46. Echo
ECHO
Family meant everything until they betrayed you. Then they meant nothing, especially to me.
The door to my G’s house was never locked; I pushed it open without hesitation and let it hit the wall.
Joel was already in the living room waiting for me as instructed.
I moved past him and entered my aunt’s room at the end of the hall. The sight of her sleeping peacefully had me hot. I crossed the room and yanked her from the bed. She woke with a startled scream, eyes wide as she tried to process what was happening.
“Demetrius! What the fuck are you doing?” she shrieked, free hand clutching at the blanket wrapped around her lower half.
Joel appeared in the doorway, rope in hand, and Forever behind him. His eyes moved between me and my aunt, uncertain for what seemed like the first time since taking the job.
This was the last thing I thought I’d ever have to do, but there was just some shit you couldn’t leave unchecked.
“Tie her hands,” I ordered. “And find something to gag her with.”
“Demetrius, you’ve lost your mind!” my aunt screamed, struggling against my grip as I held her in place. “I’m your aunt! Your father’s sister!”
I leaned in close, my voice dropping to a whisper meant only for her. “And that’s the only reason you’re still breathing right now. It’s the only reason I won’t torture you later, too.”
My aunt’s protests grew louder as Joel bound her hands and feet, more desperate as the reality of her situation sank in.
“You can’t do this! I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Joel handed me a scarf from the dresser, and I pulled it tight between her teeth, silencing her pleas.
“Take her to the car,” I said. “Drive her to the bunker.”
He nodded and hauled her over his shoulders. She tried to resist, but he was stronger.
As we stepped outside, the commotion had drawn attention. Lights were coming on in nearby houses, curious faces appearing in windows. And then my uncle emerged from his home, moving quickly toward us as Joel forced my aunt into the back of his car.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, placing himself between me and the vehicle.
“Move,” I ordered, the single word carrying all the threat I needed it to.
“Not until you tell me what’s happening,” he insisted, his stance widening as if preparing for a fight. “That’s your aunt, for Christ’s sake.”
“That’s Solomon’s bitch,” I corrected, pulling my gun and aiming it directly at his head without hesitation. “She’s the reason Forever lost our baby. The reason she didn’t come home. Now move, or I’ll consider you complicit.”
He looked taken aback but still held his ground, further angering me.
“You need to think, Demetrius. This is family. We don’t—”
“She stopped being family the moment she betrayed us,” I cut him off, finger hovering near the trigger. “Last chance to move.”
I’d woken up this whole fucking end of the compound, but nothing would stop me from ending this shit before the sun came up. And then came the voice that might have been the only one capable of reaching me in that moment.
“Meechie.”
G stood in her doorway, leaning heavily on a cane. She’d only been home from the hospital for less than a day, but there she was, her presence commanding attention despite her weakened state.
“What are you doing to your father’s sister?” she asked, her voice carrying across the suddenly silent compound.
I didn’t lower my gun, didn’t take my eyes off my uncle either.
“She’s been working with Solomon. She’s the reason Forever lost our baby.”
Murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. G took a step forward, wincing slightly.
“How do you know this?” she asked.
“Because I do,” I replied, unwilling to further explain myself. “There’s proof.”
G’s expression never changed.
Instead, she looked directly at me and said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly.
“Then you do what you must.”
My uncle turned to her, shock evident on his face.
“Ma, you can’t be serious. We need to—”
“Joel,” I called out, ignoring his protests. “Go.”
The engine started, and Joel backed out of the driveway with Velma still struggling in the backseat. Everyone watched as the car disappeared down the road.
“You’re making a mistake,” he said, turning back to me.
I finally lowered my gun, tucking it back into my waistband.
“The only mistake I ever made was hiding my wife in the first place. None of these muthafuckas would have ever tried me, otherwise.”
I couldn’t see past the red fog of betrayal, couldn’t bring myself to explain the full extent of what she had done. All I could think about was getting to that bunker.
“Someone tell us what the fuck is going on!” Solei demanded, breaking the tense silence.
But before I could answer, Forever slid in front of me, placing herself between me and the crowd. Her eyes found mine, and I knew I had to take a minute before I did more than intended.
“We’ll explain everything,” she said, addressing everyone but looking only at me. “But right now, I need to get my husband home.”
Forever’s hand slid into mine, her grip firm as she pulled me away from the crowd. I let her lead me, my mind still locked on what needed to be done.
We reached our house, and Forever pushed the door open, guiding me inside. The living room was dark, and she didn’t bother with the lights. Just kept moving us through the space until we reached our bedroom.
“Sit,” Forever commanded, pushing me gently toward the edge of the bed.
I obeyed, my body moving while my mind remained elsewhere.
“She has to die,” I said, voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. “Tonight.”
Forever stood in front of me, and I could feel her studying my face, but couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes. If I did, she might convince me to show mercy. And mercy wasn’t what anybody deserved who hurt her.
Hurting my wife was the equivalent of stabbing me in the heart.
“Look at me,” Forever said.
I didn’t.
“Demetrius.”
She moved then, stepping between my legs and cupping my face with both hands, forcing me to look up.
Then, without warning, she leaned down and bit hard where my shoulder and neck met.
The sudden sharp pain woke me up, snapping me fully into the present moment.
My hands reflexively gripped her waist as she pulled back slightly, her breath hot against the spot she’d marked.
“Fuck me until you feel better,” she whispered against my skin. “And then we can face what’s out there.”
Our eyes met, and something shifted in the atmosphere between us. The rage didn’t disappear, but it redirected, transformed into a different kind of heat. I pulled her closer, fingers digging into her hips.
“Is that what you want?” I asked.
She nodded, climbing onto my lap and straddling me.
“I want you present with me, not lost in your head planning murder.”
Her honesty drew laughter from me. “You’ve figured me out, baby.”
“It was bound to happen,” she replied, grinding against me slowly. “I’m your wife.”
I caught her mouth with mine, and she matched my intensity without hesitation, fingers gripping the back of my neck to keep control.
“I’m gonna kill her,” I murmured against her lips, needing her to understand that nothing would change that outcome.
“I know…” She started tugging at my shirt. “But right now, I need you here with me.”
I pulled it off the rest of the way as she raked her nails down my chest and stomach. Each touch felt a little possessive.
“You’re mine,” she said, echoing my thoughts. “Before you’re the family’s protector or your aunt’s executioner, you’re mine.”
I stood, lifting her with me, only to lay her down on the bed. Standing over her, I watched as she shed her own shirt, her dark skin glowing in the low light. The sight drove everything else from my mind for the first time since hearing Amal’s revelation.
“Get undressed,” I ordered, already working at my belt.
She smiled, a predatory flash of teeth as she slipped off her pants and underwear.
“There you are.” I shed the rest of my clothes quickly, eyes never leaving her. “Come here,” she beckoned, stretching her arms toward me.
I crawled over her, covering her body with mine. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer. When I looked into her eyes, I found understanding there. Not just of what I needed, but of what she was offering.
A temporary sanctuary from the storm.
“I need you,” I admitted, pressing my forehead to hers.
I always needed her.
She cupped my face, gentle despite the intensity between us. “You have me. Always.”
I kissed her again, slower this time, but no less demanding. Her body arched into mine, her hips seeking friction against my hardness. The world beyond our bedroom faded away, and for now, there was only Forever. My forever.
“Take what you need,” she whispered against my lips.
“I love you,” I murmured back, poking at her entrance.
Her dark eyes held mine. “Show me.”
I entered her hard, the gasp that left her lips feeding something primal inside me.
Her nails dug into my shoulders as I established a punishing rhythm, each thrust driving both pleasure and rage through my system.
This was a reminder that despite everything that happened, we still had this raw, undeniable connection that nothing and no one could take from us.
“Harder,” Forever demanded, flexing her hips into my thrusts.
I obliged, gripping her thighs and pushing them wider apart. The new angle had her crying out, her back arching off the bed. I watched her face; the sight of her pleasure was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Mine,” I growled, leaning down to bite at her neck, marking her the way she’d marked me earlier.
She moaned, the sound vibrating against my lips. “Yours.”
I moved one hand to her hip, fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to leave marks. The other found her breast, squeezing roughly before pinching her nipple. Each touch was possessive, demanding, and she responded to every one with increasingly desperate sounds.
“Tell me again who you belong to,” I commanded, slowing my pace deliberately, drawing out each thrust until she whimpered.
“You,” she gasped, trying to move her hips faster against mine. “I’m yours, Echo. Only yours.”
The sound of my nickname on her lips, the one only she was allowed to use, made my dick harder. I released her hip to grab her jaw instead, holding her face still so she had to look at me while I fucked her.
“And I’m yours,” I told her, the truth of it burning in my chest. “No matter what, always yours.”
She took every deep stroke like a champ.
When I felt her begin to tighten around me, I increased my pace again, and she dug the heels of her feet into my lower back as she chased her release.
“Come for me,” I demanded, sliding my hand between us to circle her clit. “Let me feel you.”
Her first orgasm hit her hard, her entire body tensing beneath me as she cried out my name. I didn’t slow down, didn’t give her time to recover before pushing her toward another peak. This was what she’d asked for, what we both needed.
“Demetrius,” she moaned, scratching at my back just enough to send sparks of pain and pleasure down my spine. “I can’t—”
“You can,” I insisted, shifting to hit that spot inside her that I knew would send her flying again. “One more time, baby.”
It was even more intense than the first when it hit, her walls clenching around me so tightly it nearly pushed me over the edge. I gritted my teeth, holding back, not ready for this to be over.
I flipped us, putting her on top while still buried inside.
“Ride this dick and cum for me again,” I ordered, watching her adjust to the new position.
She whimpered and placed her hands on my chest for leverage. I let her take control for a moment, then planted my feet on the bed and thrust up hard, meeting her movements. The change had her crying out, her head thrown back as she chased her third release.
I wrapped one arm around her waist while the other gripped her bun, pulling her head back to expose her throat. My mouth found her pulse point, and I sucked hard.
“Echooo,” she sobbed, her entire body trembling around me. “Please.”
Her third orgasm seemed to tear through her, her nails leaving trails of fire down my back as she convulsed around me.
The sight of her coming undone, combined with the exquisite pressure of her body, finally broke my resolve.
I buried my face against her neck as I followed her over the edge, emptying myself inside her with a groan that came from somewhere deep in my chest.
We stayed like that for several minutes, tangled together, sweat cooling on our skin as our breathing gradually returned to normal. I couldn’t tell where I ended and she began, and for those precious moments, the world outside our bedroom ceased to exist.
Eventually, she stirred, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple before disentangling herself from my arms. She winced slightly as she moved, and I felt a pang of guilt at how rough I’d been.
“You okay?” I asked.
She hummed sleepily and curled into my side, resting her head against my chest.
“More than okay.”
I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close as her breathing began to even out. Within minutes, she was asleep, and I lay there for a while longer, stroking her hair and listening to her soft breaths. But as the pleasure-induced fog cleared from my mind, my thoughts returned to my aunt.
To her betrayal. To what needed to be done.
Carefully, I extracted myself from Forever’s embrace and tucked the blanket around her sleeping form.
I pressed a kiss to her forehead after cleaning up and murmured, “I love you, my forever.”