“Is dead,” Kai confirmed with finality. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and pressed our joined hands to his lips. “Please tell me you don’t hate me for it.”
Against my will, tears welled in my eyes. I sniffled, allowing my eyes to drop but only for a moment. “I could never hate you. Thank you for keeping your promise.”
“You remember?”
I nodded slowly. When I was asleep, I replayed the shooting in my dream. If Kai hadn’t interrupted, I probably would’vewoken up kicking and screaming with fear. However, now that I knew Ry was gone, I felt lighter in a way.
“I will always keep my promises to you, Nuri.” He scowled. “I wish I could rewind the hands of time, go back and kill that nigga a second time for what he did. He t-tr-tried...”
I could see him getting worked up. The veins were protruding from his neck, his eyes were crazed, and he started breathing like a raging bull.
“Baby...” Kai immediately turned to look at me. “It’s okay. That man wasn’t my brother. The Rylas I grew up with would’ve never tried to harm me.”
Kai nodded. “They burned down the big house too.”
I tried to sit up and hissed. Kai hopped to his feet, helping me to lie back down.
“You can’t do too much, baby. You’re still healing,” he fussed.
I nodded and released a shaky breath when the pain began to subside a little. “What?” I finally croaked out. “Did anyone get hurt?”
He shook his head while taking a seat beside me. I melted into his presence as he began to stroke the side of my face. “No, we were all here waiting to get updates on you.”
“So, me being shot was a blessing?”
Kai looked at me like I was crazy. “Never a blessing, but it worked in our favor as all things do for children of the Most High.” His chin dropped to his chest. “I raised hell, Nuri Symone. I want you to know that I will do anything for you. I am not a saint, so when people press me, I start to feel boxed in like that four-year-old little boy forced to sleep in the closet of the trap house. The only thing I know how to do is strike back. You might not like the way I will handle things, but know I will always spin ’bout you, Legacy.”
I nodded as tears streamed down my face. I understood exactly what he was telling me, and I was honestly okay withthat. After the way people tried to come after me, it felt good to know I had a man who was going to ride for me. If people didn’t fuck with us, he had no reason to go psycho on them in the first place. Simple enough in my eyes.
“Can I lie with you?” he asked after a beat of silence. I nodded before sliding over to make room for him. It was funny watching his large frame try to take up as little space as possible. I turned so that my head was resting on his chest. His arms went around me as he pulled me closer to him.
The rhythm of Kai’s heartbeat sedated me. Even the way he stroked his fingers through my hair settled me into a place of peace. For some reason, as I laid there with the man who’d slain my blood brother for harming me, all I could do was feel loved. It stung a little to know I no longer had any close blood relatives, but I was okay with the Walker family. Because I knew without a doubt, they would be there for me as if I were a blood relative.
I began to hum ”Ready for Love,” and Kai chuckled. “I’m ready for love, too. You are my world, Nuri Symone.”
“I know,” I replied. Glancing up at him, I said, “You are mine too.”
He leaned down to place a sweet kiss on my lips that set my soul on fire. If I knew I could move without being overtaken by pain, I would’ve straddled his lap and fucked him right here in this hospital bed. Thankfully, everyone started to shuffle into the room with balloons, flowers, and cards.
Jah came forward first. “Man, don’t ever scare me like that again, baby mama.” One look from Kai had him retracting his statement. “You know what... with the way this nigga just went ape shit behind you, let me shut the fuck up. Ain’t shit even funny right now.” He straightened up. “I’m happy you’re okay, sis.” He was quick to get out of Kai’s line of vision, making us all laugh.
As they all began to speak, I settled into where I was grounded on Kai’s chest. He couldn’t stop touching me. He seemed afraid that if he did, I would disappear.
Glancing up at him, I assured him. “I’m here, baby.”
He nodded once. “Right where you belong.” That was true.
“I love you with all my heart, Nuri Symone.”
I wasn’t familiar with the hand symbol and hadn’t noticed him do it before. “What does that mean?”
Kai placed a kiss on my forehead and smiled. He spoke while doing the motions with his hands.“I love you with all my heart, Nuri Symone.”
Tears came to my eyes. “And that’s the symbol for my name?”
With his right hand, he’d taken his open palm and lifted it from his heart into the air slightly upward, then he wiggled his fingers.
“I love it,” I said before mimicking him. “How do I say your name?”
