Page 185 of Savage Reign

Our daughter came into this world with the biggest cry I had ever heard, almost as if she wanted everyone in the room to notice her, knowing she would never have anything to worry about.

That was true.

Maverick was quiet, his face buried in Mila’s hair while our daughter continued to cry, and Killian staggered on his feet. He stopped when he hit the wall and stayed there as if trying to hold himself up.

As for me, I couldn’t look away. Dr. Wong looked at me and held up a pair of strange-looking scissors. I couldn’t fucking breathe.

“Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?”

“What?” I asked. Or at least, I thought I asked. I couldn’t be sure with all the roaring in my ears.

“Mr. Tiernan?”

Slowly, I walked forward and took the scissors. I methodically cut the umbilical cord connecting my daughter to her mother.

The doctor and nurses moved quickly. I watched as they took my daughter to a small table nearby and started cleaning her up and checking her vitals. I followed them, keeping a small distance so as not to get in the way.

I couldn’t look away from my daughter.

She had a full head of black hair and pale, reddish skin, and she was so fucking tiny.

So tiny.

And I fell.

In just the four seconds it took to get her from her mom to the table, I fucking fell.

One…

I will protect you from all the monsters in the world. I will be the biggest, meanest of them all, just to keep you safe.

Two…

You will never want for anything. Everything that I can give you is yours.

Three…

You’ll never have the same childhood we did. Yours will be filled with love, laughter, and security.

Four…

I fucking fell.

At 11:13 p.m., Mirabelle Aisling Tiernan was born.

The most perfect little girl.

MILA, ONE YEAR LATER

I watched as Rachel played with little Mirabelle.

She had Rachel completely wrapped around her little fingers, and I knew Rachel wouldn’t have it any other way.

I was lucky.

I had a village to help me raise my daughter. To protect her and make sure she thrived in this world. To make sure the darkness never touched her. Not like it did me. I had my men. I had Liam and Conor, who, as stoic as they tried to be, couldn’t hide the fact that, like Rachel, Mirabelle had them wrapped around her finger too.

And I had my men, who had been nothing short of amazing.

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