All the way back to the house my mind was working overtime. I’d already passed judgment and knew how I wanted this to end, but I had to be real fucking careful going forward.

I needed my wife, needed to be inside her to wipe away the bad taste that had been left by me visiting that place. I need to find a way to erase that shit from her memory and mine.

She was looking more with it by the time we got back to the house and I saw dad had talked her into picking at her food. My baby is strong as fuck. That was my first thought when I saw her sitting there with my kids on her lap.

“You doing okay?” I sat next to her on the couch, still with a firm grip on the kids.

“Yeah, it’s finally hitting me. We have our babies back. I think I wasn’t really breathing this whole time until now.” I pulled her in and kissed her cheek. “I know what you mean. Gimme one!”

I damn near had to wrestle my daughter out of her hand. I heard my heart beat in my ear, as I looked down at her little face. Everything hit me at once like a brick to the chest.

This little being was part of me and my woman. She was a whole person with her mother’s beauty and my lips. Her hair was already a beautiful shade of red and she had a lot of it.

I glanced over at her brother and got a jolt. There was no difference. These two shared everything down to the birthmarks behind their ears. I smell trouble in the years ahead, but I’ll take that shit.

“They look just like you.”

“They have your mouth.” Those few words made me feel ten feet tall. Fuck yeah they had my mouth, and my birthmark. They were all mine for all that they looked like their mother. I drew my daughter in and smelled her hair.

The love welled up inside me like a tsunami and I almost lost my air. I put my arm around Zandi’s shoulders as she held my son. Fuck, this is my whole life right here. And someone I trusted had almost taken them away from me.

I wasn’t ready to think about that shit yet, that’s going to take a lot of time and effort, something I’m not ready to do just yet. I prefer to spend this time focused on my family and getting them settled. Then I can turn my attention to Mindy and this fucked up shit.

“Did you see the cabin?” Her voice was low but I heard the pain nonetheless. I nodded my head, too choked up to answer. When I finally found my voice I told her how proud I was of her for making her escape. If she hadn’t I’d never have known about our kids. Never have been able to save them.

Mike was in and out all evening while I stayed with her and the kids, and mom and dad were never too far away. But once dark came around everyone started to clear out.

Mike must’ve done something because the phone had stopped ringing off the hook a while ago, and there were no strange cars trying to pull into my driveway.

Mike had wanted to stay or at least leave some of his men here with us, but I nixed the idea. Mindy was behind bars until the bail hearing the next day and since she was the only danger to my family I saw no need. “Trust me, no one is getting by me to get to them.”

When it was about time to put the kids down for the night I said goodbye to my parents and brother, and helped her take the kids upstairs.

We bathed them while they slept, the poor little things too beat to even keep their heads up or their eyes open because their mother refused to leave them alone all day. “Do you want them to sleep with us?”

She gave it some thought before shaking her head as she lifted her son from the water and wrapped him in a towel. I followed suit and did the same for our daughter, taking the time to look her over to make sure she was truly okay.

I was still having these little moments of doubt and disbelief that things had turned out the way they had. I know things could’ve ended a whole lot different and for the rest of my life I’ll always be grateful to my wife for saving herself and in so doing, saving our kids as well.

She kissed our son’s head and covered his chest with powder. “I think I need you tonight. We’ll keep the monitors with us. Is that bad?” I was a bit surprised by her answer but didn’t argue as I followed her lead. “No, that’s not bad. I need you too.”

She nodded and I knew she was fighting back tears as we pulled the new pajamas on our kids and cuddled them into our chests.

I knew she was trying to be brave, but I also knew there was no way she was going to get through the night with them in another room. I knew that because I knew I couldn’t do it either.

“I’ll bring one of the cribs into our room just the same.” From the smile she gave me I knew that was what she wanted as well.

Once we got them settled in the one crib it was obvious that they were accustomed to sleeping together the way they wrapped their limbs around each other as they settled down for the night.

We must’ve stood there for a good half hour, neither of us saying anything, just taking in the sight of our children asleep in our home, safe. The events of the day was finally catching up to me and I understood for the first time standing there, just how lucky I am as a man. I’d lost so much, and had come close to giving up all hope a time or two. Now look at my life. It was unreal.

I looked at her through new eyes now. She wasn’t the lost little orphan I’d taken as my bride anymore, but a strong, self-assured woman who’d fought her way back from hell. Such strength, damn!

“You’re dead on your feet babe.” When she rubbed her lower back and winced I took over the task for her. “Why don’t I run you a bath baby?”

“Umm, that sounds good!”

We both laughed when neither of us moved away from the crib, both too excited I guess. “Give me ten minutes then come find me in the bathroom.” I kissed her head and left her standing there.

By the time she walked in I had the tub filled with scented water. “Come ‘ere baby.” I helped her get undressed before shedding my own clothes and stepping into the tub, bringing her with me.

We sat in silence with her seated on my lap as I washed her from head to toe. I was ready when the tension finally broke and she broke down. I held on as her body shook with big heart breaking sobs.

I talked to her through the anguish as she poured out the pain in her heart. The one thing I expected but never heard was an accusation. I realized I’d been blaming myself for not seeing Mindy for what she was, and expecting her to blame me as well, but she didn’t.

“I’m sorry. I brought you into my life to make it better. Who knew that I’d be the one to introduce you to someone who’d do this to you.” It was hard to fathom that I’d been so blind.

Still not wanting to give her anymore of us, I hurried to change the subject. Tomorrow will be time enough to talk about her demented ass. Tonight was for me and my wife.

“It’s not your fault. You’re not responsible for her actions. She chose to do all this on her own and has no one else to blame.” I was pleased that she chose to see things that way, but that didn’t negate the guilt I felt.

I reheated the water twice before lifting her out of the tub. My movements were slow, steady, purposeful, as I dried her off and wrapped her in my robe that was left hanging behind the bathroom door.

“You’ve had one hell of a day sweetheart.” I pulled her in and wrapped my arms around her. I wanted her; there was no denying that fact since my dick was on hard and poking her in the middle.

But right now I just wanted to be close to her. I needed to feel the softness of her skin up against mine, hear the beating of her heart. She felt so small, so delicate. Too soft to have gone through what she had.

She stood still and let me take care of her, even lifting her arms for me to carry her back to our bed. Our children were asleep in the safety of their crib a few feet away from our bed.

I laid her back against the sheets and spread her legs open after removing the robe. Precum was already dripping off the end of my cock as I climbed onto the bed between her spread thighs.

Her eyes followed as I ran my fingers up her thighs to the apex where her pussy was already glistening with her juices. I bent down and inhaled deep, taking her scent into my lungs.

My need was strong, the need to slam my cock deep and fuck until there was nothing left in me, but I reined it in. I pulled back and kept my movements slow, my touch soft and gentle. She just laid there her legs open, watching me.

“Let me have you.” I whispered in her ear as I leaned my body over hers, letting just the tip of my rod rest against her Mons. Her little hands came up and around my back, soothing me with her touch.

She rutted around with her mouth until she found mine and sucked me into a deep slow kiss that made my toes curl and my dick spit cum snot all over her newly shaved cunt.

It was she who pushed her hand between us and grabbed my dick. She lifted one of her legs and used my dick to masturbate her clit, back and forth up and down.

“Put me inside you.” She was running the show, but much more of her teasing and I was gonna have to take the lead again. She bit and licked my jaw playfully and kept rubbing herself with my cock.

Each time I got near her pussy hole she’d pull me back up to her clit and back again, until I thought I would go mad. “Stop torturing me Zandi.” Her sweet laugh was like balm to my soul. And when I slipped out of her hand and into her deep wet cunt, the sound she made- made my heart swell.

I left my cock buried deep until she adjusted, until she dug her nails into my ass to urge me on. Then I started a deep slow ride into her willing cunt that felt like nothing I’d ever felt before.