“Before Stone’s friend came to see me, I had a visit from his brothers. Humphrey and Vale were the ones who found him. They told me what they saw. It all squared with what the cops found. Humphrey says he was in no shape to talk to any of the family-to tell us what happened, which is why they contacted Aaron. He and Vale told me everything, except that Vale already suspected Stone was gay.”
“Ah Li, the kid wouldn’t have wanted to put that on his brother given the situation.”
“Athena knew Vale went to Stone with that story. Mr. Billups told me Stone told her that.”
Nandi stiffened. “What are you getting at, Li?”
“Before Stone’s friend came my way with this, I thought Humphrey and Vale killed their brother.”
“Li.” Nandi looked faint. “You can’t be serious.”
Liam smirked. “People enjoy marveling over my sense of perception. I never despised it more than I did while my sons talked about their brother taking his own life.”
“And then Stone’s friend confirmed it.”
“Did he, Ric? Or did I just take the olive branch the boy didn’t realize he was giving me?”
“You can’t believe this, Li. Humphrey and Vale they, they’re just kids.”
“You just said it, Ric, they’re grown up now. Time for me to stop telling myself there’s more I can do.”
“Where are you going with this, Li?”
Liam rolled his eyes. “Where can I go with it? I certainly can’t go to the cops and have them investigate my sons.”
“Sure you can, if you truly believe them capable of this.”
“They’re my sons, Ric. And Stone...he was tortured by the secret he kept. As long as there’s a hint of doubt, I can’t believe they could’ve been so monstrous as to take his life.”
“Can you live with that, Li?”
“I’ll have to. Same as I have to live with the fact that I no longer trust two of my sons.”
~32~
Far Rockaway, New York~ 2 weeks later...
As he had done for Gabriel and Giselle, Liam gifted the second pair of Tesano newlyweds with a new home.
Roman and Imani shied away from the kind of stately digs Liam had presented to Gabriel and Giselle, opting for something more modest. Additionally, Roman wanted a place he owned-not something he saw as a rich kid’s gift. Imani; enjoying her role as the dutiful wife, supported her husband’s decision. In the end, father and son compromised. Roman bought the house. Liam insisted on paying the taxes and got his wish.
~~~
The new homeowners wasted no time making their house a home. In addition to selecting wall colors and furnishings, this meant a thorough breaking in of every room.
Beyond the more obvious connotations of the phrase, Imani decided it was past time she and her husband enjoyed their first meal in their new place. Understandably, they had been spending much of their time with family following Stone’s shocking death. Imani knew Roman was hurting in ways he had not revealed to her or, she suspected, to anyone. She didn’t push, only made the silent decision to keep her husband’s mind from his troubles as much as possible when they were together.
~~~
Imani turned from the stove when the back door slammed. “You’re early!” she told Roman who had said he had a full day of meetings when he left that morning. “I thought we’d have our first meal at home tonight. I was going to get dressed while everything was simmering.”
Roman dropped his keys to the table, along with his suit coat and tie. “Don’t bother,” he said.
Before her quick mind could register what he was planning, Roman had Imani on the counter and was pushing the short white robe from her shoulders.
Imani reached over to adjust the heat under the curry. She’d just managed to turn down the heat, when her eyes blurred in reaction to what his mouth was doing to the underside of her breast. Roman dined on the plump curve below the puckered nipple.
Urgency fueled Roman’s actions in a way that could have churned her curiosity had arousal not held her in such a remarkable grip.
“Roman-”
“Not now, Imani,” his words were wrapped in a ragged moan against her chest.
Imani could feel his fist pressing into her abdomen as he feverishly undid his silver gray trousers and freed himself of the black boxers beneath. He claimed her with a swift, possessive plunge that had them both crying out. Imani’s hands were curved over the sides of the sink, her back arched and head thrown back in happy surrender to the long, rhythmic slides that stretched her wider with every vigorous advance. Her braids slapped the sink’s stainless steel surface until Roman gathered a wealth of them in his fist and used the leverage to angle her head and make room for his face to disappear in the side of her neck while he shuddered his satisfaction.
Soon, he was changing their positions. Using one arm to lift her smoothly from the counter, he settled down to the first chair he found at their small kitchen table. He sat Imani astride him and groaned out a savage curse when his sex found hers again.
Imani pushed Roman’s shirt from his shoulders and then her fingers were pushing into the dense mass of onyx covering his head as he pounded into her. His hold on her hips was crushing, but not bruising. Still, the chair squeaked countless protests in reaction to the treatment it suffered.
Roman cursed again, that time pairing the oath with a brutal blow to the table when he came. Imani choked a cry into his shoulder in reaction to the strong jets of his release flooding her. Instinctively, her core muscles seized his wide length that still managed to satisfy even as it transitioned to a semi hard state.
They came down slowly from their high. Imani’s grip in Roman’s hair eased into a caress that she combined with a rocking embrace.
~~~
Roman and Imani didn’t bother with getting dressed following their romp. Roman slipped back into the trousers he’d kicked across the kitchen floor. He made no effort to fasten them. Imani donned the short robe she’d been wearing. She didn’t try looking for its belt.
Their main course was Caril de Caraguejo, a Mozambican Crab Curry. The dish was influenced by three of the region’s main cultures-Arabic, Portuguese and, of course, African. It was a filling meal served with rich, fresh vegetables and broiled fish.
