38. Echo
ECHO
I woke in bed alone to the smell of bacon and Forever’s voice carrying through the apartment. She was talking to someone whose voice I couldn’t register. I stretched, still half asleep but too nosy not to see who my wife cooked breakfast for when she could barely boil water a year ago.
Sliding out of bed, I went into the bathroom first and brushed my teeth, eyeing Forever’s skin care shit on the counter and testing out a few on my face after washing it.
Women always had the best shit on hand.
I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt before heading toward the kitchen. Forever stood at the stove, while Violet sat at the island with a plate in front of her.
“What y’all talking about?” I asked, making my presence known.
Forever didn’t turn, just kept pushing eggs around in the pan like I hadn’t said a word. I smiled, understanding immediately what this was about.
My baby was playing upset because I’d killed Millicent without letting her be part of it. The silent treatment was new for this version of her, but I found the little attitude cute as fuck.
“I’m here for breakfast,” Violet said, disregarding my question entirely.
Her face remained neutral, but there was amusement in her eyes as she glanced between us.
I slid behind Forever and wrapped my arms around her waist, dropping my chin atop her head. She didn’t push me away, which was a good sign, but she didn’t lean into me either.
Playing it cool, my Forever.
“Your boy can make his way into the city next week,” I told Violet, keeping my arms locked around my wife as she plated the eggs and turned toward the island.
“Forever and I are moving onto the compound full-time for the foreseeable future. There’s a spot for you and him or y’all can stay in this building. ”
I could practically feel Forever’s mind working, the questions forming about Violet’s true role in all this.
“Why are you here exactly? Besides helping him right a wrong.”
Violet shrugged and I couldn’t help laughing. She was the most nonchalant person I’d ever met, rarely showing emotion, but somehow I could tell she felt everything deeply.
“I mostly wanted to see who he’d go to such great lengths for,” she said after setting her fork down. “And Everwood is off limits to me and mine, of course I had to come and see what it was about.”
Forever leaned into the counter, pushing her ass against my dick in a way that couldn’t be accidental. I dropped one hand to her inner thigh and squeezed as they talked.
“But why are you still here?” Forever pressed.
That made Violet smile, a rare sight that transformed her face.
“He has me following your every move for the most part,” she told Forever honestly, her smile widening when she glanced at my face. “Not by car, though. I like being off the street.”
Forever briefly glanced at me over her shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly. I smiled wider and blew her a kiss.
There was no point in keeping it a secret anymore. Everywhere Forever went, there was a building close enough for Violet to watch her from. And when she was with me, Violet’s job was to protect us both from a distance, just until this was over.
“You could just come take a temporary job at Everwood Group,” Forever said, continuing her conversation with Violet as if I wasn’t standing there with my hands all over her.
“We’ll be in the same building, and I can have someone he trusts working with the new initiates.
They could use an outsider’s experience. ”
Violet picked up a piece of bacon and tipped her head, considering.
“Who’s replacing Millicent?” she asked, brows lifting.
Forever removed herself from my hold, and I let her, because I could tell she’d invited Violet over for a specific reason. All my effort to get them to be friends was about to pay off.
My wife was finally opening up to the idea of there being more out there beyond Everwood.
“My uncle,” she said, turning off the stove. “You’d be appointed to his role on an interim basis.”
I liked where this was going and added my two cents. “Might be the perfect time to invite Ms. Red, too.”
Violet chuckled and stood. “Lucia is coming in with Finnegan; I suggest petitioning her in person. As for me…” Her eyes met Forever’s. “I accept your offer.”
She went to leave, but I stopped her. “How much longer we got you for?”
I knew having her back me was a privilege she wouldn’t grant just anyone. It’d taken exposing the truth about Forever and me to make it happen.
Violet didn’t turn as she pulled the door open and replied, “Until I get bored. Oh, and Finn, Lucia, and I will stay on the compound.”
When she left, Forever spun on her toes and pushed me—a gentle nudge that made me laugh harder.
“What’s the matter, my forever? You still mad at a nigga?” I asked, grabbing her wrists when she tried to push me again.
She was frowning, but her eyes told the truth; she couldn’t stay upset with me to save her life.
“I’m not mad at you,” she whined, crossing and uncrossing her arms. “But like…” She stepped closer until she pressed against me and looked up into my eyes. “Don’t leave me out next time. I like to watch.”
Fuck. Those words from her mouth made my dick hard. I lifted her onto the island, and we started to kiss like horny teenagers as she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer.
My phone rang at the worst time, cutting through the moment but at the sight of Oliver’s name I answered.
“Somebody dying?” I asked, keeping one hand on Forever’s thigh.
Oliver was silent for a second and then said, “I mean she ain’t die, but your grandmother had a mild stroke and—”
“Did they take her off the compound?” I interrupted with a frown.
“Yeah, when I got here Joel had already helped them load her in the ambulance. Solei rode with her.”
My mind raced; I wasn’t worried about her dying, but about how taking her off the compound exposed the only Cannon left from her generation. I knew death was inevitable, but wanted to protect her as long as I could.
“Alright,” I said, stepping from between Forever’s legs. “Forever and I need to make a stop, but we’re moving onto the compound today. Let Solei stay with her for now, and we’ll figure out the rest later.”
I ended the call and explained to Forever what was going on. Her eyes softened immediately as she hopped off the counter.
“We can start our day earlier than intended,” she said, taking my hand and bringing it to her lips. “Let’s make a quick stop at my other place, then head to the hospital.”
Mm.
She’d just reminded me it was time to pack that place up and move her out indefinitely. There was no need for her to have it anymore, not now that we were back together.
The compound and apartment across the hall were the only places Forever was allowed to lay her head without me from here on.
A little over an hour later, I followed her into the heavily guarded building, noting the lingering gazes from the concierge and security.
It was my first time here, since it belonged to her parents. But now that our marriage was public knowledge, there wasn’t a building she could enter that I couldn’t, and vice versa.
We took the elevator to the top floor in silence, but I felt her eyes on me every so often.
The day had taken an unexpected turn, and something about her regarding me quietly made me feel more exposed than usual. She was trying to get read on me, and I wasn’t trying to let her, at least not right now.
It wasn’t until she pushed the door open to her place that my instincts kicked in. It was trashed from what I could see from the door, and at the end of the hall was her father, chest heaving like a madman as he approached.
And even though Forever was completely unfazed by his presence, I still pulled my gun without hesitation and pointed it at him. My wife might not see him as a threat to her life, but anybody as aggressive as him had to be put down with a bullet and nothing else.
“Oh, look, my daughter has finally found her way home, and she’s brought the husband I never approved of with her,” Eliel said sarcastically, completely unfazed by the gun pointed at his head as Forever moved around him. “Come inside, Mr. Cannon. Let’s have a chat.”
Forever sighed.
I knew that no matter how much she pretended not to care, she did. Her father’s disapproval still affected her, even if she’d never admitted to me or herself. Making her happy was my only goal, so I tucked my gun away and followed her in, keeping my eyes on Eliel.
“Did you have to ruin my couch?” Forever asked, staring at the deep-seated sectional. He’d slashed it repeatedly and pulled the stuffing out, more than likely looking for anything to control her. “I wanted to bring this with me.”
The casual way she mentioned moving the couch rather than addressing the destruction of her apartment said a lot about how often this probably happened.
Eliel ignored her question, his cold eyes sizing me up as I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He took an intentional step toward me, testing my reaction.
“What do you think you can offer the James family?” he asked, briefly glancing back at Forever. “My daughter decided to back me into a corner with her fabricated story. Millicent is dead…” He tipped his head. “And I have a feeling that’s your doing.”
I waited for him to get to the point. This confrontation wasn’t about me or even about Forever; it was about power and control, the things that mattered most to him.
“The only part of my story that was fabricated is you forcing those doctors to keep me in the dark about my head,” Forever said, meeting his gaze. “Other than that, I told the whole truth.”
She moved closer to me, not touching but close enough that I could reach out for her if need be.
“You may see me as nothing but a pawn in your thirst for power, but I ain’t going for it no more,” she continued, flicking her wrist as if it made her point truer. “If you want an alliance with my husband, I won’t stop it, but don’t use me as your way in…”
Her eyes met mine, and in them I saw everything I’d been missing. Being loved by this woman was all I’d ever need.
“Don’t give him a chance on my behalf,” she told me. “Be exactly who you are and I’ll accept your every decision. No matter what it is.”
The more she opened up, the more I wanted to put another baby in her.
Forever wasn’t asking me to be diplomatic or respectful for her sake. She wanted me to be me, to make her father earn every ounce of respect or cooperation. She wanted me to be true to myself, even if that meant rejecting him completely.
Even if it meant killing him, because I would without question.
I took a moment before responding, that protective instinct in me wanting to dead this nigga right here and move on to whatever came next. But the strategic part knew he could be useful.
“In that case…” I said, looking directly at Eliel. “Since my grandmother expects me to respect my elders, I’ll make an appointment with your assistant, and we can talk.”
It was a calculated move, showing deference not to him but to my grandmother, establishing where my loyalty truly lay.
I was offering him a chance, but not without something in return.
Either way, he seemed satisfied. His lips twitched in what might have been a smile on anyone else, but on him looked more like a grimace.
Society old heads were always too uptight. Nigga ain’t never been nowhere in his life and thought Everwood was the end all to be all.
What a shame.
“The board’s vote will more than likely come down to a tie after Millicent’s alleged suicide,” he said, moving toward the door.
“Your fate is left up to the high priest now…” He paused at the doorway, glancing back at me with his brow raised.
“Only come see me if he actually agrees to this farce of a marriage.”
The door closed behind him, leaving us standing in the wreckage of Forever’s apartment.
I chuckled, understanding now something I hadn’t before. Quinn was holding on to her past, and Eliel wanted to keep his status intact by any means necessary. Right now I was the means.
All in all, they were fucked up people like the rest of us, but not the true villains of our story.
Forever turned to me, stepping into my space and wrapping her arms around my waist. She pressed her face against my chest, and I felt the tension she had hidden well leave her body.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I stroked her back, eyes taking in the mess her father made.
“For what, baby?”
She shook her head and murmured, “I hope you feel how much I love you,” instead of responding to my question.
But I knew the answer, just like I knew she loved me again before she opened her mouth and said it.