Page 32

It’s Saturday morning, and I’m tired as hell after the last several hours of losing Bayleigh, finding Bayleigh, and raining terror down on my enemies.

I’m not a fool, though. I’ve been doing nothing but thinking about Terran’s statement since last night.

Terran was a small player, a little fish in the big ocean.

Who the fuck was really behind that assault on my family?

I wake up in a pool of sweat, and my chest is heaving. I never have nightmares, not after a kill or before one.

This one stemmed from Bayleigh being kidnapped. I pull my hand down my face and turn to see her lying peacefully beside me.

I’d take a thousand nightmares if it would give her a peaceful night’s rest. I was afraid that she would be plagued by nightmares after what she went through, but she’s not.

It was my fear of losing her and knowing that I’d failed to keep her safe that had me having nightmares.

I grab her hip and tug her closer to me.

She rolls over and mumbles something in her sleep. I release her, get out of bed, and start removing the sheets from my side of the bed.

By the time I get to the foot of the bed, she mumbles, “What’re you doing?” in a sleepy voice. At the same time, she reaches toward my side of the bed and instantly draws back, concern showing on her face.

“What’s that?”

“Sweat.”

Confusion etches itself on the planes of her face as I step into our large walk-in, double closets. I pass through the dressing area and head straight for the bathroom. I take a quick shower and come out again.

I grab a set of fresh bedding and head back into the room.

I’m surprised to see that she’s already placed another set of linens on the bed; the old ones have been removed from the room, and the air smells like Lysol.

Her eyes are full of compassion when she asks, “You had a nightmare?”

I climb back into the bed beside her and tug her into my arms. “Go to sleep.”

“Answer my question first.”

I lean closer, bending my head to kiss her. Bayleigh moans her sweet satisfaction into my mouth, causing my dick to stir.

“Woman, you don’t know what you do to me.”

“After almost thirty years together, I’d better know.”

I brush my lips against hers and begin kissing her again.

“Mm-mm.” Bayleigh pulls back.

“What? I can’t have no sweetness?”

“You need to answer the question first.”

Groaning, I roll over onto my back, toss my arm over my eyes, and mumble, “Yes. I had a nightmare.”

“What was it about?”

“Not talking about it, Bay.”

“Fine. I’ll drag it out of you one way or another.” She slides down into the bed.

Bayleigh slides her hands down my dick. They’re soft and smooth as silk. Her lips pause over the head, and she blows short, warm breaths before taking me into her mouth.

“Mm,” she moans, licking around the head with hollowed-out cheeks.

“Baby,” I groan, cupping her head with my hands.

With measured and even strokes, she works her hands up and down my length while slowly twirling her tongue around me and using her jaws to pull me deeper to the back of her throat.

“Ahh, baby, I could stay like this forever,” I say.

She winks at me, and I can’t help but smile. It quickly drops from my face when she pulls back to the top and works down again. She does that several times, taking her sweet, slow time as she enjoys the taste of me while bringing me deep pleasure and intensifying my yearning for her.

No longer able to take it, I pull myself out of her and reach for her.

“You’re taking away all the fun,” she pouts.

“I’ve got something that’s a lot more fun,” I say, tangling our fingers together.

She climbs up my body and settles herself on my hard dick, slowly working her way down until she’s found her seat.

“That’s it, baby girl,” I coax as she begins to ride me.

Her pussy is wet and hot like warm springs, soft as satin, and tight as a boxing glove on a fist.

“I ain’t gonna be able to take much more of this.” Bayleigh rocks back and forth, sealing her tight fit around me.

My hands hold her in place, and when she leans forward to kiss me, my palms smooth over and then grip her ass. She works me over as she keeps her lips on mine. Whether to cease talking or to intensify the feeling, I don’t know, but I like it.

With slow, measured moves and vast control, Bayleigh slowly chases the nightmares away. She’s all that I need and everything that I am. She’s all-consuming, and there’s no one else that I would rather walk this journey with.

When we finally release almost twenty minutes later, she rolls off me, heads to the bathroom, and turns on the water. I listen as she washes herself, and I try to fall asleep again.

I’m just drifting off when she returns with a soapy washcloth and hand towel.

She washes me off and then dries me before returning the items to the laundry basket.

This time, when she slips back in beside me, I hold her close, kissing her forehead, her closed eyelids, her nose, and then her mouth before I say, “Rest, sweet baby.”

“I am. As long as I’m right here in your arms, I’m safe from harm and worried about nothing.”

Bayleigh yawns, stretches, and cuddles closer to me.

No more than half an hour passes, as I lie awake staring at the ceiling and thinking about what’s happened before I hear a buzz. I ignore it until it happens again.

I turn sideways and notice that my phone is lighting up. It’s my personal phone, which is usually on do-not-disturb through the night. It automatically turns on at midnight and only allows calls from Bayleigh, the boys, and Parker.

I know my boys are all here safe, and Bay is sleeping peacefully in my arms. Stretching, I grab the phone as I glance at the clock on my nightstand.

It’s three-thirty in the fucking morning.

Why the fuck is Parker calling me at this time of the morning? I pull the phone closer. Whatever he has to say isn’t good. I ease myself from around Bayleigh and get out of bed. She shifts and mutters something sleepily but continues resting.

The phone has stopped ringing by the time I make my great escape. I head into the sitting room with my phone, looking out into the darkened night. The lake is so black that you can’t see anything. It doesn’t even look like it exists, but I know that it’s there.

I dial Parker’s number.

“Z.”

“Yo, wassup?”

“I just got a call from Dazz, and he says the Gentleman’s Garden has been raided. The cops received word that there was a prostitution ring operating out of there. If that’s not bad enough, Chivalrous Knights burned down,” Parker declares of my strip clubs.

“The fuck you just say to me?” I grumble loudly.

Quickly, I look over my shoulder and see that Bayleigh hasn’t stirred in her sleep. I make my way to my dressing room as he repeats what he just told me.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I grumble, getting dressed.

“I wish I were, Z, but . . . wait, this is Malik calling now.”

“The fuck you mean wait, nigga?”

“He’s been calling me since I’ve been on the phone with you. My guess is he’s calling about the same thing. I’m on my way to Chivalrous Knights now.”

“I’m calling Frances and Marc to meet up with me. I’ll head over to the Garden now.”

“All right. I’ll see what’s up at CK and keep you posted.”

“You do that.”

I end the call as I grab my keys and make another one.

“Hello?” Ghalen answers.

“We gotta roll.”

“I’m already out front, Bossman.”

I end the call and walk back to the bed. I hate to fucking do this to her, but I don’t have a choice.

“Baby?”

“Hmm,” she mumbles.

“I gotta go make a run. I’ll call you as soon as I get a chance.”

“Is everything okay?” she asks, waking up and frowning at me.

“Yeah, baby. It’s all good. Go back to sleep. I just need to check on some things.”

I kiss her lips, and she turns back over, burying deeper under the covers.

I have no idea who’s out to get me, but I’ll burn this city down before I allow my family ever to feel unsafe again.