“I understand.”
“Good”—he pauses for effect to let the gravity of his following statement sink its burrs into me—“because to us, it never matterswhoin the family is struggling or in trouble. If one of us falls, we all fall. We’re a unit. We fight together. So, the details of which family member did what that evening or this morning or any other time are irrelevant and never need to be mentioned again.”
Axel really nails that whole godfather vibe. A warning, a welcome, and a pledge of protection, all rolled into one. I’ve never been more touched.
“You’ve built an incredible family. I’m honored to be considered part of it. And on that note, you never have to feel bad about showing—”
“Weakness?” he questions with an arched brow.
“Humanness,” I counter. “No one can carry everything. Maddox taught me that. I respect you more because your devotion to your family shows.”
He palms my head and plants a kiss in my hair before patting Ryker’s chest on the way out the door.
“I’m gonna stay right here, in case that letter sucks.” Ryker tosses his dice in his palm, his dimple making its first appearance today. “Mercy is putting Remy to bed, so she’ll be down soon if you want to wait.”
“No, I’m good.” I unfold the paper and shrug with a slight grin. “If it sucks, you’ll do. And if I need you, you’ll know.” I flip him off, like my eye-in-the-sky gesture that tells them I’m okay.
He huffs a quiet chuckle, and I begin to read.
Dear Tessa,
I realized this morning how much I’ve failed you. I’ve always been in awe of your strength since you were a little girl. And I think somewhere along the line, when you entered adulthood, I believed you could shoulder more than most. You can. You have. But you still needed me to stand up for you, and I let you down. In time, I hope we can mend things.
I know you’re in a lot of pain right now. Ryker informed me that Maddox is still in critical condition. So, for now, I’ll simply share Maddox’s answer to the question I generally reserve for the guys who are looking to take the next step with one of my daughters. I wasn’t sure if that applied to him, but due to him being a Noire and how taken he was with you, I thought it was wise to probe.
I told you at the engagement brunch that it was hands down the best one I’d gotten from anyyoung man. That was partly because when he’d first arrived, he’d been so anxious to see you that his entire being seemed to be searching for you, like every second away was torture. It made his answer that much more authentic.
I initially debated about keeping it from you because I still wasn’t sold on the idea of you with a Noire, despite his impressive answer. But when I saw the expression on your face as you watched him walk away, I knew it was out of my hands. I also knew you’d resist it. Since you’re clearly all in now, you should see what kind of man you’re involved with. He’s worth fighting for. It’s evident he’ll fight for you.
If you need me, I’ll be here. And if you need time and space, I’ll provide it. In the meantime, please know I love you, and I’m sorry I let you down.
Love,
Dad
P.S. As a reminder, the question is, “Why Tessa? What sets my daughter apart?”Maddox’s answer is on the back.
My heart is simultaneously broken and full, but I’m grateful my father thought of giving this to me. So much has changed since that day at my parents’ home. I resisted the idea of Maddox having deeper feelings for me then, and now I’m salivating for every crumb I can get.
I flip the paper over, and my eyes sting.
“I’m sure you have a favorite song, one that makes any moment better. Your daughter is my favorite song.”
TESSA
The next morning, long before the crack of dawn, the doctor begins weaning Maddox off sedation. It could be a while before he’s awake, even longer until he’s lucid. Then they’ll need to assess his ability to breathe on his own.
I can’t bear to leave his side, but we’re all so anxious that I’ve convinced myself he’s delaying this simply to fuck with us. And since I slept slouched over in the chair by his bed all night and we’re inching closer to the family lunch that Axel wants to have, freshening up is in order.
I take another shower, trying again to scrub the horror of the massacre off me. No matter what I do, the blood and betrayal gnaw at my flesh. The din from the cascading water provides me a safe space to expel my emotions with another torturous outburst before I summon the energy to face whatever this day holds.
He cracked me open and tore down all my walls. With him, that’s beautiful. Without him, that’s a brokenness I’ll never recover from.
Somehow, I manage to make myself somewhat presentable. My eyes are tired and red-rimmed, and my lips and skin are dry, but I don’t really care.
As I’m coming out of the bathroom, Mercy hands me a chai latte. I immediately indulge while walking to the waiting room and gawking at the commotion.
Cash and Jax are flipping through pictures of the employee festival, giggling like little girls.
