The Lost Souls (The Holy Trinity #2.5)(30)

I love you.





Chapter Sixteen


Nico watched as Xan walked through camp, shouldering two large duffel bags. Knowing Xan, he could guess what was in them. One was undoubtedly full of weapons, most of them self-made or lethally altered by Xan himself, and the other would be full of his and Trinity’s belongings. Not long ago, Xan had decided he was leaving camp in an attempt to find Trinity. It was a shot in the dark and everyone knew it, but everyone also knew Xan wouldn’t be Xan again until he found his wife.

Because Xan couldn’t let go.

After slinging his bags into the back of the waiting van, Xan turned around, watching as the rest of his small group said good-bye to their families.

Nico studied the others who were leaving with him—Fifi, Adriana, Simionce, Nadya, Onyx, and Pesha. It was an odd mix of people, ones who had very little previous interaction with one another. But it was an odd world they’d found themselves forced to live in, and Nico supposed they all had their reasons for wanting to leave. But that didn’t mean he was happy about it. In fact, he hated this—all the death and destruction, but most of all he hated the separation of his clan, a clan who’d stood strong against the world for hundreds of years.

“You’re going to miss him.”

Nico glanced to his side where Becki had appeared, and tried to smile at her. Things were strained between them; she’d thwarted every attempt he’d made at trying to turn their marriage into something more than just two people living with each other, more than just sex.

“Yeah,” he whispered. He was going to miss Xan. They’d always been friends, but it wasn’t until Shandor had been killed that they’d grown closer. Xan was like a brother to him.

“Go say good-bye,” Becki said. “You know we’re probably never going to see him again, right?”

Yeah. He knew.

“Frate!” he yelled. “Wait up!”

Jogging across camp, he reached Xan and slapped him hard across the back. “You know I’d go, right?” he said. “If I didn’t have my own responsibilities now.”

Xan glanced over toward where Becki still stood, and smiled.

“Don’t ever leave her, frate,” Xan muttered. “Fat? deserves some peace.”

If only Xan knew, that it wasn’t him leaving her that he was worried about.

“You don’t gotta worry about that,” Nico said.

Grinning, Xan crooked a finger in Becki’s direction. “Come here, surioar?,” he called out to her, “and say good-bye to me.”

Becki crossed the lawn quickly and all but fell into Xan’s waiting arms. Nico felt a sliver of jealousy slither through his gut. Not jealousy of Xan per se, but jealous because everything with her was always such a struggle. He was sick of fighting with her just to get a hug.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Becki whispered to Xan. “None of it. Not the botched raid, not Shandor’s death, and not losing Trinity.”

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Xan released her and smiled sadly. “You take care of that copil, fat?,” he said.

Becki tried to smile through her threatening tears. “You’re coming back, right?”

“Yeah, fat?,” he said. Clearing his throat, he looked away. “I’m coming back.”

Nico grabbed his arm before he could walk off and pulled him into a hug. To his surprise, Xan hugged him back. “You’re a bad f*ckin’ liar, Deleanu,” he whispered. “Te iubesc, frate.”

“Te iubesc, frate,” Xan answered. “Now, get the f*ck off me before your wife thinks you’re sportin’ a hard-on for me.”

As Xan walked off, Nico felt his chest tighten with emotion. He was losing everything. He’d lost his father, his brother, countless friends, and now this. It was official; when they should have been their strongest, his clan had fallen apart. Feeling emptier than he’d ever felt before, he grabbed Becki’s hand, seeking comfort. She tried to pull away at first, but he refused her. He just need a couple of minutes of consolation. Was holding his hand too much to ask?

“They’ll be fine,” Maisera said as the rest of the families, the ones who had come to say good-bye, began to gather around Nico and Becki. The elderly women, unlike everyone else, stood tall and strong, watching as the small group piled into the van.

“Jericho told me this would happen,” she continued. “He spoke of it back in the Catskills.”

“He told you our children would leave us?” Kizzy asked tearfully. Nico felt for her, he really, truly felt for her. Not only had she lost her eldest son, Shandor, but her youngest had just left.

Maisera shook her head. “No, child. He told me many would die and that some would leave. But he also told me we would all be together again, some within this lifetime and others in the next.”

Becki’s hand yanked from his, and he turned to find her wiping tears from her cheeks. He reached for her, but she dodged his arm and went hurrying off.

Cursing under his breath, he took off after her, quickly catching up to her. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to a stop.

“Leave me alone,” she whispered, trying to shake free of him. “I want to be alone.”

“Why?” he demanded angrily. “I’m your husband. You should come to me when you’re upset, not run from me.”