She lifted her hands and touched my face, and her fingers trembled against my skin. “Roderick,” she whispered, her voice hollowed by grief, “you have to handle this.”
The words sliced through me. She was not asking for justice through the courts. She was asking for blood. She was asking for the kind of resolution that could only come from a man who was willing to risk everything to right a wrong. She called Kay’Lo a bastard, and the hatred in her voice was sharper than any blade. She said she could not rest knowing he might walk free. She said she would not watch him escape punishment while her sons were buried in the ground. Her pain spilled into the space between us, and I felt every piece of it.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. She sobbed into my chest, and although I felt my own tears forming, I forced them back because she needed me to be the anchor she could lean on. I rubbed her shoulders gently, silently promising with every touch that I would not fail her again.
She pulled back just enough to look in my eyes, and her voice was low and raw when she told me that she wanted justice for her boys by any means. She meant every word. Her grief had carved a new strength inside her, a darkness shaped by love, and she placed it in my hands as if she knew exactly what I was capable of.
I cupped her face, kissed her forehead, and whispered that I loved her. Then I told her the words she needed to hear.
“I will handle this.”
And as I held her close again, the promise settled deep into my bones.
Kay’Lo Mensah would not leave this island alive.
And if Abeni thought her influence could protect him, she was about to learn exactly how far a father would go to avenge his sons.
Trill-Land, ‘LoLux Estate
I was sleepin’ deep when I felt Kay’Lo’s lips on the back of my neck, soft and warm like he was tryna wake my body before my mind even caught up. His arm was already wrapped around my waist, and the way he pulled me closer let me know he’d been awake for a minute just lovin’ on me. His mouth moved slow across my skin, kissin’ the side of my neck, then my temple, then my cheek while his hand rubbed over my stomach where our baby was growin’. I wasn’t even in my second trimester yet, but this man touched my belly like I was nine months and ready to pop. It made me melt every time.
His fingers spread wide as he rubbed me, and each pass of his hand felt like he was sayin’ good mornin’ without even openin’ his mouth. I breathed out slow and leaned into him ‘cause therewasn’t nothin’ better in the world than wakin’ up in Kay’Lo’s arms. His chest was warm on my back, his breath moved against my skin, and the way he kissed every part of me made my whole body soften underneath him. I felt beautiful like this. I felt safe, wanted, loved and all of it at once.
He kissed the back of my shoulder and rubbed my stomach again, and I reached down to place my hand over his so our fingers could lace together. He slid his face against my cheek, then pressed his lips right up to my ear.
“They waitin’ on you downstairs, baby,” he whispered, his voice deep from sleep and sweet as hell. “Chefs already made you breakfast. I told ‘em to do it right.”
I closed my eyes again ‘cause his voice alone made my whole body warm. I rubbed my stomach with him, slow circles over the lil’ bump that held our child, and he kissed the side of my face like he couldn’t help himself.
He lifted my hair off my neck and let his lips touch the spot that always made me shiver. “I’m thankful to be layin’ with you,” he murmured. “Real thankful.” His voice dropped even lower. “And I’m sorry for runnin’ out like that yesterday.”
My throat got tight for a second, but I swallowed hard and nodded. I ain’t wanna go back and forth about what happened. Today had too much waitin’ on us, and thinkin’ about his case already had my heart feelin’ heavy.
He rubbed his hand up and down my waist and kissed me again.
“You ready for today?” I asked, even though a part of me was scared of the answer.
He let his lips brush my neck slow before he spoke. “As long as you right here, I’m ready for whatever.” And the way he said it, calmed somethin’ inside me that had been tight since yesterday.
I finally rolled on my back, and he leaned over me, kissin’ my forehead, then the tip of my nose, then my lips like he was takin’ his time. His hand stayed right on my stomach, rubbin’ it like he was already in love with our child. I reached up and touched his face, and he smiled down at me with that look that always made my heart pound.
We finally got out the bed together, and soon as my feet touched the floor, he was on me again, helpin’ me stand, helpin’ me walk, treatin’ me like I was made of somethin’ delicate even though he knew how strong I was. I tried not to smile, but I couldn’t help it ‘cause he was truly caterin’ to me in every way.
When we walked into the bathroom, I went toward the sink but Kay’Lo beat me to it. “Say, let me get that for you, baby,” he said, already reachin’ for my toothbrush.
He squeezed the toothpaste out and handed it to me before makin’ his own. When he stood next to me in the mirror with that tatted-up chest and abs on full display, I almost forgot how to breathe.
He brushed his teeth, but his eyes stayed on me through the mirror. He moved closer and rubbed my back slow, then his hand dipped lower and he grabbed my booty with a handful. He smacked it once and rubbed it in circles while I tried not to toothpaste-smile. He grinned at me like he knew exactly what he was doin’.
When we finished, he started the shower. The steam rose quick, and before I could even step inside, he dropped his briefs and that dick fell out heavy and beautiful like it had been waitin’ on me. My eyes went straight to it. I ain’t even try to hide it.
He tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth and stared at me, slow and confident. Then he gripped a handful of himself and let his fingers slide down to his balls while he smirked like he knew I was already turned on. “Come here, girl,” he murmured, but I looked away shy like he hadn’t been inside me a thousand times.
I slid my panties down, let my shirt fall to the floor, and he watched every inch of me. I stepped in the shower and he came right in behind me, his hands already on my hips. The water poured over us, and he kissed me deep, his tongue movin’ slow and warm against mine. He washed my body with his hands, runnin’ them over my curves. I washed him too, and his muscles flexed under my fingers in a way that made heat shoot through my stomach.
He picked my face up to his and kissed me again, longer this time, holdin’ me close until the whole shower felt like a different world. When we got out, he dried me off like he always did, takin’ his time, kissin’ my shoulder every chance he got. We got dressed together with a quiet that felt soft and intimate.
Kay’Lo took my hand as we walked downstairs, and soon as we reached the bottom, I almost stopped walkin’. The entire dinin’ room was filled with food. Not just breakfast, but a whole ass buffet laid out across the table. There was fluffy pancakes stacked high with whipped butter and warm maple syrup, golden waffles topped with powdered sugar, scrambled eggs cooked soft just how I liked them, crispy bacon, turkey sausage links, fried catfish, cheese grits, roasted potatoes, cinnamon rolls, croissants, fresh biscuits with honey butter, and a bowl stacked with every fruit I’d been cravin’ lately. Strawberries, pineapple chunks, watermelon, blueberries, mango slices, and grapes all laid out beautifully like it was a holiday.
