Page 226 of 4 Corinthians

“Fuck you, Kenbral,” I said, shaking my head. My throat burned like crazy, and I felt like I was going to throw up. “Nobody asked you shit.”

“You did-“

“Shut the fuck up, Kenbral!” Nine yelled.

I turned my face to look at Uri. His eyes were locked on me, red and full of regret. “I’m okay,” I said softly. “I’m okay.”

“I-I-I-I didn’t m-m-m-mean i-i-i-it,” he stuttered. “I-I-I-I- d-d-d-d-didn’t mean i-i-i-i-i-it.” He tried to pull away from Nine, but he wouldn’t let him go. His stutter was back, and my eyes filled with tears.

“Give her a minute,” Nine said.

Cross helped me up and stepped in front of me to keep us apart. “She needs more than a minute,” she said, shaking her head. “He needs to stay away from her.”

“Cross,” Nine said, looking at his wife. I could see the conflict in his eyes. Uri was his cousin, his blood, but Cross was his wife. He would do anything for her, including breaking his own heart if it meant she was good. “He didn’t mean to.”

“I don’t care,” she replied. “He choked her, Mecca. For the second fucking time! What if we hadn’t gotten in here in time? He could’ve killed her.”

“He wouldn’t have killed her,” Kenbral said.

“Kenbral!” Nine yelled. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Why?” he questioned, walking further into the room. The punk-ass security guard took that moment to leave the room. “It’s the truth, and you know it. He wouldn’t have killed her, but she’s the reason he’s like this! From the very beginning, she’s been the fucking problem! The reason he’s so fucked up! It’s all her damn fault!” He pointed at me.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper under control. Me getting upset wouldn’t do anything but make Uri snap again.

“I really should’ve let Psalms kill you,” Cross said, shaking her head. “I am so fucking tired of hearing your damn voice. Every fucking time I turn around, you’re there. Saying the same bullshit. It’s always Corinthians' fault, how she fucked everything up, how she should be dead.” Cross laughed humorlessly. “You sound like a jealous bitch! Your brother has always been in love with my cousin. Get the fuck over it.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about,” Kenbral said, mugging Cross. “You weren’t even around. You were chasing behind your crackhead ass parents, trying to hold in a secret that nobody gave a fuck about.”

“Kenbral,” Nine said in a warning tone. “That’s my fucking wife, my nigga. I’ll kill you over her.”

“Then you’re just as weak as Four is,” Kenbral said, waving Nine off. “You’ll kill over a bi-“

“Enough!” I yelled, stepping around Cross. She reached for my arm, but I pulled away before she could. “You want the truth, Kenbral? Fine! You’re right, it’s my fucking fault! I’m the cause of all of this! But it didn’t start with Uri, did it?” I pointed at Uri without looking at him. I couldn’t. If I did, I would punk out and not say what I needed to. “Oh, nothing to say, huh?” I smirked. “If we’re going to tell the truth, then start from the beginning. Tell them how I got these fuckin’ scars!”

“Corinthians,” I heard Cross call my name, but I didn’t care. I was about to get this shit off my chest once and for all. “Corinthians.”

I lifted my shirt to show him my stomach. My most enormous scar, the one that hurt the most, yet I could never get the courage to cover up. It was my reminder of all the fucked-up shit that happened to me. It was my reminder that no matter how hard I tried to forget it all and be normal, I would never be.

“Tell them how I was branded with your family's crest,” I said, holding his gaze. His eyes darkened, and I laughed. He looked so much like his daddy in this moment that it almost made me stumble as I approached him, but I kept my composure. I let go of my shirt and pushed him. “Tell him what you told me, Kenbral!” I pushed him again. “Tell him!”

“Corinthians.” Uri wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me away from his brother.

“Tell him who Judah’s daddy is!” I yelled, not caring. “Tell him EVERYTHING OR DON’T TELL HIM SHIT!” I pulled out of Uri’s hold and turned to face him. “Stop holding on to me!” I started tapping my thigh. “Let me go, Uri.”

“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. His eyes watered as he looked at me. “I can’t let you go. I tried.” He wiped his hands up and down his face. He dropped his hands, and a tear fell from his right eye. “I-I-I-I c-c-c-can’t-t-t-t.”

“Tell him, Kenbral!” I yelled, not letting Uri get caught up in his own thoughts. Yes, he’d choked me again, but this wasn’t the time for that. His brother had pissed me off. “Tell him or I will!”

“Corinthians, come on,” Cross said, trying to pull me away. “Come on.”

“Tell him!” I yelled, pushing away from Cross. “Tell him!”

“Tell me what?” Uri said, looking between us.

“Judah is your son,” Kenbral answered. His jaw was set, the muscles jumping as he watched me. “Robert isn’t his father. You are. That night Robert thought he had the doctor inseminate Corinthians with his sperm, but it wasn’t his. It was yours.”

Uri closed the space between him and Kenbral, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and slammed him into the wall. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he yelled.