“You cryin’ now?” Rich hissed. “Save that shit. Don’t nobody give a fuck about no tears in this world. You think that’s gonna make me spare you?”
He pressed the gun harder, and I swore I felt my whole life flash behind my eyes.
“I thought she was okay,” I whispered, broken. “I thought she went in to check on something. I didn’t know he was gonna… I didn’t think.”
“You don’t think, period!” he barked. He was looking at me, but his eyes and mind went somewhere else. “You didn’t protecther. You were supposed to protect her, Noah. You her fuckin’ brother.”
I was shaking now. I couldn’t stop it. My fists clenched, not from fear but from everything I wanted to scream but couldn’t.
“I love my sister,” I said through my teeth, voice rough with emotion. “I’d die for her. I’d trade places with her right now if I could.”
Rich paused. The gun still pressed to my chin, but his hand didn’t move.
“Loyalty,” he said, quieter now. “That word mean somethin’ to me. I don’t fuck with liars. I don’t fuck with weak links. And if I even feel like your loyalty is pointed anywhere but at this family…”
He tapped the trigger once.
“I’ll put you and Dre in the same grave. No second thoughts.”
“My loyalty is with my family,” I said, locking eyes with him, even though my whole body was screaming not to. “With Stormi. Always.”
He stared at me, like he was searching for something in my face. Some crack I might show. Some weaknesses I might have. Some lie I was telling.
“You better hope she survives,” he said, pulling the gun back slowly. “Because if she doesn’t… I promise you, Noah…”
He sat back, calm like a killer. “You won’t either.”
Southside slammed the truck into park outside the hospital, the tires jerking to a hard stop. Rich finally moved the piece fromunder my chin and tossed it back to Southside like it was just another tool.
“Let’s go,” he said coldly, already climbing out.
I followed him, but everything in me felt heavy. It felt like I had just walked out of this place not even days ago. Thinking life had a new life. Thinking life was good. Now? It felt like the building was swallowing me whole before I even stepped inside. My stomach flipped. I didn’t even make it to the door before the nausea hit me full force.
I stumbled over to the bushes and emptied everything I had in me. Food. Drink. Weed. All of it. Bent over, dry heaving, eyes burning, throat on fire and all I could think about was Stormi lying in some cold ass hospital bed with a bullet in her. When I looked up, Rich was standing there staring at me like I was filth. His face twisted with disgust. His words cut deep.
“But you wanna be in this life so bad.”
Then he turned and walked into the hospital like he didn’t even care if I followed. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, ashamed and trembling. I forced my legs to move. Forced myself to walk through the sliding doors into the sterile air, cold as hell and thick with silence.
Every step toward the elevator felt like walking through concrete. My mind was racing, heart pounding. I couldn’t stop picturing Stormi. I couldn’t stop hearing Rich’s voice:
“In a fuckin’ stretcher.”
The elevator doors slid open and we rode in silence. I didn’t breathe until we stopped on her floor. We walked down the hallway, my footsteps echoing louder than they should have.Rich walked like he owned the building. I walked like I was on trial. He knocked twice on her door, then twisted the knob and pushed it open.
Inside, the room was too quiet. Seth stood at the side of the bed, his back tense, body standing as if he was on guard. Jo and Ms. Serena sat shoulder to shoulder in two chairs near the bed. Jo had Stormi’s hand in hers, her fingers running gently through her curls.
Stormi didn’t look like herself. She looked pale and fragile. Like the last couple of days had been the worst of her life. I couldn’t tell if she was sleeping or still hadn’t woken up. The machines beeped quietly, but it was the silence that screamed at me. And then Seth turned around. His eyes locked on mine and the fire lit instantly. Before I could say a word, he was on me. In my face. Breathing my air.
“Where the fuck is Dre?” Seth snapped, voice cutting through the room like glass. His eyes had just been soft on Stormi now they were sharp, savage, aimed straight at me.
“I don’t know,” I said quickly, swallowing hard. “I dropped him at the airport. Said he had some business to handle. Told me he’d be gone for a minute.”
“Why you asking about Dre?” Jo asked suddenly, her voice laced with worry. Her eyes flicked between all of us confused, scared like nobody had told her what Dre might’ve done.
But Seth ignored her. His eyes never left me. “Where. Did. He. Go?”
“I told you I don’t know, man!”
