Wifey (Baby Momma Book 3)

by Tosha Damaya

  "Do you really not remember us as a couple?" she asked seductively.

  Trenton shook his head. "No, I'm sorry," Trenton replied. "I remember meeting you, having a date and the rest is a blur. I wish I could remember."

  Johari couldn't believe he was sticking with his amnesia story.

  Zeke kept Candace arguing so that Jo could continue talking with Trenton. "You don't remember all of the nights we spent together after that first date? Or the honeymoon we shared in Hawaii?" She purposely focused on events before the abuse happened, the point in their relationship when she was happy.

  "Why are you talking about this, Jo?"

  He called her Jo. She and Zeke heard it. It was a small victory. Trenton didn't start referring to her as Jo until months after they were together. In fact, he had a hard time remembering her name and would always call he Joanna. Why did she even give him a chance back then?

  "What was the point of us coming?" Zeke shouted. "Johari Kami Okonkwo does not have time to waste."

  "It's pronounced Johari Ka-my not Ca-me. And her last name is Livingston," Trenton corrected.

  Another score for them. On their first date, Trenton didn't get her middle name. Hell, he didn't find that out until they were married. A bonus was how angry he was that Zeke stated her maiden name. Trenton's lawyer must have realized the mistake as well, because she whispered something in his ear. Zeke and Jo shared a look.

  Zeke sent a wink her way before he slammed his hand against the table and stood. "We don't have time for this. My client is still in pain and needs to rest. If we aren't going to negotiate, we're leaving. We'll just see you in court," he stated before pushing Johari towards the exit.

  "Wait!" Trenton yelled.

  Zeke turned to face him. "Yes?"

  Trenton walked towards them. "Let me have a moment alone with my wife."

  "I'm not your wife, not anymore. You didn't remember anything about our marriage, so I got a divorce. I'm sorry."

  Trenton cursed under his breath. Candace was desperately trying to get his attention, but he wasn't listening. "Let me spend some time with her. Maybe we can work something out," he told Zeke.

  "I don't think that's a good idea," Zeke replied. "You've already done enough damage."

  "I would never do anything to hurt her. What happened was her fault!" he shouted.

  Zeke was no longer acting when he approached Trenton; he was ready to kick his ass. Johari reaching out and grabbing his hand stopped him. "Zeke, he's right. Everything that happened was my fault. I shouldn't have taken off; I should've stayed with him and not ran. I've made some terrible mistakes." On cue, Johari started to tear up.

  Trenton went to her side and bent down to hug her. "We can fix this," he whispered in her ear.

  It was loud enough for Demetrius and Jonathan to hear through her tiny microphone that was attached to her necklace, but it wasn't enough to trap him. They needed more. Johari knew this. She wanted to be positive that they could get Trenton.

  Johari looked over at Zeke. "Can you give us a moment alone?"

  Candace was outraged. "No! This is not happening." She came over and grabbed Trenton. She moved them across the room. "They are trying to set you up, so you need to listen to me!" she whispered/shouted to him. "We need to leave this office now. They won't win this case, but if you keep talking and making mistakes, you are going to ruin this. We came here so you can see her. You've seen her, now let's go."

  Trenton looked back at Johari. She was staring at him. "I CAN FIX THIS." He still wanted Johari and he always got what he wanted. "I've programmed her the right way and she's remorseful and forgiving. I've trained her well. I know her. Johari doesn't have the guts to try to trap me."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  Trenton didn't like being told what to do, especially not by a woman. "I hired you, and I pay you. Don't speak to me in that tone."

  "Why do you care?" Candace questioned. "You and I are together now."

  It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he didn't really want Candace but enjoyed easy pussy. He had always wanted Johari. No one else mattered. He couldn't explain it, didn't understand it, but he wanted her. "This is about winning," he lied to his lawyer.

  ↔

  Zeke and Candace left the room. She waited in the hallway peeking through the small window while Zeke slipped through the door of the room where Demetrius and Jonathan were located. Demetrius was busy listening to the recording while Jonathan was pacing the space. "This wasn't part of the plan."

  "I know, J," Zeke responded. "She's going to be okay. Johari is right next door."

  "If he touches her..."

  Zeke interrupted her. "I'll kill him for you."

  Demetrius nodded his head in agreement. "And I'll help."

  They stopped talking when they heard Trenton speak. "Johari, I love you"

  "I love you too."

  Jonathan knew she was acting, but it still hurt to hear it. He was trying his best to not run into the other room and stop her. Time seemed to drag as he listened to Trenton and Johari's conversation. He was trying to be a patient man, but leaving his woman in the same room as the man that abused her was a true test. He sent a prayer up to the heavens. Lord, please let this work.

  Chapter 37

  "Take off your shirt."

  Johari's heart accelerated, but she continued to play her role. She looked to the door and saw Candace standing there. "Are you crazy? I'm not getting undressed with her watching."

  Trenton chuckled and walked over to the door. He told Candace to move away because Johari didn't feel comfortable. On command, she walked across the hall and sat on the bench. Trenton shut the door and walked back to Johari. "Take off your shirt," he repeated. "I'm not stupid, Jo. I want to make sure you're not recording this conversation. "No longer having patience, he lifted her top. "I can't believe you allowed him to get you pregnant," he stated after seeing her small bulge.

  "You know I always wanted to be a mother." Johari tried to not show how repulsed she was by him touching her. She took a deep breath. "When I lost our baby, it devastated me."

  Trenton rubbed her back feeling for a wire. "You aren't keeping his baby; we'll have one of our own."

  "We tried for months and nothing happened. What if this is my only chance?"

  Trenton was satisfied that she wasn't wearing a microphone. "No."

  "Trenton, please!"

  He sighed. "Fine, but don't expect me to do anything with it."

  Johari wished she had a knife to stab him in the throat. She contemplated hitting him over the head with her casted arm when he swooped down and kissed her on the lips. It was the sloppiest and most disgusting kiss she ever encountered. Her first kiss as a twelve-year-old girl was better than this and that boy burped in her mouth.

  When Trenton took his lips off hers, she discretely wiped the extra slob from her mouth. "Don't do that here, someone might see."

  "Who cares?"

  "I care," Johari responded quickly. "Our lawyers care. Mine is my boyfriend's brother in law and your lawyer is your girlfriend."

  Trenton nose flared when Johari mentioned her boyfriend. "He's no longer your boyfriend and I'm just using Candace. She's not charging me anything to represent me. Do you know they froze all my finances? My family won't help me. What choice did I have? Get a public defender?" Trenton laughed as if it was a joke.

  Johari wasn't surprised as Trenton jumped from one emotion to another. She was pretty sure he suffered from bipolar disorder. When she first noticed it, she asked her mother in law about the possibility, but Mrs. Livingston refused to address the subject. "I'm just using Jonathan as well," Johari lied. "I came to Texas and didn't have anyone."

  "Good. I could've killed him so many times. You guys were so careless. You were out living your life without noticing that I was out there watching. I know where you lived and worked. I could have gotten you so many times."

  "Why didn't you?" Johari was amazed that he was no longer going on with t
he pretense of having amnesia.

  "I'm a hunter; I had to wait for the perfect opportunity. I hated that he was touching what belonged to me." Trenton grabbed her cheek roughly. "I own you. I practically paid for you."

  Johari knew he was referring to helping her parents out financially. It was one of the reasons she didn't speak to them anymore. They knew about the abuse and supported Trenton's behavior. When she ran to them in the past, they called Trenton to come and get her. She was lost in memories until Trenton pecked her lips.

  "You're done with him." Trenton straightened and paced the room. "Is he the only man you've been with?"

  "Yes."

  "Good, I don't like muted out pussy."

  Johari laughed. "Are you serious? You've been with multiple women, even while we were together. You're sleeping with your lawyer now and you slept with," she paused, not sure if she should bring it up or not, but quickly changed her mind. "Destiny," she whispered the name as if it was taboo. She waited to see if he would deny it.

  "Those women didn't matter. I used them to my advantage."

  Johari was disappointed that he didn't come out and say Destiny's name. Was it enough? She wished she could call a time out and strategize with the guys. She needed Trenton to admit to hurting her and Destiny.

  "What about me? Have you used me?"

  Trenton walked back over and knelt in front of Johari. For a second, he looked like a good man, like the person she used to love. Then, he started to talk, and that impression dissolved. "You didn't have anything that I could use."

  "You abused me."

  Trenton sucked his teeth in. "I loved you." He didn't like it being referred to as abuse. It made it sound wrong. "It was for your own good. It was how my father handled my mother and they've been married for thirty-five years. Besides, you tried to kill me in Florida, so we're even. I was just trying to take you on a vacation, and now I'm being prosecuted for kidnapping."

  "Trenton, you were taking me against my will."

  "You wouldn't have come if I asked you!"

  Johari was so close to using the 'safety' word her and Zeke came up with but decided to further the conversation. The evidence they had was good but not good enough. "There's no point in arguing about it. We need to put the past behind us," she said to stop the fuss. She didn't need Trenton to get angry. He would be tempted to hit her, and she didn't need Jonathan going to jail for murder. "We don't have much time to talk."

  "I agree." Trenton pulled a chair and sat down in front of Johari. "I'm not going to prison. I refuse to go. I'll leave the country before it happens. Drop the charges, Jo."

  She sighed dramatically. "I will, but I'm not the only..." she almost said victim but stopped herself. "I'm not the only person that has charges against you," she said referring to Destiny.

  Trenton waved his hand in the air. "I'm not worried about Destiny. She isn't you. I tried to make her you, but she's took weak. Cries too damn much," he said with disgust.

  "So, you're not worried about her following through?"

  "Nah, according to Candace, she's backing out. If you drop your charges, I can walk away as a free man and we can be together."

  Johari leaned forward and initiated a kiss. Trenton quickly reciprocated it. "I like the idea of that, but there's one problem. Destiny is coming forward," Johari lied. In all honesty, Destiny was still a mess because of him.

  "Still not worried, it's her word against mine. There's no evidence."

  Johari smiled big. "I disagree, there's a lot of evidence." She paused for dramatic effect. "You messed up Trenton; you got that little girl pregnant. How are we supposed to move on with our lives with something like that hanging over our heads? I would never be able to rest easy," Johari pretended to be upset and started to cry.

  Trenton was shocked. "That's not possible."

  "Did you use protection every time with Destiny?" She held her breath and waited. Come on, admit to it. Say something, you idiot. Johari kissed him again. "Don't lie to me. I already know you did it, but did you really have unprotected sex with her?" she asked.

  He sighed dramatically. "I did," Trenton finally admitted. "I wasn't thinking. Destiny said she was protected."

  Johari was cheering in her head. "Don't worry about it; maybe you can pay her off. Sell the house back in Boston....or something. I don't know."

  Trenton cursed and knocked a chair over. "I'll figure it out." This isn't what he needed. Maybe he could have her killed. He knew a few people. What he needed was Johari and he was so close to having her again. He was already planning on getting rid of Candace and taking Johari back to his hotel. "I wish you weren't injured. I want to do some nasty things to you."

  Johari almost threw up in her mouth. It was time to end this whole conversation. She got what she was looking for. "My whole body isn't broken. I think you're going to like the new tattoo I got," she said. Tattoo was her safe word.

  "Really? What is it? Is it a word or picture?"

  "A sentence," Johari replied with a smile. "It's says, Trenton is a dumbass."

  "What?"

  "It says that Trenton is a gullible dumbass. I can't believe you trusted the same woman that you beat for years. I tried to kill you. Why would I ever want you again?"

  "You bitch!" Trenton slapped her across the face and was about to do it again but was stopped when he was shoved against the wall.

  "Do it again and I'll throw your ass out the window," Demetrius proclaimed.

  Trenton laughed and continued to laugh as Jonathan and Zeke rushed into the room. Candace came in after them. "What happened?" she asked immediately.

  Zeke answered her. "Your client spilled the beans and we got all recorded."

  Jonathan went to Johari's side and kissed her on the lips. "You deserve an award for that performance."

  "Seeing him rot in prison will be my award."

  Demetrius let go of Trenton who was still laughing. He seemed in a delirious state of mind. "What? You can't record me and use it against me in court. It's against the law. This was all a big waste of time." He grabbed Candace. "Come on. I should've known she was a conniving whore," he said

  "Candy, I think you need to talk to your client about accepting our deal. I don't think he understands Texas law," Zeke said.

  Trenton stopped moving. "What in the hell is he talking about?"

  Candace shook her head. "You should've listened to me. Texas's wiretapping law is a 'one-party consent' law," Candace explained. "Anyone who is a party to the communication, or who has the consent of a party, can lawfully record the communication and disclose its contents. Since they had Johari's consent, yours wasn't needed."

  "What does the fuck that mean?" Trenton responded.

  Zeke laughed. "It means that you need to sit the fuck down and look at this plea deal, because, if you don't, I'm going for the maximum which is life in prison for sexual assault on a minor, battery and two counts of kidnapping. If you're nice to me, I'll give you a chance to get out of prison and at least have a few years to live a life before you die and rot in hell. I can also arrange for you to pick your preference when it comes to your cell mate. I would hate for you to have an ugly man raping you every night. Maybe I can find a pretty one."

  Demetrius interrupted Zeke. "Let me pick. I know a few men that like to handle their bitches rough. Trenton deserves the strongest mate possible. He's going to need some protection."

  Zeke nodded his head. "I think that's a decent deal."

  Jonathan and Johari laughed.

  Candace wasn't giving up. "Trenton, we'll fight this."

  On cue, Demetrius played back some of the recording.

  I'm just using Candace. She's not charging me anything to represent me. Do you know they froze all my finances and my family won't help me? What choice did I have? Get a public defender?"

  Candace stepped away from Trenton. "Are you serious?" She couldn't believe what she heard especially after everything she did for him. Usually, she was the one using people. She shoul
d have known better. "I'll give you one last piece of advice as your ex-attorney. Take the deal."

  Trenton felt trapped. Everyone in the room was staring at him. He looked at Zeke. "What are you offering?"

  ↔

  Later that night

  "I can't believe he fell for the trap so easy," Sydney commented as she dug into her salad.

  "He did," Zeke confirmed. He stole a piece of Sydney's grilled chicken. "He's a dumb ass. Teddy probably has more sense than he does."

  Jonathan pressed a kiss to Johari's forehead. "He underestimated Johari. I wish you all could have been there. She was incredible."

  After Trenton signed the plea deal and was transported to jail, Johari wanted to celebrate. Everyone went home showered and met for an early dinner. She was sitting next to the window and was amazed by how the day transformed into something beautiful. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She oozed with happiness and was blessed to have the life she was living. "You helped me."

  She kissed Jonathan on the lips. Since leaving the court house, Johari had been kissing Jonathan as much as possible. She wanted to wipe away the memory of Trenton's lips on hers.

  The other three couples observed their affection with a smile. They were all relieved that Trenton was going to prison. After an hour of negotiating, he agreed to a forty-year sentence. Zeke initially wanted fifty. Contracted in that agreement was a lifetime restraining order for Johari and Destiny. Zeke thought it was decent considering everything Trenton had done. He didn't 100% agree with it, but it kept Destiny from having to testify. When they called Sean and Yolanda with the news, they were beyond grateful.

  "Do you realize that when he gets out, his balls are going to be all wrinkled and saggy," Sierra commented with disgust.

  Everyone laughed. Ethan nudged her shoulder. "What are you going to do when I get old?"

  "Replace you with a younger man."

  "Imma beat your ass, Sierra Coleman," Ethan replied playfully. Sierra laughed and then blew a kiss at her husband.

  Sydney smiled. “Can we live happily ever after now? No more drama for the family?”

  There was a moment of silence. Eyes roamed amongst the group, thoughts swirling around in their heads.