Page 10 of The Devoted Husband

The Reveal of Imani and Adam’s Plan

“I like it when you visit,” she announced.

“I bet.”

Her giggle made him smile.

“I like you too, Atlas.”

“You know how I feel about you. I’ve liked you since we met.” His exhale was hard as he sat up to look down at her. “And I hate that I have to tell you this now that you’re finally starting to open up to me.”

“Oh, God. Please don’t tell me you have a wife or something.”

“What? No.” Atlas waited until his laughter died down to give her a sweet kiss. “The only woman I want is you.”

“Then what do you have to tell me?”

“First, I need you to promise it won’t mess up what we have going on.”

Sade sat up and leaned against her headboard. “Okay. Now, you’re scaring me.”

The sight of her tugging the sheet against her body angered Atlas even more. He hated the position Imani and Adam had put him in...put them both in.

“It’s about your sister.” Her shoulders relaxed. “I told you she’d want to end her marriage now that Adam was out, and I was right.”

“She actually said that?”

It didn’t surprise Atlas that Sade didn’t know what was happening back in Memphis. After Imani’s last stunt around Christmas, Sade stopped contacting her sister and hadn’t bothered to check in.

“Yeah, but it’s not that simple. She’s been doing some illegal shit, and the Feds have been watching. To avoid jail time, she plans to blame it on Dante.”

“What!” Sade roared, causing the sheet to lower.

“That’s not the worst part. On the off chance that Dante figures out what she did, tries to run, or ends up getting away with it...They have a backup plan to get him out of the way.”

“Which is?”

Squeezing the back of his neck, Atlas momentarily avoided her eyes. “They want him dead, Sade. In fact, that’s what Adam wants most. He agrees to let him take the fall for the charges that Imani will soon face, but he wants him dead anyway. And he...He wants me to kill him.”

Sade stared at him before laughing in disbelief. “No, that’s...You’re joking, right?”

He shook his head. “I wish I was. Imani thinks Dante will have time to be arrested and face his charges. Adam wants him dead before that could even happen. I’ve been trying to talk them both out of this, but they aren’t hearing me.

So I agreed to kill him if he ran or found out Imani was the one who set him up.

I have a feeling, though, that Adam will have me go after him before he can face a judge. ”

“Why would he ask something like this of you . . . unless you’ve done it before?” she asked, scooting away from him. “Have you . . . do you . . . Are you a murderer, Atlas?”

“Look...that’s...neither here nor there.

I’m telling you that your sister wants to set her husband up for fraud and that my cousin wants him dead.

Now, I agreed, but I won’t kill him because I know how much he means to you.

But you need to find a way to get Dante here with you or at least out of Memphis. ”

“How could you agree to this, Atlas?” she yelled, hopping out of bed.

“Because I’m falling in love with you.” Atlas rolled out of bed and took her naked frame into his arms. “If I didn’t say yes, Adam would bring someone else into his plan who would kill Dante.

He won’t lose his life with me. Could you focus on that?

I’m trying to help him—for you. I know this is a lot to take in, so I’ll leave now so you can process this.

But we need to come up with a plan to keep him safe.

They are going through with this regardless of whether I’m involved. Help me save your best friend’s life.”