Valiant's POV
"Sweetheart?" I heard Papa calling out to me. "Where did you go? I have been here for over ten minutes, watching you. Are you okay?"The memories were pushed back to the dark recesses of my mind as I dropped my eyes to my feet. I don't want him to see me like this his face reminded me of the one I wanted to hold."Listen darling, it doesn't look like you two have reconciled. I'm gonna take Buddy and the guys out hunting for a few hours. Madre has Regal, and you should take that time and head into town.""The guys?" I stammered.I hadn't seen them in well over a year and hadn't spoken to them in about four months when they called to congratulate me on having the baby. I missed them so much, especially Todd."Yeah, they got in a few days ago but had some things to sort out with Reece. They are staying a few more days. Maybe you'll see them before you ship." He earnestly replied, not knowing that I needed their support to help me. It was strange that Todd hadn't at least texted me."Papa?" I asked, "do you think he'll ever forgive me?"He took off his hat, which is how I know he was serious and affectionate. "Yes, he'll forgive you, but it'll take him some time, so hang in there."Papa kissed my forehead and nose, and then he hugged me. "Don't worry, he loves you too much to not want you back.""Okay, Papa, I trust you. Have a good hunt."We both stood and went in different directions. I saw Reece standing at the back of his pickup truck, loading guns and other equipment into the bed. He never looked my way, but I could tell he knew I was there by the way his jaw tightened.I made my way to Madre, who was lying down on the bed with Regal in the nursery. Reece and I hadn't laid down together in that bed with our son yet, and I was hoping we could this trip. It would be a first."Madre, I'm going to go out into town to do a little shopping. Do you need anything?" I was whispering so as not to wake up the cute little boy next to her.She lazily shook her head and blew me a kiss. It was her way of saying I love you.I pulled on my cowboy boots and threw on my cattlemen style hat that Papa gifted me when I first arrived at the ranch. I had straightened my hair again, so it hung down my back to the top of my butt in soft cascades of brown and natural medium brown low lights.Deciding to wear some cut-off denim shorts and a loose-fitting blue plaid vest with a snug white tank underneath, I made the look work. I slung across my body a brown leather saddle bag purse and spun slowly in the mirror.My baby fat had already melted off, and I was back to pre-pregnacy weight and muscle tone. Maybe if he saw me, he would remember his desire for me. I emptied out of the room and went to the garage.I chose to drive the G-Wagen today as it was rugged, luxurious, and spacious, and I enjoyed being lifted off the ground. It was matte gray in color. That choice was his, but I'm sure it was indicative of our situation.Reece thought I needed an upgrade from the car Ro had given me when I was a senior in high school. He also said that it was off-road capable. I personally think he wanted to show off to his former friend that he could do better for me.Coming to terms with his level of pettiness took some time. It's a reality that had begun to extend to me, and I despised it so much that I almost lashed out at him in frustration more than a few times over the last several days.Getting into town was easy, it was about thirty minutes from the house, and the day was full of activities as people walked about doing what felt good.I went into one of the baby stores to get some things for Regal that I thought he could use. Perusing the racks, I heard the sound of the safety on a gun click behind me and hard metal dug into my shoulder. Then, a sultry voice followed, making the hairs in my body stand at attention."I can't believe my luck! How is it that you're always where you're not supposed to be?" Her voice irritated me to no end, and I just knew she wasn't going to let me off easily."I would say it's a pleasant surprise, but I'm not pleased. What do you want now, Lettie? You got what you said you wanted."The grit in my voice rose up like a dust storm threatening to sandblast this worthless bịtch back to the hell she came from.Her dark laughter came with a cynical retort."Yeah, I figured you'd be hard pressed to live and let live. Bygones should be just that... but you're still bitter.""Funny how you say that yet, you've got the gun in my back..." The snide remark left my lips while my mind reminded me of the danger.She inched toward my ear, knocking my hat off just a little, "Let's take a walk. We'll let Shields know I'm here soon enough. I'm sure he had a bone to pick with me."I dropped the clothes into my cart and walked whichever direction she nudged me to with my hands down by my side, swinging as natural as possible."Lettie, please, my son is at home. Please don't do this."She led me to a darkly tinted, navy colored SUV, and a man in casual clothing opened the door for us. Being pushed in, I found a young girl holding a little baby boy bouncing him on her knee."You think I care that you've got a son? I've got one, too. Can you guess where his father is? You and your beau dismantled my future. I here for my pounds of flesh."Closing the door herself, she slapped my face, and the baby started to cry when i whimpered. "Where is he? He needs to know I got his brownie now.""If I don't come back soon enough, he will know Lettie. You know him. He won't take it lightly and his parents, well, when you meet them, it'll be worse than a curse. They don't play about their kids."No sooner than I said this, did she slip a dark cover over my head. The car started, and we sped off. I had no idea where she was taking me, although I tried counting stops and turns, but it was useless, I didn't know the area well enough.We came to a stop, and everyone got down from the vehicle, I was pulled mercilessly down until I stumbled, almost rolling my ankle. The temperature changed from hot to cold as we entered into what felt like a warehouse or some type of industrial type house. It was wide open and echoed with any noise made."Valiant, you're still young, so naive and too trusting. My husband didn't really want you. You were just a means to an end, and Reece doesn't want you either."My head turned in the direction of her voice, but I was still just as blind. Someone stepped closer to me, and I heard bullets being loaded into a revolver. It's better to use if one doesn't want jamming. Reece had taught me a lot about guns.I remained calm as I began to spin my diamond promise ring. I hope what she said isn't true, I never wanted anyone more than I wanted, Reece, and I needed him to take me back."Juan, get her a cot. She'll be our guest tonight. Tie her hands to the front. We need to see all her movements. Her beau is a clever man. He was indeed one of the best."Closing the door herself, she slapped my face, and the baby started to cry when i whimpered. "Where is he? He needs to know I got his brownie now.""If I don't come back soon enough, he will know Lettie. You know him. He won't take it lightly and his parents, well, when you meet them, it'll be worse than a curse. They don't play about their kids."No sooner than I said this, did she slip a dark cover over my head. The car started, and we sped off. I had no idea where she was taking me, although I tried counting stops and turns, but it was useless, I didn't know the area well enough.We came to a stop, and everyone got down from the vehicle, I was pulled mercilessly down until I stumbled, almost rolling my ankle. The temperature changed from hot to cold as we entered into what felt like a warehouse or some type of industrial type house. It was wide open and echoed with any noise made."Valiant, you're still young, so naive and too trusting. My husband didn't really want you. You were just a means to an end, and Reece doesn't want you either."My head turned in the direction of her voice, but I was still just as blind. Someone stepped closer to me, and I heard bullets being loaded into a revolver. It's better to use if one doesn't want jamming. Reece had taught me a lot about guns.I remained calm as I spun my diamond promise ring. I hope what she said isn't true, I never wanted anyone more than I wanted, Reece, and I needed him to take me back."Juan, get her a cot. She'll be our guest tonight. Tie her hands to the front. We need to see all her movements. Her beau is a clever man. He is indeed one of the best."Roman's POVIt's been a few days and I was at a loss. Val had finally left me, I knew it was coming. I waited with bated breath for her to tell me sooner than later of her plans to disconnect. Even before we moved from Georgia to Texas, I knew she was in love with Reece and only with me out of obligation. He was the good guy, everyone loved him and he was great at everything. Of course, she would fall for him. It was evident that Valiant couldn't resist his charms. He had told me about her before I had seen her with Jonas. Reece came into my apartment one night smelling of whisky and sex rambling about how he'd try to get her out of his mind. That night, he was with a girl he'd been dating for a few months, but he couldn't finish the do with her because his mind was clouded with this new woman. He'd broken it off with his constant, telling her he was interested in someone else. Needless to say, it didn't go over well. There was a big fight. Anyway, fast forward a few months, and I
Roman's POVThat night, I took her in every position testing her limits and when she said that she couldn't, I adjusted. I needed her for more than the one reason I sought her out. When I was done with her, she'd passed out from the multiple orgasms I had given her. I looked at her tangled hair, sweat laced body and her deep and settled aura of sated desire. Beyond gorgeous, a bevy of emotions washed over me. The next morning I dictated to her what my expectations were, assuming my unspoken position of authority as her boyfriend. I would fūck her into submission if she challenged me now knowing how she responded to my efforts on last night.Her kinks were whatever mine were and whatever her body could handle. This was too easy. Over breakfast I announced, "I'm meeting your family today, so call them and let them know." Her complexion paled and she protested. "I think we should wait, I'm not ready for you to meet them." The sass that dripped off of her made me batten down my domin
AUTHOR'S POVWhile Roman considered all that had transpired up until he found out her secret, he was angry at himself. All in his life was being upended because he was too gullible and sloppy. The same people he was trying to either evade or placate stay close to him. So close that they were his shadows. He had considered all the ways he had tried to woo Valiant Williams and make her submit to him completely, but she was too intelligent. The woman was older than her age and wiser than any tree owl. She had book and common sense, and her background made her a triple threat by making her street wise. The o lnly thing missing was her exposure to it all in the real world, and thanks to Ro, he was showing her how to get her credit hours. The natural way she made friends and deciphered her enemies was too scary. It was like God had given her His eyes, and she could disrupt rules while making new ones that everyone had to abide by. There were no decisions that she made without having a go
Valiant's POV My body had started to ache while laying on the cot, the mattress was unbearably thin causing my body weight to sink into the sharp metal coils. I laid there exhausted from fear and lack of patience waiting to be discovered as missing and rescued by the man who currently resented me. In my head and before my eyes that were closed, I cursed Roman in my head. He was the reason I was caught up with Lettie in the first place. She was the one he cheated on me with right before he discharged the army. She was the other woman. I was incredibly incensed and outrageously pissed off at the whole scandal. They literally made my sins look like white out and plain printer paper. This crazy bịtch was the bain of my existence and my dislike for her was turning into hatred. The kind of hatred that would cause a person to go Norman Bates, functional and psycho all in one slaying. Lettie's only goal in life was to annoy the hell out of me until I banged my head on the pavement in a
Reece's POV Dad had taken me and the guys out to the cabin in the hills to hunt but little did I know it was also for an intervention. I guess they'd grown tired of my stubborn ways in not forgiving Val. This girl had hurt me more than anyone I've ever met in my life. I loved her and was proving to her that I could and would protect, provide and love her and our son. Yeah, granted I had left some very big important things out concerning who I was and some of the covert missions I had to complete but I know she would never understand or go for a guy like me. I had been told that I was good looking and desired by many women but I could care less. Shockingly to many, I wasn't the sleep around type. My parents taught me to respect myself and to respect anyone I was interested in. They had married young and had me young so I always wanted marriage and children. Besides that, my familial heritage was really wealthy. I was careful not let it slip and amass a groupie or goldigging fiasco
Valiant's POV Drifting off to sleep I silently prayed for God to reunite me with my baby. I missed him, his smell, his smile and his father's eyes. Regal. His name came when I first saw him and he gazed at me after an emergency c-section. He looked like an heir, spitting image of his handsome daddy. I had just found out two of Reece's biggest secrets and the stress of it all sent me into early labor. "Our little prince." I cooed to my son and he stared into my eyes and for a moment I felt his power. The blood of a warrior, mind of a mogul and aura of kingship. I could see his eyes searching while his brain worked to register my face and I'm sure his heart knew me as mother. "Regal?" I asked him. He made a cute face and began rooting with his lips. I placed him on the teat closest to him and he began drawing out from me. "Regal?" He stopped and stared again. "Your name is Regal Vincent Shields. Your father is Reece Dietrich Shields and I am your mother, Valiant Desiree William
Valiant's POV And the arguments continued. This time, I was being rightfully accused about having my feelings mixed up for another man who just so happened to be a very close and trusted friend. Dinner was ate in silence. We cleaned in silence. We battled the silence. I spoke first winning the stand off. "Roman, is everything okay?" "I don't know. You tell me. You and Reece are close. Do you want him? I know he'd never cross the line with you." I stared at the pattern of twisted and coiled fabrics of the carpet on the floor mapping whatever was in my head. "I trust him. He's saved my life more than once. But you...all the guys love you. They protect you." His lamentations were straining to make sense to him and to me. "Roman, it's nothing like that. It's harder for me to be as open with you because I've been intimate with you and now that you know everything I feel dirty somehow." Time to come clean. Almost. "I feel like your touches and your aggression will put me in a more
Author's POV The two of them stood looking at each other in shock. Not expecting to have to met like this. Again, her needing his help. The stare down was intense and neither one of them seemed to have known what to do. It'd been far too long that they'd hugged or kissed but they loved and desired each other all the same as the first time they acknowledged their true feelings. Valiant's eyes went watery and trails of tears raced down her cheeks, stinging the tracks of scratches and hung dangerously on her chin threatening to stain anything on the fall down. Reece's jaws tensed as he took in her bruised and battered state. "Baby. I'm sorry." His words were trapped and barely emitted from his throat as he went down to his knees. He held his hands out to her. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you, I'm sorry I spent all these months being upset with you. I'm sorry I kept the worse secrets. Please come to me." Val sobbed in silence as she looked at her brave prince. She'd seen him down l