Page 63 of Blissful Devotion

“I…” I suck in air, trying to form words, but my voice is weak.

“I…I’m s-so sorry.” My lip trembles and my voice shakes, but I manage to get the words out, and honestly that feels like a miracle right now.

Alex’s eyes flutter open, and I break down all over again when I see the tears welling in his eyes, knowing what I’ve put them through and that there’s more damage to be done yet again at my hand.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I did!” I push on before I lose my nerve or my damn voice. “I let him touch me.” My stomach churns, but I keep going. “I let him make me think I belonged to him. That we,” I reach down to rub a hand over the swell of my stomach, “were his.”

His brows pull together, and I see the anger that flashes in his eyes. It’s what I expected, but I still can’t stop the stab of pain that hits me seeing it.

He pulls away, moving through the room into the bathroom to set me down on the counter. I want to cling to him, but I know I can’t, not now.

I expect him to move away; instead, he crowds in closer so that we’re only a breath apart. His hands come up to rest against the mirror behind me, trapping me in place and leaving me no choice but to meet his gaze.

“I need you to listen to me, Katherine, and listen well.”

He’s breathing hard, his chest heaving, and he should be scary like this, half-crazed, but I know my heart isn’t beating a damn marathon right now because I’m afraid.

No, there’s a very different feeling I’m having right now, one that isn’t at all appropriate.

It takes me a second to push past my inappropriate thoughts and realize he’s waiting on a response.

I nod, not trusting my voice, but that seems to be enough.

“There isn’t a single thing you could do to make me stop loving you. I’m a goner, well and truly. You have ruined me, and I’ve spent the last two weeks ready to make you fall and ruin me all over again. We all have.”

“But—” I try to speak, but he just keeps going, acting like he didn’t notice, even though I know he did.

“Lorenzo is bad news. I thought we dealt with him, that he was behind us, but I was wrong. We made a mistake, and you suffered because of it. You’ll never know how sorry I am for that, for leaving you at the hands of that psycho.” He spits each word with so much venom and disgust…

“You don’t understand. I let him touch me, kiss me…” My voice cracks, but I keep going, afraid that if I don’t say it now, I never will. “I thought I loved him, told him as much, and was happy to stay right where I was. I forgot you, all of you, while you were doing everything you could. I was—” I gasp for air, ready for him to throw me aside, unable to look at me anymore, only for him to do the opposite.

His lips press to mine, feather-light but somehow all-consuming. His taste is like coming home, and that only makes this worse.

I’m not sure I deserve this home or these men.

“But you came back. You found your way back just like I knew you would. You did what you could to stay safe and keep him safe too.” He drops a hand to my stomach, and my hormones kick in at the sight.

Alex is his father, even if he might not be his biological father; I know Alex will love him just like the rest of them.

Pressing a kiss to my head, he leans in once again, wiping yet another tear from my cheek.

“He drugged you, Kat,” I gasp, unsure if I’m surprised or relieved that it wasn’t me. “You didn’t deserve to be in his clutches, not when he was never really after you. We didn’t handle him the last time, but that’s a lesson we won’t need to be taught twice.

“Jade and her guys are going to ensure he can’t ever hurt you or anyone we love ever again.”

“But…” I have so many questions, and I have no idea where to start.

Is the baby okay?

How can he still look at her?

What did Lorenzo do to him?

“Why don’t we wash up?”

I shouldn’t. I know that because, despite what he said, I still don’t know how he can look at me with anything other than disgust.