Page 109 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“Yes,” Storm says, crouching to get eye level with Raiden. “You don’t have to worry about me not being around anymore.”

The words are a vow.

“Never again,” he emphasizes, but this time, he looks directly at me.

The words are more than a promise. They’re also a threat directed at me.

Raiden grins, even though it’s a little wobbly, but after a second, he releases Storm and heads off with Mom in the direction Tempest, Yennifer, and Riale went.

Suddenly, it’s just me and Storm in the foyer.

“That went better than expected,” Storm says, and I whirl on him, clenching my fists to keep from punching him square in the jaw.

“I…am going…to fuck youup,” I grit out, and Storm’s head ticks back.

“Oh really?” he asks, and his mocking tone is almost enough to send me over the edge.

Control. Get control of yourself, Shae.

Calling on the strength of the ancestors, I take a slow step toward Storm.

“Not only did you make my daughter cry. Not only did you make empty fucking promises to my son?—”

“Ourdaughter.Ourson. And that wasnotan empty promise, Shae?—”

“But you completely bypassed my agency as a mother.”And you did it without a blink.

Storm pauses as if dissecting my words, then gives me a look that tells me he’s at least listening to what I have to say.

“If you wanna be the big man in charge, then fine. Go ahead. But when it comes to my kids? Fuck with their heads and I’ll put you so far beneath the ground, no one will find you.”

We’re chest to chest, and I’m breathing harder than I want. He’s got me off guard, off-center, and while Ihatethat, this moment needs to happen between us.

Otherwise, he’ll walk all over me forever.

Instead of responding, he places his palms on my shoulders and rests them there before running his hands up and down my upper arms.

It has what’s likely his desired effect, which is that it completely takes the wind out of my sails.

“There may be a lot between you and me, but there’s one thing you can count on my respecting, and that’s how excellent a mother you are.”

Well, shit. Iwillnot let myself cry over this man’s words.

“I’m figuring all this stuff out as I go,” he says, “but I’d have to be blind not to see how much you love our children.”

Up and down go his hands.

“If you felt like I was overruling you when it comes to them, I apologize. That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to…I wanted them to know who I am. I don’t want to lie or hide anything when it comes to how much I want to be their father.”

Oh. Well…shit. I guess I can understand his intention, even though I abhor his methods.

“Well,” I say, breathing in slowly through my nose. “Good.”

Storm continues rubbing my arms, and goddamn it, I’m doing it again. Falling into him, letting him wrap me up in pretty words.

No, Shae.

I force myself to call up the most horrible moment of my life: wandering aimlessly outside his apartment after he fucked me and dumped me with no warning. With no heart. All while carrying the babies I’d determined that I wanted desperately.