Trapped Between Heaven and Hell

by M. Skye

  Now that they had it all figured out regarding Renee, they still had more questions. They knew all the things she had done with John, but they were nowhere near closer to figuring out who the source was behind all the blocked texts and videos. Miguel had been the primary recipient, but that night when everything happened, Tyree had gotten one. He was lost, and they still didn’t know for sure that it was Renee in the house that night when Kyan woke up screaming; she never admitted to it in her journal.

  Tyree wanted to believe it was her, but something in him said it wasn’t, and that feeling alone made him uneasy. That meant there was still a threat to his family, but he knew that already. As long as Richmond was still on the loose, they would always have to look over their shoulders, and he felt helpless because of it.

  In the midst of everything, Tyree had to know about the envelopes he found. He was still wondering what was going on between his mother and Rock. He didn’t object if there was a relationship, but he needed to know what the deal was.

  When he asked, she looked him straight in the eye and stressed that they were just friends. She explained that Rock had only been a source of support when he was around over the years and had helped her through some rough times. They both explained that the photos John had were just staged to make him think he had an angle to get to his ultimate goal.

  Tyree couldn’t help but wish there were some sort of attraction between them. After all, Rock had been more to him than his own father. Watching them together, he could tell they had gotten close over the years, and he wondered how. They explained that Karen was the one to call and get the FBI involved in investigating John. After she called, Rock was sent to her and, after the initial shock had worn off that her security guard was an actual agent, they began to work together, gathering what they could find on John.

  She had come across some of his documents and figured out he was just as responsible for the downfall of the companies as Richmond, if not more, but none of them retained his name. He was smart. The thing that made her make the call was when she figured out that he had staged the kidnapping of his own grandson; but she had no solid proof, just a phone call she overheard a few years ago. John seemed to be bragging about splitting Tyree and Mia up by using their child to do it. There was only one thing that came to mind when she heard this, but she wasn’t completely sure what context he meant it in. With the lack of solid evidence, they had to gather more to nail him for everything.

  For the past few years, they had been working together to get whatever they could find on both Richmond and John, but John was very elusive until a few months ago. That was when Rock came to them permanently, and they started to close in on him. Karen was to pretend to act normal with him until they had what they needed, but she got frustrated with him after Miguel’s attack, and they had to adjust their strategy. She said she couldn’t stand being in the same house with the man who possibly tried to kill their son. It was too much.

  Tyree had listened to their story and was finding it hard to keep his temper in check. He was upset that his mother felt like she couldn’t come to him with this, but he understood their need to be discreet. She only wanted to protect them. He smiled when he thought about how alike they were. He was always trying to protect them, and here she was doing whatever it took to do the same. She was amazing.

  After all the visits had begun to die down, Tyree was left with Mia, who still hadn’t said a word. She had been there sitting through all the conversations but had yet to speak. He was about to give up all hope and call in a psychiatrist until the night before Janelle’s birthday.

  Rick and Cassandra had started a ritual where every year on her birthday, they would go to her grave and have lunch, and they got everyone involved. They would sit and talk to her headstone about what was going on in their lives, and they planned to do so this year. Tyree and his siblings had been accompanying them, but this year, he thought he should skip it to be there for Mia.

  He had prepared their dinner, which she picked over like every other night, and when he was washing the dishes, he heard her speak. He turned around slowly, thinking he imagined the words, but then he saw the tears on her face, and he walked over, stooping down in front of her. He could feel her warm tears dripping down his arms, and he let her cry a little longer before pulling her head to rest on his shoulder.

  “It’s okay, kitten. You’re going to be okay.”

  “How can you say that? It’s all my fault. I’m the reason all this happened.”

  “Baby, come on.” He pulled back to look in her eyes. “I don’t blame you. Don’t let anything he said affect you. He did this to himself, and he tried to make you feel like it was you, but it was all him. You and my son are the best things to ever happen to me, and I will never let you feel like you did anything wrong.”

  “But—”

  He pulled her lips to his, getting lost in her taste. He hadn’t kissed her since the night John died, and he never realized how much he craved her. She didn’t kiss him back, but he kept going, hoping she would fall back into her normal self. When she still didn’t kiss him back, he released her and sat down, laying his head on the table. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” He hadn’t wanted it to come to this, but he was finally at his breaking point, and he felt tears slipping down his cheeks. “I know I wasn’t there; I let him take you. I was supposed to be there.” Feeling a hand hit his shoulder, he looked up to see her standing over him.

  When he looked up, she ran her hand down his cheek and put her forehead to his. She whispered against his lips that she loved him, and he leaned in, kissing her gently. She slid her hands down, grabbing his ears, pulling him closer, drastically deepening the kiss and they stayed that way until air became an issue.

  Smiling against her lips, Tyree pulled her hands between them and placed a light kiss on them. “Welcome back, kitten.”

  “I love you, Ty. None of this was your fault.”

  “I love you too, baby. So much.”

  He stood, picking her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and he found that spot on her neck that drove her crazy, and he grinned as her moans tickled his ear. It was a sound he hadn’t heard in a while, and he savored the feeling. It was nice to have her acting like her old self, and it made him want to push it to the extreme. She was getting into everything he was doing, and he felt her body quivering back to life. He was going to enjoy this night more than he originally anticipated.

  Laying her down on the bed, hovering over her, never breaking eye contact, he ran his hands up her thighs. She was only wearing the short silk gown he dressed her in and a pair of black lace panties that showed off a generous portion of her supple body, and he had to fight the urge to cum right then and there. Before he could fully enjoy himself, he had to be sure she was ready.

  “Are you sure?”

  Nodding, she grabbed his hand and slid it between their heated bodies. When he reached her center, he felt the wetness through her panties and felt himself stiffening, and suddenly the shorts he was wearing felt tight. Standing, he pulled them off slowly and felt himself swelling by the second. She sat up on the bed offering him a sweet smile, and he made his way back, covering her body with his. Locking eyes with her once again, he made sure he knew she wanted this, and she never turned away. He could feel her breathing intensify and he leaned in to claim her mouth.

  Her legs spread. He felt himself brush up against her and he ripped off her soaked panties. The feeling of her was indescribable because he knew she was just as far gone as he was and they hadn’t even begun. Leaning in, kissing her neck again, he ran his hand down her legs as she arched her hips to meet his hand. He grazed her folds with his fingertips and felt himself losing control. He needed to touch her, to be inside her again.

  When he finally dug his fingers inside her, he felt her body quake, and he knew it was only for him. He always had the magic touch when it came to her, and when she pushed herself up and brought her lips to his neck, he stroked her harder, feeli
ng every tremor she displayed. He twirled his fingers around, trying to explore every crevice of her while she assaulted his neck with her warm breath.

  She was kissing him, running her tongue over him, biting at his neck with such intensity he knew it was going to leave a mark, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He wanted to feel her in every way before she came. He wanted to feel her cum while he was inside her. He needed to feel her slippery depths before he made her scream. Her mouth was weakening his control.

  She was sucking on his neck when he laid her back, placing his hands on her parted knees, pushing them farther apart. He trailed his tongue down her body, stopping at her neck, pushing himself inside her, losing himself in the feeling. Her breath hitched in her throat, and he grabbed her leg, wrapping it around him as he pushed deeper. She felt so warm, so wet, so amazing as he dug his nails into her flesh, earning a loud exclamation.

  Digging her nails into his back, she rolled her hips forward while he bit down on her neck gently. He gripped her leg tighter, raising it a little higher and she dug her nails deeper, breaking the skin. His back was on fire from the sting of the sweat hitting the scratches, but he ignored it, still pushing deeper. He was pounding her so hard she was sliding backward, and the smile on her face let him know she was enjoying every second of it.

  His breathing was shaky, and his hands trembled as he dug his fingers into her. Spreading her legs wider, he pushed deeper, grinning at the moan that tore from her throat. He couldn’t think straight; he couldn’t form a single thought that didn’t revolve around her. Everything he was at that moment was poured into her.

  Holding her to him, he whispered in her ear, “Tell me you love this.”

  Her eyes were dark with passion, and her response came out as a whisper that turned into a loud exclamation. “I love, uh . . . Shit! I love this.”

  It was the little things she did that made being with her so much better than anyone else. The way she rolled her body into his, making them one, always made him lose control. The way she whispered in his ear always made him want to push harder, and the way she looked at him always made his heart skip beats. It was as if he could see into her soul every time they connected. She always gave him that feeling.

  When he leaned down, catching her earlobe between his teeth, he knew he took her by surprise. It wasn’t something he did, but he could tell it felt damn good to her. He did a gentle nip and then sucked a little, and her body reacted by shooting up on the bed. He placed his palm on her chest and tried to calm her down with no luck. He could feel the pulsations in her chest and between her legs increasing, making him feel like she could explode at any moment.

  Her body was jerking. He could feel the orgasm approaching, and he loved the sensation it gave him. Being inside her was more than he ever dreamed. It was a feeling he never thought he would experience again when he left her in the foyer of the main house weeks ago. He couldn’t help the tingling that shot through his body, and before he knew it, he burst inside her and then felt her clenching around him. His last movement sent her into spasm, and he felt every ounce of his arousal covered in her.

  He didn’t want to move. He felt his body shut down while her body drank up every bit of him. He tried to catch his breath and was unsuccessful. When she reached up, running her hand over his lips, he kissed her fingertips and rolled off of her, pulling her to rest on his chest. His heartbeat had slowed, but he still felt it fluttering. He knew it was because she was so close. After all that had happened, he didn’t think they would get this back: the intimacy they shared only with each other.

  He was tracing patterns on her back with his fingers when he felt her head shift to look up at him. For a second, he just stared at her, looking into her eyes, finding what he thought he lost: their future together. She opened her mouth and then closed it with a silly giggle following.

  “What is it, baby? What were you going to say to me?”

  “It’s nothing. I think it might be too soon. Just forget I was going to say anything.”

  He slid back, propping himself against the headboard, pulling her with him. “What is it? If it’s something you want, something you need, I’ll make it happen. You just have to tell me what it is.”

  Mia looked at him and sighed, leaning her head back to his chest. “Well, tomorrow is Janelle’s birthday, and I kind of wanted to go to the graveside and join Cassie and Rick. I haven’t been, and I feel guilty about it. I also thought I could go visit Mom. I mean, I know it’s silly because Janelle’s body isn’t there, but having something there gives me something to hold on to. I just need to talk to her; both of them.”

  Tyree gave her a grin and kissed her forehead. “Sure, baby. I’ll go with you. I usually go anyways. I was going to sit out at first because I didn’t think you were up to it.”

  “I’m up to it.” She smiled. “I never knew you went with them. It will be good to have you there. I just didn’t want to be insensitive to everything that’s going on. I know you say you’re over it but—”

  “We didn’t have a funeral for him because none of us wanted to. Mom was over it, Asha and Terence wanted nothing to do with it, and Miguel has washed his hands of the whole situation. He tried to kill him, for God’s sake. How can we mourn a man like that?”

  “Because he’s your father. He messed up so bad, he almost ruined us, but we’re here. We have a long road ahead, but we’re together. I’d like to blame it all on him, but I have to live with the choices I made, and we have to get over them. Holding hate in your heart for him will only make you bitter, and I don’t like bitter you. I like the caring person you are when your mind is free. So, I had a thought.”

  He watched as her signature grin appeared and he pushed the hair back from her face. “Yeah?”

  “You should go to his grave. Say all the things you would have said if he had lived, and then walk away. Leave the baggage behind, leave the regret, and leave the guilt because none of this was your fault.”

  Tyree was stunned that the woman in front of him was the same woman who was mute a few hours ago. She had amazed him yet again. She had her own demons but, when she saw him breaking down, she snapped out of it and stepped up for him. He owed her so much, and he was going to spend forever giving it to her.

  “Baby.” He slid his hand up, lacing his fingers in her hair. “Why, after everything I said and did, why didn’t you leave me? I thought it was the only way, so I was an ass, but you wouldn’t leave. Why?”

  “If I tell you something, you promise you won’t overreact?”

  Sighing and nodding, he waited for her answer.

  “That day, before I left the main house, after you acted like an ass in front of everybody, Asha called. I was packed and ready to get the hell away from you, but she told me that you were afraid for us. She wouldn’t tell me why, but she said that I shouldn’t take anything you said seriously. She told me you were going to do something stupid, but she had no clue you already had. I was so hurt at first, but when she called, I felt relieved. I knew you wouldn’t have made love to me and made me all those promises just to break my heart.”

  “You knew the whole time? You looked so hurt the next time I saw you. Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you just go?”

  “On some level, I knew I deserved it. We had talked about everything, but I knew you needed to vent to me. Jake being here didn’t help, either. We needed to share those feelings to get closure on them for good.”

  “I didn’t mean the shit I said to you.”

  “You meant the hurt you felt.” She sniffled. “I caused that hurt, but I never will again. I love you so much for trying to save me. I owed it to you to be here for whatever.”

  “He could have killed you. John.” Tyree breathed in her air. “And Richmond—”

  “I’m not afraid of him. I used to be, but now I’m not. I knew our son shouldn’t be here, but I wasn’t leaving you. As pigheaded as you are, you needed me as much as I needed you.”

  He wanted to
be angry with Asha but, he knew, without her he would have lost Mia for good. He couldn’t help the smile that broke out on his face, and he began to massage her scalp with his fingertips in a soothing manner he knew she loved. She relaxed, and he lay back, getting comfortable.

  “I did things when you were gone, things I’m not proud of, Ty.”

  “Shh.” He held his finger to his lips. “That, I don’t need to know. We both did things; mine were much more recent and probably a lot more painful. I should have trusted you more.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “You’re a stubborn ass, you always have to be right, you never listen to anything I say, and my sister is a meddling menace.”

  “Uh, okay,” she said and giggled.

  “I hate you.”

  “I hate you too.” She grinned.

  “Get some sleep.”

  She slid her body closer to his, and she closed her eyes once her head found a comfortable position on his chest. He rubbed her back for a few minutes before feeling her fall asleep, and he lay awake, thinking and listening to her breathe. He would never forget the gentle moments like these; they were what had sustained them over the cold, lonely years.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  The sun was bright, and a cool breeze swept through, offering a nice reprieve from the hot summer day. They were approaching the graveyard when Mia and Tyree looked up and saw the group of people huddled at the gate. As they approached, Tyree’s grip tightened on Mia’s hand. All of his siblings, his mother and Rock, and her family were waiting to go in, and it made things somewhat easier. They all shared glances, and Rick grabbed Cassandra’s hand, pulling her with him. Whitney and Jude followed, but Tyree was stuck. He couldn’t seem to make himself move.