Vance— No way to sugarcoat this. I've accepted a new assignment. Can't get into the details. Thing is, it's going to make things difficult between us. Impossible, honestly. I need you to know this was the hardest decision of my life. Sure, I don't have much anymore. Not after that night, after the hounds found what was left of Wix and Trace, after... Gods, you know, I don't need to rehash it. You've heard my nightmares. I was given an opportunity. Big. Completely unexpected. Not gold or anything. A real opportunity. To make the beasts responsible pay. I've tried not to let it rule my life. Tried to move on. But I can't. If it wasn't for you, this decision would've been easy. Not ashamed to say I cried myself to sleep three nights running over this whole thing. Wish I could tell you more. Just like I wish I would've told you how much I care about you. I love you. There. I wrote it. Erased it and wrote it more times than I can count. But there it is. I love you. You knew that, right? You were all I had left. You and Tibby. Take good care of her, will you? Give her a scratch for me. Take care of yourself. Find somebody who can be happy. Somebody who can make you happy. You deserve it. —Reg