Page 26 of Surprise Baby for the Don

He doesn’t deny it. Instead, he hangs his head, a pathetic sight, mumbling excuses.

“I swear, I was going to win it back, maybe even triple it. But then this asshole grabbed me and—”

“Just stop it,” I shout, my ears ringing in the eerie quiet of the room. I realize that Bats and Mateo are just standing there, watching us. “So, let me get this straight. You just took it. The money I worked so hard to earn. You stole it out of my purse and decided that you would go to the casino, even though youpromised me that you wouldn’t gamble anymore.”

My voice is shaking now, barely containing the anger building inside me.

He looks up, his face twisted with guilt, but there’s a part of me that knows he’s only sorry he got caught.

“Ginny, I’m so sorry. I thought I could…” he trails off, his excuses as useless as he is. “I wanted to help.”

“Help?” I scoff, the word bitter on my tongue. “I only got that money because you sent me here as collateral to pay off your damn debt,” I remind him, bile rising in the back of my throat. “You basically sold me off for the week so you could buy yourself time, then you had the audacity to take the money I earned honestly to dig yourself an even bigger hole?”

He flinches, and for a brief second, I almost feel sorry for him. But then I remember all the times I’ve cleaned up his messes, all the times I’ve sacrificed my own plans to pick up the pieces he left behind. And now, this. He’s stolen from me, and it’s not the money that stings the most. It’s the betrayal, the utter disregard for everything I’ve done to keep him afloat.

“I’m done, Dad,” I say, the words coming out stronger than I expected. “I’m moving out. I’m done bailing you out of trouble. From now on, you can fend for yourself.”

He opens his mouth to protest, his eyes wide with desperation. “Ginny, please. Don’t say that. I’m your father—”

“No, Dad,” I cut him off, my tone cold, final. “You’re just a burden. A burden I’ve carried for too long. And I’m done.”

16

Mateo

Iwatch Rex squirm in the chair, bound by ropes and face colored with shame. He glances between Ginny and me, sweat dripping from his brow, his mouth opening and closing as he struggles for words that won’t come. He knows he’s screwed up. Again. And this time, there’s no excuse that can soften the blow. Not with Ginny standing there, staring at him with an expression I can only describe as cold fury. Her anger simmers just beneath the surface, tightly coiled, waiting for one final push to explode.

And I want it to. I want her to unleash every ounce of rage she’s spent years bottling up, to finally see her father for who he really is. It’s a thought I’d never share with her, but I can feel it burning in my gut, the need to protect her from the mess of a man in front of us. He’s hurt her over and over, but this? Stealing from her, gambling away the hard-earned money she made under my protection? That’s an unforgivable line he’s crossed.

But Ginny’s said her piece and she turns to go, running toward her room. I want to follow after her, but first I have some unfinished business with her father. I stalk toward him,watching as his expression changes from shame to fear.

“Let’s get one thing clear,” I growl right next to his ear. “Our deal is off. Ginny is going to stay here with me as long as she wants, but you and I are done. Out of respect for your daughter, I’m not going to let my men do what I should let them do to you for this. You’re going to leave this house and I never want to see your sorry ass anywhere near my business again. Do you understand?”

Unshed tears gather in his eyes, and he barely manages a nod as he swallows hard, afraid. I turn on him, snapping for Bats to turn him loose.

I follow in the direction I saw Ginny go, assuming she went to her room. When I don’t find her there, I start to panic a little, worried she might have left the house altogether. I poke my head into each guestroom, but she’s nowhere to be found. My agitation only grows, wanting to find her, wanting to comfort her after what’s happened.

It finally occurs to me that she may have gone back to my room, where we were both so happy just a few hours ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, waking up to find her getting dressed, worried about her good-for-nothing father. I find the door ajar and hear the faint sounds of sobs coming from inside. I stand in the doorway and see her curled up on the bed, head pressed to her knees as her body shakes with her pain.

I pad softly over to her but she doesn’t look up. Even as I sit next to her on the bed and carefully wrap an arm around her shoulders, she doesn’t acknowledge me. She just shakes harder.

Finally, she leans into me, then allows herself to unfold against me. Her arms go around my neck and her head rests on my chestas tears spill over her cheeks. I simply hug her back, not telling her that it will be okay, not making any promises I know I can’t keep. Her pain is visceral and deep. I don’t even know how many times this man has hurt her, failed her. I’m not going to add to the trail of heartbreak. All I can do is be a comforting shoulder to cry on.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers eventually, her voice barely audible, her words coming out shakily through sobs. “I shouldn’t be crying over him. He’s not worth it.”

I shake my head, reaching out to tilt her chin up so I can look into her eyes. I gently brush a tear from her cheek as I cradle her face in my hands.

“You don’t have to apologize, Ginny,” I murmur against her hair as I place a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Not to me. He hurt you. And it’s okay to feel that.”

She looks up at me, her eyes filled with a vulnerability that makes my chest ache, cheeks and nose red from crying.

“I just don’t understand why he’d do this,” she manages before another sob rips through her. “After everything I’ve done for him…”

Her voice cracks, and I feel that strange urge again, that need to protect her, to take away all her pain and replace it with something better, something real. She deserves the world and more, and I could give it to her if she’d let me.

“Listen,” I say softly, my thumb still tracing gentle circles on her cheek. “You don’t have to carry this on your own. Not anymore. You’re safe here. And if you need anything, anything at all, you just have to ask. I’m not perfect either but I can try my best to be here for you, even if I’m not able to be present.”

She stares at me, her eyes wide, her breathing shallow. For a moment, I think she’s going to push me away, to refuse my help as she has several times. She seems to not trust that I’m who I say I am, that I’ll give her whatever she asks without hesitation. But then, to my surprise, she leans into my touch, her body relaxing ever so slightly as she lets out a soft sigh.

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