Page 26

After my prenatal visit where I tuned everything out, I started to lose hope. What if he never woke up. Eventually, I would have to tune into what was going on with my child. I wouldn’t be able to ignore things for much longer. My stomach was growing, and it had a slight bloat to it.

This baby was going to come, and it didn’t matter if I was ready or not. The thought of losing Quasim consumed me, and I knew stressing wasn’t healthy for me or the baby. It pained me to think I had come all this way only to lose the love of my life.

“Everyone is pale around this time… we’re heading into winter.” Syn replied, while checking her reflection in the oversized gold mirror that sat in the living room.

Kobe snorted. “ Heading ? Did you not shake off that damn coat when you came over? It’s cold… holidays will be here, and then we’ll be back into summer. I’ll find a gray hair and scream out because I’m not married and a father.”

“You’re spiraling and need to relax… time is moving way too fast,” I looked over the couch and chuckled, as he continued cooking.

“It needs to move faster so Kang can wake his ass up… I know you’re worried about him. Let me be the first to let you know that he’s going to wake up.”

“How are you that confident?”

Kobe sighed. “I was messing with this hood nigga… DL type and wanted to keep things a secret, which is fine with me. I don’t tell nobody’s business.”

Me and Syn were clued into this story, because to know Kobe was to know he would always have a story. “What happened?”

“He fucking stole from me… I was living in Brooklyn in this little rinky dink apartment, and he would come over and stay the night. This was when I was still working a typical regular job. I would leave him all the time… this man went into my closet in my shoe box and took my money.”

I gasped. “No.”

“Girl, yes. Then when I called him to press him about it, he got real fly out the mouth with me… I threatened that I would tell his homies what he really be doing.”

“Kobe, no… that’s so dangerous.”

“I didn’t give a fuck… he stole my money to start my business and do better. Some of that money Hams had gave me.”

“Okay… how did he react?”

Kobe leaned on the counter and sighed. “He came over trying to toss his weight around. Tried to put his hands on me, and I tore his ass up in that apartment. Then the bitch put a gun to my head and threatened to kill me if I opened my mouth about what we had going on.”

As he told the story, I could see that he was reliving what happened with each word. “Jesus.”

“Yep, that is exactly who he thought he saw when Hamza rolled up on him with Quasim. Not only did they tell his business, but they beat that man so damn bad that they had his homies coming out they pockets to pay me back… I skipped right on that block and collected the money, spit on that asshole, and went about my business,” He snickered and went back to cooking.

“And that tells us how you are so sure that Quasim is going to wake up?” Syn asked the question that I was trying to figure out my damn self.

“Quasim never judged me when he met me. He knew I came with Hamza and never judged me. None of the Gods judge me; they all treat me like family. He heard what happened, and it bothered him like I was his little brother. He went out there and beat the shit out of someone, defending my honor…. God doesn’t take those people from us right away. ”

Synthia nodded her head in agreement. “I’m worried about you, Blair.”

“Worried about me, too.” I sighed and leaned my head back on the couch and pulled the throw blanket over me.

“It’s freezing in your house… no offense,” Synthia rubbed her arms.

“Invite some bitches over for brunch and then they complain about your home… it’s an old home and takes time to heat up.” Kobe wiped his hands on the dish towel and stomped down the hall to mess with the outdated thermostat.

“You spent all this money renovating; you need to get a new boiler or something… it’s real cute in here, though.

” She continued to mess with him and then looked over at me.

“I’m here, Blair… seriously. I know you saved me with a job and all, but I honestly value you and our friendship.

Don’t ever feel like you can’t lay everything you’re going through on me. ”

I smiled at Synthia, because she started as an employee and had turned into a friend. I could count on her to make me laugh and say something that would have me looking at her differently. She was unapologetically herself and had this zest for life.

“How has Havoc been? I can’t really read him, and I know you two are very close.” I winked at her.

Syn shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to him. Whenever I call, he doesn’t answer, and my text messages go unread.”

“And you’re not bugging out?”

She smiled. “Not really. I know he has a lot on his plate, so I don’t take it personally.

I think he’s creating distance because he fears something could happen to me.

I’m not in this life, but I was raised by a man that has been involved, so I get his reasoning. I’m here whenever things cool down.”

Havoc had been on go since everything happened. He was me and Capri’s shadow, making sure nothing happened to the both of us. When Kobe and Syn decided to break me out, I texted Havoc and let him know that I was going with them.

When he didn’t respond, I texted Kincaid, and he told me that he was going to send some Gods because he was in the middle of something.

Kobe wasn’t an Inferno God, and nobody knew about him, so I felt comfortable going because no one was looking for him.

Plus, things had been very quiet since we blew that damn house up.

“You really like him.” I smiled at her.

She removed her hair from her face. “I do like him. When we’re together, it’s like I can tap into his world. Appreciate the silence and just be one with him.”

Kobe came speed walking down the hall back into the open concept living area. “The fuck climbed up your ass?”

He put his hand to his mouth, and I could see the fear, and worry in his eyes. “I don’t know who the fuck those men are coming up the walkway. I’m also not stupid, so we need to go now.”

Kobe yanked me up from the couch, ran into the kitchen to turn the pots off. I was almost glad something was happening, because the food didn’t look edible. Syn was right behind me as the doorbell sounded.

He opened what I assumed was a closet door, and it had steps leading down to an outdated unfinished basement. “Go downstairs.” He leaned his back against the door, pulling a gun from behind his back.

“You have a gun?” Syn questioned.

“Hams made sure I knew how to shoot… he worries about me.” He spoke quietly, as he snatched his car keys from the hook in the hallway, and held his gun, nodding for us to head downstairs.

We took the concrete steps down to the basement where there was a dated washing machine and dryer, a single bulb with a string hanging in the middle of the dingy concrete basement.

“I see you hoes both judging my basement… do you think renovating an older home is easy?”

My phone vibrated and we all jumped. “It’s just my phone.”

“Well, damn… why is it so aggressive?” Kobe asked, as he stood on top of two cases of energy drinks and looked out the small window.

Havoc: Tell Kobe to bring you out the basement. We out here.

“Havoc said that they are outside and to come out the basement… is there a door?”

Kobe discreetly looked at a section of the basement that had two huge metal industrial shelves in front of it. Not only was this shelf huge, but it also had so much cleaning supplies that I was confused. I knew his home was spotless, but damn. Who needed that much cleaning supplies?

“Is that where the door is, Kobe?” Synthia asked while cutting her eyes at him.

“Um yeah… you see down here. What if somebody came and choked me out while doing my skincare… I can’t hear from my bedroom.”

“Why the fuck is there so much cleaning supplies? What the fuck are you cleaning?” I went to try and move a container of laundry pods.

“Um, hello? I own a cleaning business, Luxe Gleam,” He looked offended that I didn’t know he owned a cleaning business.

I didn’t question where his money came from or how he was able to afford this home. It was older, but the work that was put into it was beautiful. You could tell he paid attention to detail.

“Fucking focus… we cannot move this. It’s too heavy and lo?—”

The chime for his security sounded, letting us know they had gained access into the house. We all jumped when we heard a knock on the window. Papa’s face appeared and we all sighed in relief.

Kobe went to open the window, pushing it out. “Why do you have the fucking door filled with shit, Kobe?”

“Papa, look, it was the on?—”

He looked behind him. “Fuck all that… come on, we need to get ya’ll out of here.”

I climbed on top of the energy drinks and held onto the edge of the window, as Papa helped me out the window. He then helped Syn, while Kobe was able to climb out behind her. Papa still held his hand out and helped him out.

Kobe went from bragging about his quiet oasis away from the city, to having the Gods out here ready to air this entire street out. The sound of an engine roared down the block, and Papa looked around to see where it was coming from.

“Havoc is taking ya’ll back to?—”

POW! POW! POW!

Papa pulled me and Synthia behind the van that was parked in the car port near the basement window. He pulled his gun and started shooting back, while Kobe stood beside Havoc letting his gun go.

Kobe may have loved to kee with us girls, but the way his body language changed and held that gun showed me that Havoc made sure his best friend could protect himself if he wasn’t there to do it.

“Hams, I just got my bedroom set and they in my damn bedroom! Touch my favorite shower oil and that’s ya’ll asses!” Kobe hollered, aiming at the man hanging out the window on the second floor.