Page 59 of Savage Heart

Gathering his thoughts, he knew he couldn’t tell her the whole truth; there were just some things she didn’t need to know about. But he could tell her the simple things.

“You’re right,” he admitted, his heart squeezing at the sight of his little girl’s eyes growing wet. Shooting from his seat, he moved around the table, then fell to his knees beside her chair. He took her tiny, trembling hands in his, and stared up into eyes that stole his heart and soul. “I am your dad, baby girl, and I am so sorry I didn’t get to meet you until now.”

“Why?” she cried. “Where were you?”

Trouble heard a nearly silent sob from behind him, and he knew Liz was crying. Shit, both his ladies were upset. He didn’t like the way that twisted his guts.

“Your mom and I…we were together for over a year. We were happy…but then….” Shit, fuck. This was going to hurt. “Then I did something really bad that hurt your mama…and she left. Ididn’t know about you, baby girl, but if I had, I would have been there from the very beginning. I never would have let you go a single day without knowing how much I love you.”

For hours after that, Trouble gave his full attention to his hurting little girl. He picked her up from her chair, held her in his arms as he walked to the couch, then he sat her on his lap and just let her cry…. His heart fucking broke, listening to her sobs, feeling the wetness and heat of her tears on his neck and chest. Her arms around his neck, her fingers knotted into his hair, her little breaths against his collarbone…there was no place in the world he’d rather be than there, holding her in his arms.

She cried for almost an hour, and when her tears finally dried up, the questions began.

Where were you?

What have you been doing?

Do I have grandparents?

Where are you from?

What happens now?

For an almost ten-year-old, she had serious questions that gave him pause. It was obvious that Erika was smart and wise beyond her years, and he knew that was all Liz’s doing. Erika asked questions he had no problem answering, and some he’d rather ignore until he died. The easy ones were about where he’d been—right there in Vegas, what he’d been going—working and being the Savage Raiders MC VP, and where he was from—Skimmer, Texas. But the questions about his parents…and what would happen next…. He didn’t know what the fuck to say. He didn’t want to talk about Selia and Karl Skaarsen. As far as he was concerned, they were dust, and in the dust they would remain, but whether he liked it or not, they were a part of him…and Erika was a part of him, too. In all the months he and Liz were together, he hadn’t said a thing about his life before the Army. She’d let him have his secrets, because she hadn’t beenbig on sharing too much about what she’d experienced in foster care after her parents died. But now….

“What did you do to hurt Mama?” Erika asked after a particularly awkward brush off of her previous questions.

During Erika’s crying jag and then questions, Liz had come into the living room and sat on the floor next to the coffee table. She’d been there, watching the scene before her, her own tears sliding down her face. He knew that she wanted to be the one holding Erika, but he really fucking appreciated the fact that she gave that to him. She gave him that moment with his little girl, and he couldn’t be more grateful to Liz for that.

At Erika’s question, Liz nearly gave herself whiplash at the speed in which her gaze flew from Erika to him, her eyes wide as hell, her mouth working to form words. He would have laughed at her expression if the moment wasn’t so tense.

Trouble had no fucking idea how to answer that question—how did you tell your daughter that you threw her mom away like trash?

Liz spoke, breaking through his mounting panic.

“Baby girl, there are things you don’t need to know, and that is one of them,” she answered, her voice the one that said,“I’m not changing my mind, so don’t push me.”

Erika stared at her mom, then turned her brilliant green, puffy red eyes to him.

“It was something bad, wasn’t it?” she asked, her voice small.

He swallowed, then nodded. “Yeah, little one, it was. But I’m doing everything I can now to make up for it, to prove to your mama and you that I am not that bad man anymore. I want to make you both happy. I want you both to know just how much you mean to me. And if that means spending every day with you—”

“Trouble,” Liz hissed, her eyes sparking angry fire. She was up on her knees, her good hand on her hip and her casted hand carefully placed on the coffee table.

He ignored her and kept his attention on Erika.

“Then that’s what I’ll do,” he finished, grinning down at her. He kissed her nose, then her chin, loving that he could adore her like he wanted.

At that, she grinned back, her dimple flashing on her beautiful face.

Fuck, he loved this little girl—and her mama, who looked about ready to tear his head clean off—loved her, too, which was why she didn’t do what her eyes were saying they wanted to do.

He pointed his grin at her, loving the way Erika giggled at him.

Liz grumbled something under her breath, then got to her feet.

“Come on, baby girl, it’s time for bed.”

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