Chapter 79 - Make Me

SIN'S P.O.V.

Angel started to cry, her eyes dropping to the floor. I did hate her tears, but I hated the division I could foresee. Annalise was, especially right now, someone I wanted to keep. At least, until that contract is over if she absolutely refuses to stay longer.

For the rest of that time, everyone in this house, including Angel, is to respect her. Not treat her as garbage. Not expect that I would,nor my own volition, ever discard her.

I slowly released her hand, then leaned to her, my eyes holding hers.

"Is that what I taught you?" She went silent, and I raised a brow. "Is it?"

Slowly, she shook her head, then swallowed. "I... but you don't like me anymore, Daddy."

"Why exactly do you think so?"

"You left me with mummy."

I nodded. "By that logic, you hate me too since you agreed to leave with her?"

She went quiet again before she violently shook her head. "No. I love you, Daddy."

I slowly held her hand, my eyes looking down at her tiny fingers. "You know, I want to stay and watch you grow. I love you that much. I will give you whatever you want. Do whatever you want. But I am not a package deal with your mother. I am sorry about that."

She sniffed, then looked around as if she was just remembering that Annalise wasn't there.

"Where is..." she trailed off, and I watched her, refusing to complete it for her.

We fell into silence, and I watched her struggle to call her mum when she had been so enthusiastic to call her that at first. I had been trying to avoid Larissa using my daughter to draw me in, and the wench had decided to turn my daughter against me.

"Are you still looking for the right word?"

She met my eyes, then sniffed. "But... she is not my mummy."

"She isn't," I said, then pulled her into my lap. "But she could be. You know she likes you, right?"

"But she likes you more."

"Are we jealous of each other now?"

She shook her head, and I forced a small smile, adjusting her to look at me. "There is more than enough to go around between us three, sweetheart. No jealousy."

She met my eyes. "So you still like me?"

"More than ever. And, because of how much I like you, your birthday this year will be the biggest you have ever had."

Her eyes immediately lightened up, and her lips curled up. "Really?"

"Yes. Bring everyone you want. Tell me whatever you want. I will make it happen."

She thought about it for a while before she turned, her hands squeezing my cheeks like she loved to do. I had missed my daughter.

"Can you make it snow on my birthday?"

"You want snow?"

She nodded. "I want snow."

"Sure. We can make it snow for my baby."

She started to giggle and wrapped her hands around my neck. I didn't realize how much I needed someone to hold me before she did.

The whole thing with Annalise, I hated that it killed me inside. It rendered something inside me dead, and it was threatening to shatter me.

I don't know how I am ever going to look at her. Or myself. I don't know how I am ever going to forgive myself. I snatched her life from her twice, and karma was hitting me in the worst way. In the places that hurt the most.

I held Angel close as my other hand slowly rested on my chest, right above my steadily beating heart. This place, this house, this heart, it all felt so lonely. So fucking lonely. Since when did Angel stop being enough for me? Since when did I so desperately need Annalise? Since when did it feel like I would be crushed under this weight without her? Since when did I start to miss her?

"Daddy, where is mummy?" Angel suddenly asked, and I closed my eyes, my hand leaving my chest to rake through my hair.

Mummy. It could have been perfection. Me, Annalise. Angel. It didn't matter how many times I would risk my life to keep them safe, but I would. I would risk it all and keep them safe. It would have been perfect.

"Pray for her," I said, my voice cracking so hard I struggled to believe it was really mine.

"Mummy?"

"Yes," I said, then gritted my teeth against the new wave of self loathing. "Pray for mummy. Pray that she comes back to me. Pray that she comes back to us."

Angel didn't reply, and I closed my eyes tighter, trying my best not to cripple in front of my own daughter.

Angel soon fell asleep on me, and I gently tucked her into the bed. I gave a small sigh, then wiped the single drop of tears that had been resting right beneath my eyelids.

This wasn't the time. Prayer wasn't enough, and I needed to make this place conducive for Annalise. The first step to that was taking care of Enrique. I turned to the drawer where my gun always was, but it wasn't there, for some reason.

My eyes thinned, and I turned to Angel. She was asleep. Slowly, I walked out the door and locked her in the bedroom, then slowly started to head downstairs. The house was quiet, as always, but today, it felt like there was some rubble underneath all of this silence.

It was already dark out, but the house was illuminated. I walked slowly downstairs, my steps resounding through the house, accompanied by the soothing sound of the waterfalls outside.

My stash of guns was right behind the wine cellar, and I started to head towards it. Something didn't seem right, and I started to worry about Annalise, too.

I thought of grabbing Angel to go to Annalise and make sure she was fine, but something told me this place needed protecting first.

"I guess you are looking for this, am I right?"

I turned slowly, and Enrique was standing behind me, my gun in his hand. Silence fell between us as I held his eyes, my hands still in my pocket.

Slowly, he raised the gun, then aimed straight at me, his eyes cold as he grinned.

"How does it feel?"

I looked down at the briefcase he was holding. It had been in my study and was still fingerprint protected.

I raised my eyes to meet his again. "Cute, brother. Good to see you developed some backbone."

"Shut up," he said, then pushed the briefcase on the floor till it got to my feet. "Open it."

I brought my hands out of my pockets, then put them behind me.

"Make me."