“Sure.”
Tossing the covers back, I got up from the bed and padded into the bathroom. “Bae?” I called out his name over the shower.
“Yeah?” he slid the glass door back and poked his head out.
“It’s your mama.” I placed the phone on speaker for him since he was still wet and I didn’t want him to mess my phone up. “You’re on speaker,” I told her.
“Kairo… it’s Wicked. He’s been stabbed. They aren’t sure if he’s gon’ make it. They’re taking him to the hospital.”
“Which one?”
“DCH.”
“I’m on the way.”
I ended the call for him, and he turned off the shower. “I’m so sorry. Do you want me to go with you?”
“You’re too fall along right now to be traveling like that. I need you to stay at the house. Call Aria and tell her to come over here with you.”
Aria. Shit.
I was gon’ have to do more than that… I was gon’ have to tell her that the guy she’s been secretly seeing just got stabbed and just might not make it. I’on want to be the one that has to break that type of news to her.
“Okay. I’ll call her.”
I left out the bathroom as he stepped out the shower and wrapped a towel around him. Going to my call log, I dialed Aria’s number and chewed on my thumbnail as I listened to the phone ring in my ear. Finally, she picked up. “Hey,” she answered.
“Were you busy?”
“Not really. Was just fixing Zion something for lunch.”
Cool. You got this Wren.
“Can you come over here and sit with me while Maniac runs out of town right quick? He said that he doesn’t want me to be alone.”
“Okay. I’ll be on my way after Zion finishes eating. Is there anything that I need to bring you?”
“I don’t need anything. I’ll see you when you get here,” I told her and ended the call.
I hadn’t told Maniac that Aria was seeing Wicked because I didn’t think it was my place to do so. If he wanted his brother to know that he was dealing with her, he’d tell her himself.
Maniac came out of the walk-in closet fully dressed with his phone illuminating his face. “Did she say that she was coming?” he looked up from his phone and asked.
“Yeah. She said that she’s on her way. You don’t have to worry about me. Go make sure that your brother is okay.”
Leaning down, he pecked me on the corner of the mouth.
I followed him downstairs and to the front door. He grabbed the doorknob and left out the door. I pushed it closed behind him and locked it. My feet paced a hole in the floor, waiting for Aria to get here so that I can deliver her the bad news.
Hugging myself, I said, “He’s gonna be alright. The Saint-Merciers are strong. They’ve overcome a lot of stuff since I’ve been in the family.” I had to convince myself of it, but I was gon’ be any good when it came to Aria. The moment she walks through that door and knows that something is wrong with Wicked, she’s not gon’ want to sit here with me.
The doorbell rang and my heart dropped to my ass. I eased over to the door and peeked out the window next to it to see Aria standing there with Zion next to her. Sucking in a deep breath, I released it and pulled the door open.
“Hey, y’all,” I said and stepped out of the way so they can enter the house. Zion took off running upstairs. I already knew that he was probably heading for his bedroom. “I need to talk to you about something,” I told her as I shut the door.
“About what?” She removed her purse from her shoulder and rested it against the entry way table.
Taking her by the hand, I pulled her into the living room and said, “Sit.”
