He Who Is a Protector (Sadik Book 3)

by Love Belvin

  Suddenly, it’s cold, the air is thick and unkind. I can’t focus on that. The goral’s back is to the huddled group, its focus solely on me. It allows me to lead it away, the distance from my family’s growing wide. My chest heaves, knees shake. But I make my decision. I break off on a sprint in the opposite direction of my family.

  The goral’s roar vibrates the ground beneath me. I could feel its gain on me. My death’s imminent. I just hope the family took my baby and are seeking safety. Its paws pound the ground in a rhythm I’m focused too much on trying to flee. Then I no longer hear it. I hear a bestial whimper. Out of nowhere, a heavy fleshly weight falls on my head, knocking me to the ground. My entire frame recoils. I’m prepared to be mauled, or for the first puncture into my skin.

  But…

  Nothing.

  The goral’s whimpering over me. I feel a warm liquid running down my hips and legs. I struggle to get it off of me, feeling like I’m hyperventilating. Grunting, I push, twist my body. It wreaks and its bristle hairs on my skin are gross.

  Then I feel its weight on me lessen. The minute I smell fresh air, I scramble from underneath. Before I can catch my breath, I see him.

  Sadik.

  Those kaleidoscopic-hued eyes are radiant with fury, lost in vengeance. He’s holding a bow in one hand and using the other to push the goral from me. Two arrows are lodged into its body.

  I’m out of breath, heart racing, eyes wild while swinging between my protector and the dying goral.

  “Sadik…”

  I turned over onto my side, eyes open wide to the dim room. The other side of the bed was empty. Harsh breaths dispelled through my nostrils.

  What was that?

  A nightmare about a goat. Out of all the things that could possibly freak me out; my brother’s murder, my son possibly being killed or seriously injured by his uncle…another funeral in exactly six months. All these things could haunt me. However, it was a goral that got the job done.

  I was now anxious. My mind slowing, but the adrenaline had already spiked my blood. I was fully awake. My eyes swung over to Sadik’s crib, and I knew where I’d find his father. I knew Sadik would be in the same place he’d been falling asleep since Iban shot himself in our son’s nursery. I shuffled off the bed and toed to the opposite side of the bedroom where Sadik lay sleeping in his crib as his father did the same beneath him, on the floor.

  S.Q.E, the first lay on his side, facing the crib with just a pillow and comforter beneath him. With each step toward the father of my child, I could feel my sex liquefy and seep between my thighs. My pulse still raced, but my mind had settled on one thing, remnants of the nightmare in the distance. My breasts were heavy, nipples stung as I swung a leg on the other side of him and dropped to his hips. My mouth found his as I pushed him onto his back by the shoulder.

  Sadik was momentarily discombobulated, but when my hand reached beneath the elastic of his boxers, finding his resting dick, he quickly awakened down there. He adjusted himself with ease, hands mechanically going to my hips. His squeeze on them was instinctive as he let me snake my tongue in his mouth. I managed his boxers down just enough for his cock to jut against my little pouch, spiking my temperature.

  The sounds of the waves crashing at the shoreline helped keep the visions from my nightmare at bay. The breeze from the ceiling fan countered the boiling of my blood. I stroked him with my hands, kissing him while grinding my bare sex against his pelvis. Impatient, just when I felt he was hard enough I reared back to sit on him. The pulsing pressure fitting him in wasn’t enough to deter me. I danced on him until I could fit half of him. Then I worked from there, pushing down and lifting until the glide was smooth.

  My mouth found his again, his big hot hands guided my strokes. I saw the stars and moon when Sadik was inside me. I felt a brush of heaven when his breathing hiked, and his touch on me was filled with possession. It was what I’d grown to crave. What I could never do without again.

  Effortlessly, Sadik lifted his torso; mine came up with his. Then he managed to his feet without breaking our carnal connection. My mouth busied on and in his as I felt us move. The tips of my hands pressing into his scalp, my back landed on the mattress as his torso lifted from me. Desperate for him, my arms reached high for his shoulders, hips bucked, desperate not to lose his fullness.

  Sadik didn’t break our nexus, but he did peer down on me with half passion, and half curiosity. I could read him so clearly.

  Readily, I answered, “I will take a bullet for you.” I panted. “I’ll die for you and Sadik. I swear.” I could feel my orchid opening for him even more. “I’m built for you—for him. I wouldn’t think twice of dying, protecting—”

  Sadik’s mouth crushed mine, his tongue pushing through my lips with the same fervor he used to penetrate my world. I received him, pulling his hard body into me by his flexing wings. I loved him. With each beat of my heart, I did. Never did I feel so protected, so coveted as I did when held in this man’s honeyed eyes.

  His hardness rocked into me, the head of his dick beating into my core. It was a therapy like no other, a sensation I could never get enough of. My hips rocked against his thrusts. Our rhythm perfectly in tune, the cadence of our tongues synchronized. I was determined to match his pace, to meet his patience. The grimace on his lovely face told me, Sadik’s focus was on the long haul. So desperate to be in harmony with him, I refused to succumb to the sparks lightning in my core. I wanted to prove my endurance…needed to go the distance with my lover, my protector.

  My hand roved over his skinned head, his sculpted shoulders and back as we met mid-air with each passionate thrust. I bit his lip, pulling down the bottom one as I fought to hang on. The muscles in his face tightened, Sadik’s pupils dilated before me. Then his eyes rolled back until they closed. Viscerally, my body knew it was time to release. And I did. I lifted my hips more to him and endured his deep plunges. Within seconds, I detonated. My flower opened to him.

  “Shit…” he grunted, holding his last thrust.

  I imagined he squirted into me in that moment. My hips bucked, breasts flopped, riding out my orgasm. My pussy rolled and rolled around him until the waves ceased. At some point, Sadik lifted me again. He crawled deeper into the mattress before lying me onto a pillow. I panted, zings shooting through my bare frame. My eyes went to the roof of the canopy, spotting the missing ropes.

  I smiled. “When are you going to replace those?” Lazily, I pointed upward.

  “Tomorrow,” he grumbled, settling on his side.

  I giggled, gloriously satiated and once again exhausted enough to return to sleep. “Tomorrow? We leave tomorrow.”

  It took a few seconds for him to return, “They leave tomorrow. We stay.”

  I lifted from my neck, turning toward him. “We…stay?”

  Sadik yawned, seemingly tortured by drowsiness. “We won’t be rushing back north.”

  A brief panic spiked my blood. “And Sadik?”

  Again, it took a few seconds for a reply. “He’ll be with his parents.”

  My heart relaxed, adrenaline dissipating from my blood. I lay back down on the pillow. Sadik I and Sadik II were all I needed for peace of mind these days. They gave me purpose and routine. As I turned to leave the bed, Sadik’s semen beginning to leak.

  “I’ll call the office in the morning to let my team know I’ll be remote.”

  And that was it.

  No questions. No doubts. I didn’t understand how Sadik wasn’t ready to rush back to his ailing father and brother, but I trusted his judgment enough to not question him.

  I made it to the landing of the staircase with Sadik cooing in my ear. I patted his little back, loving the sound of his shaky cords. After a late morning bath and warm bottle, I guess he was ready to socialize. I loved it. I loved him. He was so soft and smelled so good against my chest and shoulder as we traveled to the kitchen.

  So many bodies of all sizes moving about on the main floor was striking. How we were able to fit the
Ellis women in a three-bedroom cape cod, I still didn’t understand. However, we did. Irene took the bedroom facing the front of the house and Monica and the girls took the adjoining second bedroom, connected to the master closet. Sadik had the house furnished with extra beds throughout the family and living rooms for Taaliba and Irene’s staff. It was also a good time for him to tell me he purchased the house across the street when I was down last summer. It was for his security team to keep an eye on me. Well, now the house was occupied with his security and the Ellis women’s.

  “My sonshine!” Irene cried out at first sight of Sadik in my arms.

  Sonshine was one of her nicknames for her only grandson. I smiled, seeing Stacy and another one of her staff members cleaning the kitchen and putting filled Tupperware into the fridge.

  “You see your Nana?” I asked him, turning so he could see her over my shoulder.

  When spinning, I caught his father, standing against the counter with a coffee mug in his hand. His face was tight and he was gloriously shirtless.

  “Come to Nana, baby,” Irene called out to the baby, stretching her arms and hands our way. “I need to get my share of kisses before I go. I don’t know when I’ll see you again.” I handed him over to her. “It may be a week or more.”

  I scoffed. “It won’t be that long. Just a few days, Nana.”

  Irene lifted the baby in the air as I floated across the room to his father. She made cooing sounds to match her grandson’s before noting, “Or a week.”

  My face folded as I approached her son, big Sadik. “I doubt it’ll be that long. I just hung up with Earl telling him a few days.”

  Sadik didn’t respond, only taking a sip of his coffee.

  Irene sang, “We’ll see!” to the baby, though speaking to me.

  “Queen, you’re more than welcome to stay with us,” Sadik offered.

  “I have to get back to my husband, dear,” she declined. “Two days away has been too much for me. Nurse Gladney told me Diane and Nena have been up there. Last night, they got so loud, the head nurse assigned to your father had to ask them to keep it down several times.”

  My face folded again. “What were they doing?”

  Irene grunted she didn’t know. “That lil’ Nena is always loud. Young Diane is a mouthy one, too. They could’ve been arguing about the “usies” they took of him in bed. Which girl got to sit on which side of his bed, wanting their best angle captured.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that. Sadik didn’t react, and I decided to follow his lead. No matter how well I’d been at acclimating to the Ellis family, those secondary affairs were hard realities to digest.

  As I leaned against the countertop and Sadik, the alarm system chimed from the front door being opened. Seconds later, Taaliba sauntered in, appearing just as she did yesterday, but with a tight morning face. My eyes blossomed from shock when I recognized Danny on her heels. I felt Sadik tense against me.

  “Hey, Ma,” Taaliba greeted just before leaning down to kiss Irene. “Hey, pooh bear.” She kissed baby Sadik’s shoulder. “What time do we leave for the airport?”

  Danny offered a neck bow to Irene. “Good morning, ma’am.”

  “Morning, honey,” Irene returned, shock in her voice. It was clear she didn’t know Danny had been in town since yesterday.

  Taaliba gave her brother a once over. “You’re not dressed yet, Hulk?”

  Sadik continued to rubberneck Danny through slit eyes. The kitchen went silent, awaiting Sadik’s answer.

  “You come into my home and don’t speak, Lopez?” he grated lowly across the room.

  I could feel the vibration from his back. With a smirk, Danny began his way, extending his palm.

  “I’m still adjusting to this, Ellis,” Danny admitted. “I didn’t expect to see you and so…” He cleared his throat. “Indisposed. Good morning. I would never disrespect you in your home.”

  Sadik’s eyes roved down to Danny’s extended palm, then rolled back up to his face. Sadik tossed his head back. “This is Bilan’s home. You greet my woman first.”

  With a deepened smirk, Danny stepped past Sadik to offer me his palm. His humor was infectious, causing me to smile as I met his hand.

  “Morning, Danny,” I saluted.

  “It’s a pleasure to formally meet you, Bilan. Taaliba’s had great things to say about you.”

  My smile widened with thoughts of pillow talks between him and my lover’s sister.

  “She’s been generous to us both. She’s spoken well of you, too.”

  I caught Taaliba rolling her eyes. She did the same with her shoulders, resembling a butch rather than a woman who’d been intimate recently with a man. “Again, Sadik, why aren’t you dressed?”

  “He’s not flying back with us.”

  Taaliba’s head bounced back, her eyes shot over to me. “What about you?”

  I shook my head. “I’ll be with the S.Q.E.s.”

  “Shiiiiit,” Taaliba swore under her breath. “How are you guys getting back?”

  “Sadik has his jet flying down,” Irene answered.

  Taaliba’s eyes shot over to Danny. His brows hiked daringly.

  Something was up.

  Taaliba took a deep breath. “Mommy, ummmm…” She swiped the back of her tapered head. “I...uhhhhh. I’ll be flying back up with Danny.”

  “The fuck?” Sadik growled.

  Taaliba’s palm flew into the air the same rate mine went to Sadik’s bare back.

  “Don’t,” Taaliba pleaded. “I’ll be home by tomorrow. Mommy won’t be alone.”

  “You damn right she won’t be alone. Because you’ll be with her no later than tonight.”

  “Sadik,” Taaliba cried.

  Sadik addressed Danny, voice controlled. “Tonight, Lopez. My family’s going through a trying time. My mother needs her daughter. Whatever sniffing you want to do around her little ass can be done respectfully at Elliswoods Palace. Do I make myself clear?” His stormy eyes bounced between Taaliba and Danny.

  “Sadik!” Taaliba tried again.

  “No,” Danny spoke firmly over her. “It’s fine.” He nodded. “He’s right. Now is not the time to keep you from your family. We can head back this afternoon. You said it yourself, you’re worried about your father. I can have you to the hospital this evening.”

  “But you’re not even coming back?” Taaliba questioned Sadik’s hypocrisy. “You just said you’re staying behind.”

  “I have a fiancée and son to be concerned about,” Sadik explained as Danny began tapping his phone, ambling out of the kitchen. “As you recall, my family’s experienced trauma. We need alone time to regroup,” he tried controlling his volume.

  “Regroup?” Taaliba trilled. “You live together!”

  “I’m trying to get married this year!” Sadik argued, voice on full blast. “Are you, sweetheart?”

  I saw the moment she deflated. Taaliba’s shoulders dropped in defeat and she marched out of the kitchen.

  “I’ll be fine, you know?” Irene informed Sadik as she played with the baby.

  “She will, too. Right by your side.” He took a sip of his coffee.

  He worked out without me this morning. I could smell the dried perspiration on his skin. You would think a workout would mild his temper.

  “Not necessary,” I hummed so only he could hear me.

  Sadik growled, blowing me off. Monica strolled into the kitchen with baby Irene on her hip and Iesha right behind her. The sight of both little girls swelled my heart. Iesha’s attention was buried into her tablet.

  “Morning, Uncle Deek,” she greeted.

  “Hey, baby,” he mumbled in return.

  I was grateful he didn’t demand her to speak to me as well. I told Sadik we shouldn’t make a big deal about Iesha’s ongoing grudge against me in order not to fuel it. She was a kid and unless she got disrespectful, I could wait out her maturity. Seconds later, Ivana ambled in and greeted the room with a general good morning. Monica placed baby Iren
e in the high chair and went to the counter to prepare a bowl of pureed food. Iesha sat next to her grandmother and baby Sadik, remaining at task with her device. Ivana went straight to baby Sadik and pulled his little leg up for a kiss on his foot.

  “Where’s your iPad, Ivy?” Monica asked with her back to the table.

  “I packed it,” Ivy answered, giggling at baby Sadik as she played with his feet.

  “Are you sure?” Monica asked. “We’re leaving in less than an hour. What’s left here stays.”

  “I’m sure, Mommy,” Ivy continued with my son as their grandmother held him. “Uncle Deek, you wanna play chess on the way home?”

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Sadik issued regrettably. “We’re staying behind today.”

  Iesha’s eyes burst wide. “Oooh, Mommy, I wanna stay! Can we stay? I want to play on the beach some more.”

  “It’s too cold out there for the water, honey,” Monica answered, making her way back to the table with baby Irene’s food. “Plus, you know daddy’s still not feeling well. We need to stop by the hospital to see him this afternoon.”

  “Awwww!” she pouted, tears swelling her vocal cords. “Why do they get to stay down with Uncle Deek and not me?”

  “Because it’s their house,” Irene hissed without skipping a beat. “And if you want to be fresh this early in the morning about it, young lady, Nana will get those little legs.”

  Iesha began to cry. My initial reaction was to go to her, but I quickly reminded myself her mother and grandmother were better equipped to console and/or discipline her.

  I murmured to Sadik, “I’m going out on the deck to call into work.”

  He nodded, raising the coffee mug to his mouth. “Camille should be back from the store any minute now. She can take Sadik while I shower.”