Fifteen
Clint
Ebony and Steven were on the line with Tamara, giving her an update about her ex. I could see Cole’s big ass standing off in the background. Even with his wife not only being a badass cop but the President of a female motorcycle club, Cole still acted as her own personal bodyguard. I guess I couldn’t really blame him. Even as Tamara was safe in my home, sitting in front of the laptop in my office, here I sat, only ten feet away from her.
I knew the people back east would handle her ex-husband. The less Tamara knew about the details, the better. Plausible deniability was a real thing, and that’s what she needed right now. They just needed to let her know that chapter of her life was closed. There was something to be said about a group of people whose sole purpose was getting justice for others, legally and by any means necessary.
Tamara may call me Desperado, but I didn’t think of myself as a criminal who toed the line between the law and other unsavory means. I knew what my crew did. We protected each other. We protected our families. Most importantly, we protected the innocent, the weak, and those who had nowhere else to turn.
Getting Tamara out of Virginia wasn’t only for her safety, but to give her an alibi.
She was being informed today that her ex-husband was dead. The official story is that he was shot and killed during a robbery. It was an open and shut case. Since Tamara was away in another state, visiting friends and taking a vacation, it completely cleared her of any involvement.
“Wow. Ebony, thank you for letting me know. I’m not sure how I should feel about this. I think I want to feel sad that he’s dead, but with everything he’s done to me over the years, there’s absolutely nothing there. I wonder if that makes me a bad person?”
Ebony laughed. She had such a dark side. I wonder if Cole knew his wife was so damn evil. “Hell no, that doesn’t make you a bad person. Listen, Tamara. That man did nothing good for you the entire time you were married to him. If he met the bad end of a bullet, that’s just Karma coming to collect its pound of flesh. Now, there’s no need for you to worry about him anymore. You’re free to do whatever you want. Live wherever you want. Be with whomever you want.” At this, she pointed to something, or someone, behind Tamara.
Looking over her shoulder, Tamara smiled at me in a way that made me want to shut down this whole damn conversation and take her ass upstairs to my bedroom. Gladys had gone into town to get her hair done, and Sammy was at school, so we had the entire house to ourselves.
She turned back to the camera and rolled her eyes at Ebony. “Now, why are you pointing at Mr. Sullivan? He’s been a gracious host to me during my time here.”
Ebony and Steven laughed. Even Cole cracked a smile. “Oh, is that part of your kink? You call him Mr. Sullivan and pretend you’re a guest at his dungeon club? Cole, we should try something like that. I’m going to call you Mr. Reynolds,” Ebony cackled.
“Hell yeah, Baby. I got some rope and a new ball gag I want to try tonight,” Cole called out from his spot.
“TMI, people!” Steven yelled out with a look of disgust on his face. “Innocent single man ears over here. I don’t need to know anything about your kink, or the games you people play. Now the picture’s in my head! Arrrggghhh!! Where’s the fucking bleach?”
Tamara laughed a bit longer at their antics, but all I could do was watch her. Now that she had this news, what did that mean for her? Was she ready to leave now that her ex was no longer an issue? I was almost afraid to ask because I wasn’t sure if the reality would be too much to hear.
Tamara glanced at me before answering the original question. “I’ve definitely had some time to think about what I want for my future and how I want to live my life. But I think I definitely have some decisions to make.”
“Yes, I definitely think you do. Alright, well, I’ll let you go think about things. Call me when you decide. I’m sure Clint will fly you back on his private jet when you’re ready to come back and collect your things.”
“Wait! Why do you think I’ll be coming to collect my things?”
Ebony stared into the camera with a look I’d seen several times before. One that said, ‘I don’t know why you’re testing me.’ Good to know I wasn’t the only one she gave that look to.
“Girl, bye. You need to stop trippin’ and put that man behind you out of his misery.” And with that, she clicked off, ending the video feed from their side.
Tamara turned out to look at me, her face full of shock. “How does she know about us?”
I shook my head. My baby really had no clue. “Sweetheart, you realize she’s a cop, right? It’s her job to read people, to understand the things they’re not saying. Her husband is former military special forces, and Steven is also a cop. Is there any reason why they shouldn’t be able to pick up on what’s happening with us?” I was a little annoyed that she was so worried about what other people knew about us. “Why are you so concerned about them knowing? I didn’t realize we were a secret.”
She hopped up from the chair and rushed over to me. “We’re not. I just didn’t think she’d mention it.”
Grabbing her by the hips, I sat her down on my lap. “So, what are you going to do? We’ve already talked about this, but I’m sure you didn’t think we’d be at this point so soon.”
She bit her bottom lip, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “I meant what I said. I want to be here with you. Help raise Sammy. Watch things play out with your dad and Gladys. I’m telling you now, get ready for that situation to be all types of drama.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She was right. “I love you, Tamara. It may seem like it’s too soon, but I know what I feel. I want to protect you. I want to wake up next to you each morning. I want to hear your horrible singing when you and Sammy are dancing in the family room. I want to know that I found the second love of my life and that we have a chance to make it work. I want more children,” I said, pressing my hand against her stomach. “You don’t have to say yes today, but I want a future with you.” Wetness filled her eyes, making them glisten as she responded to my words. I used my thumb to wipe away the tears falling down her face.
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” she said, a wobbly smile lifting her lips.
“Because you know I mean everything I said. You want the life I’ve envisioned for us. You want the horse rides at sunset and the rooster waking you up every morning. You enjoy how I make you feel when I’m inside you and when I’m not.”
“Yeah, you do give good love,” she laughed, running her hands over my hair.
“Damned right I do. Now answer my question,” I said, bringing my lips close to hers.