𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 | 𝟏𝟖+

42

I'm lost in a dreamless void. I feel a hand on my shoulder. My eyes snap open and I grab the gun from under my pillow, pointing it at the shadowy figure standing over me.

"Whoa, Catherine! It's just me," Damien says, putting his hands up in surrender.

I blink, my sleep-fogged brain finally registering. "Damien? What the fuck, you scared the shit out of me!"

I put the gun down, my adrenaline still pumping as I throw my arms around him. Damien pulls me close, burying his face in my hair as he breathes me in. "Sorry, baby. Didn't mean to scare you," he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.

I melt into his arms, the last of my anger with him draining away as I let his warmth and his scent surround me.

Damien's hand drifts down to my stomach, his palm resting gently against it. "How's our baby doing? You feeling, okay?" he asks, his voice low and tender.

I nod, covering his hand with my own. "We're good. Just missed you like crazy."

Damien sighs, his breath ruffling my hair. "I missed you too, baby."

But then his expression turns serious, his jaw clenching in that way that tells me he's got something on his mind. "Listen, Cat. I gotta go to a meeting in an hour. To talk about what went wrong during the raid on the Ramirez compound."

Damien's eyes go dark and distant, his grip on me tightening almost imperceptibly. "Somehow, Alonzo fled before we even got there. Like he knew we were coming."

I blink in confusion. "But...I saw Mateo there. Why would Alonzo leave his own son behind like that?"

Damien shakes his head. "I don't know. But we're gonna find out, while the Ramirez' are laying low for a while."

"When are we leaving for the meeting?" I ask, already starting to untangle myself from Damien's embrace.

But he stops me with a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Not we, Cat. Just me. You're staying here."

"What? Why?"

Damien's jaw clenches. "Because I said so, Catherine."

I really want to argue and remind him that I'm not some delicate little flower, that I've been through just as much shit as he has. But I take a deep breath, forcing down my stubborn pride. "Okay..."

︻デ═一

I'm pacing the living room, my nerves frayed and my stomach in knots as I wait for Damien to come home from his meeting. It's been hours.

I finally hear the front door open, I rush over, ready to throw my arms around him and never let go. But the sight that greets me stops me dead in my tracks.

Damien's stumbles into the foyer, his eyes glassy and unfocused as he sways on his feet. He's drunk, drunker than I've ever seen him. And considering how much the man can usually put away without batting an eye, that's saying something.

"What the fuck, Damien?!" I demand my worry quickly, giving way to anger. "You're supposed to be at a meeting, not getting shit-faced!"

Damien just scoffs, waving a dismissive hand in my direction. "Is it a crime to wanna blow off some steam? To forget about the bullshit for a few hours?"

I gape at him. "Are you serious right now?"

"Jesus Christ, Cat. You're fucking insufferable lately, you know that?"

His words hit me like a slap in the face, the breath rushing out of me in a pained gasp. "Damien..."

But he's already turning away, storming off towards the door with a muttered curse. "I can't deal with this right now."