Page 114 of Bossy Hero

Oh shit.

Shit, shit,fucking shit.

That’s why they took her. Because she’s my daughter.

My stomach drops, a weighted medicine ball slamming into my gut. The force is so jarring I need to return my hands to the counter just to keep myself upright.

Lettie was kidnapped because of me. Assaulted. Beaten.

And worse.

Payback by Lenkov. Because of me.

Does she know it’s my fault? How could I ever make up for something like this?

I already missed the first twenty-five years of her life. We’ll never get those years back. Memories and moments that should have been will never be.

As if that’s not enough, I’m also responsible for the immeasurable suffering she endured at the hands of my enemy.

While none of this was intentional on my part, it all happened.

The tragedy with Daniel wasn’t intentional either.

Nonetheless, these atrocities can’t be reversed.

Maddie’s warm palm rubs small circles on my back. “Alan? Are you all right?”

Blinking free of the oppressive guilt and the realization that not one but two women have suffered because of me, I snap at her. “If they can’t cover you, you’re coming with me. End of discussion.”

In my periphery, I see her flinch at my cutting tone and raised volume. Her hand falls away, and she retreats a few steps.

Fucking shit.

“Maddie, I’m sorry. But I can’t?—”

Using her good arm, she holds her palm out in a placating gesture. “It’s fine. I’ll get my purse. Call off the guards. I’ll join you.”

Her soft footsteps grow fainter as she leaves the kitchen. And I’m left alone, pondering why she downshifted so quickly.

By the time she returns with her purse slung over her good shoulder, I see the answer clear as day. The truth was never hidden. I just didn’t want to see it.

I scared her.

For a long time, I’ve suspected she doesn’t want to commit to me because she’s waiting for the moment I’ll become like her husband.

In a single moment of weakness and frustration, I might have set us back sixteen years.

Fuck.

Lionheartand I stride out of my office, leaving Maddie reading on the sofa. She’s barely spoken to me since we left my house.

There’s also unusual awkwardness between Leo and me because we haven’t discussed my secret relationship with his mother. Not as much tension as I expected from him, which is probably because he’s good at compartmentalizing. He’s a lot like me that way.

I’ll have to fix things with him later. Fires are cropping up all over, but I only have so much water in the tank. My priority is the physical safety of my family. All of them. That includes Maddie and my Redleg family. Plus, my newest family member.

My daughter.

Everything else has to wait, sadly.

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