Page 99 of Knight Life In Vegas

Each word carved into me. I deserved his ire. God knew I was familiar with the unique way parents could harm their children even when they didn’t want to. Even someone’s best left scars.

“Bryce.” I swallowed hard. “You meansomuch to me. I love you.”

“Sure doesn’t feel like it.”

“I know,I know. I’m sorry.”

Bryce waved his hand dismissively and sat down on the edge of Francisco’s desk. “Well? What’s the excuse this time? Or should I pick one from the top five list? I know them all by heart.”

“I haven’t been the father you deserved since your mother passed. You’re bonded now, and thankfully don’t understand the full gravity of how much losing Ava would hurt. You simply can’t until such a horrific thing occurs, but I know you will understand that pain is haunting. It is eternal. I’ve gone through these years as barely half a person, and for a long, long time, seeing your resemblance to your mother was something I simply couldn’t handle without breaking. I used to love how much you look like her. After she was gone, I couldn’t appreciate it.”

“I’m not a kid anymore. What does all this have to do with our relationship now?”

“Bryce, I’m trying to make you understand. Until I bonded Charlotte?—”

“Youwhat?”

Shit.

I’d thought it would be so obvious, but maybe the cacophony of scents surrounding us at his arrival had stopped him from noticing.

“It wasn’t on purpose.”

“I should hope the fuck not.”

“I know I’m not doing any of this right.”

Bryce grumbled, but I couldn’t quite make out the words.

“I didn’t realize the extent of how incredibly broken I was until the bond fixed it. It’s horrible, I get that, but looking at you now is the first time I haven’t felt like I’m about to fucking shatter.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the bond? Why didn’t she tell Ava?”

“She kept quiet for me, because I wanted to speak to you first and I wasn’t brave enough to do it sooner.”

“Why?”

I sucked in a shaky breath and let it go slowly. “For one, it’s embarrassing. Forty-nine years old and accidentally bonding an omega? I didn’t blame myself for it when I did it thirty years ago, but I sure as hell felt the shame of it this time. And worse, ever since I found out Charlotte was a scent match, I’ve been worried about dishonoring your mother’s memory. I didn’t want you to hate me for it. I already know what a crushing disappointment I am to you and I can’t take back all the pain I caused you no matter how much I wish I could. I’ve been trying and failing every day since I arrived here.”

“I already told you that Mom would want you to be happy.” I didn’t miss the shine in his eyes, or his white-knuckle grip on the edge of the desk.

“That’s an easy thing to say, but a harder thing to feel. I know you miss your mother and I don’t ever want you to think I’m trying to replace her.”

“Better—” Bryce’s voice caught. “Better a replacement than what we’ve had for the last twenty years.”

“I did want to tell you, I swear it. I’m just so conscious of failing you that I end up doing it over and over again.”

I wasn’t too proud to get on my knees and beg. My son deserved to know I was serious. I dropped down like a supplicant.

“What are you doing?”

“Begging your forgiveness. I’ve been trying so hard for so long and I know it doesn’t feel like it. I could show you the therapy receipts and itineraries of all the flights I had booked over the next year to come see you, if it would help, but I’m here and I’m sorry. All this time I should have treated the resemblance between you and your mother as a gift, knowing a piece of her was still with me. I’ve only just started to get there, but I’m so fucking sorry that I let the my grief get in the way of my love for you. You deserve better and I wasn’t good enough.”

“Stand up,” Bryce ordered, rising to his feet in front of me.

I braced myself on the desk and stood so we were eye to eye. Tears tracked down our cheeks and I left mine to burn, a small penance.

I expected more derision, but instead he pulled me into his arms and I clutched him tightly.

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