Page 32 of Flawed Revenge

“I know, but … you're my mom, and you’ve always been there. You take care of me when I'm sick, and you always play with me even when you're tired. I don’t want you to be sad.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Abandoning the partially done braid, Kate moved so she was on her knees before her daughter, Ariella’s hands in hers. “I'm never sad when I'm with you.” Remembering what Leo had told her, that Ariella was worried about if the worst happened, she framed her child’s face with her hands to make sure she was listening. “You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me, and even if I lose you, I won't ever regret the time we got to spend together. Okay? I don’t ever want you to have to worry about me. I will be okay, sweetie-pie, because my love for you can't ever die.”

“I’ll love you forever, Mommy, even if I die,” Ariella told her.

“I know you will, my beautiful, sweet girl.”

“I want to love Daddy too. Like I love you. Do you love him, Mom?”

“I loved him when we were together. I loved him when we made you, maybe part of me still loves him now, but I'm scared,” she admitted.

“That Daddy will leave again?”

“I don’t think he’ll leave you again, but me …” Yeah, that was her fear. That Leo could be a good Dad, but not a good partner.

“He loves you too much to leave again,” Ariella said with a confidence Kate wished she possessed.

“How can you be so sure of that?” she asked her daughter.

“Because he promised me that he would always be there for you. That he wouldn't let you be alone if I die, and I could see it, hear it. Daddy made a mistake. You always said that when we make a mistake, we have to say sorry and then try our best to make things right. That’s what Dad wants to do. He wants to make things right, make them the way they were supposed to be.”

Chapter

Ten

March 16th

1:11 P.M.

“We got the results.”

Eagle’s words coming through the phone he held to his ear had Lion freezing. The moment of truth was upon him, and he wasn't sure if he wanted his boss to hurry up and spit it out or delay another few seconds in case it was bad news and he could live with hope a little longer.

And hope was all they were talking about because there were no guarantees.

But his being a match meant they didn't have to give up on his daughter just yet, something he wasn't ready to do. For ten years, he’d thought she had died in her mother’s womb when Kate followed his commands and terminated the pregnancy. As much as he’d hated himself for what he’d done, he had made his peace with it and accepted he was responsible for killing his child.

Now to know Kate had ignored him, raised an amazing little girl all on her own, having met her, spent time with her, fallen in love with her, he wasn't sure he could survive losing her all over again.

Obviously noticing his spiraling thoughts, Kate’s gaze met his, and he could tell the second that she realized who was on the phone with him. Shoving up from her chair, she looked from Ariella, who was sitting beside her at the kitchen table doing schoolwork, and back to him again.

“Is it the results?” she asked, and everyone froze, all attention shifting to him.

Lion nodded.

There was nothing else to do. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, even his nine-year-old daughter, and Eagle hadn't said anything yet, clearly waiting until he was ready to hear the answer that would shape his entire future.

Did he get a second chance with the woman he would love until he took his dying breath, and the daughter he’d only just learned about, or was he about to lose everything for a second time?

Putting it off wasn't going to change anything. Whether he was a match had already been decided long before Ariella even started showing symptoms. May as well get it over and done with.

“What does it say, Eagle?” he asked, voice strained as he fought the urge to hold his breath.

“You're a match,” Eagle said the words, and relief crashed over him like a tidal wave.

“Leo?” Kate asked, her bottom lip trembling as hope warred in her wide, blue eyes.

“Yeah, Katie-Bear, I'm a match,” he replied, not ashamed to admit his eyes had misted over.