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He paused before he answered. “I’m outside.”
“I’ll open the door.” I hung up and opened the door.
He was in his suit, like he just got off work. In navy blue with a gray tie, he looked exactly as sexy as I remembered. Tall, muscular, and beautiful, he was absolutely gorgeous. There was a slight hint of affection in his eyes when he looked at me, but it was quickly masked by his rage. Martina cried from upstairs, so he let himself inside and went to retrieve her.
I shut the front door then listened to Martina stop crying.
Instantly.
I walked upstairs and watched them together.
Cato held her in his arms as he looked down into her face, his eyes lighting up with love. “Hey, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead as he gently rocked her from side to side. “Missed you.”
I leaned against the doorframe. “She’s been crying nonstop since we left. And now I know why…she misses you.”
He lifted his gaze to look at me, his affection slowly disappearing. “I want her half the week. You get her the other half.”
I couldn’t believe we were having this painful conversation, like a divorced couple arguing over custody. “What about when you’re at work all day?”
“I’ll get a nanny.”
I didn’t want a stranger watching my child. “I’m home during the day. How about I watch her during the day, and then you pick her up on your way home. Then we can trade weekends.” Was I stupid for thinking Cato would come to his senses and change his mind? Maybe I underestimated how much he loved his company. Maybe I never had a chance of being more important. I’d handed myself over to a psychopath, but that didn’t seem to count for anything.
“You’ll need to go back to work eventually.”
“I’ll work nights until she starts school.”
Cato’s eyes flashed with hostility, as if he didn’t like that.
“You know what’s ironic?” I crossed my arms over my chest, knowing my words would piss him off. “You care so much about loyalty…wanted to kill me because I wasn’t loyal to you. But when it mattered most, you weren’t loyal to me.”
He stopped bouncing her from left to right.
“Damien came to my house and threatened to rape me and torture me if I didn’t cooperate. That happened because my father didn’t get out of the business when he should have, even when my mother was kidnapped, raped, and tortured. They came after his daughter next…me. I did my best to save him, but he was dead long before I proved myself. Even when I distanced myself from my family, I was still a target by association. Then I handed myself over to Damien to save your life…the last thing I wanted to do. But despite all that history, you still don’t see what I’m saying. I was attacked for being my father’s daughter. You really think Martina won’t be attacked for being your daughter someday?”
Cato held my stare, his look neither angry or apologetic. It was impossible to tell if my words resonated with him because he showed no reaction. After minutes of silence, he grabbed her favorite blanket and wrapped it around her before he took her upstairs.
I didn’t know what was about to happen.
Cato suddenly walked past me, down the stairs, and out of the house.
The second he shut the door behind him, Martina started to cry.
21
Cato
My life turned into a dull routine.
I worked out, went to work, and then came home. I moped around the house, drowning my sorrow in booze, and then I passed out and went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I did it all over again.
I missed seeing Martina every day when I came home from work. Even though I got work out in the morning again, I missed waking up early to take care of her before heading off for the day. It was the only part of the day when it was just the two of us.
I missed Siena too.
But I was too pissed at her to admit that to myself.
Her ring sat in my nightstand drawer even though I was seriously tempted to throw it away. When I’d originally bought her ring, I almost got one with an enormous rock in the center, along with more diamonds in the band. But then I realized that didn’t match Siena’s personality at all. She didn’t want to be covered in jewels.
So I went with something simpler.
Like her.
I knew she loved it, even if she never told me.
But then she dropped that ridiculous request on me, like it was something I could honor. She said she loved me for me, and that was supposed to include all the elements of my life, including my job.
I understood her request. I would be stupid to say it wasn’t a legitimate concern. But I was pissed she had that kind of power over me, that she could say no to me and make her own demands. I told her that was my biggest fear, having someone rule me so easily.
