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It didn’t even feel real, sitting in the courtroom and listening to Miller’s lies, watching the evidence, of not a murder but of harassment, stalking, laid out before everyone. I could only sit there hoping beyond hope that the judge was seeing everything the way I was, clearly showing that Damir deserved to be free. When the judge said there wasn’t enough evidence, dismissed the case, my hand went to my mouth, desperately trying to muffle the shout of joy I felt rising within me.
But it all still feels like it’s not real. For him to simply be free after everything we’ve been through. For the simple slamming of a gavel to be all that was needed for me to have him back. We’re outside the doors to the county jail now, waiting for him. My eyes stare at the door, willing it to open, for Damir to walk through them, to return to me. A small part of me doesn’t believe it, feels like at any moment someone will come out the doors and tell us they’ve found something to keep him locked up for, breaking my heart anew.
But then the door is opening. Damir walks through it. And my heart takes flight like never before.
I was prepared, more than prepared, to see Damir walk through those doors, or... I thought I was. But nothing could have prepared me for the way my heart damn near leaps out of my chest when he smiles at me. He runs towards me and scoops me up, his arms under my butt so he can lift me high. My arms wrap around his neck, and he spins me around, not aware he’s not helping my nausea in the least, but I just don’t care.
“God, I love you,” he says a moment before he kisses me.
His lips are just how I remember. Soft, perfect. Mine.
When we separate, far too soon, I hold him close, my mouth going to his ear. “I love you too.”
He sets me down, looking into my eyes for another moment before he goes to his mother. Holding her tight, he tells her not to cry anymore, and then hugs his father, who discreetly wipes a tear with the arm that’s not around Damir. While Damien and Terry hug, and Evelyn thanks him, Damir comes back over to me, running his hands down my cheeks as his eyes look all over my face, like they’re trying to relearn every inch of it.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I’m so far beyond okay right now,” I smile.
“You looked a little...sick earlier.”
I have to fight to keep from cringing. If only he knew. I’ve felt like complete shit all morning, since the moment I woke up needing to vomit, but haven’t been able to. But right now is definitely not the moment I tell him I’m pregnant.
“I’m okay,” I settle on saying.
“So you’re a free man.” Evelyn gets our attention. “What do you wanna do?”
“I want a real meal.” Damir chuckles.
“We can definitely go eat.” Damien laughs. “Where to?”
“Mom’s favorite,” Damir states then looks at me. “Why don’t you call Liam and have him meet us there.”
I nod and call him as we drive over. Liam arrives about fifteen minutes after us. I can only hug him with one arm when he bends over to embrace me because my other hand is holding Damir’s, and I can’t let it go. It feels like if I do, someone will come to take him from me again. I know it isn’t true, but even as the food arrives, I cannot convince myself to free his hand so we both can eat. His hand gives mine a squeeze, and I take it to mean he doesn’t want to release my hand either.
Because I know my brother, I ordered for him before he got here. When he looks at his plate, his hand goes to his heart while he fake swoons.
“You know me so well.” Liam grins before digging into his shrimp scampi.
“I do, don’t I?” I smile. “So, what exactly does it mean that they dismissed Damir’s case with prejudice?”
Terry swallows and then answers. “That they can’t bring Damir back to court for this case ever again. If the judge dismissed it without prejudice, then if the detectives found what passes for new evidence in this backwards town, then they could arrest Damir and charge him with the murder again.”
“So it’s done?” Evelyn asks.
“Yes, but...” He gives Damir a pointed look. “As I told Damir, Miller made sure he was arrested for this, and it likely won’t stop here. Especially now that it’s become clear he was writing fake tickets and harassing Damir. I’m sure the facts of this case coming out will damage, if not end, his career. He will be looking to hurt Damir more than ever. Which is why I suggested moving.”
“I was just telling Damir during one of the visits that there’s this huge plot of land that they just demolished a manufacturing plant on. It would be perfect to build an apartment complex on,” Damien adds.
“And like I keep saying, I have Mariah to think about and a project to finish,” Damir states. “I can’t just pick up everything and go right now.”
I notice Liam has stopped chewing and is looking at me. Having not discussed anything about moving with him, I’m sure he’s wondering what the hell everyone is talking about. We’ve never been far away from each other, except for when Liam was in jail. My biggest apprehension to leaving would indeed be him. He gives me a smile, maybe silent permission to go, to leave him, but it still breaks my heart.
“If moving will keep you with my sister.” Liam shrugs. “Then I’m all for it. Especially considering there’s a baby on the way.”
Damir chokes on his food as his eyes snap to mine. I give a weird smile and a shrug when he looks at me.
“Really?” he asks, his eyes wide.
I glare at Liam, who looks like he’s ready to run, before my eyes move to Damir again.
I nod, my throat clogged with emotion at the happiness in his eyes. He does let go of my hand then, as he drops out of his chair so quickly it almost topples over while he comes to kneel before me. His arms wrap around my waist and mine go around his neck as he looks at me with so much love. I laugh when his hold tightens, like he never wants to let me go.
“Mariah,” he says low. “We’re having a baby.”
Even though it doesn’t sound like a question, I nod again and then his hands are on my stomach. And there is something for him to get his hands on now. They curve around my little bump that was hidden by my flowing dress, and his smile grows impossibly bigger.
“I mean, I didn’t want to say anything, but I thought you’d gained weight.” He chuckles.
I smack his arm as I laugh. “Gee thanks.”
“How many months are you?” he asks, eyes still on my stomach.
“A little over two months. Ten weeks now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks.
“I didn’t know what that news would do to you in jail. If it would make things better or worse.” I explain. “And I knew you would get out. I knew, so I could wait to tell you and have this moment we’re having right now, where you could touch me and touch our baby.”
“You were alone,” his eyes cast down.
“I was never alone.” I state, putting my hand on his chin and lifting his head back up until his eyes meet mine again. “Your parents were with me. My brother was with me. I was not alone.”
He nods, and the sadness in his eyes dims.
“And I won’t be without you another moment in this pregnancy.” I grin. “And since your baby is already giving me major cravings, you know when he’s not making me wanna puke, you can make all the late night runs to the grocery store.”
“He?” he exclaims.
I roll my eyes. “My can’t-hold-a-secret-ass brother has me thinking the baby is a boy, but I don’t know yet.”
“I’m sorry.” Liam chuckles. “I thought you would’ve told him the minute he got out. It’s not my fault you’re a procrastinator.”
“I will bludgeon you,” I whisper to him.
“But then your kid won’t have the best uncle in the world.” He smirks.
Yup, an asshole uncle.
When we get back to my house, Evelyn has us all eat a cake she baked just for her son coming home, because yes, she was absolutely sure that he would today. Although I felt full, now that I’m looking at this slice of triple chocolate cake, there’s suddenly room for a little more in my stomach. Damir tells us all he’s in desperate need of a long, hot shower and hugs his parents goodnight. Me, he whispers, he’ll see in the bedroom, and Lord I savor the shiver that runs through me because it seems like forever since I’ve had it. His grin tells me he didn’t miss it, like usual.
I tell Evelyn and Damien goodnight and rush to my room, and even knowing Damir will be in the shower for a while, I hurry to undress. It seems unreal, that Damir will be in my arms, in my bed, tonight. That I don’t have to sleep alone anymore, that I can wake up to his smile. I woke up hoping this is how this day would end, but actually getting that ending is another thing.
Damir walks in sometime later, nothing but a towel around his waist, water glistening in his hair and beard, running down his chest and stomach. My swallow is audible while my eyes travel up and down this man. He removes the towel, uses it to dry his body off, but none of that matters. My eyes are glued to his dick, hard and ready for me.
“I take it you got my letter?” he asks.
My eyes come to his then, and I nod, knowing exactly which one he’s referring to.
“We’re going to do every single thing I wrote in that letter, and trust me”—he tosses the towel aside and slowly walks over to the bed—“I remember every single word.”
He crawls up the bed, pulling the covers away from my body, revealing my breast, then my pussy. His eyes try to take in every part of me at once, a starved look in them, but ultimately they settle on my pussy when I open my legs to let him get a better view. A strangled groan leaves him before he starts to lower his mouth to it, but then he pauses.
“No.” He grins. “That’s not how the letter started. I believe it started like this.”
His lips come to mine, soft and gentle one second and hard and demanding the next. I moan as his tongue gently licks between my lips and quickly open for him, needing to feel his tongue against mine. His body lowers then, his dick rubbing against my pussy while our mouths clash again and again. Our kiss grows more hungry, even as we get more and more of each other.
I grind my pussy on him and damn near every muscle in my body tightens, needing the orgasm only Damir can give. Circling my hips faster, I begin to arch into him, but he suddenly lifts off of me. A groan of pure frustration leaves me, but he just smirks.
“That’s not how you got your first one in the letter,” he states.
“Fuck that letter,” I spit.
“Oh, such a filthy mouth. I know what I want you to do with it.”
I’m quick to get up, laying him under me and getting between his legs. He wants to tease? Oh, we can tease. I lower my mouth until the tip of his dick is against my lips and then look up at him. He looks like he’s barely breathing waiting for me to take him into my mouth. Instead, I lick around the tip, putting more pressure when I reach the vein under it. When he tries to arch up for more, I pull away.
“Mariah please.” He grunts.
“Are we begging?” I grin.
“If I have to, I will.”
“You do.”
“Please get your mouth on me before I lose it.”
“Hmm, I don’t really know if that’s begging, but...”
I open my mouth and take as much of him into it as I can, going down until he hits the back of my throat. Lord, the groan that leaves him makes me smile around him. I bob on him, sucking and tightening my mouth, licking from side to side on his dick until his hands go to my hair. He holds my head still and begins thrusting into my mouth. I moan on him as he drives as much of himself as possible in again and again.
My hand goes to his balls, massaging them until he’s groaning my name. I feel them tighten in my hold a moment before his body stiffens, and his cum fills my mouth. A few more thrusts and he’s sliding out of my mouth. I swallow and find him looking at me with lazy admiration.
“I don’t remember that being in the letter.” I smile.
“That was the I’ve been in jail and couldn’t hold back special.” He shakes his head. “But don’t worry. There’s more where that came from.”
“There better be.” I arch a brow.
“In the meantime.” He gets up to his knees and kisses me. “Back to the letter.”
I lay down, and he inches down the bed looking at my pussy the moment I widen my legs. He doesn’t waste another moment before he lowers his mouth to me. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been so long or because I’ve just missed his mouth on me, but that first lick damn near brings a tear to my eye. It feels that good. He follows it up with circling my clit before he sucks it into his mouth.
I gasp as my body arches into his mouth, needing more, demanding more. And he gives it to me, his finger finding my opening and thrusting in fast and hard until I’m moaning, and my hands are gripping his head. His beard scratching against my thighs only adds to the pleasure, the contrast of the softness of his tongue, and the roughness of his beard scraping my skin.
One more rough flick of his tongue against my clit, and I’m falling apart, whispering his name as I hold his mouth to me and grind my pussy on him. He licks me like I’m the best thing he’s ever tasted. His finger leaves me, and his hands go under my ass and bring me even closer to him. Even when I try to put distance between us because my clit is too sensitive now, his tongue glides through my lips like he just can’t get enough.
“Damir.” I breathe. “I need you inside me.”
His eyes meet mine while he rises to his knees, hand pumping his hard dick as he gets closer. He lowers his mouth to mine, tasting of me when his tongue slides in. My fingers go to his beard when he lowers his body down and slides his dick through my wetness. When he lines himself up with my opening, he breaks our kiss and looks into my eyes as he enters me.
It feels like home. It feels like everything good coming back to me as he slides into me. He stretches me in a way I’ve craved since the last time he was inside me. He’s the one to shudder this time, staying still in me, my hands gripping his shoulders.
“I have missed this pussy in ways I cannot even explain,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Show me just how much. Give it to me just how you told me you would in the letter.”
His head moves back, a sexy grin taking over his face before he pulls out of me until only the tip is in and then slams back in. My body moves, but his hands are quick to go to my hips, holding me in place while he drives into me. My arms and legs wrap around him, holding on for dear life. Kisses steal my gasps and moans while his hands go to my ass and squeeze. He tilts my hips up and hits an angle so good, my eyes close in bliss. A few more thrusts and him sucking on my tongue takes me over the edge.
“Damir.” I gasp. “God, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
“Never.”
He sits up once my back stops arching, hands wrapping around my thighs and pulling them wide apart. His eyes are on nothing but my pussy as he drives into me, but they fly up when I begin massaging my breasts, pinching my nipples. His groan vibrates through me before he speeds up, leaning forward and moving my hand aside so he can take my nipple into his mouth.
His body grinds against my clit while he sucks on my nipple, quickly bringing on my second orgasm. I grab his ass, pushing him into me harder until I come again, biting down on his shoulder when I explode around him. His hold gets rougher, a sigh leaving him and his face going to the crook of my neck. He comes, groaning my name until his body slows down. His weight begins to settle over me, but then he suddenly gets up.
“I’ll crush the baby,” he exclaims.
“Really?” I chuckle.
“What? We gotta be careful.” His face screws up. “Maybe that was too rough.”
“I’ll let you know when something is too much for me to handle.” I lean forward until my lips are against his. “And I don’t think your dick will ever be on that list.”
He grins as my lips meet his.
“I know something you’ll be worried about tomorrow morning though,” he says while I turn so my back is to his chest.
I wrap his arm around me, absently asking him what that is.
“That my parents are in the next room,” he gets closer to my ear. “And you were very loud just now.”
And he’s right. I feel like I’m doing the walk of shame in my own house when I go to the kitchen for breakfast. Although Evelyn just shoots me a smile as I get some plates for her to put the pancakes she’s making on, my mind swears the twinkle in her eye says, “I know what you were doing last night.”.
“Well you look much better.” She compliments.
I almost spit my juice out thinking she means because I finally got some.
“Hmm, do I?” I ask.
“Yes. Must be the pregnancy glow starting.” She smiles.
“Oh yeah, maybe. I wasn’t nauseous this morning, so there’s that.”
“Well, you are almost to three months, so that’s when you have a little time to enjoy being pregnant before your back, feet, and well, everything starts hurting.”
I cringe. “Lots to look forward to.”
“You’ll forget about all that the moment you look down at your baby.”
“I’m still a little shocked we’re talking about a baby,” Damien’s voice says when he enters the kitchen.
He walks over to Evelyn and kisses her forehead before making all of our plates.
“Where is that son of mine?” he asks.
“My guess would be still sleeping. He had a long night,” Evelyn says.
I actually do spit out my juice this time, and I know I do not imagine the amusement in Evelyn’s eyes when I look at her. I’m sure my entire face is red with embarrassment, but I just duck my head and get a paper towel to clean to the juice. After Damir wakes up and eats, we both get dressed and head over to Liam’s to see the progress that was done while Damir was in jail.
“So all that’s really left now is the basement.” Damir nods in approval.
“I don’t know how you got those guys to still work on the house while you were away,” Liam says.
“I had the guy who was helping me out bribe them with days off.” Damir chuckles.
“Well they deserve it. They did really good work, and fast too. Thanks, man.”
“No problem. What are you thinking for the basement? Man cave, gaming room, bar?”
“Ugh.” I interrupt. “I hate the phrase man cave. Call it a den and be done with it.”
“Well then, let’s go with...a man den.” Liam smirks.
Damir rubs his hands together. “I have just the plans in mind.”
Liam and I go back upstairs as Damir takes some measurements in the basement.
I look up at him from the side. “You do know if we move, I’m still gonna be a thorn in your side, right?”
He smiles at me. “I couldn’t get rid of you if I tried, little sister. It’s two hours. We can make that work. Especially when you’re about to have my nephew.”
“Again with the nephew.” I chuckle.
“I can see staying here isn’t good for you or Damir. If that cop set him up before, he’ll definitely do it again. Are you sure you’re gonna be able to find a new job out there?”
“I haven’t started looking yet, but schools always need teachers, right?”
“I have a little surprise for you today.”
“Oh, what?”
He looks down at his phone. “Should be here any...”
The doorbell rings and his smile grows. Just from that, I can tell what the surprise is. Or rather who.
“Don’t stare.” He quickly whispers before heading for the door.
My eyebrows scrunch in confusion. He opens the door and in walks a beautiful girl, huge grin on her face as she wraps her arms around Liam. The fact that her eyes close when he hugs her tight tells me everything I need to know about her feelings for my brother. She’s in love with him just as much as he is with her. He pulls back and kisses her, his hand going to her face, moving the hair styled over her left cheek aside.
It’s then that I notice what he was referring to. She has a long scar that goes from just below her left temple, through her cheek, disappearing under Liam’s hand, and reappearing under it to the end of her face. But it doesn’t end there. It continues to her neck, slightly curving at the end like whatever cut her turned as it finally lifted away. It doesn’t take away from her beauty in the least though. If anything, it makes her more beautiful, knowing that she’s been through something and survived it. But that’s the fighter in me nodding in approval.
When their hug ends, her eyes leave Liam and widen in surprise when she notices me.
“Oh, I didn’t...” her hand shoots up to move her hair back as if it’s natural for her to try and cover her scar.
And just as quickly Liam is gently pulling her hand away from her face and linking his fingers with hers.
“This is my sister, Mariah. Mariah, this is Nia.” He introduces us.
I rush across the living room and extend my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You too. I’ve heard about so many pranks between you too.” She chuckles.
“But did he tell you that I’m winning?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t call it winning, so much as we have a truce because I can’t be pranking my nephew.” Liam cuts in. “That does not count as winning.”
“Says the loser.” I smirk.
Damir’s boots make loud thumps as he walks up the stairs and Liam introduces him and Nia. We all drive to a diner that’s on the rougher side of town, but with some of the best food around. I point out some of the places Liam and I lived, both with our parents and by ourselves as we go. The look in Damir’s eyes alternates between sadness and anger while he looks out the window at the rundown buildings.
“So what brought you to community center?” I ask Nia once we’re sitting down in a booth.
“I wanted to work somewhere that I felt I could actually make a difference.” She answers.
“And you live in Newport?” Damir asks.
She shakes her head. “About half an hour away. My mother said if I moved to Newport, she’d never come visit me. No offense Liam.”
He chuckles. “None taken. It’s definitely not a town I would tell anyone to move into. I literally live on the one block that was left half way decent. So unless you’re moving onto that street, I’d be advising people to move out.”
“But how?” Damir puzzles. “Why is that block nice?”
He shrugs. “Probably because the houses were owned by older people who didn’t have bad ass teens running around making trouble. I only got my house because the tenant went to a nursing home, and her kids just wanted to get the house off their hands. Plus there’s no apartment buildings near there, so less riff-raff.”
Damir and Liam start talking about this man den so I look over at Nia.
“And you like working down at the community center?” I ask her.
“I love it. The kids are amazing. And I really like all of the outreach that the center does in the schools and even in some peoples’ homes.”
“And you’re the counselor?”
She nods.
“Is it hard?” I inquire.
“It can be. Hearing some of the things they’ve been through or are still going through is hard, but when you can help them, in any way, it makes you feel like hopefully things can change for them, get better.”
“And that’s where you met Liam?”
She arches a brow. “Oh, he didn’t tell you?”
“No, but I definitely have to hear it now.” I chuckle.
“He practically ran me over running away from one of the kids. Playing tag in the hall and bulldozed right into me.”
“Oh my, God.” I laugh. “That definitely sounds like my brother.”
“I honestly saw him pause for a moment as he decided whether he was going to help me up and risk getting tagged or keep running. Right before he used me as a shield, Mariah. And still got tagged.” She shakes her head, laughing. “After he helped me pick up all the papers that were sprinkled over the hallway, we got to talking and...” She spreads her hands. “Here we are.”
“That is a love story only befitting my brother.”
Her eyes soften at the word love and then quickly cut to Liam. He’s laughing at something with Damir, but then, maybe feeling her eyes on him, he turns and looks at Nia. They stare at each other for a moment, and a smile forms on my face just watching the amount of love in both their eyes. When the food comes and breaks their moment, Nia looks down, a small smile on her face.
“We have to get together soon. Just us,” I tell her.
“I would like that a lot.” She nods. “As long as you won’t spend it threatening my life over Liam.”
“Oh, I think you already know not to let this smile fool you.” I grin.
“Noted.”
“Did I just hear what I think I heard?” Liam cuts in.
“Yes. But didn’t it sound much better than what you said to Damir?” I accuse.
Liam just laughs. “Just imagine what I would say if you have a girl, and someone tries to date my niece.”
When everyone is done, Liam asks to take a picture with my barely there bump before we go. He basically frames my stomach with his hands as Damir takes the picture. Then I take a picture with Damir.
“Okay, you guys,” I say to Liam and Nia.
I see the smile drop from Nia’s face, but before I can say never mind, Liam wraps him arm around her waist. She hurries to switch to the other side of him though. Her head only comes to his shoulder, and she makes sure to tuck the left side of her face against his chest. I see Liam frown at her action before he kisses her hair and turns his face towards my phone. Finally, we ask the waitress to take a photo of all of us before leaving.
I look over the pictures in the car, knowing Nia will be in all the future photos. Except in the future ones, there’ll be a little boy or girl in them as well.
