Page 26 of Flawed Revenge

“That’s what I always wanted for her. To know how much I love her. She’s my whole world, Leo. For the last nine years it’s been just the two of us. My family adores her and helps out. Your family does, too, but at the end of the day, it’s just me and my baby girl. I don’t think … I don’t think I can survive losing her.”

The raw honesty in those words almost took him to his knees.

Losing Kate on top of losing Ariella would destroy him.

Quite literally, he would have nothing left to live for and would likely follow them into whatever came after this world.

“You can, Katie-Bear. You're so strong. So brave. Everything you’ve faced on your own … I'm in awe of you. Damn, baby, you’re stronger than I could ever hope to be. You haven’t run from the things that scare you. You face them head-on, tackle them even when they keep coming. You're here, even though facing me was the last thing you wanted to do, but you did it because you loved your daughter more than you hated me. If we lose her, then you’ll keep going because you know that’s what she would want you to do, and you won't let her down.”

Leaning in, he whispered his lips across Kate’s, then rested his forehead on hers.

“I know you have zero reason to believe me, Katie-Bear. You’ve been alone too long, been through too much, but if we lose her, you won't be alone. I’ll be right here, holding you up when your legs don’t seem strong enough to take another step. Carrying you when they give out. Breathing air into your lungs when they can't inflate on their own. I might make some pretty massive mistakes, but I don’t repeat them. I'm not walking away from you, Katie-Bear, never again.”

March 16th

12:02 A.M.

Leo’s words played on repeat in her head.

Did he mean them?

There was no doubt he’d sounded sincere, but the problem was, Kate wasn't sure she could trust herself when it came to that man. After all, she’d never had any inkling that he’d intended to sign up to be part of an experimental drug program.

That was something he definitely should have shared with his future wife.

The thing was, though, their relationship had blossomed so quickly. In just ten months, they’d gone from childhood friends to dating to lovers to engaged to pregnant. There had barely been time to catch her breath. She’d only been eighteen, Leo twenty-four. Between his budding special forces career and her college studies, they’d both been busy, and sneaking in time to spend together had been difficult.

If only she’d known what he was planning, she would have talked him out of it. Tried to at least. Kate had always respected Leo’s desire to serve his country even as it put him in danger and would keep him away for large chunks of time, but being experimented on would have been taking things a step too far.

But it was too late to go back and play the if only game. Leo hadn't told her about taking part in the program, and when it had gone bad, he hadn't talked to her, explaining things so she understood. He’d chosen to dump her in the cruelest way he could think of, and while she understood that it was his way of ensuring that she never came after him in case he wasn't strong enough to enforce distance, how was she supposed to get past that pain?

The truth didn't magically erase it all. If only it did.

It felt like she was tied to the past, unable to let it go. Part of it was the pain Leo had caused, part of it was fear of letting him in and getting hurt again, and part of it was the uncertainty of everything. According to Leo and the others, a threat was still out there, and by tracking down her daughter’s father and taking them both there, she might have painted a target on their backs. If this River Gardner lady found out about them, would she try using Ariella to get to Leo?

Frustrated, anxious, and a whole mess of other emotions she didn't have the energy to name, Kate gave up on sleep. Shoving back the covers, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.

In the thin moonlight from the window, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror on the dresser. She was wearing his T-shirt. One of Leo’s that had been at her place when he left. She’d kept it, but she didn't really know why. She even wore it sometimes when she … needed to pretend that he’d never walked out on her.

Why was she wearing it now? She didn't remember putting it on after they’d finished their emotionally charged talk in the hall, where he’d promised to never let her down again and to always be there for her. Needing space and time, she’d told him goodnight and then retreated to her room instead of heading back downstairs to join the others, along with him.

He’d sounded so sad when he wished her sweet dreams, and that pain tugged at her. Demanded that she do something to soothe it. Only what was she supposed to do?

Of course, she understood now that she and Ariella weren't the only ones who had been suffering these last ten years. Leo had been too. He’d had his DNA messed with, been kept in a cage, forced on the run to remain free, been hunted, lived with a constant threat hanging over his head, both from within and from the outside. How exhausting that must have been for him.

Was she strong enough to go to him now? Offer comfort, and maybe friendship?

Things could never go back to the way they’d been before, too much had happened, and too much time had passed, but maybe they could still find a way to move forward. If Ariella survived, Leo was always going to be part of her life, and she didn't want things to be awkward or uncomfortable for any of them. Even if the worst happened and they lost Ariella, she was pretty sure that Leo intended to follow through on his promises, so he’d still be part of her life.

That didn't fill her with the same anger it would have just a couple of days ago.

Then she hadn't wanted anything to do with him beyond seeing if he could offer her daughter a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Now …

She wasn't sure what she wanted from him.

Apparently, her feet were, though, because without realizing it she was moving toward the door, drawn by a need she didn't even understand, and right now didn't want to figure out. All her body knew was that it sought out one man.