Page 175 of The Echo of Forever

“Then you do what you must.”

My uncle turned to her, shock evident on his face.

“Ma, you can’t be serious. We need to—”

“Joel,” I called out, ignoring his protests. “Go.”

The engine started, and Joel backed out of the driveway with Velma still struggling in the backseat. Everyone watched as the car disappeared down the road.

“You’re making a mistake,” he said, turning back to me.

I finally lowered my gun, tucking it back into my waistband.

“The only mistake I ever made was hiding my wife in the first place. None of these muthafuckas would have ever tried me, otherwise.”

I couldn’t see past the red fog of betrayal, couldn’t bring myself to explain the full extent of what she had done. All I could think about was getting to that bunker.

“Someone tell us what the fuck is going on!” Solei demanded, breaking the tense silence.

But before I could answer, Forever slid in front of me, placing herself between me and the crowd. Her eyes found mine, and I knew I had to take a minute before I did more than intended.

“We’ll explain everything,” she said, addressing everyone but looking only at me. “But right now, I need to get my husband home.”

Forever’s hand slid into mine, her grip firm as she pulled me away from the crowd. I let her lead me, my mind still locked on what needed to be done.

We reached our house, and Forever pushed the door open, guiding me inside. The living room was dark, and she didn’t bother with the lights. Just kept moving us through the space until we reached our bedroom.

“Sit,” Forever commanded, pushing me gently toward the edge of the bed.

I obeyed, my body moving while my mind remained elsewhere.

“She has to die,” I said, voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. “Tonight.”

Forever stood in front of me, and I could feel her studying my face, but couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes. If I did, she might convince me to show mercy. And mercy wasn’t what anybody deserved who hurt her.

Hurting my wife was the equivalent of stabbing me in the heart.

“Look at me,” Forever said.

I didn’t.

“Demetrius.”

She moved then, stepping between my legs and cupping my face with both hands, forcing me to look up. Then, without warning, she leaned down and bit hard where my shoulder and neck met. The sudden sharp pain woke me up, snapping me fully into the present moment. My hands reflexively gripped her waist as she pulled back slightly, her breath hot against the spot she’d marked.

“Fuck me until you feel better,” she whispered against my skin. “And then we can face what’s out there.”

Our eyes met, and something shifted in the atmosphere between us. The rage didn’t disappear, but it redirected, transformed into a different kind of heat. I pulled her closer, fingers digging into her hips.

“Is that what you want?” I asked.

She nodded, climbing onto my lap and straddling me.

“I want you present with me, not lost in your head planning murder.”

Her honesty drew laughter from me. “You’ve figured me out, baby.”

“It was bound to happen,” she replied, grinding against me slowly. “I’m your wife.”