Page 35 of Vengeance

Doc finished another stitch. "About three in the morning, I finally asked who the boy was."

Chloe leaned forward. "What did he say?"

Doc's smile faded. "He told me about Dante and everything that happened to you. But then, he looked me dead in the eye and said that it didn’t matter who his father was—it only matters who he chooses to become.” Chloe's breath caught, and Vengeance stared at the gravel around him because he couldn't look at either of them.

"He knew." Chloe barely whispered the words. "He knew who you were the entire time." Doc nodded once. She looked at Vengeance. "My dad knew you were Dante's son."

"Yeah,” Vengeance breathed.

"And—” She swallowed hard. "He still saved you."

Vengeance finally looked at her. "He never hesitated."

"But he hated Dante.” She struggled to understand.

"He did,” he said.

"So why did he help you?” she asked.

Vengeance smiled sadly. "Because Savage believed children shouldn't pay for their parents' sins." The words hung in the cool mountain air.

Chloe's eyes filled with unshed tears. "That sounds exactly like him. She laughed through her tears.

"It does." Doc packed away his instruments. "He came back every few days after that."

"You mean—” Chloe looked between them. "My dad kept checking on him?"

"For almost six months,” Doc said.

Vengeance nodded. "He taught me how to change a motorcycle tire."

A tear escaped before Chloe could stop it. "He what?"

"He said that every kid ought to know how to fix a flat." A small laugh escaped both of them. "He also taught me how to play poker."

Doc barked a laugh. "Oh Lord—he was terrible."

"He cheated,” Vengeance said.

"He absolutely cheated,” Doc agreed.

Vengeance smiled wider than he had in years. "He said it wasn't cheating if nobody caught you.”

Chloe laughed. "He said that to me once." Their eyes met, and for the first time since Lucius had exposed his last name, there wasn't hatred between them. There was shared grief, shared memories, and shared love for the same man.

Doc finished tying the last stitch. "There." He sat back. "You'll live."

"I was hoping you’d say that,” Vengeance grumbled.

Doc's expression grew serious. “Well, you'll live if Dante doesn’t find you first.” He looked at both of them, and the warmth vanished immediately from his eyes as reality came crashing back.

Chloe wiped away her tears. "What do we do now?"

Doc zipped his medical bag. "You two need to disappear."

Vengeance frowned. "The safe house is compromised now.”

"I know,” Doc said. "I've got another place where you two can lay low."