Page 50 of Cannon (King Family Saga #3)

Cannon

I couldn’t stop seeing her face. Every time I closed my eyes, Reese was there, that moment of clarity right before she pulled the trigger, like she’d finally found peace in her decision to leave this world.

The hotel suite felt too quiet, too sterile compared to the chaos of the day.

My hands were clean now, but I swear I could still feel her blood between my fingers.

“Here.” Queen’s voice pulled me back to the present as she pressed a glass of Hennessy into my hand. “Drink this. It might help.”

I took a long swallow, barely tasting cognac.

The Waldorf Astoria suite stretched around us like another world with crystal chandeliers, plush furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing Manhattan’s glittering skyline.

A world away from the suburban Jersey nightmare I’d walked into this afternoon.

It was a far cry from the shitty apartment I had been living in.

“They finally asleep?” Queen asked, settling beside me on the couch, her body a warm anchor against mine.

I nodded. “Took forever. Josiah kept asking when we’re going home.” My voice cracked on the last word. Home. Those boys didn’t have one anymore.

Queen’s hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with mine like she was trying to physically hold me together. “You did the right thing bringing them here. They needed to get away from that house.”

“I keep thinking I could’ve stopped her.” The confession tumbled out before I could swallow it back. “If I’d moved faster, if I’d gotten there sooner, if I’d just…” I couldn’t finish the thought. The words stuck in my throat like glass.

Queen set her own glass down and shifted to face me, her dark eyes searching mine.

“Cannon, this isn’t on you. Reese made her choice. A terrible, selfish choice, but it was hers.”

I knocked back the rest of my Hennessy, welcoming the burn. “Those boys, Queen. They’ve lost everything. Their father. Now their mother.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “And it’s my fault.”

“Look at me,” Queen commanded, her hand coming up to cup my face, forcing my eyes to meet hers.

“This is not your fault. You tried to save her. You showed up when those boys needed you, and that’s what matters now.

She manipulated you. She tried to have you sent to prison. She made her own choices.”

I leaned into her touch, desperate for the comfort she offered. The weight of everything, Reese’s suicide, the boys’ future, the blood on my hands both literal and figurative pressed down on me until it felt hard to breathe.

“What am I gonna do with them?” I asked, the question that had been haunting me since I watched the paramedics wheel Reese’s body out. “I don’t know shit about raising kids.”

“You’ll learn,” Queen said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And you won’t be doing it alone.”

“Wow. You ridin’ with me?”

“Yep,” she responded before turning her attention to the envelope sitting on the coffee table in front of us. “What’s that?” she asked.

“Oh yeah. That was at Reese’s spot. My ex girl… she’s the sister of my homeboy Tyran I told you about. She wrote me a letter. I’m guessing she sent it to Reese because she didn’t have my new address.”

“The fuck does she want?” Queen asked, jealousy burning in her voice.

“Chill baby. Whatever it is, it don’t affect us. But let me see,” I said, chuckling at her reaction.

I reached for the letter envelope and opened it. Inside was a letter and an additional envelope.

The letter read:

“Hey Cannon,

I lost my phone a while back and with it all my contacts, but I still remembered your sister’s address. After Tyran’s funeral, things got crazy going through his stuff. I know you were looking for something of his, and I think I found it.

He had a safe-deposit box I came across. After I finally got access through all the red tape, there was only one thing inside. A letter addressed to you. I didn’t open it out of respect for you and my brother. I’ve enclosed the letter.

If you want to talk, here’s my number: 973-570-8888.

—Draya”

I opened the letter that was found in his safe-deposit box. “Oh shit,” I blurted out.

“What is it?” Queen asked.

“It’s his fuckin’ code to our crypto. Thank God he did this but also, I should raise his ass from the dead and fuck him up.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Cuz this shit could’ve gotten in the wrong hands.”

“Boy, bye,” she laughed while shoving me.

“Seriously. We weren’t supposed to write them down. But I’m just playing. I’m glad he had a contingency.”

“So what does this mean?” she asked, her hand gliding over my thigh.

“I’m about $20 million richer.”

Queen’s eyes widened, her full lips parting in surprise. “Twenty million? On top of the inheritance?”

“Yeah. Forty million total.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing—a real laugh that lit up her whole face and made her look years younger. “Damn, Cannon. A few weeks ago you were sleeping on a mattress on the floor, and now you’re a multi-millionaire.”

I couldn’t help but smile, the first genuine one since I’d found Reese. “Crazy how life works.”

Queen’s laughter faded, replaced by something softer, more serious.

She moved closer, her hand sliding higher up my thigh.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, her eyes holding mine.

“For everything. The way you stepped up for those boys today, how you’ve been handling all this shit thrown your way. ”

Before I could respond, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss started gentle, almost tentative, but quickly deepened as she parted my lips with her tongue. I felt something crack open inside me, all the pain, grief, and tension of the day giving way to raw need.

I pulled her onto my lap, my hands gripping her hips as she straddled me. Her body was warm and solid against mine, grounding me in the present when my mind wanted to spiral back to Reese’s bedroom.

“I need you,” I growled against her mouth, already working at the buttons of her blouse.

She pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, her fingers framing my face. “Congratulations,” she whispered, her thumb tracing my bottom lip. “On everything. The money, stepping up for those boys… being the man I always knew you were.”

Her words hit me deeper than I expected, breaking something loose inside me that I’d been holding back.

Queen’s lips found mine again, this time with an urgency that matched my own rising need.

I gripped her ass hard, pulling her tighter against me as her tongue slid against mine, tasting like Hennessy and something sweeter that was just her.

“I want you to fuck me like you own me,” she breathed against my ear, her voice low and commanding despite the submission in her words. “Make me forget my own name.”

I stood in one fluid motion, lifting her with me. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I carried her to the bedroom, our mouths never breaking contact. The suite’s master bedroom was massive, with a king-sized bed that looked like it had never been slept in.

I tossed her onto the mattress, watching as she bounced slightly, her eyes dark with desire as she looked up at me. I stripped my shirt over my head, revealing the tattoos that mapped the story of my life across my skin.

“Goddamn,” Queen whispered, her gaze traveling hungrily over my chest and abs.

I crawled over her, caging her with my body as I pushed her blouse up and over her head. Her chocolate skin glowed in the dim light, nipples already hard and straining against the lace of her bra.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmured, unclasping her bra with one hand and watching as her full breasts spilled free. I lowered my head, capturing one nipple between my teeth, biting just hard enough to make her gasp.

“Fuck!” she hissed, her back arching off the bed. “Do that again.”

I obliged, dragging my teeth across her sensitive flesh before sucking hard, drawing another moan from her lips. My hand slid down her stomach to the waistband of her skirt, tugging it down along with her panties until she was completely naked beneath me.

“Spread your legs,” I commanded, my voice rough with need.

Queen obeyed instantly, opening herself to me like a gift. I knelt between her thighs, drinking in the sight of her glistening pussy, already wet and ready for me.

“Look at you,” I growled, running one finger through her slick folds. “So wet for me already.”

“Please,” she whispered, a word I rarely heard from her proud mouth.

I leaned down, my breath hot against her center. “Please what?”

“Taste me,” she begged.

I couldn’t resist diving in to taste her sweetness. My tongue glided through her folds, circling her clit before sucking it between my lips. Queen’s thighs trembled around my head as I devoured her, my hands gripping her ass to keep her in place.

“Oh God, Cannon,” she moaned, grinding against my mouth. “That’s it, baby. Right there.”

I slid two fingers inside her tight pussy, curling them to hit that spot that made her back arch off the bed.

Her walls clenched around my fingers as she came, her body shuddering beneath me.

I didn’t let up, working her through the orgasm until she was pushing at my shoulders, oversensitive and gasping.

“I need you inside me,” she demanded, spreading her legs wider. “Now.”

I crawled back over her, positioning myself at her entrance. Without warning, I slammed into her, burying myself deep inside with a strong thrust.

Queen’s pussy clenched around me, hot and tight as I bottomed out inside her. Her nails dug into my shoulders, breaking skin as she moaned my name like a prayer.

“Fuck,” I growled, holding still for a moment, savoring the way her walls fluttered around my dick. “You feel so goddamn good.”

I pulled out slowly until just the tip remained inside, then slammed back in with enough force to make the headboard bang against the wall. Queen’s eyes rolled back, her mouth falling open in a silent scream.

“That’s right,” I said, setting a brutal pace that had her tits bouncing with each thrust. “Take this dick. All of it.”

I grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head with one hand while the other gripped her throat. Not squeezing, just holding her there, reminding her who was in control. Her eyes darkened with lust as she surrendered to me completely.

“You like that?” I asked, my voice dropping lower as I leaned in close to her ear. “You like being held down while I fuck this pussy?”

“Yes,” she gasped, her hips rising to meet each thrust. “God yes, Cannon. Harder.”

I flipped her over suddenly, manhandling her onto her stomach. Before she could catch her breath, I yanked her ass up and drove back into her from behind, the new angle making her cry out.

“Whose pussy is this?” I demanded, one hand tangled in her hair, pulling just enough to arch her back. My other hand came down hard on her ass, leaving a red handprint on her smooth skin.

“Yours,” she moaned, pushing back against me. “It’s all yours.”

I slapped her ass again, harder this time, watching as the flesh jiggled beneath my palm. “I can’t hear you.”

“YOURS!” she screamed, her body shaking. “Fuck, Cannon, I’m gonna come again.”

I reached around, finding her clit with my fingers. “Not yet,” I ordered, slowing my pace. “Not until I say so.”

I worked her clit in slow circles, keeping her right on the edge while I continued to thrust into her at a torturous pace. Her breathing grew ragged, her body trembling with the effort of holding back.

“Please,” she begged, her voice breaking. “Please let me come.”

“You gonna be a good girl for me?” I asked, speeding up my fingers on her clit.

“Yes, yes, anything,” she promised, desperate now.

I leaned down, my chest pressed against her back, my lips at her ear. “Come for me now, Queen. Let me feel that pussy squeeze my dick.”

Her body convulsed beneath mine, her walls clamping down so tight around me I nearly lost it. She screamed my name, her face pressed into the pillow as wave after wave of pleasure washed through her.

I felt myself drifting asleep but before I did, she whispered, “I love you.”

I had never felt more at peace with anyone before.