I got out before the truck could come to a stop with Diego tryin’ to level my thoughts out, which I ignored the fuck out of. There wasn’t an ounce of tranquility in me at the moment. I was there for all the bullshit though.
My pistol was pulled from behind my back and checked for ammunition. I didn’t know what I was walking into, but a nigga was goin’ in prepared for whatever.
The sight of candles and rose petals pissed me off even more. The door was wide open, and that was the first thing I noticed before stepping foot inside. Seemed like somebody was tryin’ to rekindle some shit to me.
My arm was caught by Kégo, stopping me in my tracks. I snatched my arm away and stood, waiting for him to speak. He stopped me for a reason.
“She don’t know you the way we do. Don’t kill her, Hades.”
I heard him, and that truly depended on what I walked in on. I wasn’t the nigga you wanted to play with. Journei could act dumb all she wanted, but she knew like everybody else. I took a deep breath and entered.
Outside of the candles, there was a light on where the rose petals ended. I quietly approached and listened. Someone was talking, but it wasn’t the voice of my woman.
“Alexis was supposed to be mine. Hades was supposed to be mine. Why the fuck are they so in love with you? I built Alexis, and what she do… marry your 101 dalmatian lookin’ ass. Hades gave you his kid when that was my dream. With you gone, I won’t be second to shit.”
That voice belonged to Galleria. I relaxed a bit and turned the corner. That relaxation was only held for a split second.
I saw mama laying on the floor with blood seeping from her body. Galleria stood over what seemed to be her lifeless body with a gun aimed at her stomach. I cocked my gun, startling her.
She turned around with her gun pointed at me and mine at her. It was either her or me. Diego and Kégo stepped from behind the wall once I filled the chamber. How they felt right now didn’t matter.
“Man, what the fuck? Twin, what you do to her?” Kégo went to help Journei when Galleria’s target changed.
“Don’t touch her! I love you, twin, but I will put one in ya chest if you take another step. She deserves to die.” Galleria stood there with the meanest scowl etched on her face.
“Papa, if my woman and son die, you might as well kill me too,” I spoke lowly.
“Y’all arefamilia.Stop this,mija.” Diego tried defusing the situation.
“Nah,that’smy family,” I said, nodding toward mama behind her. “That bitch put that gun over my son again, I’m goin’ to forget whose daughter she is.” My threat was heard loud and clear by everyone, but she wanted to test the waters.
The most she could do was drop her arm a smidge before I gave her what she wanted. With every step I took toward her, I pulled the trigger. Her body jerked the way Cleo’s did inSet It Off.
“Hades!” Kégo shouted.
I didn’t give a fuck about Galleria being his sister. The bitch was playin’ with my family’s lives like she was up seven and couldn’t lose. The underworld gained two new souls in an hour. I was on a muthafuckin’ roll if you asked me.
I ignored his screams and went for my woman. Her body was drenched in blood, and I had no clue if she was alive or not. I stepped right over Galleria’s body and proceeded out the door.
Granny’s Audi was keyless. Whether the key was in the car or on mama, it was goin’ to crank. The car started with no problem, and we were out of there. The nearest hospital was ten minutes away.
I broke every traffic law there was. They weren’t dying on my watch. All that killing would have been for nothin’ if they did. Journei needed to see I was the only one who could protect her.
Pullin’ up to the emergency room, I grabbed mama and ran in yelling for help. “She was attacked. She called me for help, and when I got there, she was on the floor bleeding.”
A nurse came running over with a gurney. “We got it from here. Another nurse will be with you in a second to get more information.” She walked off with my baby, and for the first time, I didn’t know what to do.
“Sir, do you need medical assistance as well?” the receptionist asked. I shook my head and eyed the door my family had been taken through.
I was tapped on my shoulder for attention. I turned around to a nurse waiting to speak with me. “I’m Nurse Diane. I would like to ask you some questions about your visit. What’s the patient’s name and date of birth?”
I gave her Journei’s information and was left in the waiting room alone. My phone had been ringing back-to-fuckin’-back since I got there. I never pulled it out to answer it or screen it. My mind was on mama.
I loved her more than I did myself. Her happiness had become more important than my own. Hell, her life became more important than mine the minute love was developed for her. It was all about her.
Every day she changed a nigga. Every day she challenged me to love her properly. She wasn’t a woman looking for a man to take care of her. I just so happened to be the one to that could do it.
Annie Mae interrupted my thoughts by running up on me and wrapping her arms around me. I was covered in Journei’s blood, but she didn’t seem to care.
