Chapter 84. Support and Protect

We arrived at our new destination, a small town in the mountains. It was peaceful and quiet, a world away from the chaos we had left behind.

“We can start over here,” Riccardo said as he reviewed out the lush green valley.

But starting over was easier said than done. We had to forge new identities, find jobs, and make connections. And there was always the fear that someone from our past would find us.

“Are you okay?” I asked Riccardo one night as we lay in bed.

“I’m just worried about us,” he replied. “I don’t know if we can keep running forever.”

“I understand,” I said, placing my hand on his chest. “But no matter what happens, we’ll face it together.”

And as the weeks turned into months, we built a new life for ourselves. We made friends and found work. We explored the wilderness of the mountains and started to heal from the trauma of our past lives.

But even as time passed, we couldn’t shake off the feeling that danger still lurked around