Even when Kannon wasn’t around, I was under his influence. I laughed to myself as I sipped from the warm cup of dessert tea. I would have to tell Kannon that the lemon loaf flavor was a hit. Hopefully, drinking something warm would help me relax. I could say that I was tired as a dog. Worrying about Kannon made the sleep I so desperately needed elusive.
The thud of a footstep made me spring to my feet. Silently, I prayed that it was Blaine or else I was going to have to put some of that tai chi training to work. All my defenses shattered when I realized that it was him.
“Kannon!” I shrieked as reality set in.
“Shh! Your mom is downstairs asleep.” A crooked smile curved his lips as he moved closer. He didn’t have to walk far because I rushed him, meeting him halfway.
Kannon chuckled, catching me as I jumped into his arms. I wrapped my legs around him tight. One of his hands slipped to the back of my head, fisting my hair and pulling my mouth tohis. Our kiss was rushed and clumsy as I cupped his face in my hands, making sure he didn’t disappear.
“I got something for you, baby,” he said when he finally pulled away.
“What is it?” I asked, smiling at his devilish grin.
He walked over and filled the seat I had just been occupying, holding me so that I straddled his lap as he got settled. Once we were good, he lifted his hand and extended a roll of papers.
“What is this?”
“Look at it, Carteay,” he said with a low chuckle.
As I scanned the few words on the paper, my eyes stung with tears. “Kannon, is this real?”
“As promised, my love.”
The way he said it so casually did little to reflect the gravity of the situation. I was free. Kannon had set me free. As much as I knew it upset Kannon to see it, I didn’t try to stop myself from crying. He held my body against his chest and rested his chin on top of my head as I cried it out. His huge hands stroked my back in slow passes as I let him soothe me.
“Thank you so much,” I said when I was finally able to talk.
“I told you I would do it, Carteay. Thank you for trusting me with your life.”
“I was so worried about you. What about Ceasar and his goons?”
“I told you to never worry about another man as long as I live. Now, let’s talk about the important things. I missed you. How is my son?”
“He’s good, and we both missed the hell out of you. Kannon, did you?—”
“Don’t worry yourself about that, Carrie. You’re free now, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re right.” I nodded.
“Cheyenne wants to meet with you soon.”
“About what? I don’t want anything to do with her or that conniving husband of hers. I’m taking a break and focusing on being a mom for a while.”
“She helped us, Carteay. Even if you never rock with her, I’m not letting you give up on your dream. You can take a break as long as you want to, but don’t feel like you have to do that because of the baby. I promised to support you through this, baby. I meant that. You’re not quitting your dream because of a couple of monsters. Your man is a demon slayer. I got you. I think I’ve proven that.”
“You really have.” I agreed with a smile.
“Now let’s get to sleep. I haven’t slept worth a damn while I was gone.”
“Obviously, I haven’t either,” I said, resting my head on his chest as he stood to carry me inside.
“You having trouble sleeping in your new house?” he asked, making me pop my head up to look at him. His waiting grin was to be expected.
“What?”
“Oh, Frisky is doing really well in her new home, by the way,” I taunted as Ceasar snarled at me from his seat behind his desk.
“Kannon, this is your so-called friend?” Kross asked.
