Page 21

FOURTEEN

GAGE

Breathe, Gage. Don’t let the emotions get to you. She’s still Zoe’s birth mother.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t slam the door in your fucking face.” I seethe, standing with the door open just enough for my body to block all view of inside.

Kiera stands there looking at me, no remorse in her eyes, but there’s an arrogance in the way she stands before me. I hate it, and looking at her makes me regret every time I fucked her. Knowing she hid her pregnancy and then left my daughter like she meant nothing makes me sick.

I glance back at the stairs, knowing the woman who should have been my daughter’s mother is upstairs showering. Turning back to Kiera, my face turned up in a scowl, knowing I needed her to leave ASAP.

“Nice to see you too,” she scoffs. “Look, I know I need to explain?—”

“Nope. I’m good. You can get the fuck off my property and never fucking come back.” I inhale and hold, counting down to keep myself calm.

“Did you keep her?” She puts her hand on the door to keep it open.

“Why the fuck would you care? You left her in a car seat on my porch in the middle of the night. What if I hadn’t been home, Kiera?

Did that even cross your mind?” I’m yelling now and need to get a handle on myself before I lose my shit.

“You didn’t tell me you got pregnant, hiding it from me and then you just dropped her off with a fucking ‘sorry.’”

“I didn’t want you to stress while you were deployed.

I couldn’t go through with the abortion.

I tried. But it felt wrong not giving you the chance to want her.

Look, I knew there was nothing but sex between us.

Lord knows, that's all I wanted from you. You were a great fuck, never getting attached, but let’s face it, Gage.

Do you really think you’re father material?

How are you going to raise her when your life is the Corps? ”

I hear Ale’s feet on the stairs without even needing to turn around and a smirk spreads across my face. You want to be a petty bitch, Kiera. I can be petty too.

I pull the door open and watch Kiera’s face drop, her smug bravado gone in an instant.

“Because my daughter is well taken care of. And now that you’ve decided to show up, it saves me trying to find you.

” I grab the folder that sits on the entry table, holding the papers for the court date to terminate her rights.

I hand it to her. “Consider yourself served.”

Kiera reads through the paper and laughs. “They only terminate rights if the kid is going to be adopted by a stepparent, Gage.”

“Not unless they find you unfit. And let's face it, you are.” I point the camera directly above her. “Caught you dropping her off and this conversation.”

I look over my shoulder and see Ale, standing there frozen; her hair’s still wet from the shower but she’s fully clothed.

I’d almost have preferred for her to come down naked and in a towel just to prove a point.

“Plus, who says she won’t be adopted?” raising my eyebrow, “Someone thinks I’m a good father.

Maybe I’ll be a great husband too.” I slam the door in her face, locking it and spinning around and crossing the space between us in two strides.

“Is she asleep?” I ask, looking at her, my chest rising and falling in sync with hers.

“Yes. She is. I checked on her before I came down.” Ale bites her lip, looking around me to stare at the door.

“Don’t even think about her for a second.” My hand comes up to cup her cheek, bringing her eyes back to mine.

“She’s her mother, Gage.” I can see the emotions and how she’s trying to suppress them, like her heart is about to break.

Not a chance in hell am I letting that happen.

I’m going to show her how wrong that statement is.

Kiera may have given life to Zoe, bringing her into this world but Ale is her mother.

She is the one who cares for her and loves her.

Ale feeds her and sings her to sleep. Ale is the one who will be there while she grows up, right beside me.

Taking her hand in mine, I pull us toward the stairs, heading straight for my bedroom. She must know what I’m thinking because she grips my hand a little tighter but lets me lead her. “You’re mine, Ale. My woman.” At the door of my room, I stop, dropping her hand and bending to pick her up.

“You’re still hurt.” But she doesn’t fight me, scooping her up.

“I need this, and so do you.” I suck up the pain and make my way over to the bed, setting her down.

“We don’t have—” she starts to say, so I cut her off with a kiss.

“Fuck it.”