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I hear her move past him to the door, and my heart starts pounding out my chest. I take a step back, but I know I can’t flee before she opens the door.
“Natalie, hold up a sec.”
Hearing her move back in his direction, I turn and rush out of the suite before they catch me eavesdropping on their diabolical plans. I can’t stand their asses, I swear
“You good?”Mathias asks me hours later as we pull up a couple of minutes late to the event my cousin Ezekiel-Jane is hosting for Mathias at the Shelby-Love Library. He eyes my honeysuckle-yellow outfit Summer made sure was shot through with platinum thread and had embroidered camellias, the Alabama state flower, along the hem. It stops just above my knees and has fluted bell-like ripples that make it look like a flower. The heart-shaped neckline accentuates my positives without being too sexy. Mathias is in a black silk suit with a tie Summer made to match my dress, along with a platinum pocket square to match his incredible eyes.
“Fine.” I don’t bother to look at his trifling ass. I look down to make sure my clothes didn’t get too wrinkled on the drive. We had to rush to make it in time. This event is planned for the whole Black Belt Small Business Association. Several of my cousins are members, not to mention Kiyoshi and Hishashi Takeda, my mentors who partnered with our cousin Delightful’s husband, superstar rap mogul FADE Carrington, to bring the tech conglomerate to our small little town and give the people here a chance at better life.
“Hey.” Mathias tugs at my chin, making me look at those incredible eyes. He sees everything; I have to guard my heart and my head against this man who determined that we are now enemies. “What’s wrong with you? You didn’t say anything the whole way down here. Then you hopped in the shower and been giving me the silent treatment the whole time.” He’s talking like he’s hurt when he knows full well he was just hours ago planning—and still intends—to get rid of me.
“I was reading a good book. Plus, in that meeting earlier, you went back to acting like bitch ass so, I thought it was better to leave you alone. Let you deal with the people you feel are on your level and worthy of your time.” I don’t let any emotion cloud my words. I keep it simple.
His hands slip to my throat, giving it a little squeeze. “Are we going to have a problem tonight, little wife?” His words are cold, deadly, while his hand steadily squeezing my damn neck emphasizes he’s not fucking playing and he doesn’t have any problem breaking my neck if I fuck him over again.
“N-no.” I smile even though his touch trips my heartbeat, making it erratic. Feeling the effect he has on me, his eyes smolder. Now a hotter emotion has my pussy getting slick. I would have never thought the kind young man who provided for me and kept me safe for years would become this villain who likes to dominate me, who makes me like his dominance, even crave it.
“No, husband,” he commands, his hand closing off my breath.
I barely get the trapped words out before his mouth slants over mine.
“Fuck,” he groans, covering my moan, swallowing it and the minuscule resistance I could muster. This is my problem. I’m too weak for him. All he has do is crook his finger, and I come—literally. Press me and I fold. I know I can’t sustain this. Yet even as I think it, I lose myself in his kiss, even though we should have been inside the event five minutes ago.
“You havepink lip gloss on your lips,” LL says, handing Mathias a handkerchief, walking up two minutes after the news reporter took pictures of us as we were greeted by Easy and her former colleague Blay, who is moderating the event.
“All the better to play into your narrative, my friend,” Mathias says dryly, waving him off. Reaching up, I wipe the smear below his lip. When I reapplied my lip gloss, I was shamefaced by how easily I submitted to him after hearing his plan to do me dirty.
“Thank you, baby,” he says, not quietly, the look in his eyes confusing the hell out of me.
“You’re welcome,” I say, letting everything in the world fall away. For a few seconds, there is no one but us. Caught up in the cyclone of emotion, we’re in a battle neither can win but nor do we want to give up any ground.
“Welcome the next senator of the great state of Alabama,” Easy says to the gathered crowd.
Squeezing my waist, Mathias whispers, “Showtime,” and heads to the front of the crowd before taking a seat across from Blay onstage.
Easy tells everyone what to expect from the town hall format. “Blay will start with a series of questions we had submitted by some. Then we will open the floor.”
Watching Mathias field questions mainly about business, I can’t help but feel a surge of pride. His intentions obviously weren’t just to avenge his mother. He clearly has a desire to serve. He didn’t shy away from his family history, nor did he make excuses for it. “Shelbys have been bad actors from the inception of this country. I won’t excuse that. For generations we were lauded for our contributions to the state of Alabama and to the country, yet in all that time, we have caused harm. Today’s generation of Shelbys is determined to atone for the wrongdoing of our ancestors.” I know he means it, but I can tell many people, my family in particular, doubt him.
“And a step in that direction was making a Love, whose ancestors were enslaved by your forefathers, a modern-day bed wench?” The challenge comes from a young man I’m not familiar with. “Thomas Barkley, from theShelby-Love Chronicle. Mr. Shelby, how did you and Miss Love meet? Some say it was well before her graduation. It seems odd that the episode by your truck would happen so soon after you met. It says lot about both your family values if it’s true that you were able to seduce her so quickly.” Low murmurs start filling the room. I hold my head up higher, looking straight at Mathias.
The media training drilled into me by Natalie and LL since I joined the campaign is like muscle memory at this point. I don’t faint or falter as Mathias fields the question with a cool aplomb I could never attain. He keeps his answer short and sweet, making the guy look like an idiot. “When someone like Nicolette Love comes into your life, it can’t be ignored. I wish that for everybody.” He finishes his statement with a smile so warm, it fills me up with joy even though I know it’s not real.
Soon more questions abound about bringing more industry to our area, like growing marijuana for medicinal use since the soil here is prime for it. Then the questions lead into educational opportunities and community policing. The two hours it takes go over the thirty or so minutes Easy told us to expect. Then the Kandie Shoppe brings out sweets, and The Camellia’s staff offers hors d’oeuvres.
“He’s a lucky man.”
Swinging around at the deep baritone, which is what I imagine rough whiskey and freshly mown grass come to life would sound like, I see a soft smile playing across Blay’s handsome face.
“Aww, thanks.” I smile sweetly at him. “You made him look really good up there.”
“It’s easy when a candidate is the real deal. I followed your husband for years when he was in Birmingham, giving corporations hell for their environmental pollution on the west side. When he made them honor the settlement and build green spaces and monetize the cancer fund, I knew he meant business. I don’t care how coldblooded he claims to be. He gets shi—stuff done.” He tips his lemonade at me with a rueful smile. “Ezekiel-Jane did me favor. She knows how much I admire your husband.”
“That’s Easy, always trying to make people happy.” I smile remembering how she encouraged me that day a little over three weeks ago when my whole life was coming down around my ears.
He nods. “So how’s married life treating you?”
I’m not quick enough to cover the flash of intense emotion that plays across my face his warm sincerity brings out all those hours of media training going up in wisp’s of smoke.
