Page 99 of Love & Vendettas

Marisa opens the doors again and rolls in a large cart with four bottles of champagne on ice and a catered lunch.

“Boss Lady, what about your business?” Kim asks.

“I’ll still own it, but I have two very talented designers who will take on the work. I’ll spend most of my time here getting to know the business better and building a different relationship with you all than the one I enjoy currently,” Bayleigh explains.

I pop a bottle of champagne and give my big homie, Ghalen, a side-armed hug. Malik, Hakeem, and Noble follow suit.

While Janel and Bayleigh pop the other bottles, Jamal’s the last of the guys to come up to Ghalen.

He mugs Ghalen. “You know that shit was fucked up, don’t ya? I ought to body your ass.”

“Nigga, shut up. You know I had to do that shit to catch that nigga and that bitch. ’Sides yo ass cheesin’ inside at seeing a nigga.”

“Damn straight,” Jamal agrees, breaking out into a smile and giving Ghalen a side-arm hug and pounding him on the back.

This shit feels good, seeing my crew whole and complete.

45 – (EPILOGUE)

TWO MONTHS LATER

I was able to get attorneys on my father’s case immediately. He was already expecting to be released, but with the newfound evidence of Essence’s entrapment, we were able to get his release expedited.

He’s spending time in California for three weeks with some of our family members he hasn’t seen in a while. After that, he’ll return to our home.

Essence is being held without bail because her access to certain money and people creates a flight risk. Her trial won’t be happening anytime soon. It could be years before she goes to trial. I’m cool with her sitting her old ass in jail rotting until then. Hell, she made my Pops do it.

There was also evidence that no one was ever attacking her home. The attacks were created between her and Parker to bring more attention to her campaign and to try to set me up to take the fall. She is facing conspiracy charges on that, as well.

As they continued going through the storage unit, they found more evidence of her murders for hire. She’d apparently been responsible for having Theron James, her former bodyguard, killed. The man had made it look like Theron died of kidney failure.

Theron knew too much about her dealings and had been blackmailing her. We probably never would have known any of this if someone hadn’t spotted Derek Sawyer, the man who killed her on the jogging trail.

They didn’t actually spot him in person, but apparently, some kid who’d been doing a science project on birds had acamera set up in one of the trees. He’d been filming for a couple of days.

He was supposed to get the camera a couple of days later, but with all the storms, he hadn’t returned to the area. Apparently, he and his family had then gone on vacation for two weeks, and it wasn’t until he returned that he recalled the camera in the tree.

When he finally returned, he still hadn’t looked at it right away. But when he had, boy, he struck paydirt. He’d taken it to his parents, who in turn had taken it to the police. That’s how they’d been able to track down Derek Sawyer, who, in order to save his ass, gave up Essence Hamilton.

I wish that there were a way to charge her with my mother’s death. She’d finally died four years ago in a mental health institute from a heart attack. But there’s no way that we can, so I’ll just keep memorializing Mama in my heart.

A soft sigh from plump, subtle lips drags my attention back to the present. My sunshine, Bayleigh, has been struggling with her sister’s death, as expected. She holds a lot of guilt sometimes about their argument, but her mama and daddy are quick to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault. They explained that they had been working to get Riley back on medication for her depression, but she had refused.

I love on her to make her tears subside, and I try to comfort her heart, but I know the best thing for her is to let her go through the emotions. Only time will heal her wounds. That and my love.

The boys are coming along fine, but Zechariah and I have been paying more attention to Zayn, trying to comfort him. He’s taking things better than expected, but that’s in part because he was never close to Riley, and in part because he has his hands full with the baby on the way.

I still can’t believe Bayleigh and I are going to be grandparents, but she’s excited about it now. She’s embracing the idea and building a better relationship with Shana. This baby is going to be a healing balm for all of us, especially for Bayleigh.

She lifts her hips from the bed and then descends slowly. My mouth opens wider as I groan my satisfaction. Bayleigh’s sweet little hum floats like music in the air as she rolls her hips in tight circles.

I suck at her labia before circling her clit with my tongue and then sucking it between my lips. When she cums she releases a cataclysm of tears, screams, and a violent orgasm.

I press my hand on her belly, lowering her hips to the bed again before I pull back, resting on my knees. I lick my lips before I lean down and kiss her softly.

“You want me?” I ask, wiping the tears from underneath her eyes.

“I always want you, baby,” she purrs softly.

---