Page 200 of 4 Corinthians

Uri nervously licked his lips. "He's back," he said.

"Why?"

"I called him."

I stared at him, waiting for him to say he was joking. What he said had to be a joke, a bad one but still a joke. But nothing came—no nervous laugh, no grunt, no rapid eye blinking.

"Say that again." My voice was low. I didn't yell even though I wanted to. My only response was to step back. My body got hot, ears started to ring, and I could feel my heart flutter. Ironically, Uri's bracelet started to beep. My phone vibrated in the pocket of my skirt.

"I-I-I-I ca-ca-ca-ca-called Trey," he said.

There it was: the stutter. He was nervous. This wasn't a joke. He'd called his brother. One of the men in the room when Robert assaulted me. The same brother who had been watching me for years.

I stepped back, and he reached for me. "No," I said, shaking my head. "I need a minute."

"Cori-"

"Four, I need a minute." My tone broke no argument.

His face twisted in annoyance, and the vein in the middle of his forehead bulged. "Uri, my name for you has always and will always be Uri. Never Four."

"Right now, in this moment, you're Four," I told him, stepping back.

"Cori..."

"Mama!" Judah called, and I looked towards the venue. "Cross said come on. They are about to start!"

"Okay," I said, nodding. "Here I come."

I looked back at Uri one last time before sighing and heading towards the building. I could hear him following behind me. His heavy steps echoed through the quietness of the night. My mind reeled with thoughts. I wasn't upset; the uneasiness I'd felt in the car had returned tenfold. I was waiting on the other shoe to drop, and I guess it had.

Was it too bad? I could handle Kenbral and my feelings about everything. Uri calling his brother wasn't a big deal. There had to be a reason. A good one, right?

Right?

Two hours later, after Hood's emotional proposal with the help of a video from his mom that passed away earlier this year, Uri and I were back standing next to his car. He wanted to talk. His nervous energy almost came off angry. The keyword in that was almost. To anyone else, he looked angry; his body was tense, words short. To someone who didn't know him, he was on edge. For me, it was different. I knew the signs, and the man standing in front of me wasn't angry.

He was scared.

"There's a reason you called him," I finally said. Uri looked down at me and nodded. "Do I want to know why?"

A black truck drove down the long driveway and parked near us. Uri stepped in front of me, his shoulders still tense, and I touched his back. When the driver's door opened and Gift Blackmon stepped out, he chuckled and shook his head. We watched as Gift rounded the car and opened the door for his sister, Purpose Blackmon. She was friends with my cousins and held a million secrets close to her chest.

Purpose gave us a small wave, then walked over to talk with Xoey, Mercy, the newly engaged Legacy, while Gift stopped to speak to Uri.

"I got the information you asked for," Gift said to Uri. "I called in a favor. One I didn't want to make."

"How much is it going to cost me?" Uri asked him. His hands went to his pockets.

Gift looked back to where his sister had gone. Something in his eyes sparkled when they landed on one of the women she was with.

"Our deal is still the same," Gift said, shaking his head. He licked his lips, then smirked before shaking his head. "She's involved now, though, so I'm moving on my timeline."

"Gift..."

"You protect yours how you see fit, and I'll do the same," Gift replied.

Xoey said something to Purpose that made her nervous, then laughed and approached us. Well, not us. Gift, she approached Gift. Her shoes in one hand and her free hand extended to shake his.