Page 201 of 4 Corinthians

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another black car coming down the driveway. The back window rolled down, and a gun was extended from it.

I felt Uri pull me to his side, and then we went to the ground just as the first shot blasted through the air. Everyone moved; I could hear yelling, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Uri lay on top of me. I could feel his breath against my ear.

"Uri get up!" I ground as I tried to catch my breath. He was heavy; his full weight rested on me. "Baby, get up!" I strained to push him off me. "Uri! Get up!" He didn't move or make a sound, which kicked my heart into overdrive. I didn't panic as I started to move, and finally I was able to get some leverage and push Uri off me. I pushed him to the side, and the sight of blood on my hands kicked my panic into overdrive. "Uri!" I got on my knees and ripped his shirt open. Blood poured from three bullet wounds. "Uri wake up!" I applied pressure to the wounds as best as I could. "Uri! Wake the fuck up right now!"

Someone pulled me back, and Hood dropped down on the ground next to him. "No!" I yelled as I fought against whoever was holding me back. He was losing too much blood. His skin was already pale, and he wasn't moving. I'd never seen him not move, not fight; this wasn't the man I love. This wasn't right. "Move, let me go!"

"I can't, sis," Gift's deep voice rumbled in my ear. That's who was holding me back. Gift. I was going to kill him later. After all this was over, after Uri got up. I was going to kill him after I killed Uri for scaring me. "Corinthians, come on, sis."

"Uri!" I yelled, knowing he hated to be yelled at. If pissing him off got him up, that was fine. He could be mad as long as he got up. "Uri, get your fucking ass up! Get up!"

"Gift, get her out of here!" Hood yelled as he tried to stop the bleeding. There wasn’t too much he could do out here with no supplies. "She doesn't need to see this!"

Gift started to pull me back more, and something in me snapped. I wasn't leaving him. We'd been through too much. He never left me. There was no way I was letting him out of my sight. My hand went to the opening of my dress, and I pulled the knife I kept strapped to my thigh. I grabbed it and, at the same time, kicked Gift in the leg, making him let me go and fall to the ground. Quickly, I moved around him and put the knife to his throat.

"I'm going to ask you nicely because I know how much your friendship means to Uri, but dont put your damn hands on me. No one, and I mean no one, touches me." It wasn't a question; I know that, but my brain was moving faster than my mouth.

Gift nodded but didn't move any other part of his body. I wasn't sure what he knew of my past, but I knew he had a small glimpse into Uri's.

"Corinthians?" Psalms called my name. I looked up to see my sister approaching me. Her hands were up, moving slowly. She wasn't scared. More so cautious of the fact that I was on edge. "Big sis, look at me. Not at them."

"I can't lose him," I told her, shaking my head. The thought of Uri not in my life sickened me. He was my peace, joy, and happiness; losing him again would break me. "I-I-I-I can't lose him."

“I know, baby,” Psalms said, nodding. “And they are trying to make sure you won’t, but you have to move the knife from Gift’s neck. He isn’t the problem right now; he didn’t do anything.”

“I can’t lose him, Psalms,” I cried, shaking my head. “He saved me. He protected me.”

“I know, baby.” She stopped walking and extended her hand. “And I swear to you that you won’t, but you have to give me the knife.” She motioned for the knife and smiled. “Give me the knife, Corinthians, and let Gift go.”

“I got a pulse!” Galaxy yelled. I don't know when she started helping Hood, but I was glad she had.

“You heard Galaxy, right?” Psalms said. “They have a pulse; he isn’t dead. Now give me the knife and let Gift go.”

“Mommy?” Judah called out from the steps, and I turned to see him looking around.

His eyes ballooned when he saw Hood and Galaxy working on Uri. "Four!" Judah's voice wavered, and his bottom lip trembled. I knew Judah saw Uri as unbreakable, so seeing him on the ground filled him with fear.

“Ex! Get him!” Psalms said without taking her eyes off me. She was slowly slipping. Her control was strained, and I hated putting her in this position. I was the big sister; I was supposed to be strong, but it felt like I never was. Psalms was saving me again. “Krude! I don’t care who does it, but somebody get him.”

I heard groaning and turned my attention back to Uri. I couldn't see what Galaxy or Hood were doing, but I could see Uri's foot move.

“Oh shit,” I heard Xoey say from somewhere around me. “Why did he do that?”

“Mommy!” Judah yelled, and this time the panic in his voice made me turn from Uri to see Gentle lift him from the ground. "Mommy!”

“Get your hands off my son!” I yelled and pushed away from Gift. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” Gentle was never to touch my child. Ever.

Psalms turned to see Judah being brought down the stairs, and her anger matched mine. Unlike Uri and me, her connection with Gentle was never more than friendship, and that was a title I used loosely.

She reached under her dress, pulled out a knife, and twirled it between her fingers with a smile that I knew all too well.

“Oh hell, the Ghetto Power Rangers are about to show out,” Krude said from out of nowhere. “Somebody find Ex! I can’t handle both their asses at the same time!” He looked around and threw his hands into the air. “Exodus!”

“My man is over there bleeding out, and you decided this would be the perfect time to touch my son?” I asked Gentle. Gone was the anger and uneasiness I'd felt earlier. Now I was calm. Two of the most important people in the world lives were being affected. Uri was bleeding out, and Judah was being held by a man just as damaged as I was. My only saving grace was that my sister was next to me. “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

Gentle opened his mouth to say something just as another car pulled up. Kenbral got out of the car with a mug on his face.

"Gentle, what the fuck happened? Kenbral asked.