Chapter 12

I had been so busy working with my brothers to find the culprit responsible for the hit that now that it was all said and done, and our own flesh and blood had been found responsible, I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do with myself going forward. It had been over a month since Deacon’s arrest, and I was still in disbelief. Someone that I ate and broke bread with was responsible for killing my aunt and trying to kill my brother.

I found more peace when I was certain that Syre’s new bride had taken part in the hit than when I found out that it was Delilah’s own son. Well, not her flesh and blood since, technically, she’d found him after murdering his mom.

She had raised him from the cradle like he was her own. She put him in all the same classes as we attended. She put him through college. He cried on her shoulder a hundred times. I knew firsthand how many times she had come to his aid. She looked at Deacon as a son. There was no way that he shouldn’t have considered Delilah as his mother. Deacon had always been a snake, but killing Delilah was a new level of low, even for him.

Nothing could have stopped me and especially Syre from getting rid of him if we would have put the puzzle together before Bishop woke up. Bishop discovering and withholding that information until the police were waiting outside saved Deacon’s life. He didn’t deserve that kind of mercy.

My heart was so broken that Anya was the only thing that brought me solace. In my quest for the truth, I knew I had neglected her. I knew it was happening while I was doing it. At the same time, I knew that I couldn’t be there for her like I wanted to until the mystery was behind us. Part of me was scared of what our future would look like now that we weren’t forced to be in the same place. I didn’t want to let her down, but being in a relationship was foreign territory to me. All I knew was that I didn’t want to give her up. I didn’t want to let her go.

Part of me was worried that she wouldn’t want anything to do with me after I had gone out on a limb and asked her to be my girl, then pretty much acted as if she was an afterthought. I was crazy about her, but I had more pressing matters. I couldn’t focus on showing Anya how hard I had fallen for her while my aunt’s killer weighed so heavily on my mind.

I tried to make sure to show her that I cared in other ways until I could make her my focus. I still sent her flowers every Monday since she hated Mondays. I texted her good morning beautiful every morning, whether she was coming in to work or not. I still paid her full salary, although she kept saying I didn’t have to. I made sure that I was there if she happened to come by and check Bishop out. On the other hand, I wasn’t holding up my end of the bargain when it came to being the man I felt she deserved. I felt like I was doing the bare minimum.

She described her ex as a workaholic that put everything before her. I didn’t want to be that guy. Anya deserved my undivided attention. She claimed to understand how preoccupied I was, but I couldn’t be sure when it came to the fairer sex. They would say they were fine and the whole time be plotting revenge on your ass. Now that the mystery was solved, I was fully committed to showing Anya just how important she was to me.

I had plans to take Anya on a trip to ease her mind while she searched for a new job. I needed to get away just as much as she did after the fiasco that had taken place in my family. I had a house in Colorado that would be the perfect getaway spot. It had been over a year since I visited, so it was long overdue.

I was fed up with the very thought of the man that thought he wasn’t going to let Ny go. I had already had to meet her at the mall to put gas in her car. Now I was headed to her apartment to pick her up. Tell me how the hell someone’s house key went missing off the key ring. She was so distraught that I told her not to try to drive. Plus, I was sure she was at least a little tipsy. That was the only reason that I wasn’t absolutely sure that her ex was behind this missing key ordeal. It was probably right there. I didn’t mind going to her rescue after not being present for the past couple of months, so I never even questioned whether she was sure the key wasn’t there. Now that I was face to face with her, I had to ask.

“Babe, you sure you had the key?” I asked just to clarify as I got out of my car. Anya was sitting on the hood of her car, pecking her phone screen like mad.

“Of course, I’m sure. The keys are right here! I don’t even know how a key goes missing off the ring. I got the rest of the keys. You can’t tell me somebody didn’t take it off, but how?”

“I hope you understand that I’m going to speak with this fool about messing with you, Ny. Enough is enough.”

“Psalm, Graham is harmless. He’s just having a hard time accepting our new reality.”

“He’s gon’ have a hard time eating a steak through a straw if he keeps fucking with my baby like this.”

She sighed and pinned me with her beautiful brown eyes. “I’ll be glad when he finally gets the picture.”

I almost couldn’t blame her ex for not wanting to let her go. I knew for a fact that I would have been going crazy trying to prove myself and stay in her good graces. This shit he was doing was borderline stalker behavior. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been pulling these stunts all along and making her think she needed him.

“How many numbers did you get tonight?” I quizzed.

“What are you talking about, Psalm?”

“How many niggas I gotta worry about trying to contact you after seeing your little fine ass in this dress?” I asked, walking between her legs and cupping her ass to pull her to the edge of the hood.

“You never have to worry about anyone as long as you do right by me.”

“Good to know. Am I doing good so far?”

“You are,” she said, biting back an adorable smile.

“You don’t have to lie. I know I’ve been preoccupied, baby, but I promise I’m all in. OK?”

“OK.”

“You’re my main focus now. Is that all right with you?”

“Of course. I love having your attention.”

“You damn sure got it right now in this dress. Stand up and let me see you.” I took her hand and helped her off the hood.

“It’s not as tight as it looks.”

“I’m not complaining, Ny. I’m just admiring. You look good, baby.”

“Thank you.” She blushed.

“So how do we get inside?”

“My friend Charlotte has a key. I just need you to drive me over there. I think I’m a little drunker than I thought.”

“We’re not going over there at this time of night. You shouldn’t have even been out here like a sitting duck waiting for me at this hour.”

“What did you suggest I do?”

“Wait for me in the car.”

“It was hot in that car. I didn’t wanna sit there with the car running. I’m already running out of gas every time I turn around.”

“Well, let’s go. It’s cool in my car,” I said, reaching for her hand.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To my house. We’ll get the spare key from your girl in the morning.”

“I hope I’m getting some dick.” She giggled as I led the way to the car.

“I think you probably need to sleep off those lemon drops first.” I chuckled.

“You think that’s the only thing that women drink?”

“Whatever it is that has you all giddy and drunk. I hope you know I’m tearing your ass up for driving like this.”

“Ooo, that sounds fun.”

I shook my head as I backed out of my spot and took my baby home for some much-needed rest. As if I didn’t know how intoxicated Anya was, she was knocked out by the time I made it to the stop sign on her street. My girl was snoring and all.

It was a twenty-five-minute drive from Anya’s apartment to my penthouse downtown. Right on cue, she woke up as soon as the car stopped.

“Why have I never been to your place?” Anya asked, wrapping her arm around my waist as we moved toward the elevator.

“Because I’ve barely been here lately. I moved in with Bishop while he was in the coma. I just started back staying at home,” I informed her as we stepped on the elevator.

“Are we like official now that you trust me enough to bring me to your house?”

“We’ve been official since you circled yes and started rocking that ice around your neck. I know I haven’t been present, but I’m here now, Ny. I’m not going to let anything get between us anymore, OK?”

“OK,” Anya said, tiptoeing to kiss my cheek.

When the elevator doors closed, I entered my code to activate the elevator. I pulled Anya’s body to me, kissing her temple as I inhaled her sweet scent mixing with the distinct aroma of alcohol.

“Don’t let me find out you’ve been drinking and driving again, Ny. I’m not playing with you.”

“I really didn’t think I had that much. I had like two drinks, and we had a few shots.”

“You need to know your limits, and most importantly, you need to know that you can call your man when you need me. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I’ll drop everything for you.”

“I didn’t know I needed you, Psalm.”

“Know that I need you. Consider that if something happens to you, my heart will be irreparably damaged.”

“That’s morbidly sweet.”

“Hold that thought, gorgeous.”

“Why?” she asked with a frown.

“I already told you why.”

The doors of the elevator opened, and I shoved off the wall to lead the way into my house.

“Speaking of gorgeous, Psalm, this view is breathtaking.” Anya swooned as she made a beeline to the panoramic windows.

“Take off that dress, Anya.”

“Hm?” She never looked back as I walked up behind her.

“Take off that fucking dress and put your hands on the glass.”

“What are you talking about, baby?” she asked, turning around to face me.

“Did I tell you to turn around, or did I say get naked, Anya?” I asked, grabbing the hem of her dress and yanking it over her hips. My nostrils flared as her scent invaded my senses.

“For the record, I like this game,” Anya mentioned as she finished undressing.

I followed suit, pulling my shirt over my head but keeping my jeans on.

“Your safety is not a game to me, Anya. Put your hands on the glass,” I demanded, stepping close enough to bury my nose in her hair.

Taking a step back, I kept my focus on her round ass as I reached down and unbuttoned my jeans. My dick was painfully stiff against the confines of my zipper. Once my man was freed, I stepped closer and snatched the thin fabric of her thong from between her ass. I fisted my dick with one hand and grabbed Anya’s hip with the other as I invaded her sopping wet pussy with one forceful thrust. My jaw clenched as she wrapped around me like a vice grip. She yelped as I pumped into her feverishly. The sight of her ass rebounding against me was a vision to behold. My head dropped back between my shoulders as I relished in the treasure that sat between my baby’s thighs.

“You fuck me so good ,” Anya muttered as her hands slid down the window.

“Keep your hands on that glass,” I warned.

“Yes, sir.” Anya giggled.

Tightening my grip on her hips, I quickened my pace. “You trying to leave me, Anya?”

“No! Why would you say that?”

“You drinking and driving. You don’t think I would be fucked up if something happened to you?”

“I only had?—”

“Answer my question, Anya! Do you think I’m going to be OK if something happens to you?”

“I didn’t think about it.”

“Do I need to tell you that I’m crazy about you? Do I need to explain that I can’t stop thinking about you? Do you understand that my main concern is protecting you and making sure that nothing happens to you?”

Her silence pissed me off. Did she not understand how much I cared about her?

“Answer me, Anya!” I demanded as I fucked her harder. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer, so I needed to get my point across.

“I didn’t realize!” she yelled.

“So maybe I need to tell you that I’m falling for you so fast and hard that I can’t catch myself. I need you to be here so I can show you how I feel because I don’t want to live a life with regrets. I don’t want to have to wonder if you knew just how much you have affected me in such a short period of time.”

“Wait, baby!” Anya shouted, reaching back and pushing against my thigh.

“Put your hands back on that fucking glass, Anya!”

“OK, OK.” She whispered.

I felt her pussy pulsing around my dick. The sloshing sound of her wetness only drove me further over the edge.

“Didn’t I tell you I was gon’ tear your ass up?”

“Yes,” she hissed.

“You must have thought I was bullshitting?”

“I didn’t. I don’t know.”

“The next time I feel like you don’t love yourself as much as I fucking love you, I’m not gon’ be so nice.”

“I’m sorry. I love you too.”

“That’s not what I wanna hear, Ny.”

“I won’t do it again, baby. OK.”

“Tell me you love yourself, Anya.”

“I love myself, Psalm. I do.”

“Don’t take my baby away from me being careless, Ny. I fucking love you, girl,” I confessed. The first time I hadn’t meant to say it, but now the cat was out of the bag.

“I love you too. I promise I’ll be careful.”

Right before I released, I snatched out of her and backed up. My chest heaved as I struggled to absorb as much oxygen as I could. Anya turned to face me, plopping down to sit on the windowsill. I turned my back to her as I walked over to sit on the couch.

“Come put that pussy in my face, Anya.”

A wicked smirk spread across her face as she stood on shaky legs. My chest swelled as I studied her fully sated face. Anya moved cautiously as she followed my steps until she was standing in front of me. I admired her beautiful chocolate skin, reaching out and palming her ass.

“Don’t let me fall,” she warned.

With one foot at a time, she placed her feet beside me. My mouth watered as I pulled one of her thighs on my shoulder and sank my tongue into her slick folds. Her sweet creamy goodness coated my tongue and sent my head into a frenzy. I loved the taste of her even more than I loved weed, and honestly, that shit scared me.

I wanted to have Anya on my plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Gently, I latched onto her clit, swirling my tongue around it in quick passes. Anya buried her fingers in my hair, pulling my face deeper into her center. I kept the same pace, devouring her as I held her soft ass in my hands.

“That’s it. Make me cum, baby,” she encouraged.

Her hips pumped erratically as she rode my tongue. Her grip on my hair tightened as she exploded, releasing a stream of her glorious essence into my mouth and running down my chin. I was trying my damnedest to pace myself, but the more Anya’s juices dripped down my bare chest, the harder it was to contain myself. I lowered her, letting her pussy hover over my dick as she held my eye contact.

My face contorted as she pushed up on her feet and dropped her wet pussy down on me. With her arms propped on my shoulders, she bounced on my dick like a mad woman. I didn’t know what the fuck she and her girl had been drinking, but I wanted a lifetime supply. I threw my head back, struggling to control my nut as her pussy suctioned me in. Heat tingled in my feet and spread over my whole body. Unable to hold it any longer, I moaned like a little bitch as my baby did her thing.

“You like that? You like how I ride this dick?”

“Fuck yes! Fuck me, Anya!”

“This pussy good, baby?”

“Hell yeah.” I grunted.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I groaned weakly as I felt my nut rising.

Never had I ever had a woman to sap me of my manhood. I felt so vulnerable as I whimpered like a wounded animal. Fuck whimpering. This shit felt so good I wanted to cry.

“I love this dick, Psalm. It’s so good. Can I have it every night?”

“You can have anything,” I confessed.

“You feel how wet I am for you, baby?”

I didn’t respond at first, because I had no idea how my voice would come out. This had to be what it felt like to have a tender dick. I didn’t give a fuck. If this was what being pussy whipped felt like, then damn it, I wanted to be whipped like butter. I grabbed the back of Anya’s head and pulled her forehead to mine. She dropped her lips on mine, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth.

“Fuck me, Psalm.”

“Fuck, Anya! Every time I’m in this pussy, I feel like I’m being robbed at gunpoint. I swear I’ll do anything to keep this shit. You think I’m gon’ let another man get my pussy? You already got my heart, Ny. What else do you want from me?”

“Nothing.”

“You want this house, baby? My cars? You can have it all.”

“Just you. I just want you.”

I knew she meant what she said, and for that reason alone, she could have everything I owned.