Page 122 of Double the Redemption

“I don’t want easy. I just want you.”

He moaned, taking her hard and fast, needing her to come around him the way he loved.

They moved together, finding their rhythm and pace. The bed creaked, but neither of them cared, too focused on each other, too in the moment.

“Naomi,” he groaned, burying his face in her neck.

“Ink,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes, I’m so close.”

Her inner walls fluttered, and her hips jerked as she strained and reached for her release.

“Come for me, Naomi,” he ordered, reaching between them to find her clit. “Come for me, baby.”

“Ink!” she cried, falling over the edge almost instantly. He wasn’t far behind her.

And he’d never felt anything better. Everything felt complete.

He collapsed, rolling to keep from crushing her, keeping her close. Content, they panted, covered in sweat.

He was pretty sure he’d never felt this good. It was like all his worries were put to rest. For now, anyway.

“I love you, Ink,” she whispered, lifting her gaze to his.

“I love you too, Naomi.” He brushed a damp curl from the side of her face. “And I’m going to work on finding us a place or building one on the grounds so we have our own area. This place is fine for now, but I want a place of our own.”

“Ink, that’s so expensive, and I’m not working to help.”

He chuckled. “Babe, before you, I was a bachelor, I have money. I’ve been saving and investing it steadily over the years. I have more than enough. You don’t ever have to work if you don’t want to. Or if you want to wait until Asher’s in school.”

She was silent for a moment. “No, I need to do something. I can’t sit idle. But I don’t know what I want to do.”

“You have time to figure it out. Whatever you decide, I’m going to stand behind you. If you want to work, fine, if you want to go back to school to get a degree or something, then we’ll make that happen. But there’s no pressure from me, Naomi.”

She tensed, fingers twitching against him, but he waited patiently until she worked up the courage to get it out. “What about Asher? You should know that it’s going to be expensive as he gets older, Ink. He’s going to need advanced classes and activities. That can get expensive. I think we need to plan for that. Which means I need to get a very good job.”

“Babe, don’t worry about it. Not to toot my own horn, but I make damn good money doing what I do, and I have little expenses. I’m not worried about affording anything Asher might need. We’ll figure it out, the two of us. But he’s going to be my son in everything but blood, Naomi, and he won’t want for anything.”

Her eyes went wet. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Ink.”

He brushed a stray tear that fell down her cheek. “Baby, don’t cry. And it’s the other way around. If anyone doesn’t deserve someone, it’s me not deserving you.”

She gave a watery laugh. “Fine, then we don’t deserve each other, but you’re stuck with us now. I don’t want to leave.”

“Thank God.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth, sinking into her again.

She was all he needed, and he’d do everything in his power to keep her.

45

NAOMI

SIX MONTHS LATER

The shot rang out, even with the crowd surrounding the courthouse. The questions being shouted, the flash of the cameras. It was overwhelming, but they didn’t know her. They had no idea what she’d just done. They were trying to talk to the people behind her, the ones who were loud and proud about their roles in taking Diego down.

They’d signed their own death warrants, but that wasn’t today.

No, today was the day she died.