Page 54 of Innocent Salvation

Big eyes full of emotion and so much like Snow’s looked up at them. “I loved you from the second I found out about you. My pregnancy was easy and when you were born, Henri and I loved you to distraction, but we fought constantly. When you were six months old, I got ready to leave him. I went to the bank and withdrew all my savings. When I returned, he was gone and so were you.”

“You expect me to believe that he stole me?”

“Technically it isn’t stealing. We had joint custody as he’s on your birth certificate. I looked for you for years but eventually, I had to give up or it would’ve killed me. I met Jean-Claude and despite what people think, he’s a good man and we love each other. It’s never been the love I shared with Henri, that wild destructive love but it was safe, and we had Patrick.”

“Ah yes, my messed up half-sibling.”

“Patrick is troubled that’s true, but underneath it all, he’s a good person. He’s just sick.”

“Sick! He told my sister they were related, and that Fleur was the product of incest.”

“He shouldn’t have done that, but he’s getting help now. He knew there wasn’t any kind of relationship between him and Lucinda other than romantic.”

“She fucking killed herself because of it.”

“I know and I’m sorry for that.”

“What about Henri?”

“What about him?”

Snow stepped forward slightly and he moved with her. He could hear Reaper and Bein in his ear and knew they had eyes on Patrick and Jean-Claude.

“Why did you kill him?”

“Well, we both know it didn’t work, but I shot him because he was blackmailing me. He discovered my son was involved with an Irish mafia leader named Jimmy Doyle and was going to leak it to the news unless I gave him some information.”

“You shot him in front of me.” Snow’s voice broke and he moved closer, lending her his strength without touching her and making her seem weak.

“He said you were away. I never would’ve done that if I’d known. Despite what you think of me, I never stopped loving you.”

“Bullshit. If you loved me, you’d have found a way to get me back.”

Dominique looked away, blinking before she composed herself. “I know I can’t fix what I broke when I left you with that man, but I’m sorry, Sabine.”

“What was the information?”

Dominique looked to him as if remembering he was there for the first time. “I can’t tell you that.”

Two pops outside the door made them both start. Dominique rose from her chair as the door flew open and the man everyone was talking about strode in, a gun held out in front of him.

Without thinking, Sebastian moved to put Snow behind him but she evaded him, even as he tried to grasp her arm.

“Well, isn’t this a nice family reunion?”

“Dad!”

“Hello, button. Did you miss me?”

“Are you kidding me right now? Is that all you have to say to me?”

“You’re angry with me. I get that. I did a bad thing, but I had my reasons.”

Henri was tall and wiry with grey hair and an angular face. His blue eyes were darker than Snow’s and honestly, he could see nothing of the woman he loved in the man. She was her mother through and through.

“Why are you holding a gun on us?”

Henri tipped his head. “Come on, button, you know the score. Control the room and Seb here looks ready to take me out if I even look at you wrong.”