Page 59 of The Devoted Husband

“Then I’ll be right there.”

Sade,

That lawyer you got me is amazing! He said there’s a really great chance I can leave here soon. Instead of going to a board, I’ll be going straight in front of the judge. I think that’s a good thing, right? That it’s just one person who will make the decision. Either way, I’m really excited about the possibility of getting out of here.

The court date hasn’t been set. He said it could take up to ninety days. I don’t mind waiting. Hell, I’ve waited this long.

I reached out to Carmen’s grandparents. Not sure why I thought that would be a good idea. I guess a part of me thought if they knew there was a chance I was getting out, they’d realize I wasn’t the monster their grief made me out to be. I hoped they would have some mercy and remember what their son had done to me. But they don’t care.

They don’t care that I had to fight for my life almost every night. They don’t care that he subjected Carmen to the beatings. They didn’t care that I was so traumatized that I felt that was the only way to stop him. All they care about is that it was their son, and I took him away.

They are going to make getting my daughter back hard for me. I already know. But she’s worth that upcoming battle, andI won’t stop until I have her. I didn’t mean to burden you with that. You know I don’t talk to anyone in here about personal stuff. Thank you again...for everything.

Simone

Dante

Dante peppered kisses along Sade’s neck and arm. Her giggles egged him on. She shifted slightly, lying on her back. He took in her features—that brown skin, thick hair, and beautiful smile. Being pregnant gave her a glow that Dante loved seeing every day. Her confidence was a little low that morning because she’d broken out, but Dante made sure he made love to her body and mind to remind her of how beautiful she was.

Now, he was supposed to be heading to the office to grab some files, but he found himself back in bed with her.

“If you don’t stop, you’re never going to leave,” she warned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Mm...” Sade’s hand slipped into his boxers. As she stroked his growing length, Dante released a sizzling breath. Just when he was on the verge of exploding, he slipped inside her wet walls.

Her back arched as she made room for him, digging her nails into his arms as he came inside of her. His hips rocked against her, and the sight of her trembling chin as she whimpered was almost his undoing. Dante buried his face in her neck, trying to focus on anything except how good she felt. He wanted her to come before he released a second time.

Dante upped the ante, whispering in her ear, “I love the way you feel.” Her whimper made him moan. “This was what you wanted, right?”

“Yes, baby,” she almost purred, wrapping her legs around him tightly.

“Then make a mess for me.”

And that’s exactly what she did. By the time they were done with their second round, there was a puddle underneath her. They showered together again before he begrudgingly dressed togo to the office. Since they’d been having a few days of peace with no communication from Jones, Dante had thoroughly enjoyed making their home into their personal cocoon. He hadn’t left for a thing and loved every minute of the solitude.

“Do you need me to bring you anything back?” he asked as Sade fixed his tie.

“Can you bring me more canvases? Veronica wants me to create some custom pieces for her new office.”

“You sure you up for that?”

“Yeah. I’m inspired. I think it’ll be fun. She wants lots of babies of all different shades to line the walls.”

“That sounds dope, Smiley. I got you.”

After a few kisses and their declaration of love, Dante headed out. He was looking forward to returning to the office, even if only for a brief moment. But more than that, he was looking forward to getting back home to Sade.

It took Dante about an hour to update things on the company software and grab a few new files. After what happened with Imani, he was meticulous about record keeping and used password-encrypted software only installed on his work computer. When he finished, he stopped by Ian’s office to catch up with him.

As they headed out, they talked about their weekend plans. Dante agreed to go out but made it clear he’d need to check with Sade first. She’d always been a loner, and being pregnant made her want to do even less. To his surprise, she’d been talking to Jessica and Veronica more, though, and he hoped she had something planned to do with Jessica for the weekend.

When they stepped into the lobby, Dante saw Jones, and he had to keep himself from snapping. Jones leaned against thewindow by the revolving doors, his ankles crossed, with a smug grin. Dante ran his fingers down the corners of his mouth and took a deep breath. Ian was still talking, but his words went in one ear and out the other as Dante set his files down and headed in Jones’s direction.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t lay your ass out right now,” Dante demanded through gritted teeth.

“That wouldn’t be a very professional thing to do.”

“You want to talk about professionalism after you had a woman attacked so you could steal her blood? Why in the hell aren’t you in jail anyway?”

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