Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 768(@200wpm)___ 614(@250wpm)___ 512(@300wpm)
Fuck. This is not how I wanted this to go down.
"Tahani's here?" Mila pulls her face from my chest and looks up at me like she's asking for confirmation that this fucked up situation is really unfolding. Even with tears still trembling in her lashes and staining her face, she's beautiful. Even with fear and shock in her eyes and her face pale, she takes my breath away.
"What the fuck is going on?" Tahani yells.
I open my mouth to try to explain, only to snap it closed again when someone pounds on the front door.
"Santa Cruz Police Department, open up!" a man yells from outside, his voice muffled.
Motherfucker.
"Stay right there," I bark at Tahani, and then gently untangle Mila's arms from around me. She's staring past me at Tahani now, her lips parted. The devastated look on her face kills me. So does the matching look on Tahani's. The two most important women in my life are hurting and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it right now. I have to deal with the officer at the door before he kicks the fucking thing in.
Christ, why didn't I tell Tahani the truth days ago?
Because I'm a selfish bastard, that's why. For eight years, my daughter has had me wrapped around her little finger, and I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want her to look at me like she is right now…like she doesn't even fucking know me. So I didn't say anything.
The officer pounds on the door again.
"Fuck," I growl and then jog down the stairs to deal with him.
"Agent Gregory?" he asks when I pull the door open, his hand going to his gun when he sees mine in my hands. He's young, maybe twenty-five, but his brown eyes are hard, like he's been doing this shit for a while and has seen too much.
"Yeah," I mutter, holding the gun out with my palms up so he knows I'm not a threat to him.
"Is everything okay, sir? Where's the intruder?" His gaze shifts pass me, sweeping through the living room.
I quickly explain the situation, letting him know it was a misunderstanding and that there was no intruder, only my daughter showing up out of the blue.
"I understand," he says, holding my gaze, making it clear he's not intimidated by me or the fact that I'm with the ATF. "I'd like to speak to the young woman who called us."
I don't want to deal with this bullshit when my entire world is standing upstairs, hurting because I was a fucking coward, but I can't even be pissed at him for asking because I would do the same exact thing if our roles were reversed. Mila was hysterical when I got to her, and I'm guessing she probably was when she called 911 too. He needs to see her for himself to make sure she's okay and I'm not lying to him.
"Give me a minute," I say when he makes like he's going to follow me into the house. "She isn't dressed yet." And there is no fucking way I'm letting him see her naked. The thought alone pisses me off.
More sirens rip apart the night, coming closer. I growl when I hear them, my patience wearing thin.
The officer—Evan Arias, according to his badge—steps back onto the porch and grabs the radio microphone looped through the strap on his shoulder, telling any responding units to slow down.
I don't listen to the rest of what he says before I step back inside the house and climb the stairs.
Tahani's still standing where I left her, but Mila isn't. She's in the bedroom, pulling one of my t-shirts over her head. She's already put on a little pair of shorts. Tahani doesn't even look at me when I step up beside her. She keeps her gaze trained on the floor at her feet, standing quietly. My heart clenches at that. She's never been so silent or still before.
"Mila?" I call softly.
She spins to look at me, her expression making my heart ache. That sadness is back, dimming the bright green color of her eyes. Yet again, I've hurt her without even trying. I told her I'd tell Tahani, that it was my responsibility, and I didn't fucking do it.
I'm an asshole.
"Officer Arias needs to speak with you, baby. He needs to see for himself that you're okay," I explain.
Tahani makes a sound beside me when I call Mila baby. It's little more than a pained whimper, and it fucking kills me.
"Okay," Mila whispers. Her eyes flick toward Tahani and then back to me. She offers me a sad little smile and then slips past me down the stairs.
I step into the bedroom and put my gun on the dresser before turning to face Tahani again. I have no fucking clue what to say to her. She deserved more than to find out about me and Mila like this. Mila deserved more than for Tahani to find out this way.