“Why would my father do that? Why after all this time is he coming after me? I don’t understand.”
“It’s because I’m out. He knows exactly what you mean to me, and he knows I would give up my own life to save you. You, my love, are the most powerful card in the deck, and he wants you.”
“Carter, I can’t just give up everything and go with you. I have a life, a job, friends, this house. You can’t expect me to just go.”
I stand up and pull her off the floor with me. “That’s exactly what I expect, Layla. It’s too dangerous right now, and if I can’t be by your side, I need to know that you are completely protected.”
She jerks away from my hand and takes a step back. “What do you mean ‘if I can’t be by your side’? Are you planning on leaving me again?” She’s getting angry and I need to control this situation.
“I’m not planning on leaving you ever again, Cherry. But I need to realistic and so do you. I need to tie up loose ends and take care of business. I can’t do that with my pregnant wife by my side.”
She stops moving away from me and stands frozen in place.
“I mean it, Cherry. You’re not safe on your own, and it’s my job to protect you. It’s the only thing in my life I ever knew I was meant to do. The one good thing I did was protect you and I’m not about to stop.”
She remains stock still and I start to wonder if something is wrong with her or the baby.
“Layla,” I say slowly as I approach her. “You okay, baby?”
“Wife,” she whispers. “You said ‘wife’.”
“Yes. What’s the question?”
“You didn’t even ask me, Carter. Was that supposed to be a proposal?”
I laugh out loud. A big bark of laughter makes my whole body shake. “It’s adorable you think you have a choice, baby. See you’re confusing me with the normal guy that gets down on one knee and asks his girl for permission.” I lean down so we’re eye to eye and I wrap my arms around her waist. “With you and me, Cherry, there’s not one goddamn question. You’re mine, I’m yours. End of discussion.”
I release her, and slap her ass playfully. “Get that booty in gear, baby, I want to make it to the new place by sundown.”
LAYLA
Carter nudges me down the hall and into my bedroom where he proceeds to pull my bags from the closet and starts throwing my clothes into them. I’ve wanted to be with Carter for as long as I can remember, but this is too much. He wants me to just up and leave the only real life I’ve ever had. He hasn’t even told me everything. I can tell the love/sex fog he’s kept me in for the past twelve hours is starting to clear.
It was fun to live in it for a little, but I need something solid. I have to have a better understanding of what’s happening.
“Carter. Stop,” I say and grab a hold of his arm. He just pushes on, throwing more stuff into a bag. Making his way over to my dresser he starts pulling out my underwear. When he gets to a pink thong, he turns and glares at me, holding it up with one finger.
“You wear this for that fucker?”
Walking over, I snatch it from him and throw it back in the drawer.
“We’re really back to that, Carter? I let you calm down, but don’t think I won’t be bringing your little fit over Justin up.”
“You fucking with me? Unless you’re looking for me to turn your ass pink again, I think it’s best you pick another fight, because the next spanking about that fucker won’t end with moaning and cumming.”
“I get it, I really do. You don’t like him. Fine. I wouldn’t want to hear or see your exes either.”
“What exes? You ever seen a chick near me?”
“Carter, you weren’t a freaking virgin!” I shout, trying to make him understand what I’m saying.
“While I love to see you get all worked up, baby, you better take it down a notch, because all you’re doing right now is making my cock hard. And for the record, no, I wasn’t a fucking virgin, but like I told you time and time again, I haven’t touched another woman since I laid eyes on you, even when I didn’t think I could have you.”
“Carter,” I say breathlessly. It’s still hard for me to believe he’s wanted me since then. I remember following him around like a lost little puppy, all dreamy eyed. He was the only person who ever gave me attention at home. Both my parents were always too busy or just didn’t seem to care. I latched on to him. I often saw some of the women my father and his men would sneak in and out of the back guest house. I always wondered if Carter was with them too.
I remember getting jealous a few times. I never understood how my mom could handle it – all these women coming and going out the back door like it was no big deal. I’d always get my swimsuit and hang around the pool when everyone was around. I was trying to get his attention, and it always worked. I wouldn’t be out there ten minutes before he was pulling me to the house, back to my room. I thrived on it.
“That’s what you’re not getting, Cherry. While I haven’t thought of another woman, you’ve spent these last few years out here. With him. It fucking eats me up thinking about that shit. Those fuckers took so much from me. Then I gotta see him come into my woman’s house and put his hands on her. There is only so much a man can take.”
“Carter, that’s not fair! I had no idea because you won’t tell me anything! Don’t put this all on me. I didn’t even know you wanted me. Don’t you get that? I walked into that prison to the one person I thought cared about me and you told me to get out. You crushed me.”