by M. Skye
“Sweetheart, you are not where you come from. I should know. My mother was a drug addict, and my father is a murdering bastard. If people judged me on that, I wouldn’t be much either.”
“That’s what I admire so much about you. You look past appearances. She said I would meet nice people here and that I just needed to be open to accepting help.”
“This ‘she’ sounds wise. Who was she?” Chloe hesitated for a second, and Mia patted her hand gently.
“My friend. My friend Lenae. I just have to ask that you don’t mention her name to anyone. She risked a lot to help me, and I think she had problems of her own.”
“This Lenae . . .” She paused. “When and where did you meet her?”
“Six months ago in Tuscany. Why, do you know her?” She held out her phone, showing Mia a picture, and her eyes widened. She felt a sense of familiarity wash over her, and she wasn’t sure why. The girl had her face covered and was wedged underneath a beautiful little girl, the same little girl Mia saw years earlier in a picture she found at Janelle’s grave. Something was off, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Had Chloe been in contact with her father and this woman? So many thoughts were racing through her head when she heard Chloe’s voice break her out of her trance.
“I wasn’t supposed to take this. She was sleeping here, but it was too funny not to catch.” She pointed to the little girl next to the woman, and Mia’s breath caught in her chest. “You see, her daughter, Jenna, fell asleep on her chest, and it was too cute. She’s like five, but she still sleeps with her mother. How funny is that?” Mia was too busy jumping to conclusions in her head to pay attention to anything Chloe was saying until she felt her hand squeeze tightly. “Hey, do you know her?”
“I don’t know. I might,” Mia choked out and threw her car in reverse, swearing the drive home would be the longest she ever had.
Chapter Twenty-four
Mia knew she should be home, but something drew her there. The last call she received from him was a little disturbing, and she needed to be sure everything was fine. She knew Tyree wouldn’t mind, but she felt bad for not going straight home with her suspicions. Knocking lightly, she didn’t get an answer. After about three tries, she pulled out her spare key and twisted it in the lock.
Scanning the living room, she realized he had left their house exactly the way it was before he moved in. The only thing she saw out of place was a bracelet that obviously belonged to a woman. She was surprised but glad to see him moving on with his life. Calling his name quietly, she heard her voice echo off the bare walls. When they moved, she took down the art, and only the large furniture remained. She called for him once more, making her way through the quiet house, and was startled when she felt his hand on her shoulder.
“God, Jake, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you knock. I was in the kitchen making a little snack. You want something?”
Shaking her head slowly, she turned and walked back toward the living room. “No, I’m all right. Just checking on you. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, why? Is something up with you?”
She could tell he was studying her face and saw the confusion. “I’m fine. I just thought, well, when I called you sounded off. You sure you’re okay?”
“You know every day is a struggle, but I’m making it. How could I not be with all this concern from everyone?”
“Everyone?”
“You, Rick, and even Cassie have been checking in. I thought that was really cool of them considering our history.”
“They can be really cool.” She smiled. “So, have you met anyone here? Any women?”
A shy smile crept over his face, and she relaxed. “I met someone, but it’s nothing serious. Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m too old for this.”
“For dating?” she laughed.
“Not dating, smart ass. Dating someone in their twenties. I feel like an old man trying to keep up.”
“If it makes you feel so old, then why not find someone your own age?” She was laughing hysterically and put her hand to her mouth.
“I mean, I tried that and struck out, so I thought, hey, let’s try something new. Plus, she’s so damn good at making me feel good.”
Mia stopped in the middle of her laughter, and her eyes widened. She stood from the couch. “Hey, I just remembered, I need to get over to Karen’s. She’s expecting me.”
With a baffled expression, Jake stood, touching Mia’s ice-cold skin. “Hey, you okay? You don’t look so good.”
“No.” She threw her hand up in protest and backed away. “I’m okay. I just need to hurry, I don’t want to hold up her day. I’ll call you.” With that, she was out the door, and Jake stood scratching his head.
Outside the door, Mia rushed to her car and shut the door quickly. Starting her car up and pulling out of the yard, she stomped on the gas and sped down the driveway. She was almost past the main house and out the gate when she saw Rick stepping out. She slammed on the brake.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead as a result of their almost collision, Rick let out a sigh and walked over to her driver-side window. “Sis, what’s going on? You almost ran me down.” He could see her shaking and opened the door to embrace her. “Come in the house, calm down, and I’ll drive you home.”
“No, I’m okay.” She tried to argue, but he wasn’t hearing any part of it.
“Get your ass out of the car. Talk to me.” As he led her through the house, she noticed it was decorated for some type of event.
“Cassie having a party?”
Looking around the house, he nodded. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention it. Everything was so last minute. You and Tyree are invited, so don’t make plans for tomorrow night. It’s just some little thing for one of the charities.”
“Yeah, okay,” she responded distractedly.
“What’s going on with you? I thought things were great at home.”
“No, they are. We’re wonderful.”
“So why do you look like you just saw a ghost?”
She turned, finally focusing in on the conversation with him. “Rick, have you ever felt like you were completely wrong about something and didn’t know what to do?”
“A time or two. I never thought Mom and Janelle would die so young and that Dad would be the reason. I always knew he was shady, but I thought it just applied to the business. I never thought it would be just you and me left.”
“What if . . . what if we were wrong?”
“About Dad?”
“About everything. What if we had a whole other family out there we didn’t know about?”
“Mia, what are you talking about?”
“I didn’t want to say anything to you because I thought you might get upset, but I think Dad has another child out there.” She pulled the picture out of her purse and showed it to Rick.
“What is this?”
“I found it after Dad was arrested, in the graveyard.”
He flipped it over and ran his finger slowly over the name.
“She looks like us, like me.” She pulled out a small picture of her as a child, and he nodded.
“Why are you thinking about this now? That was years ago.”
“Chloe met someone who told her to come here. They set her up with a place to live and really helped her out. She pulled out her phone with a picture, and it was this same little girl, a few years older, but it was this girl. I want to know what the connection is. You know I love Chloe, but I’m scared, Rick. What if she’s just a part of his big plan to screw with us?”
“Is that what had you so out of it? Little sis, I’ve only been around her a short period of time, but she is sweet. She wouldn’t endanger her kid getting mixed up with him. She loves this kid, and she loves you.”
“I know, I’m crazy. She would never hurt me or this family, but she’s a good kid, Rick. I’m afraid for her. People around us are disappearing. He is taking everything. I don’t want this
sweet girl sucked into our messy lives.” She tried to still the tears. “I’m a mess today.”
“God, sis, go get yourself together. You look awful,” he chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “I don’t want you worrying. You got me, we have each other, and nothing is stronger than that. I never worry because I know as long as we stick together we can do anything.” He was too calm, and she wasn’t sure why. Even though she was wary of his attitude, it calmed her down.
“You’re right. I love you, Ricky-D. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Remember, your life is good, and you have a husband and son who both adore you. Never let the bad outweigh the good.”
“How are you okay? I mean, it’s still freaking me out that he was in my house.”
“I’m okay because I know that man of yours would die before he ever let anything happen to you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want him hurt protecting me. This monster is ours to deal with.”
“When are you going to realize we are all family? When you say ‘ours,’ your husband, my wife, and all the in-laws are included. We have been dealing with things together for so long now, there is no longer just you and me. It’s all of us now. Be thankful for that.”
“I am. God, I love them all so much. I just know what he is and I don’t want them hurt.”
“Baby girl, don’t worry. Go home, spend time with your family, and come back here tomorrow night and enjoy what we built. There is nothing wrong with fear. Just don’t let it consume you.”
Hugging Rick one last time, she took a deep breath and headed back to her car in a much better mood, but it still didn’t stop the worrying. As hard as she tried, it was in the back of mind. It wasn’t going away.
Chapter Twenty-five
Tyree looked at his watch before stripping his clothes off to get into a hot shower. He wasn’t sure his body had ever ached so much or been so exhausted. After work and her appointment, Chloe got Mia to drop her off at home and called to have Tyree pick her up to finish some last-minute details for the party. They had been working hard, but Tyree was sure it would be an incredible night for her.
He had just returned from dropping Chloe off when Rick called to tell him Mia knew there would be a party. He was nervous at first, thinking she had figured them out, but Rick explained she thought it was a charity event, and he was calm again. The only thing left was to have the rest of the decorations sent over and for everything to be set up. It was a hard task that he would never volunteer for again, but his wife was worth it. She deserved nothing but the best.
Stepping into the bathroom and turning on the water, he saw the steam clouding the room and smiled, feeling his muscles already relaxing. Stepping into the stream, he placed his hands on the wall, letting himself get drenched from head to toe. The heat felt good, and he felt rejuvenated, reaching for a sponge to lather. Running the soapy object over his body, he paused when he felt a gust of wind on his back. Feeling her reach for the sponge, he relinquished it, letting her run it aimlessly over his back.
Falling into the slow strokes over his back, he leaned against the cool marble, letting Mia work her magic all over him. As much as he wanted this to be just a shower, he felt himself growing excited. Having her so close, running her hands all over him, made his mind run into all kinds of lustful thoughts. He let her get one last stroke before he turned, pinning her against the wall, latching his mouth to hers.
Grabbing the sponge from her hand, he took his body wash and soaked the sponge, running it over her body. She turned her nose up at him, and he knew she was wondering why he used his shower gel instead of hers. “It makes you smell like me,” he said, answering her question before she could even ask it. “I love it when you smell like me.” He ran his hand up and lifted her into the stream.
“Babe,” she squealed when the water hit her hair, returning it to its natural curls. “Come on, watch it.” By this time, her hair was already drenched.
“What, you don’t want to get wet?” He ran his hand down and touched her heated core. “Well, you’re already wet, and I can’t wait to get inside you to enjoy it. Damn, you’re so wet, baby.” He slid his hand over her folds and pulled her legs tighter around his waist. Shutting the water off and taking her with him, he found a towel, running it over her hair. Kissing her, sliding his tongue into her mouth, he sat her on the sink, running the towel over her wet body. “I’m sorry about your hair.”
She ran a hand through her curly tresses. “I’ll straighten it later.” She grabbed his head, crashing their lips together. Walking to rest between her legs, he deepened the kiss. When he felt her move the towel that was between them, he pressed himself against her, giving her a chance to feel how hard he was. “Uuhh,” she moaned, breaking the kiss when his fingers found their way inside her. “Oh, God, don’t stop.”
He kissed her neck, running his lips up to her ear as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. “I love it when you beg for me, and I love it when you’re loud, but today I need you to be quiet. I didn’t get to call you, but I have a surprise for you. The boy is here.”
Mia’s eyes fluttered as a result of his continued finger movements, but she managed to display a smile at the mention of her son. He knew she had been wanting to spend some one-on-one time with him and decided to bring him home for the night. If she had known how much time they had been spending together, she would undoubtedly be jealous. With all the planning for the party, Kyan had been helping after school, and they had spent a lot of father-son time together. It was nice.
Letting his mind wander back to the beautiful woman in front of him, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, listening to the soft moans filling the room. Tyree felt like his entire body was slowly catching fire when she placed her hands on his ass. Her touch sent electric currents through every orifice of him, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it. Her lips lingered near his ear, and he locked his eyes on hers. He was hoping she wouldn’t notice how shallow and labored his breathing had become from the moment he stepped between her soft yet firm thighs.
Losing the battle between his head and the throbbing between his legs, he gazed deeply into her warm brown eyes, getting lost in the intensity of their color. Damn, he wanted her. He thought before that, maybe over the years, the want he had for her would fade, but with each day it only grew stronger.
Tyree kept staring in her eyes. The way they glittered was hypnotic, holding his attention like some kind of trance. He lowered his gaze to her lips, taking his free hand to reach up and touch them with his thumb. He felt the heat radiating from them and the pulsations at his touch as he leaned and kissed her.
“Tyree,” Mia murmured, trembling from his touch despite the smothering heat blanketing the bathroom. Tyree cupped her chin in his hands and shook his head.
“Shhh,” he whispered, descending on her lips, feeling a moan escape from them as his mouth covered hers. It was sweet but aggressive. The fire her touch had ignited before was now a raging inferno, and he was desperate for more. His mouth searched hers hungrily, ravenously, as his fingers threaded through her soaked hair.
“Mia,” Tyree moaned, his hands clutching at her back, holding her tightly against him. “Baby, I need you to get off this sink before I slide you all across it,” he mumbled as his lips continued to meet hers. Mia responded to his request by pushing his lips insistently with her tongue, begging him to give her access. He groaned and parted his lips, unable and unwilling to deny her more. Allowing her access, he loved how her tongue pulsed against his, dueling and challenging him to deepen the kiss. Tyree sucked her tongue hard, eliciting a small gasp from her as he maneuvered their tongues into his own mouth, daring her to meet him stroke for stroke.
“Tyree . . . Oh, God,” Mia whimpered as Tyree broke the embrace. “You don’t really want to stop, do you?” she asked hopefully, her chest heaving from her ragged breathing. His head was screaming at him to stop because he was too amped up to be quiet en
ough not to alert their son, but the rest of his body had other ideas. He shot her a wicked smile, and his eyes gleamed with desire. He reached behind her and pulled her closer, burying his fingers deeper inside her.
Mia closed her eyes and bit her lower lip hard. Tyree could tell the sensations were already starting to overwhelm her. “Do you like that?” he hissed into her ear, tracing the crevice of her earlobe with his tongue.
Mia shivered, and another moan escaped from deep in her throat. “Yesssss.” She clenched her eyes shut as Tyree’s teeth nipped at her ear. He grinned and sank his fingers farther. His other hand wandered to the nape of her neck, and he cradled her to him for another passionate kiss. Mia crushed her body against his, her hands running along the planes of his stomach and up over his defined pecs. “You feel good.”
“And you’re beautiful. I don’t tell you that nearly as much as I should,” he breathed, his eyes roaming up and down the length of her body. Mia’s eyes sparkled at the compliment.
“Make love to me, Tyree,” she begged. The mere tone of her voice, as she asked the question, increased his arousal. He nodded and cupped her breast his palm, massaging it lightly and eliciting a low moan from her. She threw her head back, reveling in the pleasure that washed over her in waves as he touched her. Tyree smiled and circled his thumb over her nipple, peaking it against his finger.
Mia clawed at his back, her nails digging into his shoulders as his lips took possession of one of her nipples. She moaned in ecstasy as his teeth grazed over it and his tongue rushed to soothe it. A devilish spark crackled in his eyes as he released her from his mouth. Mia desperately tried to regulate her breathing, but no sooner had she gulped in a much-needed breath than Tyree took it away again. She writhed against him as she felt him shift to her other breast, rubbing his tongue over her aching nipple. “Tyree,” she moaned, the heady sensations dizzying her.
Feeling his body beginning to spiral out of control again, he clung to her, her breasts flat against his own bare chest, the dampness of their skin increasing the friction between them. He knew she could feel his erection pressed insistently against her stomach. He was ready. He needed her now. He moved to lift her from the counter, wrapping her legs around his waist. When she shook her head, he stopped.