheeks. “I can’t imagine a life without him.”
Kassie held her hand as they cried together. Their loss didn’t require words. They’d somehow go on without him.