Without Regret (Pyte/Sentinel #2)(125)

“Looks like you can stop being a prick and man the f**k up and take care of your family now,” Joshua bit out angrily and just when she expected Chris to lounge for Joshua like he’d done so many times before he stood up, but he didn’t make a move on Joshua.

“Joshua, stay out of it,” Madison hissed.

“No,” Joshua said firmly as he stared Chris down.

“It’s fine, Joshua. He made his choice and I made mine.

Jessica and I will be fine,” she said in what she hoped was a soothing tone since the last thing she needed was these two boneheads trying to kill each other again.

“Who’s Jessica?” Chris asked, sounding a little dazed.

Joshua let out a snort of disgust. “She’s your daughter, ass**le. Izzy picked out the name two months ago.

Where the hell have you been?”

“Please stop it,” she said, placing her hand over Joshua’s when Jessica decided that kicking her in the ribs sounded like fun.

She looked back up at Chris to find him staring intently at her hand over Joshua’s. That tick in his jaw was going double time.

“I was able to get a sonogram in here so if you want to see your daughter, be at the clinic in a half hour,”

Joshua said evenly.

Instead of telling Joshua off and acting like he didn’t care, Chris nodded once before he turned around and walked away. She didn’t know what to think, but she knew he wouldn’t come. He never did for any of her appointments.

“A sonogram?” Madison asked excitedly. “Oh my god!”

she squealed, jumping to her feet. “Don’t start until we get there! You know how much your father would love to see that!” And with that she was running out of the cafeteria, leaving them to stare after her.

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, you should be. I asked you to stay out of this. You know this is between me and Chris. It has-“

“No, not that,” Joshua said, shaking his head slowly.

“Then for what?”

He sighed heavily as he picked up both of their trays.

“You’ll see.”

Chapter 44

“I didn’t break it, did I?” he heard his father snap.

“No, but you promised not to touch anything!” Joshua shot back and he would have laughed if he was scared out of his f**king mind at the moment.

It was truly frightening how one moment of clarity could change his whole outlook. Not even an hour ago he’d been prepared to live a life of hell without his mate and then one word changed all of that.

Jessica.

He’d tried so hard not to think of the baby, so f**king hard. Hearing his little girl’s name was the kick in the balls that he needed. He started to picture a little face to go along with the name and he couldn’t imagine not being there to hold her, love her, help her and guide her in this world. Now he just prayed his little Munchkin would give him a chance, otherwise he’d be doomed to a life of watching from afar.

Where he’d failed to secure a safe home for his mate and child, his father and Eric had succeeded. Judging by the pictures and security details Eric just sent him they’d more than succeeded. The mansion’s security was a hundred times better than the compound’s and that was saying a hell of a lot. The property was gated, monitored, and unbelievably beautiful.

He couldn’t believe this, couldn’t believe how badly this situation had become f**ked up. Here he was pushing his mate away thinking it was the best thing for everyone and his goddamn family had not only been embracing her, but doing their damndest to secure her future and happiness and what the f**k had he been doing?

He’d been an ass**le.

Now he was coming back to the mate he treated like shit and praying like hell she would give him another chance. As far as the baby was concerned he was still scared shitless, but he wanted to see her. God, he wanted to see her so badly that it hurt to breathe.

He walked into the clinic and spotted his family all standing around Izzy as she laid on a hospital gurney as Joshua glided a small plastic tool connected by a wire to a large machine over her glistening stomach.

His lips twitched despite his nervousness as he watched his father reach out to take the tool away from Joshua only to have his hand slapped away by several people.

“I was just curious!”

“Well stop, we’re trying to see,” Jill said, smiling at whatever she saw on the small monitor by Izzy’s feet.

“What’s that?” Marc asked, squishing up his face as he turned his head to get a better look at whatever was on the screen.

“That’s her hand,” Joshua said, gliding the tool over Izzy’s stomach. “And if she turns just so…….we’ll see her face.”

“Oh my god,” Madison said, smiling hugely.

He was across the room in seconds, unable to stay away much longer. His father saw him and threw him a relieved smile as he stepped out of the way. After months of yelling at him and pleading with him to give Izzy a chance he knew how relieved his father had to be.

Taking a deep breath and praying that he wouldn’t f**k up this little girl’s life the way his mother had f**ked up his, he took a step forward and fell head over heels in love for the second time in his life.

There on the screen was his little girl, his Jessica. In that moment he knew there would be no walking away from her. He’d give his life up for her in a heartbeat.