Page 20 of Wicked Devotion

“When is the funeral?”

Fuck. As much as he hated it, he had to be truthful with her. “You girls aren’t going.”

“What? Why?” she cried out.

“It’s not safe.”

“It’s my father’s funeral, Rafael.”

“I know.”

“Can I at least see him one more time? You could sneakme in the back of the building.”

He wiped a hand down his face. “Baby, Eldora had him cremated already.”

Any color she’d had washed away with her despair. She started rocking herself and mumbling, but no tears had come, which he worried about.

“Can I hold you?”

She held out a hand when he took a step toward her. “No. Can you give me some time alone?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you right now.”

“Please! Give me this.”

Rafael sighed and nodded. “I’ll be up to check on you in a bit.” He wasn’t sure she heard him because she had turned away and walked back to the window.

He told Maggie what happened and then waited thirty minutes and deemed that was plenty of time. His heart plummeted at the sight of her in the middle of their bed, rolled up in a tight ball and rocking. His stomach twisted when he heard the low sounds that came from her. It reminded him of a hurt dog he’d seen years ago.

He sat beside her and set his hand on her arm. “Baby, let me hold you.”

She shook her head. “It hurts, Rafael. It hurts so much.”

“I know, Baby, let me help.”

“You can’t. My heart feels like it’s dying, and my stomach gets tighter every minute that goes by, and it won’t go away.”

“Have you cried, Baby?”

“I can’t. It’s stuck inside of me. Just leave me alone.”

“Never.” He gathered her in his arms and lifted her.

She struggled a bit but then collapsed against him when he tightened his grip on her. “Where are we going?”

“In a room I have in the basement. It’s the best place for what I have in mind.”

“I just want to lie down.”

“You will. After.”

He put in the code for the lock and opened the door. He walked down into a dark room that was as familiar to him as his bedroom because he spent a lot of time down there with friends who were into the lifestyle and women who were there to have a good time. Now, he had Faith, and she was all he needed.

He took her into one of the soundproof rooms and closed the door. He stripped her quickly.

She slapped at his hands. “Wait. What are you doing?”

“I’m going to get you to cry before it destroys you.”

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