by Eden Rose
“Yo, Thorne!”
My head spins to the voice that had called me and I see Jerome on the side of the street with his hands in his saggy pants. His pockets are always stuffed with loot and I get more and more jealous of him every time I see him.
“Hey, J,” I call back to him and try to hide the fact that I’m hungry as shit.
We grew up on the same block but about two years ago, he started hanging around others and repped gang signs. I’m not sure if he was truly apart of gangs or if he said he was for people to respect him.
Jerome and I are about the same age and both are mixed. The only difference is, his parents don’t work but collect money off the state. He was forced to start working to help bring money into the house and I don’t think he does it legally.
He comes up to me and holds his hand out and I smack my hand loosely against his. “Whatcha been doin’?” I ask him and then take my hand back. I’m standing like a dumb ass in front of him, but I honestly don’t know what to say to him.
“Slow motion, man. Slow motion. You got a job yet?”
I shake my head and he pulls out some money to flash it in front of my eyes. My eyes go wide as I try to count the money that he just flashed me. “Want to do me some favors and I will throw you a couple of bones?”
In that moment, I knew. I knew that I had sold my soul but at least I would be getting some money to feed my sister and I.
Chapter 36
Keeley
Looking at his beautiful face, I would never have expected that he was affiliated with a gang. Looking at him, I could tell that he was harboring something deep, but I never expected this. Never in my right mind would I have guessed it.
“Then what happened?” I asked him and rubbed my hand down his back. His back is stick straight and I know that he’s stuck in whatever memory lane he is on.
“I did some errands for him and made three hundred that day. That’s a lot of money when you don’t have any. Ruth and I were able to eat like kings and queens that day and it was great. Until it stopped being great.”
“What do you mean?” My back spasms lightly as the pain from my arm and side affect my comfort levels but I ignore it. I want to know the end of the story and I want to know it now. If I let him know that I’m in pain of any kind, he might not finish it.
Wyatt takes a deep breath and then rubs my hand. “You promise you won’t leave me until after I explained everything?” His voice is soft and not as confident as it normally is.
“Promise.” And I do. I do promise to not leave him until I have heard everything. I think he needs to tell me exactly what happened so I can know how to help him.
“A local shot calla, that is what the gang leaders were called, approached me after I finished an errand and told me what was up. I guess, I had been doing these errands on borrowed time and it was time to pay up. He kicked my ass so hard that I had problems breathing. It was awful. My ribs were broken, I couldn’t even walk home. Jerome saw me on the side of the road and helped me into his car and took me back to my house. I knew in the car that I was lucky to be alive, but I didn’t expect how lucky.”
I gulp down a much-needed breath and wait for him to continue on with his story. I don’t like where this is going. Of course, I knew that he wasn’t perfect.
My heart beats faster and faster as the anticipation of what he had done fills the air. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear more or even if I had wanted to hear the truth. I couldn’t even tell you if I wanted him to lie to me and tell me how perfect he was. I honestly don’t know.
“Cupcake, I know that gangs have a bad reputation, but I needed to be a part of it.”
“I know. Wyatt, I get it.” I know what it’s like to have to try and survive and unfortunately, I knew what it was like to be hungry. “Then what happened?” I pushed.
He frowns a little and then looks down at his lap. “Then I was able to have enough money to support all three of us with money left over. They started signing me up for some basketball games and I started winning. I barely graduated high school, but the pros were looking at me anyways. After I got drafted, I got jumped out.”
Since I was married to a divorce attorney, I knew what some of the slang words meant but this one was new to me. “What?”
“To be a part of the administration, you have to get jumped in. You either get your ass kicked by twelve of the brothers or you have to tag team a bitch. I chose to get my ass kicked.”
My stomach churns on itself and I can’t help but twist my mouth into a disgusted line. I am disgusted. I am disgusted that he had to live like that. “Oh. Well, what did Ruth mean about what you did?”
Wyatt rubs his hand over mine and then squeezes it. “I had to do some stuff that I’m not proud of but it doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that you are here with me.”
In that moment, I knew I had a choice. I had the choice of being the insecure and bratty woman and demand to know what he did. Or, I had the choice to let it go. I chose somewhere in the middle. I will do the confronting at a different time.
Chapter 37
Wyatt
My beautiful girl held her hand out for me to hold and I grabbed it. Slowly and gingerly, she helped me off the couch and she opened the door. We walked to our bedroom in silence, words were for a different time. By the time that we got there, she stood in front of me and stripped off her clothes.
Before my very eyes, she is completely naked and embodies everything perfect in the world.
I watch her as she walks over to me and begins to take off my clothes. I’m wearing my practice jersey and shorts, so they are easy to come off. Once I’ve kicked off my shoes, I place my hands underneath her ass cheeks and lift her up. She wraps her luscious legs around my waist and holds onto me. Of course, I’m extra gentle due to her side being hurt. I walk towards the bed and I lay down on my back with her on top of me.
It’s been a long time since we last made love and I can’t wait to feel her again. I love the feel of her from the inside and I can’t wait to do just that.
I reached between our bodies and I grabbed the base of my dick to rub the tip against her opening. I didn’t miss out on the grunt of satisfaction that she gave but I didn’t go in at all.
She reached her hand down to grab mine. “Let me. I want to be sweet to you.”
Not sure what it meant totally, but I wasn’t going to deny her what she wanted. As I took my hand away from her, I rubbed my knuckle on her clit which caused her to squeal.
Carefully, she lowers herself onto me and has me so deep inside her that I can’t tell where she begins and I end. Is it possible to feel this close to a person?
“I love you, Keeley,” I whisper to her.
She leans over and kisses my lips with a purpose. I place my hands on her hips as she bounces lightly on top of me and never lets me slide out. Our tongues duel and fight against each other but it’s the hottest thing ever.
“I’m going to come,” she whispers against my lips and yanks her mouth away to yell.
“Do it, baby. Come all over my dick. Let me feel your muscles milk my cock as you bounce on me. Don’t stop until you have come.”
Before I could realize what she’s doing, she’s pushing her hands off of her hips and is trying to slide away. “Wait! Where are you going?” I ask desperately. I’m way too close to coming to let her leave like this.
“I’m going to pee!”
The excited flush and blush of her body tells me what she’s really about to do and that is squirt. I’ve known some women that are talented in this aspect, but I’ve never been with one. I hold onto her tighter and spear her with my dick. “Don’t fight it. You’re about to squirt. Do it. Soak me with your come!”
“Oh god!” She yells at the top of her lungs and then throws her head back against her shoulders. I can see the mass of brown hair as it shifts against her pale skin with energy.
She’s a goddess.
A strangled cry comes out of her mouth
and she gyrates on me with more forcefulness. My eyes begin to close, I can feel the tightening in my spine as my orgasm comes flooding through me.
“Fuck!” We both yell at the same time as our orgasms come to crest at the exact same moment.
Chapter 38
Keeley
The bed is cold and empty when I wake up from it. I reach out to the edge of the bed where Wyatt sleeps and he’s not there. Shivering from being cold, I snuggle further into the bed and fall back asleep.
I’m not sure how long I was asleep for or even if I did fall asleep, but I wake with a start when I hear yelling. Even though Wyatt had fucked me unconscious, I knew I needed to put on clothes in order to go find out what the yelling was about.
My arm and chest are burning from the pain and I can feel the tightening in my eyes as I wince from it. Damn it. When was the last time that I took a pain pill? I can’t even remember. That’s not a good thing seeing how I’m supposed to stay above the pain.
Carefully, I roll out of bed and slip into a pair of Wyatt’s shorts that are more like ankle waders on me. I then reach into one of his drawers to grab a tee that will be big enough on me so I won’t have to wear a bra.
Once dressed, I grab my pain medicine and walk out of the bedroom to go into the kitchen to get something to drink. I’m so tired of drinking water all of the time and it’s getting old very quickly. Apparently, due to my high blood pressure, I have to limit my caffeine intake. I think it’s stupid.
Show me a lawyer that doesn’t drink coffee or drink alcohol? Yeah, I bet you can’t think of anyone.
As I past one of the spare room that Wyatt turned into my study, I notice that my case files are rising too quickly for my liking. I know I’m going to have to go back to work because I need the money, but I’m not feeling like I want to be a lawyer anymore.
After hearing Jerry tell me everything that he had done while being ordained as an attorney, makes me feel dirty inside. Is this how other people see us? Like disgusting vermin willing to do anything to succeed in the job?
I want to do something that matters.
Damn. How high am I right now?
“I don’t get it, Wyatt. After everything that we’ve been through, you are going to side with her! How could you just forget about your sister and nephew?”
I stop outside of the door and press myself against the wall in case they can see my shadow. Obviously, they are talking about me and I don’t like it. Ruth is very vindictive and revengeful… There’s no telling what she’s going to do in order to push me out.
She’s already slept with my husband and had a kid with him. What more does she want from me? I don’t understand it. Granted, I’m well aware that she doesn’t like me because I’m with her brother but at the same time, I think it’s something more than that.
“It’s not like that,” Wyatt says to her and gets off of his chair to walk over to her. I watch as he squats down so he’s eye level with her to talk about this.
My blood runs cold and my heart rate beats faster and faster in my body. Shit. This is bad. This is really bad.
“Yes, it is. You know as well as I do that the bitch is going to cause problems between us. I know she hates kids. Have you seen the way that she looks at Luke? Like he’s some kind of problem or something. I don’t understand it! How could you cast your family aside for some psycho bitch? And plus! I don’t want that crazy bitch around my son.”
She doesn’t want me around her son? Is she crazy? Apparently, I am for thinking that staying here would be a good idea. It’s obvious that I need to speak to the doctors again and get my medicine readjusted. I can’t believe that I considered moving in here with Ruth and Luke staying here. Does she not realize how hard it is for me to see her every day? Knowing that she slept with my husband?
I’m hoping to hear something out of Wyatt’s mouth that proves that he loves me and he’s not going to allow his sister to talk about me like this. Not only is she bashing me, but she’s bashing him by what she’s saying.
Wyatt takes a deep breath and the words that come out of his mouth are enough to make me want to vomit. I knew it. All along, I knew that he didn’t love me.
Before they see me, I run to his room and grab my purse and keys. While I shove my feet into sandals, I’m running down the hallway to the garage where my car has been stored for the week.
I pull my phone out of my purse as soon as I’m seated and dial Olivia.
“Hello?” Her little voice answers the phone and I start crying harder than before. Hell, I didn’t even realize that I was crying until the tears begin to sting my cheeks. “KiKi?”
“O, can I come over?”
Chapter 39
Wyatt
I worked up too much of an appetite to not eat this morning. It had been way too long since I last lost myself in Keeley and I wasn’t going to waste time by getting food. However, it’s now a necessity.
Keeley is stretched out on her side of the bed and laying on her stomach. The sheet is lying easily over her ass without much care.
Gently, I slide off of the bed and go about putting my ass in some boxers in case Luke is up or something. I don’t want to have to have that talk with him about parts and all of that shit.
Plus, I’m his uncle. Not my job to tell him that.
After I go to the kitchen to pop in some Pop Tarts in the toaster, I hear Ruth clear her throat behind me. “Wyatt, I need to talk to you about some stuff. And it’s rather difficult for me to do it.”
Bing!
I reach over and grab my breakfast and a piece of paper towel to walk towards my office so we could have a conversation. “What’s going on?” I ask her as soon as we are in there.
I’m still pissed at her for coming after Keeley like she did especially when my girl is still healing. She didn’t need the stress from my bitchy sister causing more problems than what was needed.
“I don’t want her to live here anymore.”
My head snaps back and I almost choke on a piece of my snack. “Excuse me?” I ask her hoping that I heard her wrong.
She takes a seat in the chair off to the right of my desk with her unruly hair in a haphazard up-thingy. I could tell that she hadn’t been sleeping because she was still wearing the clothes from yesterday.
“You heard me. I don’t want her here anymore. I get that you feel some sort of guilt for breaking up their marriage but she’s a live wire. You saw how she punched me in the face for no reason.”
I grunt out a noise. “What the fuck are you talking about? You are the one that came out and told her all of this bull shit. Do you not understand the amount of pain that she’s going through?”
Ruth plays with the hem of her shirt and then tugs at it. “You don’t understand how it feels to have that fucking crazy person around my son!”
“So, is that what this is about?”
She shakes her head and then nods it carefully. “I’m not jealous if that is what you are implying!”
I scoff and then look at her as she’s trying to back track what she had said. “What do you expect me to do? Do you expect me to break up with her and kick her out? How am I supposed to tell her that I don’t love her anymore?”
My chest is rising and falling from the exertion of saying that bull shit out loud. I know it’s not the truth, but it still feels like a knife is being stabbed in my chest. “Because we both know that’s not the truth! You are a fucking bitch, Ruth. A real big bitch. After everything that I have done for you… You’re constantly making messes and make me clean them up. I’m done doing it.”
“What are you talking about? Are you willing to break up the only family that you have left to be with some bitch?” She’s yelling at me and any other time I would have put her out and told her to not talk to me like that, but I don’t. I want her out of my house.
“I want you out.” I say the words clearly and concisely.
“Where am I supposed to go?” She blubbers and covers her face.
&n
bsp; I know what you are thinking and it’s that I’m an asshole. I’m not. Ruth keeps fucking up and I keep cleaning it up every time she does something like this. I’m done.
I shake my head get off the floor. Once I’m at my full height, I walk over to my breakfast snack and begin to eat it again. “It’s not my problem. Luke can stay here if he wants but it’s time for you to leave. I can’t keep putting my life on hold because you refuse to grow up. It’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to Keeley. You fucked her husband. Had a kid with him,” I tick them off on my fingers to show the mood I’m in. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”
Ruth shoots off the chair and comes running at me with her fists out like she’s about to punch me. “You can’t do that! Fuck you, Wyatt! You’re a selfish asshole! And you’re a murderer! I hate you!”
As she’s screaming in my face, I can smell the alcohol on her breath and it makes me wince from it. “Don’t you dare spit that bull shit at me, Ruth! And the only reason why I killed Jose was because of you and your dumb lies! His blood is on your hands and not mine.”
My mind becomes foggy as I remember stabbing the man that Ruth said raped and beat her. I stabbed him over and over again. When my hand grew tired, I left him bleeding out on the floor and I ran. The police were chasing me and when they finally caught up to me, they couldn’t do anything. All they had on me was hear-say and none of it stuck. The only thing that they got me on was truancy and even that didn’t stick.
“No! You’re all shacked up with the lawyer and you can’t even remember where you come from.”
My hand flinches and I feel the urge to punch her in the face for everything that she is saying. Even though it’s all true, I don’t want her spitting this out in front of Keeley. The last thing she needs to know is that I was a murderer as well.
Luke bursts into the office with tears down his face and he points towards the outside. “What’s going on, little buddy?” I ask him as I squat to pick him up.
