Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group #6) - Riley Edwards Page 0,102
it. You and Charleigh will come out of this stronger than you were.”
Fuck yeah, they would.
Unbreakable.
He knew all too well what it was like to live without her. Never again would he be separated from his girls.
Holden turned to Rhode and offered the other man his hand.
“Be safe. And I hope you know you can always call on us if you need anything.”
“I do and I will.”
When their hands released, Holden slapped Alec on the shoulder.
“I still haven’t read over your report. And honestly, it’s doubtful I will tonight. Anything I need to know about your meet with Donna Lot? Did you get anything?”
“Nothing. She talked to us, but it was the same thing she told Jonny. And she refused to allow McKenna to look at her computer or cell. The woman is beyond traumatized. She needs serious help, but she refused that, too. Her house sold. My guess is she’s either gone or packing up as we speak so she can get gone. The woman wants away from this place.”
“Do you think she’s been threatened?”
“I think she’s a woman who lost her only child in a horrific manner and she blames herself for not seeing the signs.”
Holden thought about that for a moment and could see how the mother would blame herself.
“It’s not her fault.”
“You know that. I know that. But Donna Lot will never see it that way.”
All the more reason to catch the son of a bitch who had harmed Kimberly. Donna deserved a slice of peace. Not that it would ease what happened or stop her pain, but anything they could give her would be worth it.
“I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks for taking Faith today. Hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Get the fuck out of here with that noise. We loved that girl before we knew she was yours. She’s always welcome here. And now that Rory and Faith are “BFFs To The End of Time” and that’s a direct quote, you can expect my daughter at your house and yours at mine. Though you and I are gonna be having a talk about this little shit named Andy.”
“Right? Leigh-Leigh told me I can’t hunt him down and wring his neck, though I will be finding the kid’s dad. The little fucker tries to kiss my daughter I won’t care he’s eight, that shit ain’t happenin’.”
Rhode damn near busted a gut laughing, but Holden didn’t see the humor. He was dead serious. No boy was putting his lips near Holden’s daughter.
32
“And this was my seventh birthday.” Faith proudly pointed at the picture of herself and her friends all in silly hats on the beach.
Holden smiled and ran his finger over the edge of the plastic-covered corner. The same way he’d done with each picture Faith had stopped on to tell a story.
There was something about how he touched the images, reverently, worshipfully, adoringly. And the way he stared at the pages of the album as Faith flipped through, like he was trying to soak in the memory.
It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. He’d missed out on everything.
Faith got to the last page and announced, “That’s all of them.”
“But you’re eight,” Holden retorted.
“Mom hasn’t made that one yet.”
“You haven’t?”
“I make them right before her birthday,” I explained.
“And on my birthday we look back over the year. It’s a tradition.”
I smiled at Faith’s excitement. What had started as me spending my daughter’s birthday looking back over the last year with a sadness only a mother understands, reminiscing, noting how much she’d changed and grown, had turned into something more. And I loved that Faith was always anxious to look at the album I made her.
“So on your ninth birthday, you’ll get your eight-year-old album?”
“Yep.”
Holden looked over at me and my breath caught—unbridled emotion. He wasn’t hiding anything from me and in turn, he wasn’t hiding anything from our daughter. He was showing us both he’d enjoyed looking over Faith’s life.
“That’s cool of you, Leigh-Leigh.”
“Does this mean you’ll stay and be my dad?”
Every muscle in my body contracted, my eyes felt like they were bugging out of my face, and I would swear I was experiencing heart failure. I couldn’t feel it beating, or maybe it was beating so fast that it was one continuous flutter, making me light-headed.
“Wh…what?” I stammered, unable to get my breathing steady enough to ask more.
To Holden’s credit, he didn’t look as freaked out as I did. Actually, he was grinning.