Chapter 39

When the cell door opened, Dara was ready to launch a harangue, which had replaced her initial plan to seduce her husband. She refused to seduce the man who left her alone for hours - after that scorcher of a kiss - with no word.

She was ready to pepper him with a litany of complaints, but she held her tongue as she saw what Kobrah carried.

"Karo!" She held out her arms, and her child wiggled to get down, immediately running to her mother.

"Mommy." Karo snuggled into Dara, and for a moment, everything felt complete.

Kobrah ruined it. "She really is my daughter."

"I told you she was."

"And I was supposed to believe you?" He kept his accusation bland, and yet the expression in his eyes was anything but. He kept his temper in firm check, most likely because of Karo.

"I might have lied about some things - "

He snorted.

" - but I would never lie about that."

"You might not have lied, but you purposely hid her from me."