Page 157 of 4 Corinthians

We lay in the dark, as dark as it could be for us. The TV was muted, the screen saver display had started a long time ago, but neither of us seemed to care. The boys were asleep in Judah’s room. They’d played, ate, and played some more before I finally made them lie down. That was hours ago; the sun was about to come up soon. We’d fallen asleep sometime during the night, and now we’re both awake. Lost in our own thoughts.

I could feel Uri’s heartbeat against his chest. The feeling was soothing.

“Cori?” His voice was deep, so damn deep that it made me stop for a moment and let it wash over me. The fear I associated with hearing my name called by anyone other than my family was long gone thanks to him.

“Hmm?” I didn’t move because I was so damn comfortable wrapped up against him. His arms were around me, his chin resting on the top of my head. Feeling small while wrapped up in his arms felt safe.

“We need to talk,” he replied, and I nodded. I hated those words together; usually whatever followed was bad.

“What’s wrong?” I did move this time. I unwrapped my arms from around him and reared back. The light from the TV rolled over his face. His eyes sparkled against the light. This man was beautiful.

“It’s about when I went out of town,” he answered, then licked his lips. “I don’t want shit to be between us. No secrets, nothing.”

“You cheated?” I asked. That was the least of my worries, but it was a logical answer. If he did, I would kill her, then him.

“Nah,” he softly chuckled and shook his head. “I’m a lot of shit, but a cheater ain’t one of them.”

“Then what is it?” I traced the tattoo on his collar. Uri was covered in tattoos; I knew they covered scars from his childhood.

“I went to look for Robert,” he replied, and I nodded. “I found something else.”

“What?”

“Look at me.” He cupped my chin and made me look at him. “Before I tell you what I saw, I want you to know that you and Judah are safe. I’m right here. I ain’t going nowhere.”

“What did you see, Uri?” I asked him. His protection speech didn’t do anything but make me more anxious. “And don’t sugarcoat it.”

He nodded, then licked his lips. “Robert has a house,” he started. He moved his hand from my face. My stomach dropped. “He had a room, two rooms. One set up for you.”

“And the other?” I asked. His eyes left mine, and I knew the answer. “It’s for Judah, isn’t it?”

He quickly looked back at me. “Yeah, but I’m not letting anything happen to y’all. I promise you.”

I got up from his lap and started to pace. I knew that this would eventually happen. Robert wasn’t going to stop, no matter how much I prayed that he did. He allowed me to get comfortable in life and then came and snatched that happiness away. It’s what he did. Coming after me was one thing, but my baby? No, that wasn’t happening.

I ran my hands through my short hair and continued to pace. My thoughts were jumbled, but I knew I needed to protect my child. I could handle whatever Robert tried to throw at me, but Judah was never going to experience what we went through.

Ever.

“I should’ve known this was going to happen,” I humorlessly laughed. “He won't let me go. Ever. No matter what. From the time he saw me. I don’t understand the obsession.” I moved my hands from my hair and rubbed them against my thighs. “I can't let him touch my baby.”

“I didn’t plan on him touching either of y’all,” Uri said.

I didn’t stop moving; my heart slammed against my chest, and my eyes started to twitch. Every ounce of anger, pain, and fear I’d ever experienced bubbled to the surface, and just when I was about to explode, Uri’s arms wrapped around me.

“I haven’t always been the best mama,” I told him as I tried not to cry. “I didn’t hold Judah for the first six months of his life. I wouldn’t look at him. I couldn’t do it.” I shook my head. “Everyone thought it was postpartum, but it wasn’t. I was scared that if I looked at him, I would see Robert. That the person who I carried and birthed would look like the man who made my life a living hell. And I couldn’t let myself love him more than I already did. That night, the night he was conceived, something broke in me, something I didn’t think I would ever get back, but I did. Twice. The day I held Judah and when I saw you. Y’all give me peace, Uri, and Robert is trying to take that from me. He can’t take that from me. He took enough.”

His mouth went to my ear. “He’s not taking shit,” he said. “I’m telling you what I saw because I don’t want to hide shit from you. I already decided to kill him and the niggas that were with him when he did what he did to you. I need names, Cori, that’s all.”

“The Kilmore’s,” I answered him. “Paul, Isaac, and Luther were in the room.”

“Anyone else?” he asked, and I nodded.

A slow smile spread across his face that didn’t reach his eyes. “I got this baby,” he said, then kissed my forehead. He pulled me into a hug and rested his chin on the top of my head. “I’m going to kill them all. I promise you that.”

I believed him.

***