In the Name of Revenge

Epilogue

Below is the last part of "In the Name of Revenge." I hope you've enjoyed the story. Stayed tuned for more from Starr Gardinier Reina.

EPILOGUE

Over the next year, Pavel was allowed to visit his daughter quite a bit, although at first, it was very infrequent and only when Felice or Darryl was present. He accepted her terms and no matter how hard it was for him, he also accepted the fact she was marrying Darryl. He loved her and only wanted to see her happy. Darryl did that for her. He saw it every time they were together.

It was the hardest thing he’d ever done when he let Felice go. He pined for her for so long that now he didn’t know how to act. Part of him would always be in love with her. That much he knew.

At first when Felice told him it was over, he still held hope. He hoped that over time, she would see who he really was and fall in love with him again. Each day that passed however, was one more she spent with Darryl and it became evident to Pavel that she wasn’t coming back to him.

It was a pain like no other. He never realized that losing a love and the relationship he had with Felice, would cause him almost the exact pain and sense of loss he felt when his parents died. Death is death. He’d come to realize—the painful way—that there was no difference. The loneliness he felt each time he went back to his quiet apartment was almost unbearable.

It was unavoidable. Each time she agreed to let him see their daughter, she was present. To see her, to talk to her, but not hold her was killing him. He would watch her interact with their daughter and it took every ounce of strength he had not to beg her once again to take him back. He knew it was useless.  It was worse when he saw her with Darryl. She used to look at him with those loving eyes. Now, it was Darryl. It felt like a dagger in his heart that kept twisting each time he saw them.

It took him a while, but he came to the conclusion that he would just have to be happy she was allowing him access to their daughter. When they finally agreed to let Pavel see her without them being present, he began to fill the void with his daughter. He got up each day for her benefit. He would, at least, be a good father to her.

Darryl grew to tolerate him and understood and accepted the fact that Pavel would always be in their lives. He hated sharing Rita Grace, but knew he didn’t have a choice in the matter. What was most important was that Rita Grace was happy. She had two fathers in her life. Some children were lucky if they had one parent.

Felice read the letter and notes Pavel gave her. A part of her ached for the despair Pavel must have felt, watching his parents be killed, surviving only to live a life of danger and emptiness. Then her anger at him took over once again, as she realized he hadn’t loved her enough to tell her the truth. In time, Felice knew she would forgive him, if only for the sake of their daughter.

Even surprising himself, Pavel began to date Teresa. She was materialist and stuck on herself, but there was something about her outright candor that appealed to him. Perhaps it was that she hid nothing and expected the same of everyone else that was so refreshing, as his past life was one full of secrets and deception. It was a new beginning and he was starting to like it.

He took Teresa out to dinner shortly after Mancini was arrested. He told her everything that happened with her father and who he really worked for. He confessed he was working undercover the whole time to bring down her father. She was shocked to learn of his job with the FBI, but not of what her father was capable of.

“They want you to testify against your father, to tell what you know.”

“I suspected they would. Father was simply a sperm donor. He never cared about me because I was born female. Oh, he cared for me. He gave me everything money could buy, so long as I didn’t get in his way or ask any questions. He had Roberto killed because he dared to love me. So, yes, I’ll testify against that heartless bastard.”