A stone lodged in my throat, keeping the thought of moving him next to his mother to myself. Then I said, “This is the first time I’ve come to see him. I couldn’t do it even though he deserved to be visited the most.”
“They both do,” Kendra said, latching on to the crook of my arm.
I smiled. “I was close to killing myself during visits to Nora. But I knew that if I came here, I might actually pull the trigger.”
Kendra placed her hand on my face and forced me to look into her gorgeous eyes.
“After their deaths, I was empty. I had nothing left to live for. Waking up each morning, I was miserable. I didn’t deserve to live. Not alone. Not without them.”
Kendra’s eyes watered as she listened.
“Then I met you, and the spark inside me was back.” The corners of my eyes crinkled into a smile. “I love you, Bella. I want to be with you forever.”
“And you will.”
Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I leaned down and kissed her.
“There is something I’ve been keeping from you,” she said, still holding my face.
My skull floated up as I felt my lungs squeeze the air out. Lightheaded, everything stopped. Including the breeze rustling the trees.
Reaching behind her back, Kendra handed me a small black and white image. I blinked and focused my eyes before saying, “Is this...”
Kendra covered her mouth, nodded, and began laughing.
I glanced to the ultrasound photo again. Then I caged her in my arms, lifted her off the ground, and spun around in several circles before we collapsed onto the ground.
Laying on top of me, Kendra stared into my eyes and I swore I heard Patrick begin to giggle. “I love you, Kelly Black.”
She crashed her lips over my mouth, thrusting her tongue deep into my mouth. We rolled around like young lovers in the night, not caring that our clothes were getting covered in grass.
Suddenly, my cell phone rang.
Kendra’s smile faded.
My heart stopped beating.
“It’s the mayor,” I said, checking the display screen.
Kendra rolled off of me, stood, and brushed her clothes clean.
“Bentley, what can I do for you?” I answered.
“When can you start?”
I perched myself up on one hand and glanced to Kendra. She stood and watched intently, nibbling on her nails. “You got Angel?”
“Would I be calling otherwise?”
“It’s over.”
“It’s over.”
Thank you for reading Black Surrender. If you enjoyed the series, and would like to see more from this crazy world and the characters who live it, or a spinoff of it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Even a few words would be appreciated and will help persuade what book I will write for you next.
Afterword
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Also by CJ Thomas
City by the Bay series
Ruin Me
Save Me
Take Me
Control Me
Tempt Me
Hollywood Dreams series
Big Willy Box Set
Beyond Tonight Box Set
On My Knees Box Set
Capture Me
Heat
Hard
A Kelly Black Affair
Black Desire
Black Demands
Black Obsession
Black Regrets
Black Promises
Black Escape
Black Surrender
High Stakes Billionaires
This is Love
Accidentally in Love
Acknowledgment
I want to thank all of my readers for being supportive with each new story I write. It’s because of you and your willingness to WANT to read my stories that make this all possible. Mwah!
I also want to thank my editor, LNS, for bringing my stories to life and constantly providing constructive advice on how to improve my craft. The same goes to my street team and beta readers, for without you, I’m not sure I would have the confidence to continue living inside my characters’ heads day after day.
And last but not least, my family for giving me the love and inspiration to keep writing.
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