Valerie
I was still raw from the emotions of Tank coming home, Joyce's death and Morelli's innocence that the girls and I continued living at Rangeman. We were too afraid of going home without Tank and the bodyguards. Tank entered his apartment and plucked me off the couch. He tossed me over his shoulder to take me to bed. "What about the girls?" I asked.
"Staying with Ella for the night," Tank replied. "I've got you all to myself, and you don't have to stay quiet."
"Hmm. I like that. What did I do to deserve you?" I wondered.
Tank silenced me with a kiss. He delivered on his promise to make me scream.
The following morning, Tank kissed my face until I woke up. "Mmm. I could get used to this," I mumbled.
"My love, I want you to move in with me," Tank replied. He brushed the hair off my face to see my eyes.
"Is your house is ready?" I asked.
"Almost," he replied. "Hector installed the security system and the panic room. Your lease on the condo is almost up. I want you and our girls in my house."
I wiped the sweat off Tank's brow. Asking me to move in with him wasn't easy. My unforgivable actions in my past didn't scare him away. "I'd love to. Pierre, I need to ask the girls before I can commit to a decision," I whispered. My daughters loved Tank. They wanted him to be their father. I made too many mistakes in the past to agree without giving it some thought.
"You need time to think," Tank said, understanding what I needed. "Talk to Stephanie and your father. Get their opinions."
"I really don't deserve you," I said, my voice hitched with sadness.
"Valerie, I know you never cheated on me. You haven't touched my money or searched through the cabinets in my office. In your past, you did things Steve thought were unforgivable. There had to be a reason for you to act that way. Talk to Mac and see what she thinks. I only want what's best for you and the girls."
I nodded, unable to form the words of gratitude I felt. Pierre deserved more than getting shackled by a woman with self-image issues and low self-esteem. Stephanie called me out on it before. She introduced me to a therapist to help me get over the programming of my childhood. I thought I got past it, but here it was, rearing its ugly head.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I rolled over to grab it. Tank kept his hand on my hip, ensuring I didn't accidentally roll off the bed. It was impossible since the bed was freakishly huge.
Angie and Mary Alice left messages on my phone. "Say yes to moving in with Tank," the girls wrote.
Smiling, I wrote my response to the girls as Tank read over my shoulder. "Okay," I told the girls. I turned to face Tank. "Pierre, the girls, and I say yes. We will move in with you."
"Yes!" Tank yelled. Tank rolled until I was beneath him. His weight wasn't too much for me. I loved the feeling of his nakedness on mine. We made slow love to celebrate. Pierre Sherman was all I ever wanted or needed in a man. His unwavering support, affection and love made Mom's admonitions worth it.
Day by day, week after week and month after month, my love for Tank grows. I couldn't imagine my life without him. He was everything I wanted and needed in a man. Tank lived with me at the condo until the lease ended. We moved into his house the previous day. Stephanie and Carlos lived in the house beside ours.
My man purchased a bed fit for a king. I swore he got it custom-made to fit his height. Everything in our house appeared to be handmade. "Where did you get the furniture?" I asked while getting dressed for work.
"An Amish community," Tank replied. "I ordered the custom furniture online. They asked for the measurements. It took a few months to make the pieces. I got Binkie and Hal to pick up everything."
"The furniture is gorgeous," I said, running my hand along the dresser. You couldn't buy furniture like that at IKEA.
"I got them to make the dressers and beds for the girls, too," Tank announced. My mouth opened from shock. I wondered how he got Mary Alice's headboard with the paddock of horses carved into the wood. It was a beautiful work of art. Angie's headboard was a bookshelf. She put her favourite books on the shelves.
"You must have paid a fortune for the furniture. It's too much, Pierre," I whispered.
"Little One, I bought furniture to last for many years. We shouldn't have to replace the furniture. I hope we can pass them down to our grandchildren."
I couldn't wait to carry Pierre's baby. Hopefully, he would want a child before I get too old. Getting married wasn't crucial to Pierre. He was already committed to me. I want to have his children. However, getting married was important to me because I wanted Pierre to adopt the girls. How could I tell him? Pierre had valid reasons for his stance on marriage.
A warm, dark hand waved in front of my face. I shook my head of the thoughts. "Please, talk to me. What's on your mind?" Pierre asked.
"I want to have your child. I want you to adopt the girls," I replied. The fear of rejection had me staring at my hands. My horrible marriage to Steve didn't taint my desire to marry Pierre. I wanted that stupid piece of paper. Having Pierre as my daughters' legal and adoptive father would mean something to Angie and Mary Alice.
Pierre nodded but didn't say anything. I basically told Pierre to marry me. Oh God. What have I done? Pierre lifted my chin and pressed his lips to mine. "I love you," he said.
"I love you, too," I whispered as my insecurities attempted to engulf me. Pierre wrapped his arms around me. He didn't acknowledge my announcement regarding the adoption. I understood his marriage stance but couldn't help wanting to be his wife. Why did I have to open my big mouth? Did I ruin our relationship?
Mom wanted me to marry Joseph Morelli. I don't want to travel down that path. The girls' classmates stopped teasing them about their father being a murderer. I was miserable being married to a Burg man. He never helped with the chores. Not even to take out the garbage.
Pierre helps with all the household chores. He loves to cook. Living with Pierre was easy. It was the healthiest relationship of my life. I couldn't love him more.
We left the house and drove to Rangeman. Pierre and I usually talked about our responsibilities for that day, but we remained silent. Angie and Mary Alice whispered in the backseat. I couldn't hear their words.
Tank
I reacted poorly to Valerie's announcement of wanting me to adopt her daughters. Angie and Mary Alice are part of my life with Valerie. I wanted to adopt them, but as Hunter said, it would be best if I married Valerie Plum.
The mere thought of proposing made my skin break out in sweat. Valerie wasn't Shaniqua. There couldn't be a more significant difference between the two women. They were opposites.
I was afraid to talk about it to Valerie. She knew the story and encouraged me to speak to a therapist. It would help me move past the devastation I felt about my ex-girlfriend. I only visited the therapist after missions and other traumas I suffered during my military career. Discussing how I felt about Shaniqua seemed trivial.
Valerie and the girls jumped from the car when I parked it in my spot. Nobody said goodbye or have a nice day. They just vanished behind the elevator doors. I rubbed a hand down my face and settled the palm against my neck. Gently, I massaged the base of my skull to ward off the tension headache I felt building.
Unable to prolong the inevitable, I exited my car. I swiped my fob on the panel beside the stairway door. It unlocked with a soft snick. We didn't have a meeting, so I took my time getting to the fifth floor. When I opened the staircase door, I found Stephanie waiting on the other side where I expected to find her.
The expression on Stephanie's face was frightening. She was furious with me. I slumped my shoulders in resignation, realizing I likely deserved the scolding I would receive behind closed doors.
Stephanie followed me into my office. She closed, then locked the door. I waited for Stephanie to take a seat behind my desk. Then, I sat in the visitor's chair. "What the hell happened this morning?" Stephanie demanded.
"Valerie wants me to adopt the girls," I replied. Stephanie crossed her arms and leaned forward until her elbows rested on my desk.
"Is that all?" Stephanie asked. "Why can't you do that?"
"Hunter said the judge would be more agreeable if I married Valerie."
"Oh," Stephanie said, leaning back in her chair and uncrossing her arms. "Don't you want to adopt them?"
"I do, but it's complicated." Stephanie rolled her eyes.
"It's only complicated if you make it complicated. Give me the name of the bitch who broke your heart," Stephanie ordered. I smiled at my best friend's wife. She didn't miss a trick. Stephanie sighed when I refused to comply. "Fine! Tell me what the bitch did, or is that a State secret too?"
I laughed at her assumption. "Shaniqua and I grew up together in Miami. We were inseparable. I got the courage to ask her on a date in high school. Shaniqua was fun and loved partying. We got carried away a few times and invited a third person into our bed. Most of the time, it was another female—her friend, Melissa. A few times, it was another man. I found it challenging to share her with another man or woman. She had sex with the partners while I watched," I replied.
Stephanie appeared surprised. Valerie kept her promise to me and held my sordid past to herself. "That's because you're the one man—one woman type of guy," Stephanie said. "You weren't tempted to fuck the other women?" It was a crude way of asking if I participated in the clusterfuck of limbs. The only woman I wanted was Shaniqua.
"No. I loved Shaniqua. She needed variety, and I went along with whatever she desired," I replied, sighing from the pain. I rubbed the spot above my heart, a motion Stephanie didn't miss.
"What does that have to do with marriage?" Stephanie quietly asked.
"During a difficult mission, I decided it was time to propose to Shaniqua. We had talked about marriage. She agreed to keep other men and women from our bed if we married. Knowing what I wanted, Shaniqua offered to stop inviting men and women to our bed. I assumed she meant immediately; she thought I meant after I proposed," I replied. "Shaniqua said she never slept with anyone during my deployments. I foolishly believed her."
Stephanie patiently waited for me to get my emotions under control. She rounded the desk to sit beside me and hold my hands. "It's okay, Tank. I'm not judging you," Stephanie whispered.
"I visited my grandma before going home. I entered my apartment with the engagement ring safely tucked inside my pocket. Shaniqua was in bed with Melissa and Jaylen, our best friends since elementary school. I was devastated. She lied. Melissa giggled and said, "He's home a week early." They continued pleasuring each other as I stood and watched. I grabbed my valuables and left. Shaniqua begged me to take her back. "It was one last time," she pleaded. I couldn't trust Shaniqua and broke up with her. A few days later, I wrote the tests and underwent the training in the Rangers," I explained. "Shaniqua never understood that I needed more than that type of relationship."
Stephanie wrapped her arms around me. "What Shaniqua did was unforgivable. She lied and cheated anyway. You're letting Shaniqua occupy space in your head for free. Don't give her that power. Are you afraid Valerie would do the same?" Stephanie asked. Stephanie kissed my cheek and folded her hands on her thighs. She pushed her chair a few inches away by pushing off with her feet.
"She cheated on Steve at the bachelorette party," I replied. "What makes you think she won't do that again?"
"Tank, I'm not going to let that happen. Most importantly, Valerie wouldn't do that to you. She loves you very much. Valerie's supposed to meet Bobby for her birth control shot. I suggest stopping her if you want a child soon," Stephanie kindly said.
My heart was filled with love and affection for my future sister-in-law. I couldn't wait to have children with Valerie. "I need to stop that from happening," I said.
"Good for you, Tank. I'm proud of you," Stephanie said, giggling. "Oh, Tank?" Stephanie asked when I unlocked the door.
"Give Valerie the ring, then elope," Stephanie suggested. Eloping was an excellent suggestion. I wondered how Valerie would feel about it.