Chapter 34

From outside the bathroom door, I hear my phone ring. I finish running soap over my body before I rinse and shut off the shower. Following a quick wipe down with a towel, I exit the bathroom naked and grab my phone from the nightstand. Mathias's number appears on the screen just as it begins to ring again.

"What's going on?" I bark into the phone.

"Cat just left the house."

"Shit." I press the speaker icon on the phone and drop it on the bed. "You got someone on her, right?" I ask, grabbing a pair of slacks from the top of the laundry basket and quickly putting them on.

"Yes. Damon's tailing her. Want me to follow or stick to the house?"

Loud pounding in my ears mixes with Mathias's answer. "Follow, but send a couple more guys to the house. I want them inside to make sure no one else gets inside."

We still don't know how Whisper has been breaking into the house, and I don't want any more surprises when Cat and I return. We also discovered the cameras in the house have been set on a loop when the person breaks in. Unfortunately, watching the thumb drive all the way through didn't enlighten me about Whisper's identity. It only further fueled my rage.

"Got it."

I pull on a shirt and stomp my feet into my shoes. "Which way is she headed?"

I take the stairs two at a time. Knowing the danger she's in, Cat wouldn't have left if she were herself, so there's only two places she would be headed.

"Toward The Grove."

"Stay on her. Do not let her out of your sight," I demand, my fucking heart lodged in my throat. "Go inside and tell the staff who you are. Tell them I sent you and that I'm on my way. And Mathias," I pause, "if something happens, shoot to fucking kill."

Though I'm eager to get my hands on Whisper and Henry, I would rather see them dead than take the risk of them getting to Cat.

After grabbing my keys, I turn off the alarm and run out the door without resetting it. Mathias's men will be here any minute.

I break every fucking traffic law as I speed through the darkening streets. Just as Scarlett and Presley did recently, Athena has gone off script. Athena usually appears during the day, whereas Scarlett appears at night.

The whole situation reminds me of the first time Cat's alternate personalities appeared. My nerves were shot then, just as they are now, because I had no idea when or how they would return. All three are becoming unpredictable, and I don't like it.

I didn't stop looking over my shoulder until a year and a half after the first one appeared because I was afraid she would appear as someone else. And perhaps the new one wouldn't seek me out like the others had.

I screech to a halt in the gravel parking lot at The Grove, seeing Cat's red car parked along the side of the building. Flinging my car door open, I barely stop long enough to slam it closed behind me. When I see Mathias and Damon's cars at the back of the parking lot, the heavy pounding in my chest lessens slightly. Ginger's car is there as well, which is odd since she normally works the mid-afternoon shift because Athena usually arrives around that time.

I dart up the steps, but before I reach the door, it's flung open and Ginger's worried gaze meets mine.

"She got here ten minutes ago," she says. "She's never come this late before."

"I know." I shoulder my way past her into the reception area. "Where is she?"

"In her room." Ginger grabs my arm before I can head toward the stairs. I don't turn, too impatient to get to Cat, but I look at her over my shoulder. "Why the sudden change, Hunter? Mom said she'd gotten her memories back and she knows about the others. Is that why?"

I pull Ginger's hand from my arm and turn halfway around. "I think so. Dr. Armani believes that since she allowed herself to fully remember, her emotions are heightened and out of whack. I'll explain more later. Right now, I need to go see her."

I don't give her a chance to reply before I rush for the stairs, taking them three at a time. Mathias stands outside Cat's door, out of sight.

"Damon is patrolling the outside," he says when I approach.

"Good," I grunt. "Not sure how long this is going to take."

"I'll stick around if you need me."

"Thanks," I say before leaving him.

As I step into the room, I don't see Cat at first, but then I notice her on the floor in a corner. Her legs are drawn up to her chest and her chin rests on her bent knees as she leans against a wall. Her forlorn expression as she stares down at the floor sends shards of ice straight to my heart.

"Athena?" I ask, approaching her slowly so I don't startle her.

Her head jerks up, her surprised gaze meeting mine. "Hunter?"

When I'm only a few feet from her, I squat down. "Why are you sitting on the floor?"

Her fingers dig into her legs where she's resting her hands. "I don't know," she says evasively.

"Is everything okay? Why do you look so sad?"

She licks her lips and her voice dips. "Because there's so much to be sad about."

Her answer pierces through my chest, leaving a gaping hole behind. Scooting around, I lean against the wall beside her. Not too close, but close enough that when she lifts her hand, I place mine in hers and put them both on the floor between us.

"But there are also things to be happy about, right?" I ask.

"Maybe." She gazes down at our hands for a moment before lifting her head. "But sometimes I feel like the bad stuff far outweighs the good. So much so that I feel like I'm drowning in it, and I won't ever resurface."

I squeeze her fingers. "Sometimes I get sad too."

"You do?"

I nod. "Yes."

"How do you make it go away?"

"I think about the person I love most in the world. The only person capable of making my heart beat fast one moment and slow the next. She takes my breath away, but is the reason I breathe. She's my heart and owns my soul so completely that I would no longer exist without her by my side."

Some of the melancholy fades from Cat's face as she takes in my words. "She must be pretty special."

"She's more than just special. She's everything."

"Who is she?" she asks hesitantly.

I wait a few seconds before I say her own name. "Caterina."

Something flickers in her eyes, and I wonder if Athena will acknowledge the name. But after a moment, she turns her head forward and rests her chin back on her knees.

It's difficult to tell if Athena is truly aware of who Cat is or if she's protecting herself by forgetting, just like Cat did with the memories of our children.

"I did something horrible." Cat's sorrowful voice has me looking at her closely.

I have a feeling I know what she's about to say, but I ask her anyway. "What did you do?"

"I forgot about them." She turns her head so her cheek lays on her knees and her eyes are directed at me.

"You had your reasons," I say quietly.

"There is no good enough reason to forget your children, Hunter. Nothing can excuse that." A tear leaks from the corner of her eye and splashes on her knee.

"Sometimes we don't have control of our minds, Athena. Sometimes our choices are taken from us. And in some cases, our bodies go into protective mode, doing whatever possible to avoid harm. You didn't forget them because you didn't love and care for them. You did it to protect yourself. You did it because you had no other choice if you wanted to survive."

Hope flashes in her eyes. "You really think so?"

"Yes."

She's quiet for a moment, then replies, "Maybe."

We sit for a few more minutes without saying anything. Occasionally, Ginger pops in to check on her sister, but I wave her off.

I get to my feet, keeping her hand in mine. "Come on. Let's get you off the floor."

Using her hand, I help her to her feet then walk her to the bed. I smile when she crawls on top of the mattress like a kid would. She catches my smile when she turns and sits.

"What?"

I wipe the look off my face and mutter, "Nothing."

She settles back on the pillows, her eyes following me as I pull the chair by the window beside the bed. It's after nine at night, so I know Cat has to be exhausted. Whenever one of her personalities emerges, it always exhausts her. Since it's usually during the day when Cat comes to The Grove, I'm not sure how this is going to play out.

After a few minutes, Athena's eyes close and her breathing evens out. Seeing her like this, asleep in a room that's not ours, reminds me too much of when Athena was here before. Back when she considered dying a better choice than being haunted by the memories of that horrific night.

Those were some of the darkest nights of my life, and I don't wish to relive them.

I sit for a few more minutes before getting up. As I bend over the bed, I breathe deeply, letting the unique scent of vanilla and roses fill my lungs.

Taking care not to startle her, I brush my lips across her soft ones. I don't want to leave her, I hate doing it each time she's here. However, in order for her to come out of this, the sooner I'm away from her, the better.

"I'm heading down to my car. Stay up here until she leaves, then follow us home," I tell Mathias and receive a nod in return. "Text Damon and tell him to stay close."

"On it."

Ginger is waiting for me down at reception, her expression filled with concern.

"She dozed off. Not sure how long it'll be before she wakes up and goes home."

Her eyes move to the stairs before sliding back to me. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"I'll be out in my car. I'm going to wait until she leaves and follow her home. I have a couple of men here if anything happens."

For the most part, I've kept Cat's family informed. They know about Whisper and Henry's freedom. They're aware of the shit we've gotten in the mail and the times someone's broken into our house. They know mostly everything because those things affect Cat and there's no way to keep it from them. I haven't told them that I'm actively searching for Whisper and Henry, or what I intend to do when I find them. As far as they're concerned, I'm leaving it up to the police to find Whisper. They don't know about the people Silas and I killed over the years, and that's the way I plan to keep it.

"Why are you here so late?" I ask.

"Betty called in. Her daughter is sick so she's staying home with her. I offered to take her shift."

I nod, grateful that she's here. Even though I trust every single staff member employed, when it comes to family, it's different.

I leave her inside and walk out to my SUV. I see Damon's dark figure walking around the side of the building where Cat's car is parked. He'll patrol the area over and over again until it's time to leave.

I keep an eye on the building's front door. More often than not, Cat stays here for only an hour or two at most. When Cat switches from one of her personalities back to herself, she falls into a sort of trance. At first, I was concerned about her driving, but Dr. Armani explained that she's completely aware of her surroundings and will function normally. She just doesn't remember those short periods of time. Neither herself or the personality she just switched from.

When three hours pass and Cat hasn't appeared, worry sets in. I text Mathias for an update inside, and he replies that she's still asleep. She never stays this long.

Another hour passes, and then another. Ginger appears in the dim yellow light of the porch and walks over when she spots my SUV.

I push the button to roll down my window. "If your shift is over, you should head home to Mason and the boys," I tell her. There's no need for her to stick around when I'm here.

"I'd like to stay," she replies. "I don't like that she's been here for so long. I want to be here if something happens. Mason will be fine with the boys until I get home." She pauses for a moment. "How is she doing at home?"

My hands grip the steering wheel tightly. "For the most part, she's fine. She has moments though where things get to her. She's doing better than I thought she would with her memories back and knowing about Athena, Scarlett, and Presley."

"Have the others shown themselves more since she found out?"

"No, but they've changed their usual routine. You obviously know about Athena showing tonight, and Presley came to me while I was at Slate."

Her eyes widen. "Slate? With her mind being so young, I bet that was awkward."

"Thankfully, she was in my office when it happened and Katie was there with her so she didn't wander off and come across anything inappropriate."

"Close call. I can't imagine what she would have thought had she walked into the bar area and seen the girls on stage."

Ginger grabs the edges of her coat and pulls them closed when a gust of wind whips past.

"You should go inside before you catch a cold."

"Yeah." She turns to leave, but spins back. "She sent me her manuscript a few days ago. Have you had a chance to read it yet?"

The hand I have resting on my thigh tightens into a fist. "Yes," I reply.

When Ginger speaks again, her voice cracks. "I never knew." She stops, her head dropping as she clears her throat. "I mean, I did, but only what you told us and what was said in court." She lifts her head again and tears are sliding down her cheeks. "Jesus, Hunter. The details… I can't…" She shakes her head. "Does she realize what she did?"

"I don't know."

"She needs to before her agent moves further with it."

When Cat sent me the manuscript to read, I expected it to be her usual gory psychological thriller. I certainly wasn't prepared when I realized it was our story she was telling in vivid detail.

Before her memories came back, I wasn't sure how I should approach her with my concerns, but now that they are, it won't be as much of a shock. I'll leave the decision up to her whether or not she wants to publish the work. I just want to make sure she's aware before it gets that far.

"Any updates on Whisper?" Ginger asks.

"No," I grunt.

She nods, her lips pressing firmly together. She doesn't like my answer any more than I do.

After she returns inside, I text Mathias for another update, knowing the answer already. Had she woken up, he would have alerted me.

Two hours later, the sun peeks over the horizon and Cat still hasn't awoken. Fatigue has my body sagging in the seat, but my eyes stay alert on the front door. As tired as I may get, sleep will have to wait until my wife is safely back home.