Page 73 of Act of Passion

Edee laughedsoftly.

Corbin bent near Bethany. “Your father tells me you like to bake. What do you say we all go down to the kitchen and make somethingtogether?”

Striker groaned. “Again?”

“Okay,” said Bethany, a sad note to her voice as she twisted to look up at Brooke. “How come we gotta go, Mommy? Daddy said we were going to live here with him for good. That we’re a familynow.”

Brooke glanced at Malik. “He did, didhe?”

Edee came in for the assist. “Let’s go bake apie.”

Striker opened his mouth and Edee pointed at him. “Before anything lewd falls out about pies, remember there are little earshere.”

“That just rendered him mute for life,” saidBoomer.

Corbin put his hand out to Bethany. “I think your parents need to talk about somethings.”

Bethany eyed him. “Well why didn’t you just say that to start with? I don’t want to eat Uncle Striker’s baking either. He better hope the wife I find him cancook.”

“Och, it’s nae that bad,” said Striker. “Never mind. It’s that bad. How about we go downstairs and I order pizza foreveryone?”

Bethany sighed loudly, sounding relieved. “Good plan. I didn’t know how to tell you that your cookies areterrible.”

Corbin laughed as he led Bethany down the hall in the direction of a large staircase. The men all followed after him. Edee stayed behind a second, standing nearMalik.

“Brooke,” Edee said. “Hear him out. She’s his daughter too, and he didn’t know about her. I’ve been with them all week and I can safely say he loves her so much. Keep that in mind when you have your talk with him. And ask him to explain how the mating process works fully. From what Boomer told me, you and Malik have some things to finish up on thatend.”

She walked off, leaving Brooke alone withMalik.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Thank you for the dress.Okay, for everything, but I can’t accept all of that,” Brookesaid.

He took her hand in his and walked back in the direction of the bedroom she’d woken in. He said nothing as he entered, taking her with him and then shutting thedoor.

“Malik?”

He faced her, still holding her hand. “I love you. And I want to hold you right now so bad it’s killingme.”

Brooke closed the gap between them and put her arms around hisneck.

He lifted her off the ground and spun her in a circle. “I love you so fucking much. I get your trust in me is shaken. I deserve that. I chased you away and then you went through somethinghorrible.”

Brooke tried to speak but he keptgoing.

“I will beg you to stay with me. I can’t lose you and Bethany,” he said, his hand skimming her cheektenderly.

She put her hand over his. “Malik.”

He stoppedtalking.

“I did go through something horrible. But I came out the other side with a beautiful baby girl. I would never change her or wish her away. She was worth every second of everything I wentthrough.”

“She’s perfect. You’ve done such an amazing job with her,” said Malik, lowering his head. “I should have been a part of that. I can’t change the past but I can beg for the future. Let me be part of your lives. Let me loveyou.”

She pressed her mouth to his, surprisingherself.

He growled and lifted her again, walking her towards the wall, as he’d done five yearsago.

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