“You know why I’m here.” His hands moved into his pockets and he came closer to me, his eyes still watching mine in the mirror. Now that I could see both of us so clearly, I realized how much taller he was than me. I barely reached his shoulder. “I understand why you’re angry with me. I understand why you won’t talk to me. I get it…I do. But don’t forget who I am. I never let betrayals go unpunished. I had to make you pay for what you did. No one gets an exception.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re unbelievable. I just gave birth to your daughter, and you’re trying to justify that… Pathetic.”
“We’re even.”
“Didn’t realize this was a game,” I hissed. “I thought we were two people in a relationship. I thought we were two people who respected each other. Guess I was wrong.”
“We are,” he said. “But that relationship was built on a lie. I needed retribution.”
“Congratulations, you got it. You only had to sacrifice our relationship to get it.”
He tilted his gaze to look at the floor as he considered what I’d said. Even in a casual posture, his broad shoulders were undeniable. He was a powerhouse, an entire army wrapped up into a single man. “This relationship has been a mess since the beginning. We didn’t get our shit together until recently. And Siena…I’m different now.”
“You aren’t different at all.”
“I am,” he said quickly. “And right now, I can promise you I would lay down my life for you in a heartbeat.” He stepped closer to me, coming up behind me as he continued to hold my gaze. “I would do everything and anything to protect you. I would never, ever let anything bad ever happen to you or our daughter. If a gun were fired, I would take that bullet for you—even in my heart.” His hands moved to my arms, and he rested his forehead against the back of my head. “I’m completely at your service. I promise, for the rest of my life, I will be exactly what you need. I will never lie to you, never hurt you, and I will always be loyal to you.” He took a deep breath as he held me. “You said you would always love me…so please forgive me.”
I stared at the ground as I felt the pulse in his hands. I was so livid just a few minutes ago, and now I could feel that rage slowly slipping away. It shouldn’t matter that he apologized or said something so sweet. His actions were wrong—unforgivable. But my heart believed everything he’d just said, believed all the promises he’d just made. “I need more time to let it go.”
He lifted his head and looked me in the eye in the mirror. “That’s okay.” His hands moved around my waist, and he tugged me close against him. His face moved into my neck, and he gently brushed his lips against my skin. “But you forgive me?”
I nodded.
He closed his eyes and released a quiet sigh. “Thank you.” He released me. “I haven’t dealt with Bates yet. What do you want me to do?”
“What does it matter what I want? He’s your brother.”
“Because I’ll kill him if you want me to.” Fearlessly, he looked into my gaze, telling me he would make good on his promise. He was my guard dog now, and whatever I asked for, he would deliver—even his brother’s corpse.
“No.”
“Then what do you want?” he asked. “He needs a punishment.”
I didn’t want to respond to violence with more violence. I wanted Bates to feel guilty for what he’d done, and the best way to do that was not to retaliate at all. He would have to live with his brother’s disappointment for the rest of his life. That was good enough for me. “He can never hold my daughter again. Ever.”
Cato gave no discernible reaction. He held my gaze, his blue eyes unemotional. He would serve out any punishment I sought, even if it was heartbreaking. Denying his brother the opportunity to hold his niece was far crueler than violence. “Alright. I’ll make sure that never happens.”
“Good. I should get back to my workout now…”
Cato obviously expected more from me because he sighed in disappointment. But he didn’t make an argument for what he wanted, and he turned around and left the gym.
Maybe I shouldn’t have forgiven him.
But it was impossible not to forgive the man I loved.
11
Cato
Night after night, I lay there alone.
It was the longest time I’d gone without sex, but that wasn’t what bothered me most. I had no sexual appetite anyway.
All I wanted was Siena, in whatever capacity I could have her. Her hair used to brush across my chest when she moved in the middle of the night. Sometimes she spooned me from behind and gripped my waist. Sometimes she slept on me entirely. Now I slept alone—and my bedroom had never felt so cold.