Page 13 of Cowboy's Sinful Bargain

Looking back, I realized exactly what the judge had been asking and why he needed my verbal agreement before he could proceed. Now, I wish I had been paying better attention.

I lifted my head and glanced over to Jos. "We are really married?"

"We are."

Well, damn.

"Apologies," I said as I bent my head again, but continued to watch Jos through my thick lashes. "I—"

"Stop." Jos huffed as he held up a hand. "Just stop. You don't have to keep apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong."

What did that matter? Punishment came whether I was in the wrong or not. Only by remembering my training could I avoid punishment.

"A few weeks ago, your grandfather contacted me," Monty said. "That's when I learned about you. Before then, I had no idea I had fathered a child."

I couldn't keep back my gasp as I swung my head around. "You did not know of me?"

"No, I did not."

That explained so much, and not enough.

"I always wondered why you never came for me after my mother died or why you never visited. I guess I thought you knew."

Certainly no one had ever explained it to me, not even my grandfather.

"I met your mother while I was in the service. When my father got sick, I flew home to see him. Unfortunately, he died while I was here and I was unable to return to Japan. I had hoped your mother could join me here, but, for whatever reason, she stopped returning my phone calls and my letters came backundelivered. After awhile, I figured she wanted nothing to do with me and I stopped trying."

I knew the answer to this.

"She was taken to the family compound when it was discovered that she carried me," I explained. "Her access to the outside world was..." How to say this without it sounding horrible? "Curtailed."

Jos grunted.

Monty squinted at me. "They didn't allow her out?"

"No, sir. She stayed inside the compound until I was born. After her death, she was cremated and all references to her were removed as to not bring light to her shame."

"Her shame?" Jos snapped. "What shame?"

I winced as I glanced up at the tall man. I stared for a moment before looking back down at my lap, twisting my fingers together. "Me."

"What the fuck?" Jos sprang up from his position against the window. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I frowned as fear swamped me, followed almost instantly by my confusion. I glanced at Monty, who seemed the calmer of the two men. "You do not have this in America?"

"Have what, Miko?" Monty asked.

"Sha—" I snapped my lips together when Jos growled.

Monty shot him a dirty look.

"Continue with what you were saying, Miko," Monty insisted. "What don't we have here?"

I shot a quick look at Jos. The tight set of his jaw did not reassure me. "Bastard children," I said instead. Jos didn't seem to like the word shame.

"Christ!" Jos dropped his head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Did I get the word wrong?" I wished I had my dictionary with me. Sometimes the words did not translate like I thought.

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