The Loyal Wife

by B. Love

Genres: Psychological Thrillers

Synopsis

An emotionally charged psychological thriller that will leave fans breathless as they bear witness to the lengths a wife will go to honor her vows. An addictive page turner for fans of twisty plots in the same vein of Colleen Hoover’s Verity.

Perfect wife… Perfect life… until you can’t remember either.

The moment Dante Williams wakes up on the side of the road, unsure of where he is or who he is, his life changes for the worse. After a brief stay in the hospital, Dante is released to the care of his loving wife, Sade. Sade is beautiful, successful, and loyal. So loyal, she devotes herself to Dante indefinitely, hoping this will help him appreciate what he has—his life and his wife. 

While seemingly having it all, their perfect marriage isn’t enough to keep Dante from digging up the past in hopes of recovering his memory. It isn’t long before he begins questioning Sade’s behavior and intentions. Once secrets start to unravel, Dante is left more confused than the day following the accident. 

When Dante discovers evidence of something more sinister at play, he prepares to end his marriage but learns quickly that Sade meant every word in her vows and plans to honor them, until death.

Release date: February 20, 2024

Publisher: Black Odyssey Media

Print pages: 288

Sample

Dante

They were fucking screwed—there was no doubt about that. They were all going to prison, and at that point, Dante could do nothing about it.

Worse, from the looks of it, someone was setting Dante up to take the fall.

Since he was the one who handled the taxes for their company, it was Dante’s responsibility to make sure every dime they brought in and paid out was accounted for. His heart raced and thumped harder against his rib cage as he swiped from one page to another.

None of it made any sense.

There were incorrect amounts on payroll invoices and financial statements, imaginary customers who hadn’t received services were billed, and many customers appeared to have been charged two or three times the amount they should have been. Tossing the papers onto his desk, Dante sat deeper in his seat and released a slow, tired breath.

When he opened his credit repair, loans, taxes, and investment business five years ago, it was with the belief that his partners all had the same intentions as him. His wife and their best friends, Eric and Jessica, were the closest people to Dante. If there was anyone he trusted with his life and business, it was them. Now, Dante had to figure out who was stealing from him and their customers... and quickly.

Their accountant was expecting their financial documents in seventy-two hours to start preparing their taxes for the previous quarter. How in the hell would he explain this mess that someone had created? Dante couldn’t focus on that. Right now, he needed to call an emergency meeting to figure out who was stealing from their company and why.

But would they actually tell me?

Dante’s head shook as he sat up in his seat. Looking around at the papers sprawled against his dark brown desk, he gritted his teeth as he thought over his next move. There was no doubt someone was stealing, but they probably wouldn’t just come outright and say it. Whoever it was would need to be confronted with irrefutable evidence. As he scratched the back of his head, Dante decided to call one of his tech friends to have some software downloaded on everyone’s computers in the office. Then he’d have cameras installed. If that didn’t help him catch whoever it was in the act, he’d inform his wife and seek her help.

Grabbing his phone, Dante decided to go and search everyone’s offices. Their office was on the ninth floor of a twelve-floor building. When guests first entered, they stopped at the light-colored reception area before being guided to Dante or someone else for help. His wife’s office was right next to his, but he decided to save hers for last. She was his life partner; Dante was confident she had nothing to do with this.

Starting with Eric, Dante went into his best friend’s office. They had been friends for over fifteen years. He prayed he wouldn’t find anything proving Eric stole from their company and customers. Though Eric had always been ambitious, it was never to the point where he’d take what didn’t belong to him and risk going to prison. Dante entered the dark office, heading first to Eric’s iMac. If he were falsifying statements, they would have to be done on his computer, right?

“Of course not. Eric isn’t stupid enough to do this on his office computer,” Dante grumbled, sitting down. “But I have to check at least,” he decided, typing Eric’s password into the computer.

Once he was logged in, Dante went through Eric’s 2023 files, coming up empty. Everything seemed to be correct, which didn’t surprise him. If anyone was up to something corrupt, it had to be Jessica. She was Eric’s wife and the person Dante trusted the least. He made his way to her office, coming up empty there too. Jessica printed all her clients’ files, making it easy for him to scan each one.

Dante was about to leave, but when he passed his wife’s office, he felt the urge to go inside. Before going to her desk, he looked around, trying to convince himself it would be a waste of time. Her office was immaculate, as always. The green and silver décor matched her home office. He walked over to her customized silver desk, running his fingers across it. Releasing a low breath, Dante glanced at the pictures of them behind her desk before sitting down.

Her iMac desktop and laptop were on her desk. He started with her laptop, surprised when he realized she’d changed the password. Dante released a low hum and briefly tapped his fingers on top of the desk.

“What are you hiding?” he mumbled, going to her desktop when none of the passwords he tried on the laptop worked. That password was still the same, causing Dante to sigh in relief. Instead of going through the files on her desktop, he accessed her iCloud, where he found fictitious statements and invoices mirroring the ones in his office.

Refusing to believe his wife was the one committing fraud, Dante immediately logged out of her computer and returned to his office. He just sat there for a while, staring out into the darkness. It was a little after midnight, and the downtown streets of Memphis were eerily quiet. Standing, Dante made his way to the large window on the side of his office. Hands stuffed in his gray slacks, Dante cursed under his breath.

If she’s stealing from the company, there must be a reason.

If she’s stealing from the company, what else is she doing behind my back?

He tried to think of anything over the past few months that may have hinted at his wife’s greed, but Dante was coming up empty. Nothing was out of the ordinary—no big, unexplained purchases or unaccounted-for money deposits. His mind played scenario after scenario of what his wife could have been into.

Well, if he was honest with himself, there didn’t have to be any unusual extravagant purchases because his wife was extravagant herself. If anything, her not spending a lot of money would have been more surprising than seeing that she was.

“No,” he whispered, leaving his office to return to hers. “There has to be a reason. Maybe someone is setting her up to take the fall, just like they set me up to find these statements.” Nibbling his bottom lip, Dante paused in the hallway. “Who has the most to gain by getting my wife and me out of the business?”

He scratched his brow as his eyes shifted from Eric’s door to Jessica’s. Or was it one of their executive assistants? All four of them had access to their clients and files. Dante hadn’t considered them before, but he was willing to consider just about anything or anyone to prove his wife’s innocence.

As his hand covered her doorknob, Dante’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, surprised to see his cousin’s name and picture so late at night. Chelsea worked for the Memphis Branch of the FBI; if she was calling, it couldn’t be for anything good. Either something had happened to a family member, or the FBI knew what someone at the office had been up to.

“Hey, Chels,” Dante answered, leaning against the wall. “Are you okay?”

“I could lose my job for this, but I must tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

Chelsea sighed into the receiver. “A few agents are on their way to your office. You’re about to be arrested.”

“Arrested?” he repeated, speed walking down the hall toward the elevator.

“Yes.”

“For what, Chelsea?” he asked, hoping his voice sounded calm while his insides were heating from anger and bubbling up with confusion.

“Fraud, corruption, and money laundering. There’s also a civil case against you. Apparently, several of your old clients went to MPD to file reports because they were being overly charged, but the police told them to go directly to you or hire an attorney and file a civil case against you. One lawyer is heading the case and involved the FBI.”

“Okay, but why me?” Dante asked, repeatedly pressing the L in the elevator to get to the lobby. Dante didn’t know how much time he had, but he wouldn’t spend it waiting around to be arrested. He knew he was innocent, but the FBI wouldn’t care about what he had to say. He needed time to figure out who was setting him up, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he were in federal prison.

“I can’t go into detail about that, especially over the phone. I’m sure they have your line tapped, and I’m probably facing suspension or termination for even calling you.”

“And I really appreciate that,” Dante replied quickly, calmly. “But I need more than this, cuz. If you know who’s trying to set me up, I need you to tell me.”

The elevator dinged, providing noise that filled the space of Chelsea silently holding the phone.

Seconds passed, and when she remained silent, Dante asked, “Chelsea, who is setting me up?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m leaving the office now.”

“How do you think I know you’re at the office, Dante? Think. Who knows you’re at the office and could be working with the FBI to send you to federal fucking prison?”

As the elevator lowered, Dante considered his cousin’s question.

“No.” His head shook as revelation set in. “My wife wouldn’t tell them I was here, and even if she did, it would be because she’s scared. Not because she’s trying to set me up.”

Chelsea huffed. “I know that’s your wife, but she is not to be trusted. Do you hear me?”

“She’s loyal. She wouldn’t—”

“You need to go downstairs and wait for them in the lobby. Do not speak without your attorney present. I’m going to help you in any way that I can, but if it comes down to you or her, which I know it will, you need to accept that your wife is behind this, and she’s setting you up to take the fall.”

Absently, Dante disconnected the call and made his way to the parking garage. His eyes went from his black Camaro to Tarik’s white Toyota. If the FBI or police were after him, they’d be looking for his car. Still, Dante had too much integrity to steal someone else’s.

“Fuck it,” he grumbled, jogging to his car and hopping inside.

Dante’s eyes stayed trained on the rearview mirror at the sound of sirens as he swerved out of the parking garage. He’d just made it out in time to avoid all the cars and trucks pulling into the parking lot and garage for his arrest. He made a sharp left, trying to decide his next move.

Grabbing his phone, Dante called the only person he believed could help him—someone who wasn’t tied to his business or day-to-day life, for that matter. As the call connected, the sound of a truck approaching behind him gained his attention. It was speeding down a residential street faster than Dante believed it should have been, but he had more pressing things to worry about.

“Dante?” the woman answered, sleep thick in her voice.

“Hey, I know it’s late, but I need to leave Memphis. Can I crash at your spot until I figure out my next move?”

She cleared her throat. “Um... sure. Is everything okay?”

“No, but I’ll talk to you about it when I arrive. I’m heading your way now. Should be there in about an hou—What the fuck?”

“Dante?” she called, but he didn’t reply as he ended the call.

He was too distracted by the bright lights of the truck coming straight toward him. Dante sped up, and the truck did too.

“What are you doing?” he asked, knowing they couldn’t hear or respond. “Shit!” he roared, gripping the steering wheel and trying to prepare for impact with the truck. But nothing could have prepared him for that. As soon as the wide truck hit the back of his car, Dante crashed into a light pole. His seat belt kept him from being ejected from the vehicle, but it didn’t stop him from being thrown against the front of the car while feeling like his body was being ripped in half.

“Argh!”

Dante grunted, trying to guard his head from the windshield. He flung back, eyes squeezing shut immediately as the airbag opened and pushed into his face and chest. With ringing ears, he tried to stay awake, but that was proving to be more and more difficult. As his eyes fluttered, he noticed an arm reaching into his car through the broken glass. He thought they were trying to help him... but he realized that wasn’t the case when their hand went into his pocket to grab his wallet.

“St-sto—”

Dante blacked out before he could tell them to leave his phone and wallet.

Sade

No hospital in Memphis initially gave her any details, so Sade extended her search. After checking both hospitals in the small town of Vanzette, Tennessee, and surrounding minor medical centers, Sade started her search in Memphis again. It wasn’t like Dante not to answer his phone or immediately go home after work, and she’d been worried sick about him. None of the hospitals had a patient named Dante Williams, but Sade was convinced something had happened to him. If he had been arrested for some reason, it would take hours for him to be processed and show up in the inmate lookup, and Sade didn’t have that type of time.

She feared the worst—he was somewhere dead or severely hurt.

“Do you have anyone here that doesn’t have an ID?” Sade asked, her leg bouncing as she leaned against the desk.

“We do, but I can’t give you any information on those patients, ma’am.”

Rolling her tongue across her cheek, Sade smiled bitterly as her foot tapped the floor. “If he’s here and you’ve kept me away from him, I’m going to sue the hell out of this hospital.”

“Ma’am—”

“All I’m asking for is to see anyone, dead or alive, that came in without identification. Something is wrong with him, and you’re wasting my time!”

With a huff, the nurse stood. “Are you related to him?”

Relief washed over Sade as her body weakened against the desk. “I am.”

“Are you his wife? Because that’s the only way I can—”

“Yes,” Sade cut her off to say, “Now, please, show me anyone brought in tonight without an ID.”

Nodding, the nurse flagged down another nurse who was standing nearby. After explaining the situation, she told Sade to follow Nurse Richardson. She did, and the entire time they went down one hall to the next, Sade’s body heated, and her heart palpitated. Only one person was alive and had been brought in without identification, but three were in the morgue. Richardson took her to room 1312.

“If this is your husband, I’ll get the attending doctor so he can get you up to speed on John Doe’s condition.”

All Sade could do was bob her head. Her mouth had dried out from nervousness. The nurse opened the door, and as soon as Sade stepped inside, she covered her mouth and sobbed. She knew it was him, even with Dante’s head wrapped in white bandages.

“Oh my God,” she cried, running over to him and taking his hand. “What happened to him?”

“He was in an accident. That’s all I know. I’ll go and get his doctor.”

“Okay,” Sade replied, wiping her face with her free hand. Sniffling, she stroked Dante’s hand with her thumb. “Please, God, let him be okay.” She asked Dante what happened as if he could respond. It didn’t matter how much Sade called his name or gently shook him. Dante didn’t wake up. Finally accepting defeat, Sade paced as she waited for the nurse to return with his doctor.

It took what felt like forever, but eventually, a light-skinned, heavyset man returned wearing a white coat and weary smile.

“Apologies for the delay,” he stated, lifting his clipboard to his face.

“What’s wrong with him? Why isn’t he waking up?”

“He’s in a coma. There was a car accident, and it was pretty bad. Thankfully, he was wearing his seat belt, so he wasn’t ejected from the car, but the impact caused some damage to his head and chest, and he has a few broken ribs. He also fractured both wrists. I’m assuming he tried to use his hands to shield his head and face when he was about to collide with the windshield. He sprained a few bones in his knees because he was in a low-sitting car, according to the police. The injury I’m most concerned about is to his head. There is excessive bleeding, so we can’t get in there to see how much damage has been done. I have him on blood thinners. Once we get the bleeding and swelling down, our neurologist will have a look to determine our next steps.”

It was all too much at once. Sade could not process anything he’d said. All she could ask was, “But he’s going to be okay?”

“I don’t want to give you false hope. Once the neurologist can get some scans done, we can confirm the severity of the damage. Aside from a few broken ribs and the head injury, I can tell you that the rest of his injuries are minor and nothing to be overly concerned about. That’s about all I can give you at the moment.”

Nodding, Sade crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay.” Her eyes shifted to Dante as she asked, “Can I stay with him?”

“Absolutely. Nurse Richardson will linger back to get some information on your husband. Then she’ll leave you alone with him. If you need anything, you can press the call button on the right side of his bed or visit the nearest nurses’ station.”

“Thank you,” she almost whispered, unable to keep her eyes off Dante. Sade was grateful he was alive and praying his head injury wouldn’t cause permanent damage. They had a lot to talk about, and the sooner he woke up... the better.

Dante

Dante looked from the woman staring down at him with a goofy smile to the doctor holding a pen up in front of him. He didn’t know how he’d gotten to the hospital or how long he’d been there, for that matter. The woman rushed out after he woke up in pain, yelling for the doctor.

“Do you know what this is?” the doctor asked, waving the pen.

Dante tried to tilt his head and regretted it immediately when a dull pain shot through it. “It’s a pen.” Closing his eyes, he tried to lift his hand and groaned in pain. “Can someone cut the lights out? My head is killing me.”

“I just need you to answer a few questions. Then I can get you some pain medicine. Do you know what year it is, Mr. Williams?”

“It’s 2024, right? How long have I been here? And why am I here?”

“You were in a car accident. You’ve been here for three days,” the woman answered. “Do you... remember who I am?”

When he chuckled slightly, Dante regretted it immediately. It felt like every piece of his ribs was crushed and barely holding together. As painful as it was to speak or breathe, it was even more painful to laugh.

“Not at all.” He opened his eyes, unable to deny the sadness in hers.

The doctor cleared his throat and spoke up. “Selective or retrograde amnesia is common after head trauma. Try not to take it personally.”

“How long before he gets his memory back?”

“It’s hard to say. It could be minutes, days, months, or years. Maybe never. I would need to consult with the neurologist. Once we get him a new dose of pain medicine, we can check the bleeding on his brain. If it’s cleared enough for us to run some tests, we can have more answers for you both in a few hours.”

She nodded and thanked him softly, waiting until the doctor left before she shifted her attention back to Dante.

“Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“Who are you?” Dante asked before taking in choppy breaths.

She smiled softly, taking small steps toward his bed. “My name is Sade. I’m your wife. Do you remember anything about me or yourself at all?”

“I remember me. I just don’t remember you. My name is Dante, right?”

Sade’s body relaxed as she smiled warmly, clutching her chest.

“It is,” she replied, closing the space between them. “Do you remember your birthday and how old you are?”

“January tenth. I’m thirty-two, right?”

“Yes. Well, you’re thirty-three now. Your birthday was two days ago.”

“Damn.” Dante’s head shook as he processed her words. “So I was in a car accident?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Do we have kids? Why can I remember the facts about me but not you?”

Sade shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess the doctor will be able to answer that soon enough. And, no. We don’t. Not yet, at least. Would you like to see some pictures of us or rest?”

Dante may not have remembered her, but he knew himself. His character. He knew he wouldn’t say or do anything intentionally to hurt someone, especially his wife. So, as much as he wanted to tell her to get out and leave him alone, he decided to take a softer approach instead. It wasn’t Sade’s fault that his memories of her had been completely wiped. But the last thing he wanted to do was be around a woman who reminded him of a past life he had no recollection of, especially while he was in so much pain.

“I really just want to try to sleep. You can leave. Do you have a job or something to go to?”

Sade’s head shook as she took his hand into hers. “Don’t worry about that. Even if there were a job or some pressing matter needing my at. . .