Chapter 24
I lay in bed, scrolling through the channels.
It was almost five in the morning, and I couldn’t sleep. I’d spent a little while watching my baby on camera, wishing I could just go into her nursery and pick her up. Mentally, I was counting the days until she would be home. While I didn’t want to rush her recovery, I just couldn’t wait to have her and Korri back under the same roof. Korri was officially home now. All we were missing was her sister.
Devin was next to me, knocked out and snoring softly. He’d been here every night since my release, and I was loving having him around. The man catered to me in ways that had me falling for him so much quicker than I should have, but I couldn’t help myself. Watching him with both of my babies warmed my heart.
Though he went to work, he was always back here not long after Korri came home from school. Where I normally helped her with her homework while she was here, he’d stepped in to give me a break. All I could hear from the kitchen were my baby’s giggles. She found him funny, and she loved swinging from his biceps to see just how strong he was.
Then there was Juri.
Baby girl loved when he held her. She just lay there, completely content. When she opened her eyes for him, it’s like she was peering into that man’s soul. When he talked to her, it was like she really hung onto his every word. He’d taken to her, and I had a feeling it was the skin to skin.
That was bonding like no other. I had so many pictures of the two of them knocked out with her on his chest. He told me naps with her were the most peaceful thing he’d ever experienced. I looked over at him and smiled. We were truly lucky to have him.
Focusing my attention back to the television, I continued to scroll through the channels. I stopped when I saw Patrick’s face pop up on the screen.
“In other news, the body of twenty-eight-year-old Patrick LaStrange was found yesterday morning. Mr. LaStrange was shot a total of seven times. The body was discovered by his father, city official, Derrick Mathis, on his front lawn. Mathis says he was heading out for his morning run when he found his son. Police are investigating this as a homicide. More details to come.”
I sat up straight. My eyes drifted over to Devin, sleeping peacefully. I knew I told him to make Patrick suffer, but damn. When did this happen? Was that where he went when he left my house that night? He’d come back and slept like it was nothing. I guess because for him, it was nothing.
“Devin,” I said, gently shaking him. “Devin, wake up.”
His eyes fluttered open, and he looked at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to ask you something.”
He groaned as he reached over and picked up his phone. “Baby, it’s five in the morning.”
“I know, I just… I saw something on TV.”
He stared at me for a moment before sitting up and pressing his back to the headboard.
“Go on.”
“The night I came home from the hospital… you left in the wee hours of the morning. Was that for Patrick?”
“Yes. My sister said he was at the shop, so I went to handle it.”
“In the shop?”
“Three in the shop, but he wasn’t one of them.”
“Wait… explain.”
He sighed. “He was there with two other men and Laurel.”
“So it was her.” I said that more to myself than to him.
“It was her. She’s been sleeping with him for months.”
That hurt me. I’d been nothing but good to that girl, and she did that to me? Had she been the one to give him the key to get in? Was she the woman that came with him to my home? I thought back to the times when Patrick showed up not long after she left me at the shop at night. All those times she would conveniently be on her phone while talking to me when she got ready to leave. It all made sense now.
I sniffled. “So she’s dead too?” I asked faintly.
“She is. I also found out why they wanted to use your building.”
My head snapped in his direction. “Why?”
“Patrick said that he was just the middleman and that his father was behind the whole thing.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense. Patrick and his father had an estranged relationship.”
“That’s the story he told you. My sources kept tabs on him the last couple of weeks. According to phone records, they spoke at least three times a week or met up twice. I have pictures of them together looking real shady and shit. We suspect they were eventually going to move you out of the building and take it over. Your property sits on top of a set of tunnels that runs under the city. That’s what’s behind that steel door and how they were gonna bring the drugs in.”
My head was spinning. That was insane. My thoughts were running wild with how they even knew this information to begin with.
“How did?—”
“Laurel,” he answered, as if reading my thoughts. “I had my sister look into her. Her father works for the city’s planning department. She filed a request using your name to get the blueprints.”
“I… I don’t even know what to say,” I said. “What did you do with her?”
“She’s been disposed of, but all trails of Patrick’s death will lead back to her.”
“But how?”
“My sister is very resourceful. I promised you I would handle things. Nobody is gonna fuck with you if I can help it, Romi.”
I looked at him, my heart beating a mile a minute. No one had ever protected me like this. I mean, of course, my sister protected me, but Devin’s protection was fierce… strong… deadly. I felt his care for me all over my body. I wasn’t sure what would become of us, but as long as he wanted me, he could have me.
Leaning over, I cupped his face and kissed him softly. I wanted him so bad, but I was only four weeks postpartum at this point. My scar was healing nicely, but I couldn’t be too careful. Maybe I couldn’t have him inside me just yet, but there were other things I could do.
“Devin?” I whispered against his lips.
“Wassup, mama?” His voice was deep and low as he peered at me.
I answered him by sliding my hand under the cover and into his boxers. His eyes stayed on mine as I pulled his dick out and stroked it.
“Whatchu’ gon’ do with that, love?” he asked, pulling my bonnet off.
His fingers threaded through my locs, giving them a slight pull. He guided my lips to his, sucking the bottom one into his mouth before giving me his tongue. The kiss was slow, sensual, and nasty. I felt like he was daring me to match him. His hand slid from my hair and his fingers wrapped around my throat, where he gave a gentle squeeze.
The pressure from his hand caused me to squeeze his dick tighter. Mutual moans of pleasure fell between us.
“I asked you whatchu’ gon’ do with this muthafucka, Romi,” he said, nipping my bottom lip.
Instead of answering him, I tossed the covers back and positioned myself between his legs. He watched as my hand glided up and down his stiff shaft. Devin had the prettiest dick I’d ever seen. It was long and thick with a smooth mushroom head. I just knew that the protruding veins were roadmaps to pleasure.
I kissed the tip before circling it with my tongue. His dick jumped beneath my touch.
“He’s been dying to meet you, baby,” Devin said, grabbing the base. “Go on and introduce him to the pretty ass mouth until he can meet that wet ass pussy.”
My nipples hardened from the roughness of his deep voice. I salivated as I thought of all the ways he could destroy my pussy when he could finally have me.
Opening my mouth, I took as much of him as I could to the back of my throat before pulling him back out and spitting on the head. I used it to lube him up before taking him in again. As my head bobbed up and down on his dick, I stroked him with a firm grip.
“Shit, Romi.” He groaned as he gathered the locs from my face. “Look at your pretty ass, mama. Sucking this dick like you know it’s yours. Is it yours, Ro?”
I nodded as I continued to work him over.
“My ears are sensitive, love. I need to hear you say it. This your shit?”
I popped his dick from my mouth with a gasp.
“Yes!”
He gripped my locs with one hand and the base of his dick with the other.
“Open.”
A simple command. I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue. He guided himself back into my mouth, slowly pumping his hips. I gagged as he filled my mouth with more and more of his length.
A growl rumbled in his throat. “That’s it… good girl. Take that dick.” He reached down and slapped my ass. “Make that shit sloppy for me.”
I’d never been so turned on. I could feel the puddle growing between my lower lips. Pulling myself up on my knees, I reached into my boy shorts to play with my pussy. She was so slick with desire. I eagerly strummed my clit as he fucked my mouth.
“Fuck, Romi…” Devin groaned. “I can’t wait to put this dick deep in you… watch all that ass clapping against my thighs. I’ma make that wet ass pussy squirt just for me.”
He yanked me up from his dick and pulled my fingers from my panties to his lips. I couldn’t help but moan as he sucked my essence from them. The moment they were clean, he crashed his lips into mine. I savored every drop of me on his tongue.
“You see how good we taste together, baby?”
I nodded. “I wanna taste just you, though.”
“You gon’ swallow this nut?”
Instead of answering him, I slid back down and took him into my mouth again. I sucked and stroked him with the sole mission of tasting him. When I felt his dick jerk, I suctioned my jaws around him, catching every last drop as he came in my mouth.
He released a deep, guttural groan. “Muthafucka!”
I used my tongue to clean the remnants from him, licking my lips when I was done. He looked at me, panting heavily.
“You bet not ever suck another dick like that as long as I’m around.”
I giggled as I climbed off the bed and headed to the bathroom.
“You hungry?” I asked, peeling off my clothes.
“Hell yeah, I’m hungry. But where you going?”
“To shower.”
“Nah. Come lay your ass back down so I can return the favor.”
“My incision?—”
“We’ll work around that shit. I need that pussy in my face… now.”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at the bed. I smirked to myself as I sauntered my naked frame over to him. I guess the shower could wait a little longer.
A Week Later
It was Saturday.
We’d just left the hospital from visiting Juri, and I was more than ready to bring my baby home. Every time I had to leave her I wanted to cry. Devin was determined to take my mind off things. Currently, we were on the way to his family’s compound for a birthday celebration for his grandmother. Korri was with us and Renay was following in her car. I was a little nervous to be around the whole family, but Renay’s ass couldn’t wait to “snatch her a nigga” as she called it.
She was driving behind us and texting me the whole ride.
NayNay: You think the whole family is fine?
NayNay: I might want the daddy or the son.
NayNay: Shit, I might want both. You know I’m at that age.
I had to shake my head at her. The girl was a mess.
“Are we there yet, Mr. Devin?” Korri asked from the back seat.
“Almost, lil’ bit.”
“What’s taking so long?”
Devin chuckled. “I live in the country, baby girl.”
“Like on a farm?”
“Nah, not like a farm. We do have a couple of horses though.”
She gasped. “Can I ride one! Please! I’ve never been on a horse.”
“Sure, I’ll take you out there if it’s okay with your mom.”
Korri tapped my shoulder. “Please, Mommy?”
I playfully rolled my eyes. “I guess it’s okay. Devin, you better not let anything happen to my baby.”
He glanced over at me. “I got this, woman. She’s in good hands.”
He turned onto a road lined with trees and a fence. When he told me he lived on a compound, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as we neared the clearing, I was amazed at the property. Beautiful homes lined the road, and they weren’t little houses either. They were either big two stories or big single levels. Each had a two-car garage and were fenced in. Expensive cars sat in a few driveways along with golf carts.
Some of the property looked like little neighborhoods all their own. When we got to the end of the road, there sat a huge mansion that looked like something straight out of a movie.
“Wow!” Korri said in amazement.
“Wow is right,” I said in agreement.
My phone chimed, and I looked to see that it was Renay.
NayNay: Biiiiitch! This is nice! This how they living?
Me: Girl, this place just told me I’m poor as fuck.
NayNay: Broke, bitch!
“Is this your house, Mr. Devin?” Korri asked.
“It’s the family house, but my grandparents live here. We passed my house on the way in. I’ll show it to you a little later.”
“Okay.”
We pulled onto the roundabout driveway along with a bunch of other cars and golf carts. Devin shut off the car and climbed out to open Korri’s door before coming to open mine. Renay hopped out of her car and came to meet us.
“Brother in-law, who lives here?”
I rolled my eyes. She’d taken to calling him that, and he had no objections.
“My grandparents,” he answered.
“I would never leave this house. It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. Gramps put in a lot of work for this.”
“I bet he did.”
Hand in hand, we walked into the massive house. The smell of good food hit me, and my mouth instantly watered.
“Oh my God, that smells amazing!”
He chuckled. “Grams can burn. She doesn’t let too many people cook in her kitchen.”
We walked into the kitchen to find a few older women, his mother and grandmother, talking and sipping wine. When they saw us, they were all smiles.
“Hey, baby,” his mother said, coming to hug and kiss him.
“Hey, Ma.”
Ms. Allison came to Korri, scooping my baby up for a hug. She’d been making regular trips to the hospital with us, and Korri adored her.
“Hey, pretty girl!”
“Hey!”
She placed Korri on her feet and came to hug me.
“Hey, baby. How are you?”
“I’m good, Ms. Allison. How are you?”
“I can’t complain, chile. How is my little Juri Bean?”
I smiled at the nickname she’d given Juri. “She’s good. We went to see her before coming here.”
“Glad to hear it. Hey Renay, girl!”
“Hey, Ms. Allison! You look mighty fine today.”
Ms. Allison blushed and struck a pose. “I do what I can. Let me introduce you all?—”
“Dang, Ma!” Devin said. “I was getting to it.”
“Well have at it!”
“’Preciate it.” He grabbed our hands and led us over to the group of women. “This is Romi, Renay, and Korri. Baby, this is Mama Stephanie and Ms. Karen, Deuce and Salima’s mamas. These are my aunts, April and Denise. That’s Mia’s mama, Maddie. That’s Mama Tavia, Jaeda and Kerrion’s mama. And this beautiful young woman is the birthday girl.”
He went to his grandmother and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush.
“This is my grams, Rebecca Dillinger.”
His grandmother stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
“It’s so nice to meet you, baby!”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
She leaned down to Korri and pinched her cheek.
“Aren’t you the cutest little thing! You like sweets?”
Korri’s eyes widened as she nodded. “Yes, ma’am!”
“I have some cookies in the oven. I’ll make sure you go home with a batch just for you.”
Korri gasped. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome. Now, you might have to fight my other grandsons for them. They have a big sweet tooth.”
“Don’t worry, KoKo,” Devin said. “I’ll beat them up if they mess with you. I got your back.”
Korri giggled as the back sliding door opened and Kerrion stepped in.
“Grams—”
“I told you to leave me alone about these cookies, Kerrion!” she snapped. She turned to us. “See what I mean?”
Kerrion kissed his teeth as he came over. “Grams, don’t be acting funny in front of Smoke’s lil’ girlfriend.” He playfully mushed my head.
“You better put some respect on my sister’s name,” Renay said, mushing him back. “Me and my niece will jump you.”
He grinned as he stooped down to Korri.
“You gonna let your auntie jump me, lil’ bit?” he asked, flicking her nose.
She blushed. “No, Mr. Kerrion.”
“That’s my girl.” He scooped her up and placed her on his hip. “See, my niece said you ain’t touching me.”
Renay scoffed. “Korri!”
She tried to take her from Kerrion, but he turned away.
“Aht, aht! Leave us alone!” he said, mushing Renay’s head.
We laughed at the playful exchange. While I thought they might have made a cute couple, he wasn’t dark enough for Renay, and she wasn’t thick enough for him, seeing as he loved BBWs. It came up in conversation at my baby shower when Shar attempted to hook them up. They respectfully declined, but I could see them having that annoying little brother and sister relationship.
My grandmother shook her head. “Y’all go on outside with the rest of the family. Your daddy and uncles are on the grills. It was nice to meet you all. Feel free to come chat with an old woman once Smoke introduces you to everyone.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Devin frowned. “So they are welcomed in the ki?—”
“Boy, all you do is steal food. That’s why I put you and Kerrion out. Goodbye!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was feisty, and I loved it. Devin waved her off and grabbed my hand. Kerrion put Korri on his shoulders, and we headed out back. When we stepped into the yard, it was packed with people. Music was playing. Drinks were flowing. Kids were running around.
“Your family is… wow. It really is a lot of y’all.”
Devin chuckled. “I told y’all. This is four generations right here, baby.”
“Hey, y’all!” Shar said, bouncing over with her little belly on display.
Salima, Mia, and Jaeda were right behind her. She pulled Renay and I into a hug before greeting my baby.
“I’m happy to see you out and about,” she said. “Look at that snap back, girl! Stomach on flat, booty on fat!”
I laughed. I was back to my pre-baby body. It had been the same with Korri. I was nothing but belly. Today, I’d chosen a hunter green tank top that I tucked into a pair of high-waisted distressed shorts that stopped mid-thigh and a pair of sandals. My hair was done in a topknot, and gold jewelry was added to accessorize.
“Thank you,” I said, blushing.
“You look happy as hell,” Salima noted, looking between me and Devin. “We’re gonna steal her for a bit.” She grabbed my hand, but Devin pulled me back.
“Y’all can gossip later. I was about to introduce her?—”
“Unhand my friend,” Shar demanded. “Don’t let this belly fool you. I’ll still fight?—”
“Not with my baby, you won’t,” Maceo said, coming over.
Shar rolled her eyes. “Please tell your brother I’m pregnant, not handicapped.”
“You heard what I said. Let this man introduce his lady to the family, then you can have them. So impatient.”
She huffed. “Hurry up, Smoke.”
Devin mushed her head. “Don’t rush me. It’s a lot of people here, woman. I gotta give them to her in doses. I promise y’all can gossip till your tongue falls out ’cause all of y’all are nosy.”
Salima pointed at him. “You’re lucky Korri is here. Otherwise, we’d have some choice words for you.” She turned to me. “Y’all come find us after all the introductions.”
I nodded. “I got you.”
Kerrion handed Korri over, and the rest of them left us be.
Devin looked at me and Renay. “A’ight, some of these people are extra as a mutha—very extra. They mean well, though. Y’all ready?”
I was nervous as hell to meet the rest of his family. The people I met already seemed cool as hell, and he assured me that the rest of them were too. It was just so many people. I was so used to it being just my family and Korri’s grandparents. This… was a lot. I prayed it went over smoothly.