REESE

chapter fifty two.

*this is a slightly changed re-upload. the original chapter was deleted by mistake. please re-read so you are caught up with the new storyline. enjoy:)

Third Person POV:

"My daughter hates me."

Jonathon stubbornly ignored the ache in his heart as he said the words, revealing nothing outwardly, even if his chest was grieving on the inside. He refused to acknowledge just how near he was to breaking down completely in front of the five expectant Dons before him. His pride had already taken a devastating hit tonight; he wouldn't allow it to collapse completely.

"Oh come on, Jonny." It was Vincent's incredulity that took form and responded first. The Japanese Don let go of his cards, letting them rest on the poker table they were all seated around and sent his friend a look that seemed a little too close to pity for Jonathon's liking. "Reese loves you more than life itself, you know that."

"Loved." Jonathon cut Vincent a look. "She loved me more than life itself back when I was an adequate father. Now, all I am is a screw-up that drags my child down with me."

The dead silence that followed after his admission should have prompted Jonathon to feel some type of unease amongst the leadership in the room but he simply did not have it in him to care. He was beyond caring, his latest interaction with Reese stripping him of all his shame and embarrassment at once.

"Sometimes when I look at Elijah, I still see the six-year-old boy that would hold onto my leg and cry if I so much as tried to step out of the house and leave him for a few seconds." Leonid let out a huff of air laced with such miserable self-loathing, Jonathan's chest tightened at the sound. "It's easy to forget that our children are older now because while we still see those tear-stained cheeks and red eyes, they see a father that insists on holding them back from the real world they're so keen on experiencing alone."

The Russian Don peered into the distance, eyes turning vacant as they reminisced.

"Danger becomes an afterthought for them while it remains the only thought that runs through our thick old skulls."

Murmurs of agreement came from every Don at the table. Jonathon's gaze moved from face to face, from one suddenly downcast Don to the next. The sense of peace and camaraderie that suddenly warmed his heart and hands surprised him. Not once did he consider that he wasn't alone in his unexplainable all-consuming terror of losing his daughter.

He was different from the rest of his friends, not having a significant other meant that he had no one to vent to, no one to cry with, no one to inform him whether or not he was making the right choices as a parent but now as he acknowledged the shared struggle of every man at the table, his perspective changed.

They weren't ruthless leaders so much as struggling fathers and brothers that had no idea if they were doing right by those under their care.

"You messed up, Jonny." Leonid continued, shrugging his broad shoulders. "So what? You are her father, you are allowed to be angry and fearful for her safety even if she doesn't exercise the same caution. We all fight with our kids, don't let petty disagreements between you and Reese make you question how fit you are to be her dad."

Loosening his tie, Jonathon tossed his cards into the middle of the table, now abandoning the game completely. "I—" He rubbed his eyes in frustration. "I didn't mean to ignore her for that long before the mission. I was just so angry at the mere prospect of losing her that I ended up taking it out on her. I took it out one the one person I was so goddamn afraid of losing in the first place."