The Tyrant (Banker #3)(22)

My body was exhausted from the labor. My legs shook from pushing so hard, and I was tired from not sleeping well for the last few nights. But the hard part was over—and my reward was finally given to me.

I would never forget this moment, holding my daughter for the very first time. “Martina…” I held her with both arms and looked at her tiny fingers. She still cried hysterically, but my ears seemed to automatically morph into mom ears, able to handle the high-pitched cries. Her eyes were closed because she hadn’t opened them just yet, and I waited to see their color. I hoped she had Cato’s eyes. I wanted to see him every time I looked at her.

Her eyes opened—and they were blue like the ocean.

“Just like your father.” I brought her head to my mouth and kissed her forehead. “You’re so perfect.” I stared into her face with a permanent smile on my lips. Slowly, her cries stopped as she became just as entertained by looking at me as I was looking at her.

I’d had a special relationship with my mother, and it broke my heart that she wasn’t here for this moment. I’d always assumed she would teach me everything about being a mom—because she was the best mom in the world. I knew she would be overjoyed to see her granddaughter, to babysit her as much as possible so I could have time off with Cato. But she wasn’t here…and I was starting my own family without her.

Cato stood over me and stared at Martina in silence. He was silent and still, taking in the moment with an expression that was impossible to read. He didn’t seem happy or sad. He seemed…overwhelmed. One moment, it was just the two of us, and then it became the three of us. This little girl had been the result of an accident, but that accident turned into the best thing to ever happen to us. She saved my life…and she made Cato into a better man.

“You want to hold her?” I whispered.

Like he hadn’t heard a word I said, he continued to stand there. He didn’t extend his arms or give any indication he’d heard me. His breathing was deep and heavy, the emotion clearly flooding his veins. He finally came to terms with his thoughts and extended his arms to make the transfer.

I placed her in his arms and let go.

Cato held her with a single arm because she was so small in comparison to his size. He moved his other hand under her head then lifted her toward his face so he could get a closer look at her.

Martina didn’t cry. Only faint coos came from her little mouth.

I watched them together, watched the weight of the moment overcome Cato. The instant I went into labor, the reality of my life hit me hard. But it didn’t happen for him until he saw her face for the first time.

“Sweetheart, you’re beautiful,” he whispered to her, having a private conversation between father and daughter. “Just like your mother.” He brought her forehead to his lips and kissed her the way I had.

I felt the tears burn in my eyes. It didn’t matter how much pain I was in or how exhausted I was. This scene moved me to tears.

He held her close to his face and spoke again. “I promise I’ll never leave you, sweetheart. No matter what. I’ll always take care of you. I’ll always protect you. And every night, I will always come home.”





When we went home the next day, I was exhausted. I was constantly feeding her and rocking her back to sleep so she would stop crying. If I weren’t so tired, I would just keep going, but I’d reached my limit.

Cato put her in the crib next door and joined me in the bedroom, but her wails were so loud, they couldn’t be ignored. With the doors open, a baby monitor was unnecessary.

“I can’t let her cry like that.” I pushed the sheets back.

“Baby, rest.” Cato put me back in bed and tucked me in.

“She needs me, and I know you have work tomorrow.”

“I took a few days off. I’ll take care of her so you can get your strength back.”

Cato Marino, the billionaire banker, took time off to take care of his daughter? “I thought you were going to get a nanny or something?”

“Eventually. But for now, I think it’s best if we’re the ones taking care of her. It’s important for bonding. I don’t want Martina to come into this world and be cared for by a stranger. It should be us.”

A wide smile melted across my face. “I know I’m super tired right now…but you are Cato, right?”

He smiled and pulled the sheets to my shoulder. “I’ve got her. You just rest. You grew a person inside your body for nine months and then pushed her out. You’ve done enough.”

I gripped his hand. “If I weren’t a nightmare down below, I’d be fucking your brains out right now.”

He chuckled then kissed my palm. “You can make it up to me later.”





7





Cato





I was a father.

As Siena grew bigger over the last few months, the inevitable truth looked me right in the face. Then I watched her do the most difficult thing any woman could—give birth. After lots of screaming and lots of pain, my daughter arrived.

And my life would never be the same.

She was beautiful, healthy, and perfect.

I would never forget the moment I held her in my arms for the first time. All I wanted to do was protect her, hide her away from all the terrible things in life. I only wanted her to see kittens and rainbows. That moment changed me, for better or worse. I was filled with love but also hatred. How could my father ever hold me and then walk out? How could he turn his back on his two sons without feeling dead inside?