Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
MACKENZIE
I ’m such an idiot. How could I let things between us escalate so far?
“I’ll return the damn shipment if it’ll get those bastards off my back, but I am not letting you go again.”
My breath catches at his words—exactly what I longed to hear all those years ago. But now, it's too late. I shake my head. “It’s not that simple.”
His jaw clenches, his fingers flexing at his sides like he’s trying to hold himself back. “It is.”
I let out a bitter laugh, crossing my arms. “You think this is just about what I want? Creed, my mother put you in prison. The Guild sees you and Diego Santiago as enemies. And now, they’re breathing down my neck because I’m connected to you. And then there’s Gabriella, you dragged our daughter into this, Creed.” I take a step closer, the heat between us igniting like a live wire. “Tell me, how the fuck do you plan to fix that?”
His lips curl into that maddening smirk, but his eyes—his eyes are lethal, like a predator that’s already decided how this will end. “I told you, little demon. I won’t lose what’s mine.”
A shiver runs down my spine, but I ignore it. Ignore the way his presence makes my pulse race. “You lost that right a long time ago, Creed.”
His hand moves before I see it coming, fingers gripping my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Then why do you keep coming back?”
I swallow hard, my resolve slipping. Because I’m a fucking fool. Because no matter how much I want to run, I know I never really will. “Leave Gabriella and her family alone. Please. Our daughter deserves more than we can offer. That’s why I gave her up in the first place.”
Creed's grip on my chin tightens, his expression darkening. “You think I’d hurt my own daughter?” His voice is low, controlled, but there’s a dangerous edge to it. “You think I’ll let any harm come to her?”
“You’ve already dragged her into this world,” I snap, pulling away from him. “I did what I had to do to keep her safe. I won’t let you take that from her.”
His nostrils flare, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “She is my daughter, Mackenzie. I want to be in her life.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “And what? Let people use her to get to us? No. I never wanted her to live the life I was forced into.”
Creed takes a step closer, and I hold my ground, even as my heart slams against my ribs. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for her on your own,” he growls. “She’s mine, too. I can keep her safe.”
“She’s not a fucking possession, Creed!” My voice cracks, but I don’t back down. “She’s a little girl with a real family, a stable life, far away from this bullshit. I won’t let you destroy that.”
His jaw ticks, and for a moment, I see something flicker in his eyes—something raw, something almost vulnerable—but it’s gone as fast as it came. “So, what now?” he asks. “I just walk away and forget she exists.”
I shake my head, exhaling sharply. “I’m asking you to do what’s right and that means letting her go and allowing her to live a normal life.”
The silence between us stretches, thick and suffocating. Then, finally, he speaks.
“You really think I could ever walk away from my own blood?”
I look at him, at the man who has wrecked me in every possible way, and I know my answer doesn’t matter. Because Creed Torres never lets go of anyone he truly cares about.