Page 62 of The Devoted Husband

Dante chuckled and interrupted her to declare, “We have too much time to make up for, Smiley, for me to waste time being upset over something as minuscule as this. You told the truth, we’re here together, and that’s all that matters to me.”

“Good, because that’s all that matters to me too.”

Their lips connected, and they shared a tender kiss before pulling away and heading to their room to plan the trip they were about to take.

Dante

One Week Later

When they returned to Memphis, Dante wasn’t expecting the police to be waiting for him at the airport. He could only laugh when he heard the charge—assault. This was nothing but Jones making his next move. Even if Dante had to do time for it, beating him was still worth it.

The tears in Sade’s eyes broke Dante’s heart. As she sniffled, he told her, “You know the password to my computer. My attorney’s information is saved in my contacts ‘list’ on Gmail. Shoot him an email to let him know what happened, and he’ll give you a call.”

“Is it the same one that handled my situation?”

Dante shook his head. “No, but he’s just as good. Come here and give me a kiss.”

Sade did as he told her, hugging him as best as his cuffed hands behind his back would allow. He was glad he’d taken her to Georgia and New York, giving them a chance to rest and have some fun before having to deal with Jones’s new bullshit.

Three Days Later

“Is this a joke?” Dante asked his attorney.

“No, and I don’t need you to say anything to make the judge question why you’re so surprised.”

“But Iamsurprised,” Dante admitted. “What the hell is going on?”

When Dante was transported for his court date, he wasn’t expecting the charges to be dropped, but that was precisely what had happened.

“Give me a second, and I’ll find out.”

Dante nodded as Attorney Dennis made his way toward the judge next to the prosecutor. They had a whispered conversation before Dennis went back and stood next to Dante.

“Apparently, Jones is dropping the charges against you. He said he had you mistaken with someone else, and you’re not the man who attacked him.”

“What? Isn’t that something they should have confirmed before arresting me?”

“Seeing as this works in your favor, pipe down with the questions,” Dennis said low enough for only Dante to hear. “Because he didn’t have any eyewitness testimonies, and the police didn’t bother to get any security footage, you’re free to go.”

“Is there a chance he can change his mind and press charges again?”

“Yes, but that won’t make him look credible. If you can, get any footage erased and make sure no one who was there will testify against you. That way, if he does, it’ll be more difficult for the prosecution to make their case.”

Dante nodded his understanding, hanging his head as he chuckled. He didn’t know what kind of game Jones was playing. Was this supposed to be a show of power? Was this supposed to make Dante relax before Jones did something worse? Was it a ploy to make him anxious and keep him on high alert? Dante wasn’t sure, but he’d be prepared either way. At that moment, he was just grateful to be going back home to Sade.

Dante got into bed as delicately as he could. He wanted his kisses to wake Sade up, not his body weight. A part of him wanted to be upset that she hadn’t answered his calls, but she was in such a deep sleep that he could only smile when he walked in and saw her.

When he wrapped his arm around her, a quiet moan escaped him. Home wasn’t the structure that surrounded him; home was Sade. The moment she was close, he instantly relaxed and felt at peace. She shifted against him but didn’t wake up completely.

“It’s just me,” he whispered. Suddenly, Sade pulled in a deep breath and hopped up in bed. “Relax, Sade. It’s me.”

Clutching her chest, Sade took ragged breaths as she gripped his wrist. “Jesus, Dante. You almost made me pee on myself.”

As serious as she was, Dante couldn’t help but chuckle. “Who else would be in the bed with you, Smiley?”

“Hell, I thought I was having another dream where I thought it was you, but it was really Atlas.”

Dante scratched his head, trying to process what the hell she’d just said. “Huh?”

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