Chapter 45 #4
“Gotta say, Angel,” Briggs starts, righting his sweatpants but leaving his shirt dangling from his fingers.
He swaggers closer, those washboard abs on blatant display.
“I love it when you’re possessive of me.
” His grin is pure sin as he drops his head and presses his lips to mine.
His tongue invades my mouth, making me groan as he presses me further into Dayton.
“My cock was in her mouth thirty minutes ago,” Colsen deadpans. I gasp, not having realized, but Briggs isn’t the type to shy away from awkward situations. The smile that stretches across his face speaks of trouble.
“And that’s the closest you’ll ever get to me sucking your dick. I bet it turns you on,” Briggs teases, glancing at Col’s half-hard cock as proof. My gaze flies to Colsen’s, wondering if I’ve missed a vital part of their friendship, but his matching smirk only confuses me.
“You’re right. It does,” Col admits, stepping closer so the two of them are chest-to-chest. “I’m trying this new thing, where I don’t hide behind my trauma, but rather I confess to liking what I like, regardless of how wrong I’ve made it out to be in my head.
And your mouth being where my cock just was?
I like it. A lot. Because I know you’re tasting me on her tongue.
That I was there first, even if you come after me.
Just know in that moment, she was mine first.” Col winks, then saunters from the room with his hands in his pockets, whistling happily as he goes to join Mia.
“Well, shit,” Briggs comments, adjusting his own erection. “That was fucking hot.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Am I a fucking cuck?” he asks no one in particular, his eyes taking on a faraway look.
“Alright,” Dayton cuts in, lifting me off his lap.
“Let’s debate our kinks at a later time.
Whatever Mia was ranting about, it seemed important.
” He tugs on his pants and T-shirt, then grabs my hand, leading me down the stairs and towards the living room.
I guess the three of us are going to have to wait a while to shower, causing me to grimace when the sticky mess between my thighs becomes more noticeable with every step I take.
I glance back to make sure Briggs is following, finding his gaze fixated on the sway of my ass.
I roll my eyes, facing forward just as we reach the great room.
Raiden is in the kitchen plating a delicious-smelling pasta, so I detour in his direction, circling my arms around his middle and squeezing him tightly.
Guiding me to his side, he lifts me and places me on the counter.
Spreading my thighs, he steps between them and brings our foreheads together.
“Missed you today, minha luz,” he whispers sweetly, keeping his confession between the two of us.
“I missed you, too,” I admit, soaking in his presence after he’s been spending so much of his time at the precinct recently.
“Are you sure about that?” he goads, leaning down and taking a deep breath against my neck. He groans, his fingers digging into my thighs. “You smell like sex, mama. Like hot, filthy, fuck-you-’til-you-can’t-think-straight sex.”
“So if I can still think straight, does that mean you need to finish the job?” I tease, grazing my teeth along his ear.
“Gross, you two,” Mia hollers, effectively killing the moment.
“It’s time! Get your asses over here!” I glance at Raiden in question, but the smile he gives me is full of giddy excitement.
Helping me down, he takes my hand and moves to stand in front of the large TV that occupies the majority of the living room wall.
I stare in confusion as a news anchor fills the screen, but then Mia turns the volume up, and my jaw completely unhinges when her words begin to register.
“Just moments ago, Jerod Cantmeir, a prominent attorney in Chaplain County, Mississippi, has been arrested in connection with racketeering and obstruction of justice, just to name a few. In a sting that spans several months, it appears that Cantmeir has been on the FBI’s radar for quite some time.
However, as one of the defense attorneys on the prominent cult case in Chaplain, his interference with such a high-profile investigation has landed the once esteemed member of the community in even more hot water.
We’re hearing whisperings that Cantmeir has even gone so far as to pay individuals to stalk and harass the victims.”
The blonde woman regales her viewers, but my gaze is glued to the corner of the screen, where a smaller viewbox displays the man who’s made my life a living hell these past few weeks.
His head is ducked low to avoid the onslaught of cameras while being escorted down the front steps of the courthouse, his wrists bound in handcuffs as he’s forced into the back of a police car.
I’m not sure what I expected him to look like, but he fits the part of a slimy bastard to a T.
His light brown hair is swept forward to try and conceal his receding hairline, but he’s not fooling anyone.
An indulgent smile curves my lips when the swarm of photographers surrounds the vehicle, the flashing lights of the cameras still harassing him as they begin to pull away.
Serves him right, but even that slight bit of justice doesn’t compare to the fear he instilled in us.
“It’s over?” I whisper in disbelief, looking to Raiden for confirmation. The smile he gives me is answer enough. Tears instantly fill my eyes; the relief that washes over me is so potent, it makes my knees weak.
“I’ve got you, minha luz.” He wraps me in his arms, placing a kiss on the top of my head.
“Deputy Director Denvers, as well as Belmont, have assured us that the photos of you and Dayton won’t see the light of day.
Outside of serving as evidence in the case against Cantmeir, they don’t exist. They also arrested his patsies that were hired to terrorize you.
Sadly, it was two women who were conned into doing his bidding, but one of them is being very cooperative and telling us everything we want to know about Ada Stillwater.
She even claims to have proof that Ada’s deceiving the courts about being a victim, so this could actually work in our favor,” Raiden explains.
I shake my head, thoroughly repulsed by how spineless those women are.
“That means no more lockdown, right?” Briggs questions excitedly, stalking closer until I’m sandwiched between him and Raiden.
“No more lockdown,” Raiden agrees.
“Thank fuck,” Briggs adds, steering me towards the couch and the hoard of blankets I abandoned earlier. “You need to sit and rest. And eat. I have a feeling you burned a lot of calories earlier.” He winks, sauntering off to retrieve one of the plates piled high with pasta.
The guys stick close by for the remainder of the afternoon, all of us opting to eat in the living room while watching a movie.
We choose a comedy, wanting to keep the mood light and happy.
It’s not often things go in our favor lately, so this feels like a major victory.
But I know it wouldn’t have been possible without Mia and Belmont.
Catching her gaze across the room, I give her a watery smile and mouth my thanks.
She rolls her eyes, not a fan of praise, as I’ve come to learn, but winks to let me know she understands my need to show my appreciation.
Some time later, when my eyelids are heavy with exhaustion, the front door opens, revealing Royce, Rita, and Hudson.
“Ma, Ma, Ma,” Hudson babbles, his chubby little legs working overtime to reach me.
I perk up instantly, positive I’m hallucinating or hearing things.
My heart thumps erratically as I look to the guys for confirmation that Hudson is actually saying what I think he is.
Col dips his chin, followed by Dayton, both of them smiling at me tenderly. I look to Raiden next.
“Yes, minha luz,” he answers, not needing me to verbalize the thoughts pinging around my brain. Lastly, I glance at Briggs, the man who’s been beside me for every sleepless night, and not once has he wavered.
“You’re his mama, Angel,” Briggs states matter-of-factly. “We know it. Hudson knows it. But are you ready to know it?” He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, giving me all the time in the world to come to terms with what I already know to be fact, but I’m finally willing to accept.
It’s okay for me to be Hudson’s mama. It doesn’t erase LeAnna. She will always be his mother; we simply share the title now.
I turn to find Royce holding my sweet baby boy, his arms extended towards me as he starts to squirm. I happily take him, instantly at ease now that I have him close. His tiny hands smoosh my cheeks together, making us all laugh.
“Ma,” he repeats, burrowing his face against my chest. I stroke my fingers through his curls, basking in the moment the two of us are sharing as the guys give us some space and quietly fill Rita and Royce in about the Cantmeir situation.
“Yeah, baby,” I whisper, my eyes brimming with tears. “I’m your mama.” I say a silent thank you to Seth and LeAnna for making the most perfect little boy, who I’m lucky enough to spend the rest of my life loving.