One went through his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. The sound of bullets sliding through flesh filled my ears like a sonata; it sounded like a knife tearing through silk sheets.Musical.This was a song that my blood could cry out to, dance to.
Alistair collapsed and when he breathed his last breath, I felt cold all over.
Remembering Enzo needed help, I got back over to him. He was still bleeding and had passed out. My fingers felt the soft throb of a faint pulse.
Maybe I still had time to save one brother’s life.
Chapter 28
Diamond
My father’s old mansion looked less glorious than it had before. He’d left Nautica the house and I supposed she’d had to cut corners while trying to figure out her finances. She’d sold some of the cars he’d own. There had been a blue Jaguar that’d went to auction and sold for fifty thousand dollars. I’d helped her find someone to facilitate the sale.
When I’d called ahead to let her know I was coming she’d been happy to hear from me.
“Yes, please come over. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway,” she told me.
I had no idea what she wanted to speak about. Nautica and I had never really had that great of a relationship. I’d always considered her a snake. She’d kept my father’s attention and his bed warm. Now, she was the only thing I had left of him. Well, there was the baby John Knowles, Jr.
I smiled at the thought of there being another John Knowles in the world.
Tiberius was asleep in his pack and play. Gently, I covered him with a light blanket and then just watched him for a few moments. His soft snores occupied my ears. A small smile slipped onto my lips. He sounded just like Thierry. I feared for his future wife’s sleep patterns one day.
Tearing my gaze away, I looked around my old bedroom. It was like looking back in time. The walls had been painted a soft blue to honor my wishes of going to Spellman. There was a large picture of my mother that hung on the wall closest to the door and I walked over to look at it. Her features were my features. Her long black hair had been curled big and loose. If she’d lived, she would have been an icon.
“Ma…I can’t believe I’m a mommy,” I whispered and traced over her lips.
She didn’t say anything, of course. Her enigmatic smile just kept its secrets and finally I relented. My cellphone had started to ring faintly from the middle of the bed. Darting over, I prayed that I would see Thierry’s name.
My stomach was in a knot.
I needed him to be okay.
You just need him, I thought.
Thierry’s face beamed back at me. I’d made the picture of him, Enzo and Tiberius his profile picture. I climbed onto the high bed and settled on the pink bedspread before answering.
“Hello,” I said biting my lip, fearful.
“Hey, Tesoro,” he replied.
“Did…”
“He’s gone,” Thierry spoke.
“Okay…that’s….should we meet back at the house?”
He took a deep breath and I could feel something was wrong. “Enzo…”
“What? What happened to E?”
My ears picked up on Thierry swallowing on the other end. “He got shot, again. The bullet nicked an artery.”
My breath hitched in my throat. It felt like I couldn’t breath. I wanted to claw at my throat and rip off the fuzzy sweater surrounding my body. Instantly, I got of the bed and started to pace.
“I got him to the hospital….just barely. I had to give blood,” Thierry said. “There’s been so much carnage.”
“Where are you? What hospital, I should come….I told Nanny to go home. I’d be fine with Tibs but I can call her or I can get Nautica…”
