by Blue Saffire
Thomas had stayed behind to deal with those three. He had some connections that would still be able to give them a better life than the one they would have been sold into. It was important that they never fell back into the hands of the Russian traffickers, so that they could never give information on the masked men that saved them and offered them a new life.
The stress had mounted to a point that Nate just needed his woman. He should have turned his phone back on the moment he landed back home safely, but he just wanted to be Nate for a few hours. Just him his woman and his baby girls in her womb.
He wanted to spend time loving on the woman that had become his anchor. He knew Rita and Justin would kill him. He needed to debrief, but that meant living the last two weeks over again. His mind wasn’t ready for that.
That was why he had not turned on his phone and why he was creeping into the house at one in the morning. He was glad Pam had given him a key. Not wanting to wake her just yet he climbed into the guest bathroom shower.
As he washed away the last two weeks Nate’s mind went to Pam. She would be due soon. He and Bobby agreed on maneuvering the team for a bit so that Nate could come out of the field. He had men that knew how to protect Bobby and Paige without Paige ever really knowing they were there.
Besides now that Paige was being promoted to partner and married to a Mairettie, Bobby felt she needed more security and he planned on making that clear to her. He would not put his wife or sons in danger. Nate already had the best of the best in mind for his best friend and his family.
Now that he could relax and focus on his own empire and lead the troops from the background while his new recruits were trained, he could focus on what his next steps with Pam would be.
He could already see her walking down the aisle toward him. He remembered having that fleeting thought as he watched Paige walk down the aisle toward his best friend. It wasn’t hard to pretend for just a moment that short stuff was his pint sized villain. He’d shaken the thought off as crazy that day but now it was all he wanted with all his heart.
It was what he needed to make his life complete. He was so lost in thought as the water cascaded over his head and down his body that he hadn’t given the cool breeze much thought until small hands wrapped around his pecs. Soft lips connected with his back and he sighed with the relief this woman’s touch brought to him. He was home.
Nate placed his hands against the wall to steady him because when Pam touched him it was that powerful. It was enough to knock him off his feet every time. If he were a lesser man he knew that would be just what would happen. His pint sized villain would have him on his knees begging her for mercy.
When her hand wrapped around his shaft he thought he may just become a lesser man tonight. It had been two weeks too many. He wanted inside Pam sooner rather than later, not able to take the torture of her touch much more he turned and cupped her face. Looking into those beautiful eyes, they looked like golden honey.
Nate had never seen this look in her eyes with such intensity before. His heart swelled with the thought of what her eyes were saying to him. Tilting her head back his eyes dropped to her full lips, lips he missed like crazy.
“I missed you so much,” Pam was the first to speak.
“I missed you too, Baby,” Nate replied.
“Nate.”
“Yeah babe?”
Pam lifted up on her toes and pecked his lips then his jaw. “I just wanted you to know,” she pulled back and looked into his eyes. “I love you.”
Nate’s face broke into a bright smile that flooded Pam’s heart with more love for him. He bent to place a searing kiss on her lips that left her weak in the knees and clinging to his wet shoulders. She was so happy to hear the shower running in the guest bathroom. At first she was startled but then she felt Nate’s presence.
She couldn’t explain it. She just knew it was him. When she found him naked standing in the shower she couldn’t resist getting in with him, well after she stared at his perfect ass for a little longer. Her man was home and it was time he heard the words she should have told him before he left.
“If this is the welcome home I get I may just start traveling more,” Nate chuckled.
Pam gave him a pout and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t ever want to be away from you that long again,” Pam purred.
“Me either beautiful,” Nate’s hand went to her belly to rub his palm over it. It felt like an eternity since he last felt his girls move against his palms. He missed them too. He had gotten used to reading a night time story to Pam’s belly. The girls would respond to his voice every time.
Pam reached for his erection again, but Nate stilled her hand. “Let’s get you in the bed. We have a lot of time to make up for,” Nate said huskily against her neck.
Pam shivered with anticipation but didn’t hesitate to step out of the shower hastily. She grabbed a towel to dry off and wrap around her body when both of their heads shot up at the sound of the alarm going off. Pam’s eyes widen as she turned to Nate. With a towel on his waste he was already in action.
“Stay right here,” Nate ordered.
Pam nodded frantically as she scooped up the sweat pants and t-shirt she had been wearing. Nate made his way over to the bathroom linen closet where he had stored his gun to retrieve it. He looked over his shoulder to see if Pam noticed but she was too busy throwing her cloths back on.
After insuring she was safely closed into the room he made his way to the kitchen. The alarm system was informing him that the back door adjacent to the kitchen was the entrance that had been disturbed. Nate disarmed the system as he passed his key chain in the bowl Pam kept for their keys and things.
Just as Nate entered the kitchen the last person he expected came into view. Before he could ask her what the hell she was doing here, Vanessa flew at him. She wrapped her delicate arms around his neck. Nate placed the gun down on the counter and cradled her head as she cried into his damp shoulder.
Nate was confused and completely thrown by this woman being here in his woman’s home. His first instinct had been to lose it, but he had considered Vanessa to be a friend for the time he had known her. Something was clearly going on with her.
“Vanessa, you have to calm down so you can tell me what’s going on. What are you doing here?” Nate said softly.
What he hadn’t noticed was that Pam had disobeyed his orders and followed him. She stood in the open floor plan of the living room kitchen space watching her man hold this woman with way too much familiarity. She had never told Nate Vanessa’s name and she was sure they hadn’t met since Vanessa moved next door.
“Nate baby, I’m so glad I finally have you here. I tried to get in touch with you. I needed to tell you about the baby,” Vanessa sobbed. “I needed you.”
Nate stiffened at her words and pried her arms from around him. His face hardened and he glared at Vanessa. His first instincts kicked in and their friendship was forgotten. His mind started to become razor sharp as each of her words hit like rapid fire.
Pieces were falling into place faster than he could process them. The condoms that he used with Pam had come from the condom bowl at Desire, in his private room. He just remembered grabbing a bunch right after his last visit there with Vanessa right before the trip. Vanessa had been acting nervous the whole time. That was when he first started having thoughts about not going to the club as often or even finding someone else he was comfortable with seeing.
Somehow she must have tampered with the condoms. Nate could feel the rage boiling in his blood. This woman had no idea who she was messing with. To the world he was a real estate developer and online business mogul. To people less fortunate he was an expiration date that came with deathly force.
“What baby, Vanessa,” Nate said with seething fury.
“Our baby, I needed to tell you about our baby but you were gone. Then when you returned you wouldn’t return my requests,” Vanessa said and bit her lip.
Pam stood stunned as s
he looked on. Her ears felt like they were burning. She couldn’t be hearing right. Vanessa didn’t know her man. She was not standing in her home telling her man she was having his baby. Suddenly their conversation from last week replayed in her head. This bitch done lost her mind, Pam thought, and now I’m about to lose mine.
“It was you. You tampered with those condoms from the club and now you are showing up here at my woman’s house telling me I got you pregnant. Have you lost your mind,” Nate bellowed.
“I thought -,” before Vanessa could finish her sentence, forgetting all about being nearly seven months pregnant, Pam lunged at her jumping up and grabbing a hand full of the woman’s bob.
“Bitch, in my home. In my motherfucking home,” Pam shouted as she tugged Vanessa down to her height and started to punch her in her head. “I invited you into my life and the whole time you knew you had been fucking my man. What I look like to you? You going to come to my home and pull this shit.”
Nate stood in shock at what was on folding before him until Vanessa’s screams snapped him into action. He gently wrapped one arm around his woman’s shoulders and used his other hand to pry her hand from Vanessa’s hair. Vanessa scurried away from Pam’s reach as Pam bucked and fought against Nate.
“Baby, calm down,” Nate commanded. “Let me handle this. You are pregnant with our children. You have to relax, Baby.”
“I’ll relax after I beat that heifer down. She has been playing me all this time. Hold on,” Pam paused and whipped around on Nate. “The club…please tell me you’re not talking about that club Desire. You know what don’t answer that.”
“How does it feel to know your man isn’t perfect? None of ya’ll men are perfect. But you and your sister should know I’ve fucked both your men and at the same time,” Vanessa said with a sick grin.
“Shut the fuc-,” Nate growled.
He didn’t get to finish his words as Pam whizzed pass his. Pam lunged for her again as Vanessa sat huddled on the kitchen floor. Pam didn’t get her hands on her.
However, as Nate lifted her from her, feet first one then the other foot connected with Vanessa’s head then face sending her head flying back into the cabinet behind her not once, but twice. A sickening crack sounded through the room as her head bounced against the hard wooden surface.
“Keep playing with me bitch,” Pam snarled. “I knew I couldn’t trust your ass. You think you can come and break up my home. I got something for that ass. I love this man and your nasty ass coming here starving for attention can’t change that or the fact that he loves me. But what is going to happen, I’mma whip that ass not just for me, but for my sister. Then I’mma whip your nasty ass for trying to trap my man.”
Pam hissed all this out as Nate carried her to their bedroom. He placed her on the bed and cupped her face. “Listen to me,” he barked. “Let me handle this. I got this Pam.”
Pam sniffled and wiped her face. “I’m sorry,” Pam started to cry. “I let her in our home. I trusted her when I knew I shouldn’t. Paige kept telling me to watch her.”
“This is on me Pam. I take this one all on me. She never should have gotten this close and believe me I’m going to handle this,” Nate said firmly.
Some people were about to lose their jobs and heads were going to roll. He didn’t want to leave his woman sitting here sobbing, but he had a problem to go handle. Nate grabbed some clothes to put on before finding his phone and finally turning it on.
“Too late,” he muttered to the text messages from Rita and Bobby.
He shot Bobby a text to get his butt over here. Then he turned his attention to a pretty banged up Vanessa that hadn’t moved an inch. Nate snorted to himself.
He knew Pamela had a temper, but the last thing he expected was his little pregnant woman to hand Vanessa her ass tonight. She was quick about it to. She would definitely make a wonderful Mrs. Briggs. Next time someone tried to tell him his woman was all mouth he wouldn’t dare them to test that theory, unless they deserved it.
Nate moved to the kitchen and placed some ice in a baggie, ignoring the whimpers of the woman who walked in here with intentions of ruining his life. He had yet to rein in his own fury. Pam had only done what he mentally wanted to.
Handing her the ice Nate nodded to the living room. “You may want to have a seat. You’re going to be here a while,” Nate grumbled.
“I ….I want to talk to Bobby. He said he would help me. I need help. She’s not going to leave you is she? I need help because I can’t go through with his orders if she doesn’t leave you. Believe it or not I did want her as a friend,” Vanessa sobbed.
Nate turned his dark gaze on her and narrowed his eyes. “Bobby is on his way and when he gets here you are going to tell me everything. Every. Single. Detail,” Nate snapped and then paced away to contain the rage boiling in his veins.
~B~
The front door swung open and Paige stormed through the door followed by Bobby hot on her heels. So much for ringing the bell, Nate thought to himself with a laugh. He looked at Bobby and gave him a, “really, are you sure you want to do this” look. Paige stopped right in front of Nate who made sure to plant himself in front of Vanessa.
“We’ve been arguing about this all night. So yeah, there was no way she wasn’t coming,” Bobby answered Nate’s unspoken question.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not in the room,” Paige huffed. “Nate, get out of my way.”
“Short stuff,” Nate said in warning. “Believe me Pam put hands on her enough for now. Have a seat Sis.”
Paige softened at Nate calling her Sis but looked around his large body at Vanessa and pointed her finger. “You better hope I can’t find you when I drop these babies. Smiling up in my face all this time,” Paige hissed. “I never liked you.”
“What are you guys doing here,” Pam said sounding drained as she came from the bedroom. She glared over at Vanessa and then gave Nate a questioning look.
“I asked Bobby to come over so we can get to the bottom of this. Vanessa has broken a few terms of the club’s agreement and I have a feeling there is a lot more going on here,” Nate offered. Taking a seat across from Vanessa he held out his arms for Pam.
Needing his touch right now more than anything she went right to him. She had a bunch of emotions running through her at the moment. She hadn’t felt this betrayed since Luca and that just left her feeling raw. Nate was blaming himself but once again Pam felt she should have known better and went with her instincts. She knew she and Paige couldn’t hold Nate and Bobby’s past against them.
What pissed Pam off was that their past was inviting itself to her door. Pam looked at Paige standing staring at Vanessa like she was going to jump at her any moment now. Pam knew the feeling. It was another reason she thought it safer to be in Nate’s lap before she blacked out again and finished what she started.
Bobby stood behind Paige with his arms around her waist rubbing her belly and whispering in her ear. Paige like her sister wasn’t mad at her husband so much as the situation. She and Bobby had been arguing about it because she wanted to come and tell her sister what was going on.
Bobby wanted her to wait for Nate to deal with it. Bobby had decided to tell Paige after leaving Vanessa’s. He had a feeling she would play her hand and he was not risking the woman he loved for something in his past.
“Come sit with me,” Bobby whispered into Paige’s ear as she stood glaring at Vanessa.
Paige snorted as her eyes roamed over the damage her sister had already done. For the first time she looked at Pamela. “You okay,” Paige said in a much softer voice than the one she use with Vanessa.
“I’m good P. Just remember whatever comes out of her mouth, your husband’s past is his past. No skank can take your future when she was here first and couldn’t hold onto it for herself,” Pam said quietly knowing her sister could be a little more sensitive than she was.
“Oh I have this, Pam. I was more worried about you,” Paige replied.
“I’m fine, but I will be even better when this heifer says her piece and gets the hell out of my house,” Pam huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“That makes two of us,” Paige said mirroring her sister as she finally took a seat on Bobby’s lap. Bobby was pleased to feel her relax as he wrapped her in his arms.
“I love you,” Bobby whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.
She turned to him. “I know.”
“You all seem to think I’m the villain here,” Vanessa started as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Bobby I hope your offer still stands. I will need your help when I finish here.”
“Although the damage here is done, I will hear you out. If I can agree with what I hear I will help you,” Bobby nodded.
“Humph,” Paige frowned. “Yeah we’ll see.”
“Pam what I told you about my husband was all true,” Vanessa started and retold her story to the others, this time filling in the gory details. “What my husband has done to me should be done to no human. I joined Desire because I wanted to know what it felt like to be wanted. I know it wasn’t the best idea but a friend suggested it and helped me get my membership.
“The night I followed the two of you to that room was the first time I worked up the courage to follow through. I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders. “You two were the first suitors that looked safe, that I felt safe with. For years I have gone to the club and been so careful not to be followed or discovered by Patrick.
“I knew if he found out he would punish me maybe even kill me,” she barked a bitter laugh. “Yeah, who am I kidding? I knew he would kill me. I guess I got sloppy. I came home one night from a hair appointment and Patrick was sitting in the dark. I knew it was going to be bad. I could smell the alcohol on him from across the room. It is always worse when he drinks.
“He…he raped and beat me for hours. Calling me a whore and asking if I like being a rich whore. Being accused of sleeping around was nothing new. That started right after we married, way before I stepped out to join Desire.
