Page 45 of The Billionaire's Accidental Legacy

He looked down at Jessie, hislover. The woman who was carrying his child. The woman he knew almost nothing about. “I know that your father is a career criminal. A dangerous man. I know that you are both con artists.”

Maren sniffed. “We are not. Wewerewomen experiencing con artistry.”

“Is that a thing?”

“Seems more fair. I don’t thinkcon artistis what we want to be defined by.”

He turned narrowed eyes to Jessie. “And you?”

“I can own it.” Her own eyes glittered, all the rage simmering there multifaceted, like a particularly sharp jewel. “Con artist fits. Why not use it?” She turned away from him, clearly wanting to put distance between the two of them.

“Other than that,” he said, looking back at Maren. “I know very little about her.”

“She’s a genius, you know. We—”

“You’re card counters. I know that. I actually saw you both months before the last poker game. While I was building up to losing my family estate and titles.”

“You’re kind of a con artist yourself,” said Maren.

Jessie whirled around. “He isabsolutelya con artist. And a coward. You had every opportunity to claim me the last time you were here and you walked away. So now what? Now that you get to play the part of Batman you’re happy to storm in? Now that you get to be the night, and vengeance and whatever else, owning up to the fact you knocked me up is cool enough for you? You didn’t want to marry me then.”

If she was remotely close to the truth it might have made him angry. But she wasn’t.

“I can’t say that I want to marry younow,” he said. “But it has become a necessity. The truth is, Jessie, if I thought for one moment that my presence would have added something to the life of you or the child, I would never have left. But listen to me now. I am not the hero of your story. Not then, and not now. However, now... Now I know that you need me. Now I know that you need me to keep you safe. The scales have balanced. My absence is now more harmful than my presence. And that’s why I’m here.”

“I have done a damned good job of protecting myself. Protecting us for all this time. I don’t need you.”

“I’m afraid that we do,” said Maren. “And if you’re willing to take the chance with us, that’s fine, Jessie. We’ve always taken chances by ourselves. But the baby...”

“Don’t talk to me about the baby,” said Jessie. “The baby is mine. Mine. You,” she said, turning to face him again, “were ready to leave us.”

“I was on my way back before Maren came.”

“I’m going to leave you two to talk,” said Maren.

“Coward,” said Jessie, her eyes narrowed.

“Maybe,” said Maren. “But mostly, this isn’t my fight.”

“Youmadeit your fight,” said Jessie.

“No. I just brought in the person that you should have been discussing this with all along.”

Once Maren was gone, Jessie rounded on him.

“I’m not going to marry you.”

“Don’t be a fool, Jessie. What is the point of having this estate? What is the point of having this life if it’s under threat?”

“You don’t want this.”

He wanted her. That much was clear.

But... He did not possess the capacity to be a husband. He did not see what benefit he could be as a father.

“My name will protect you. And while we work to ensure that your father is put behind bars, you need that name.”

“My father, behind bars? Do you really think you can accomplish that? Many have tried and failed.”

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