Page 85 of Sniper

I know he was expecting a fight, but my girl realized, when Axe had her again, that the man was going to get her whether her father was deployed or not. He wanted her, and her father being gone just made it easier for the fucker to get what he wanted.

My girl.

“Let’s go sit,” I offer.

Steel nods along with Bill, who guides my girl over to where Hannah is sitting. When we get near, Hannah stands, and Steel’s eyes soften. He rounds the table, and pulls her into his chest, rasping, “I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t see it, but I wished you came to me.”

Hannah clutches his cut and whispers, “I didn’t know if you’d believe me. He was family.”

I sit, gently pulling my wife onto my lap.

Steel cups Hannah’s cheek and states firmly, “So are you. You’re family, Hannah, as well as Aurora. Never forget that.”

Hannah’s tears fall, and she nods, hugging Steel again before they sit. Bill is sitting next to us, his eyes on Rory.

“I don’t know where to start, Pumpkin…” Bill rasps as my girl leans against my chest.

“He was going to get me one way or another, Dad,” Rory replies, and Bill’s face goes red.

“No, he wouldn’t have,” he denies. “I wouldn’t have allowed it, and neither would Steel.”

I feel my girl relax against me, her body language softening at her father’s denial.

She states, “He managed to get me here.” I tense, hating the reminder, because I fucked up by not bringing our daughter's toy inside before church. Rory gently presses my hand on her belly, and continues, “He wanted me, he always did, but managed to convince us all that he saw me as a friend. He’d been eyeing me up since I was twelve years old.”

Bill tenses, Steel's eyes go cold, and I put my face in my girl’s neck, hating hearing this again.

It’s just too fucking much, but I know I need to be here for her.

“That sick…” Steel starts, cutting his own words off with anger.

Rory sighs. “I want to move on, move forward. I don’t blame you anymore because, deep down, I knew it was always going to happen. But what I need to try and forgive you for is leaving me to begin with when you promised me you wouldn’t after Mom died. I was seventeen, Dad. I needed you.”

Bill flinches but nods as he leans forward, grabs her hand tightly, and rasps, “I’ll earn your forgiveness, Pumpkin, and I’m so fucking sorry for taking that job. I have no excuses for choosing to go because none are good enough. I should have turned the mission down. You’re my daughter, and now, because of my decisions, I’ve lost years with you, and I-I…I’ve missed out on seeing my granddaughter grow….”

Steel cuts in, “We both have, and if you’d allow it, I would greatly like to meet that beautiful little girl.”

Aurora is quiet for a few minutes, her eyes following Autumn as she runs around, before she says loudly, “Autumn, baby.” And our daughter looks our way. She grins and runs toward us, but before she can jump on her momma, Hannah intercepts, swinging her up and making her giggle before gently putting her on the arm of my chair, my arm curling around her tiny body.

I grin at her as she kisses my nose.

“Baby, I’d like you to meet your grandpa and Uncle Steel,” Rory says.

Autumn grins, looks their way, and starts to move, so I gently lower her to the ground where she runs to Bill first. His tears fall as he lifts her, holding her tight, and my wife puts her head back on my shoulder, sighing in contentment.

“I’m fucking proud of you,” I murmur in her ear as Steel takes Autumn from Bill. Rory smiles softly, whispering back, “I love you, Theo.” And all is fucking right in my world.

Five hours later, Steel and Bill are on their way back to New York, Hannah and Trent are back home, and Autumn is asleep after a busy day.

Bill promised to Facetime Autumn daily while promising my girl he wouldn’t be gone for long. He mentioned buying a house here but keeping their family home in the suburbs of New York.

I think he shocked my girl, that’s for sure; she didn’t say anything for about an hour.

Humming to myself, I lock the front door and turn everything off in the living room, before heading to the kitchen. I grab the box from inside the drawer, and head to the patio doors, sliding them open.

I smile when I see my girl on the swing seat, her legs up underneath her, and my hoodie swallowing her body.

Her head comes my way as I walk over to her, a smile lighting her face and making my heart race. When I’m close, I slowly bend and pick her up bridal style. She doesn’t complain, only wrapping her arms around my neck before I take a seat. I sit her sideways on my lap, her head going underneath my chin, the firepit in front of us keeping us warm in the cool Texas night.

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