Three.

Three years.

Three fucking years old.

I wouldn’t even insult my intelligence by doing the math.

Kennedy was mine.

Mine.

And this bitch had hidden her from me.

I knew I was the one to run away, but I didn’t need to question if Sheldon would have ever told me. I could tell by the glances she was casting, the nervous stutter, and her pale complexion.

She didn’t want me to know.

Did I even want to know?

When I agreed to return home, I planned for it to only be temporary. I would have done anything not to ever see Sheldon and had every intention of slipping away the first chance I got and disappearing for another four years.

I never expected to return home to face her as the mother of my child. My missing child.

Two men filed in the room while I was struggling to find the words to unfuck this fucked up situation.

This time it was two detectives from the FBI who were here to question Sheldon. I wondered if they might have found something if they were back this soon.

I listened carefully while Sheldon went over details with the detectives, but the rigidness of her spine told me she was very much aware of me. Even now, she watched me from the corner of her eye.

To fuck with her, I moved closer to the bed and let my hand drift down to grip the railing. Her small gasp was barely audible, but I caught it. I reveled in the idea of making her uncomfortable. Involuntarily, I envisioned restraining her to the rails and making her beg for forgiveness and mercy. When my cock twitched, I mentally scolded myself. Now was not the time, but soon it would be. It was the only promise, other than finding the daughter I never got to know.

I had warned her, and now I could make good on the promise I made four years ago. I didn’t realize until this moment that it was exactly what I had wanted. I just needed the perfect alibi.

“She’s mine?” I told myself I would wait until I caught her alone, but it flew out of the window along with my restraint.

I didn’t realize she was crying until her head whipped around. Her amber eyes were filled with pain and fear, and for the first time, I felt remorse.

And I didn’t like it one fucking bit.

I didn’t give myself time to think or rationalize. I gripped the back of her neck to keep her from escaping, and right there in front of the detectives, I licked her tears, starting from the corner of her lip. I repeated my torture on the other side of her face and enjoyed her gasp of breath and the desperate way she gripped my arms.

Was it to keep me close for more or to push me away?

It didn’t really matter because, from this moment forward, she would be mine to do with how I pleased.

“Keenan—”

“Before you say anything, I want you to know that whatever excuse or bullshit argument you are about to throw at me won’t matter.” I dropped my lips to her ear to ensure that only she would hear me. “Do you remember what I promised you?”

To my surprise, she nodded slowly though her eyes flashed with a bit of anger. Well, tough shit. I was angry, too.

The detective who had asked the majority of the questions chose that moment to interrupt. “Excuse me, but are you a relative?”

I ripped my eyes away from Sheldon’s long enough to answer the bushy-faced detective. “No.” Subtly, I gripped her neck tighter and demanded, “Why don’t you tell the nice detectives who I am.”

If looks could kill, I would have died multiple deaths in the short span of time it took her to answer. “He’s—” She stopped to take a deep, shuddery breath. “He’s her father.”

Atta girl.

Now that we got that out of the way, I could concentrate on making her pay for stealing my seed and keeping her from me.

“And were you present at the time of the incident?”

“When my daughter was taken from her mother? No.” I made sure to meet Sheldon’s stare before continuing with my answer. “I wasn’t aware that she existed at the time of the incident .”

How textbook could these people get?

“Ms. Chambers, once again, we will need a complete list of relatives and acquaintances. This is our first time hearing about a father. There could be a connection.”

Did this motherfucker just imply that I had something to do with it?

“That’s because he ran away before she was born.” Melissa’s voice managed to break the connection as we both seemed to jump apart.

“What’s the matter? Did you get a curl out of place?”

“That’s enough, you two,” Sheldon scolded. Her grimace of pain, as she clutched her head, was enough to make me stand down for now. The only thing I wanted causing her pain was me. First, I had to be the one to nurse her back to health.