Author's POV 3 Weeks Later Leaving Dylan's office was bittersweet for the family including the good doctor. Although Val was doing much better at her wounds healing she was still talking the forced taking hard. Her chance of leaving for the Air Force got pushed until she could have medical clearance and redo her final physical at the Military Entrance Processing Station. Reece had been trying his best to persuade her to stay but her mind was made up as she reminded him of his reason for going off the expected path. However, her situation was different. She was a mother now. She needed to be home. And with what they learned about her situation and that Lettie was behind it, no one wanted her out of their sight. Her Uncle Rmembert could make some calls but at the end of the day his reach was limited as she wanted nothing to do with the Army. **** Getting back to the ranch Reece brought in Royalty and passed him to Madre who was was chatting with one her sister-in-laws. The cou
Reece's POV I listened to her recant the story of how I stole her boyfriend's thunder and her heart for the thousandth time. Never in my life have I stolen anything. I nestled my nose up against her. "Baby?" I asked. I wanted to keep reminiscing and hopefully she'd let me fūck her. "Umm hmm" She whimpered in my ear. "Do you remember our first time together?" Her gasp told me she did and that more than her mind had gone back to that night. Her whole body shivered with memory. "Yeah, I remember. You whisked me away to the big city in your fancy car and begged me to cheat on my boyfriend with you. Very romantic." "I never told you my secret though" She struggled to push me away so that she could look me in my face. "What secret Reece?" Shịt time for me to explain my misdeeds. *Reece's Flashback POV* >Reece: My buddy! How are you today? Did you get the envelope?>Me: How art thee great noble one? *I can imagine him laughing.*>Me: Hi Reecey! Oh man it's been a day! I did get t
Reece's POV I didn't want to make her fall over the cliff yet so I backed off and kept my one digit inside of her. In a come hither movement with my finger, I culled her channel churning her liquid passion until I could hear it. Valiant started up again as I watched her get to her elbows and set her deep brown eyes on me. Lips swollen with my kisses and her constant biting of her I was drawn like a moth to a flame. Those lips and that pink tongue was going to play my dick tonight. I was going to be sure of it but for now, I wanted to see her mouth open allowing my name to escape. "Vee?" "Yeah." Her voice weak with lust. Breathless. "Are you ready to cum for me?" "Yes Reece. Yesssss." Her last word sounded sweeter than syrup and my sweet tooth was craving it all. I pulled my finger out just enough to mate it with another one slowly pumping them until they both dripped with her essence. My mouth found her clit as my teeth lovingly tugged at it. Her's was a bit more prominent t
Valiant's POV I couldn't believe what the love of my life just said to me. I was horrified and mad as hell! All this time, I thought Malcolm had run off on a druggie high and got locked up in another county. I was probably more horrified that the land we were on had his blood on it. Clearly, he hadn't thought this out when executing his plan, that one day me and his kids would come here. "Reece, you didn't. Please tell me you didn't." I watched him slowly ease off of me probably trying not to scare me more than I was. The pain searing my side had begin to decrease and was barely noticeable unless taking a quick deep breath, coughing, sneezing or escaping a sexy killer. "I know how it sounds and I can explain my thought process. First, first...let me tell you that I love you." His hands were extended toward me but palms down like he was shushing me. He looked crazy scared. I could have laughed if I weren't mortified. "Second, my son, our son...I love him too. And your cousin wa
Reece's POV "Because my secret should be our secret. Just us baby girl and when I feel like you've grasped that, I'll let you out." I glared at her for misunderstanding me and my intentions. Why would she regard her abuser? I've been here making right all the wrongs and helping her heal along the way. My mind and heart were not in tandem anymore. She had driven me to near insanity. After all the months we spent in silence because I refused to talk to her to her being taken and battered to now. Now. Now, I've locked her away until she calmed enough. I know she could be rational and would be after calming down. Val wasn't an immature woman although she was just hitting 19 and I wasn't an immature man just turning 23. We have had plenty of logical conversations and had accolades to prove in school and in the real world that we were thinkers, problem solvers. I grit my teeth as I leaned upon the wall that hid her away, I couldn't hear her voice but I figured she must be scared and c
Valiant's POV I must be living a huge nightmare because what I experienced hours ago left me void of understanding. Somehow, I'm here in another room in this massive place its a screaming headache and without my son or my man. What the f...? I recounted the last events and decide that I am over this with Reece. I love him but I can't love him like this. He was my prince charming, gentlemanly and light yet sexy and dark. That shit just doesn't go together. I could blame it on immaturity or on entitlement, his behaviors, but I didn't know I needed any of this to see how far he'd go overboard. As soon as I could, I'd leave and take my son with me. As much as I hated that, knowing it'd hurt not just him but also his parents, it was for the best. I sat up on the perfectly firm mattress and stretched delicately as to not cause myself any more rib pain. Crying had done enough. I clicked the lamp on the bedside table and got to my feet. I found the bathroom did my business, washed my ha
Author's POV One benefit to living in a massive house was that you had an opportunity to retreat to the quietest and most secured places...so they did. Reece and Valiant walked silently to an upper deck, her trailing behind him because he didn't want to scare her so it was better to be out front. Once they perched, they both took to sitting in the hanging hammocks that were available. The cooling Sedona evening was warm enough to not need the fire pit or blankets. The gleaming red rocks of the Shnebly Hill formation provided the stunning visual for tonight's hard conversation. "Val?" Reece started, his voice deep, low and very remorseful. She recognized it. He hoped she'd respond favorably. "Yes Reecey." Her voice sharp, still yet loving. He smiled. She drove him insane because she knew how to comfort him whenever he showed vulnerability. "I love you with all that I am. I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier. I just need to explain and hope that you'd forgive me." The silenc
Author's POV---cont from last chapterBy the end of the club event, Valiant was met with her arch nemesis Roman and Lettie together. Ro wanted to talk to Val and he did get a chance to when it was interrupted by a very drunk someone. Lettie was a persistent bitch and made it hard for everyone, especially when she drank. She and Roman ended up going home after she projectile vomited on him.Then the worst call came. Val's mom had finally lost her drug battle and died from an overdose. Reece and friends took Val to the crime scene and it ripped her to shreds. Meanwhile her Aunt Joan and grandmother arrived causing more drama than necessary. The five military men the accompanied her, for they suspected that her family had a lot riding on her mother's death and they had began to look into it.She needed much more protection starting from that night. It seemed that no comfort could pull Valiant back right then so she slept in Reece's spare bedroom. He wanted to just be there for her. And
Valiant's POV I watched all of the madness unfold before me three weeks ago. Shocked to say the least by Roman and Lettie showing up. A great day had turned very quickly red. Reece still hadn't made any moves to deal with the female just yet knowing that her male counterpart wouldn't want to jeopardize her life for the sake of their son. Our lives continued progressing toward bliss though. We closed the house and moved in. The boys all picked their rooms in the guest house. Papa and Madre purchased bigger golf carts that could accommodate the kids in their car seats. In just a few hours, we'd all be gathering to host our formal wedding ceremony to the world. The live stream would just for the frills. The groom said that he wanted us to have a fairy tale wedding with beautiful pictures and grand memories. The event would also signify Reece's most recent breakthrough as an independent tech firm supporting only private clients and a few military operations. We both agreed that I'
Roman's POV I watched the happy couple for weeks. I saw them go in and out of two homes, several offices, and many restaurants. Sometimes they were solo, sometimes they were together and sometimes they carried their son. They were popular in their small town which was sitting off the cusp of the major city. They never met a stranger and it infuriated me. And then one day, I followed them to the most peculiar place, a place that I hated to imagine. What was supposed to be my reality was theirs. My months of incarceration had brought them close. Lettie's failed revenge pulled them closer and bound them to a certain fate. They would became who and what I didn't want. Ever. I had resented Reece, since meeting him and I thought that somehow we could be equal. He wasn't this arrogant rich up front and once getting to know him, he was just annoyingly brotherly. None of us in his group with the exception of bald headed Todd knew he was rich. Reece could do all things well and he'd only
Author's POV The day was on them. The fellas had travel ahead into time and the jet lag was already pressing them...they had lost two whole hours and they already knew that Reece was going to be annoying as hell. When the plane landed on the private air strip not too far from the ranch and the new Shields' residence they all off boarded and took their luggage to the sleek army green pickup truck Reece left for them. He was a thoughtful asshole. He had painted the lift gate with "Bestest Men" and it caused them a lot of headaches with all the cars honking at them. When they pull up onto the ranch they blew the horn loudly and Papa came out to the porch. Leaning over the rail he yelled back in his morning, thick German accent, "Blow your nose and you'll get something out!" All the men laughed and went up to hug their surrogate father figure. Todd was the last to greet the old man and he kissed the top of his bald head as a show of affectionate acceptance. "Papa, I am glad to see th
Reece's POV I was so elated, knowing that we were expanding our family. I literally looked at my woman sitting around my brother and my parents and I was shouting on the inside. This was a dream come true albeit, I never thought I'd fall in love with a cheeky curly haired black girl from the south. She blew my expectation of what I thought I wanted in a partner. Valiant became my best friend. She is my rib. Sure she was pissed when she realized that my first and fifteenth paychecks from the military was pocket money for me. She didn't want me for my money. There was no hounding me for more than I wanted to give, she was actually more conservative with us hanging out before we got intimate and certainly afterwards. I loved how she could be polished, prim and proper one moment and then she was on that beat your ass shit the next. Her conversation scaled from politics to bioscience to business or from interpreting the geezers hanging at the corner stores. One thing was for certain.
Valiant's POV Three months later... I stared down at the one two lined plastic stick, the one 'positive' digital plastic stick and the one white and black diagnosis. And finally, the one black and white 3D ultrasound. Great job Reece! He has won again. Greedy bastard. Dylan was kind of enough to do this for me and keep it in the family since the news of the pending wedding was set at a rapid rate of speed. Every major news outlet was trying to get any new sensational news. I sighed in both relief and defeat as I collected all my evidence in a clean clear zip lock bag. My very soon to be husband is laying in the bed waiting on me to come back to him. He gave me more than some "be good" and I have proof that it only made me a bad actor. I couldn't resist being worse toward him. This man did not complain. Throwing the bag on his bare chest I heaved a deep breath and waited for his reaction. "Baby?" I didn't answer."Baby...I know you hear me." He poked my shoulder, he's so child
Valiant's POV After Reece and Val spoke intensely about the home, her plans and his desires they came to a compromise. She agreed to close the deal and purchase the house and if she wasn't pregnant in six months then she'd leave off to the Air Force. This was a trap. Her endeavors to go to the military would fizzle out with her impending pregnancy. This was all Reece wanted, he needed to see his family growing and prospering. Alas, she spent no tears or loss no sleep over the deal she struck with thus guy. He had such good business acumen and had a knack to negotiate fiercely. No wonder she ended up on a dinner date in a another city staying at a hotel and giving him a go a little over a year ago with a baby to prove it all happened that way. Still, there was a feeling stuck to the back of her mind as they drive out to meet Asher Valencia. The guy weirded her out and gave her pause when speaking with him. He was the kind of guy that she never want to be in closed quarters with.
Continued from previous chapterRoman's Flashback POV "This motherfūcker has some nerve! Get his aşs up!" Angelo roared. Two minutes later two of the men were dragging my hungover and bewildered ass out to the living room. Gerald grabbed a chair from the dining table and plopped me on it. Angelo gave me a cup of black coffee to wake me up. "What what's this? Why is everyone here?" I asked even more confused. "Caleb and Valor are in route, it'd be best if you start explaining wat the hell is going on with you before they get here." Todd was speaking so low that it sounded like a feral growl. "Too late." Angelo revealed.Caleb and Valor, Valiant's older brother came into the house only Caleb didn't stop until he got to me. Standing right in front of me, toes touching Caleb had transformed. "Quit talking in fūcking circles man! You got some explaining to do and I don't wanna hear nothing but the damn truth!" He was leaned down into my face but I was unfazed as my mask slipped down i
Roman's POV "She's fine man! Exotic with her big curly hair and deep brown almost eyes. Bro, her lips and the way she speaks....I almost came on myself when I saw the way those jeans hugged her." "I'm telling you, she is what dreams are made of but the men that surround her are nightmares. I'm not afraid to throw hands but c'mon let's be reasonable, you can't expect me to keep going around them." The phone was silent. "Think less with your dick, and do your fucking job. I am not your bro. I'll be there in soon." Click. Roman sat with his head in his hands while his driver drove him. His domestic bank accounts had been emptied and there were notifications of attempted access of his off-shores. All of his other assets, investments and retirement funds frozen. He had funds and resources hidden in all kinds of places and his people always come through for him. He was linked with some of the biggest political figures a
Author's POV 3 weeks later "Thanks Deej!" Val hugged her future cousin-in-law as he handed her the cleared for duty paper work with her medical file and x-rays. "Yeah, pretty lady, no problem. Now, you take care of yourself so that you can go do greater things." "I sure will and hopefully, we'll see you for dinner soon?" He pecked her cheek and left out of the door with her in tow. Todd and Gerald were sitting in the waiting room watching some videos that Reece, Papa and Angelo had sent of a new property Reece wanted to acquire. Caleb was gone again, he was set to go off to school to become an officer and he wanted to see his family and girlfriend before he boarded his plane. Dylan hadn't been coming around much after the engagement was announced he mostly avoided his cousin and future cousin for obvious reasons. He liked Valiant. He liked her so much that for days after the airport encounter all he thought about was her. He'd hoped she would use his number and call to have