Devon clears his throat. “It will take under two minutes.”
My lips curl beneath my teeth.
“We can come to an agreement, Isa…” the woman who should have been called sister says. “You don’t have to do this.”
“You.” Devon points. “Shut your fucking mouth before I bury my cock in it.”
“Thought it’d take you two minutes,” she tries to answer back.
“Oh, it would. Who said you’d be alive?”
Oh god.
“I don’t want more death…” I find myself saying, my voice breaking on the edge. I squeeze my eyes shut.
“How about this…” Bryant whispers into my ear. “How about you, Brianna, and Isabel let us handle it, and we promise you that they will never be a problem for you again.”
“And you won’t kill them?” I say, blinking up at Bryant. I don’t know why the sudden change. I should want them dead. I do want them dead. I just don’t want to have to live with their ghosts for the rest of my life.
His eyes narrow before he smiles. “Sure.”
I’m not sure I believe him.
I nod, swiping my nose with the back of my hand. “Okay.”
I turn to face the two of them. The people who by blood, were meant to be family to Brianna, Isabel and I, but only wanted ours spilled.
Devon points down to the inside of the building. “The three of you get back inside. I’ll make sure Isabel gets home safely too, Isa. You can trust me.”
That fucking word again. Trust. Do we ever really trust anyone? Or are we just let down when they lie.
“Bryant!” Devon says. “You have a speech to make.”
“He’s right.” Bryant exhales, loosening the tie on his suit. “I do. Shit.”
Just as Devon smirks, three other men step out from the shadows, wearing dark suits. They must be with Devon.
Devon winks. “We got this.”
“Devon, I said no—”
He puts his finger up to his mouth, instantly shutting mine. “Shhh, my little rock star. As we agreed. You will know nothing.”
“Isa!” Max calls out, as Pearl starts swearing against one of the other men. “You don’t want to do this.”
“Do what?” Devon chuckles. “She’s not doing anything. That’s the whole point.”
Bryant takes my arm, gesturing us down to the end of the street where the limo Devon came from sits. “You can take Brianna and Pearl back to the house. I’ll be home straight after I say my withdrawal speech.”
I stop, just as we’re short of the car. Bryant pulls the door open and Jer is already sitting in the driver’s seat. “Your what?”
Bryant moves the stray hair away from my face and tucks it behind my ear. “I’m not doing this. I can’t be the product of your trigger, baby.”
I think over who this man is. Everything that he makes me feel. How much of a great father he is to Harper. If he even put a smidge of himself into being a president like he does into being a husband or a father, then I know that America will be well looked after. I had reservations. I had triggers. But after everything coming to light tonight, I’ve found that it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that my father was the president. I would never have been good enough for him anyway. Ever. It was a him problem, not a president problem. Stacey, I’m still not sure how I feel about, but I again feel that peace washing through me. Like this is it. It’s over.
“Did you hear me?” Bryant asks, searching my eyes. “I have to go in, baby. We’ve been out here for forty minutes and the auctions are finishing up.”
“No,” I rush out, my hand coming to his.
“No you didn’t hear me? I figured.” Bryant rolls his eyes, tapping on the top of the car as Brianna slips inside.
“No as in I don’t want you to withdraw.”
He pauses, slowly coming back to standing. He searches my face. “What?”
I reach for his hand and study how contrastingly different we are. His tattoos against my spotless flesh. I can’t help but think over my thoughts just minutes earlier about washing away his sins. “Bryant. You’re my husband. I trust you. I’m not perfect, and I won’t be good at this life. I don’t know a thing about censorship or even being able to string a sentence together without an F-bomb. But I’ll be here to support you. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, but I’ll do my best.”
“Baby…” he whispers, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. He looks back down at me. “Go home.”
I smile, for the first time in a long time, I feel the edges of my lips curve over my teeth at full extension. “Do what you feel is right. Okay? And I’ll be here for you.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you or Harper.”
“I know,” I whisper, nodding my head.