Page 14 of When We Fall: Part Two

“He took Calista. I tried to find her. I went so far as to approach her father and beg him to help. To her brother, Sergio. They told me to suffer the consequences, and she was dead to them. I was beaten once more and nearly died. They left me in a ditch. A passerby found me and called an ambulance.” He breathed out. “It didn’t stop me. I finally located Everett with the help of one of my friends. Klaus. His girlfriend was friends with Calista. She was able to reach her. That was it. I managed a meeting with Everett. I begged for Calista back. I offered everything I had or would ever have.”

He remained quiet for a long time. I didn’t push. I was trying to digest his words and avoid a complete panic.

When he didn’t speak again, I asked a question.

“Klaus… Seeley?”

He looked over at me, his brows crinkling. “Do you know him?”

I nodded. “He’s one of Matteo’s men.”

“He is,” he murmured.

“How did you not know who Anthony De Luca was? Enzo and I went to the same school for years.”

He shrugged. “I knew who he was. That’s why I didn’t want you to be wrapped up with his family. He’s one of the reasons everything has gone to hell over the years. His falling out with Matteo over Delilah caused a lot of problems, but he genuinely cared for her as well. She was Marissa’s best friend. Marissa wanted her safety.”

“So you knew all of this and never told me?” I hugged myself.

“I was an outsider to their world.The commoner.” He spat the words out in disgust, triggering the memory of Vander Veer calling me that. “But Matteo, Alessio, and Klaus always treated me well. They didn’t look down on me for being who I was. Anthony wasn’t bad either, but I knew I didn’t fit in and never would. I had no desire to be like them. The things they did. . .” His voice trailed off before he cleared his throat. “We all attended Mayfair. I played music with Matteo and the guys. We’d do gigs together sometimes. Even recorded a few songs, but it was just a couple of friends trying to ignore our real problems.”

“What about Kurt?”

“Kurt?” He frowned. “Fox’s dad?”

I nodded.

“What of him?”

“Y-You didn’t know him?”

He shook his head. “No. Why?”

“Nothing. I thought maybe you did.” Kurt did say he left when Matteo was still a teen, so that made sense. Kurt was disowned and disappeared from their world. Fox told me Kurt told him that he was always hiding who he was when he was in the mafia, so it wasn’t like anyone would recognize him anyway. He kept to himself unless his father sent him to handle business.

“What happened to my mom?” I finally asked.

A tear slipped from my dad’s eye and down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away.

“Everett wouldn’t let me have her back. Kept me in his underground for weeks, forcing her to watch him punish me. She begged and pleaded for my safety. Finally, she made a deal with him, earning me my freedom.” His voice cracked, and he wiped at his eyes again.

My stomach clenched.

“I got my freedom and would take our baby once she gave birth in exchange for her hand in marriage.” He wept softly. “I couldn’t do anything against him. I was powerless. Not even Matteo could touch him, although he tried. We were fucking kids. We didn’t know what the fuck we were doing. Matteo even went to his father, Carmine, who didn’t want to fight with the Reznikovs. Even though his family had disowned Everett, the threat was there. Matteo hadn’t come into power yet and had his own problems having fallen in love with a commoner.” He wiped at his cheeks again as the tears continued to fall.

“The Ivanovs were useless in the matter, too. Calista wouldn’t relent. She loved you before she even knew you, Rosalie. She loved you so much, pumpkin.” He wept softly for several moments before getting himself together to continue. “The agreement was that upon your birth, I’d get you. I’d keep you safe. Keep you away from this world, and she’d marry Everett. By doing so, he promised to let you and me go. I screamed no. I begged. I offered my soul, but nothing worked.” He shook his head, the tears falling silently before he looked at me.

“Everett allowed me to be with her when you were born in the underground. She wanted to name you Rosalie, so I did. She made me promise to walk away and never look back to keep you safe. So I did that too. It broke me in ways I’ll never be able to put into words, but it was her wish for you to grow and have a good life. Everett vowed to hurt you if I ever tried to return for Callie. I quit music for good. Moved back home to Michigan. Transferred to Wayne. Sorted myself to be the best father I could. I met Marcy at Wayne. We were both broken. Her fiancé had died a year earlier in a car accident. She’d miscarried from the stress of it. She lost a baby, and I had a baby. She became your mom. She kept me sane. I kept her happy. It worked for us. We tried tohave children, but we couldn’t, but that was OK. She was never able to carry to full term. We had you, and life was good.”

“Dad,” I sobbed, reaching for him.

He hugged me tightly across the center console.

“I’m so sorry, pumpkin. I’m so sorry.”

We stayed in one another’s arms for a long time before we finally broke away.

“Where is C-Calista now? My mom?”