Page 7

She told me Capri had told her what it meant, and now I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the shit. I couldn’t have my daughter putting her onto shit and leaving me in the dark. Had me looking crazy, coming home with that damn parm. Either way, she sent that emoji and got handled that night.

When I pulled my phone out of my pocket, I saw the missed calls and nephew’s name on the screen. Zahir had called like seven damn times in the span of three minutes.

“Yo.”

“The fuck happened to Sim, Unc… I got the word he was shot… is he good?”

“I don’t know.”

The line grew quiet, and I thought the nigga hung up on me for a second. “I’m flying back in now… I should touch down by morning.”

“Ight.”

“What about Blaze?”

“Waiting to hear on him, too.”

The line went quiet again. “Fuck. See you when I touch down.”

After we ended the call, I leaned my head back onto the wall. Za was my nephew from my sister on my father’s side. My pops was a nigga that got around, and while he was getting around, he had a daughter a year younger than me.

When he had his shit straight, he made sure that we knew each other and built a bond.

I could admit that I meshed with my sister more than I did with my brother.

It was crazy because we weren’t even raised together.

Shae was a straight shooter like me, and she would always give you the real, even if you never wanted to hear the shit.

Zahir was only two years younger than Quasim, and older than Quameer.

Whenever I could, I made sure that I was present in my nephew’s life.

Shae was a single mother, so anytime she needed something, I never hesitated to go help her out.

Shae would drop Zahir over toward the house and Gams would watch him for her.

It was the reason Zahir was so close to Gams, as if she was his own grandmother. Nigga came by to visit her and make sure she was straight before me, and I was his uncle. He was the first to say that Gams was the reason he was so successful in the marijuana industry now.

When Shae decided to move down to Miami, it broke my heart because I was used to her always being close to me. The last time I visited was when I went to lunch with Blaze and Capri. Even back then, I could tell she was meant to be the next Mrs. Inferno.

Blaze knew that shit, too, but he was too stubborn to put the pieces together. I knew they would eventually get it right, and he would find his forever in Capri.

The doors opened and Cappadonna and Capone walked through. Capone sat down next to his father, and Des kissed his son’s head. “Getting home to the family is most important… hear me?” He gave them a warning after seeing the look in both of their eyes.

“Always.” Cappadonna answered, sliding down the wall to sit beside me. I could see the danger swirling in both twins’ eyes and knew they were going to raise hell behind my sons. “We on you and Queen’s word, Papa.”

I held both my fingers out and we hit the IG shake, while both resting our heads back onto the wall, and waiting to hear the fate of my sons.

“Mina, baby, what the fuck?” I held her arms, as she stared at me.

She had tears in her eyes, and I could tell she felt bad for what happened. “Ahhhhhh! Fuck!!” I heard my son’s wails as they cleaned his burns.

We were in the burn unit, and they had to clean out the burns that caught him. My heart was still beating fast, thinking about how he could have been dead.

Quasim came out the room with his head down. “What happened?”

“Shit is fucking hard.” The fact that both of them were just cussing like I ain’t raised them better slipped my mind.

“Meer Meer, I’m coming,” Mina said and took off toward the room where they were spraying this nozzle on the burn that took up the side of his stomach, and then his face.

“Nah, get mommy the fuck away… you tried to kill me?” He hollered, a manic look in his eyes, as he stared at his mother.

Mina hung her head, sad that her son thought she would purposely try to kill him. “I’m…I’m sorry. I got busy talking and forgot….” She went right into venting in Portuguese like I understood.

Quasim nodded, knowing everything that she was saying to him as she vented, using her hands in frustration with tears coming down her eyes. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I forget everything and I’m not the perfect mom. I’m sorry that I depend on you often, Moochie. I know I’m a fuck up and fuck thing ? —”

The doctor closed the room door, leaving us in the hallway. I had half the mind to beat his ass, but I understood he had a job to do. Pulling Mina into my arms, she sobbed into my chest while I kissed the top of her head.

“Baby, you not a fuck up. I know your mind gets away sometimes.”

Quasim slipped back into the room to hold his brother’s hand. “It’s not right, Quin… I forget things and sometimes I don’t remember how I went to bed. I’m scared….”

Blair was fast asleep on my shoulder as we sat in the living room with the TV watching us.

I quickly shook off the day that Blaze was burned and looked around the living room.

I could hear everything going on in the news, but my mind was on my sons.

Des forced me to come upstairs because sitting downstairs wasn’t going to do me any good.

I didn’t deserve any good. If this was the karma for all the fuck shit I’ve done in the past, then I didn’t deserve any peace.

I used to think that Mina’s diagnosis was karma.

Why else would God take the one person that understood me the most away from me.

Only giving her to me in the physical form, but the mental part was miles away.

Mina was my favorite person to debate with.

We would spend hours in deep conversation about anything.

She challenged my mind in the best way, and I missed that the most about her.

I would find myself coming over to her and Gam’s house and sitting with her while the news played.

Wanting to have a debate on the state of the world, and her thoughts.

When the doctors told me that I could get my baby back, I didn’t know what the fuck to think. Felt like a trick and I was scared to believe that I could have what I used to have with her. Like it was God playing a trick on me because I had been playing the devil all of these years in the streets.

Now, I knew what he was doing. He gave me my Mina back so he could take one or both of my boys.

Knowing that if Mina lost one or both of our boys, she would never be the same.

Never look at me the same. She knew the life she married into, but that didn’t make it easier when she watched me teaching her oldest baby the ropes.

Preparing him for a life she knew all too well. A life she knew she had to allow so he could thrive and be a man.

“A high-stakes heist has rocked the heart of Manhattan today.

Apriceless paintinghas been stolen from the Sonoma Museum overnight.

Security footage revealsthree masked individualsbreaking into the museum and making off with the"Rita" painting. An artwork valued at approximatelysix million dollars. Authorities are investigating the possibility of aninside job, though no suspects have been named at this time. We’ll continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates as more information becomes available. Stay tuned.”

I snorted because there was always some shit going on in the city. Every morning when I turned the news on, there was some shit that was going on, and I used to become sad because I couldn’t even tell Mina about it. Now that my baby was back, we talked about the news every morning.

When it came to my sons being husbands, I never worried because I had been a great example.

I loved their mother loud and in front of them, so they knew how to treat their women.

Mina Inferno was my world, and I would do whatever she wanted.

It was funny because she didn’t know the power she held when it came to me.

I’d fuck around and toss the president in a tank with a dolphin if she asked me. There was no limit to what I would do for her. I’ve raised my boys to always go far and beyond for the women they loved.

Unfortunately, they got that shit wrong the first time, but now they were good. I fixed the blanket over Blair’s shoulder as she drooled on me. She and the baby both needed the sleep. Hassan had already threatened her ass about sedating her if she continued pacing and stressing herself out.

“Sounds like an inside job for sure,” Capri’s voice sounded, as she laid on the opposite couch with one eye open, and the other closed.

I heard someone clear their throat and saw Hassan and Dr. Ramos standing near the entrance of the living room.

Everyone was stretched out and asleep except Capone, me, and Capri. “Hassan, tell me something good.”

Hassan was an Inferno God, he was family.

I needed to hear it from his mouth because his facial expression wasn’t telling me shit.

“Meer is out of surgery and he’s in recovery.

He’s waking up now… we were able to remove the bullet, it lacer…

it tore through his muscle tissue, causing secondary tearing.

We were able to remove the torn tissue and suture him up.

He needs to heal, and he may walk with a slight limp.

Right now, there’s no telling until he heals.

He cannot ride his bike, Pri… I don’t care what he tells you… he’s off the bike until we clear him.”

“I can go and see him now?” Capri was anxious as she stood there waiting to see her husband.

Hassan nodded his head. “Yeah. He’ll be loopy for a minute, but he was waking up when I checked on him. Told me my scrubs were too damn tight,” he chuckled, trying to keep the heaviness away.

“Boy always been too damn stubborn to go anywhere.” I couldn’t move because Blair was still asleep.

Dr. Ramos didn’t need to say two words because Hassan was handling it. This was personal to him, and as a doctor, nothing was supposed to be personal, but Capone made it where we could follow our own rules.

“Ramos, you good?” Capo asked.

He nodded. “Tired, Capo… tired… and emotionally drained, if I’m able to be honest.”

I nodded toward the couch. “Take a seat… what’s going on with Pop?”

“Should we wake her up?”

I gently shook Blair and she stirred from her sleep. Her eyes were blood shot red while the drool glistened on the side of her mouth. My shoulder was wet with her drool, but I didn’t give a fuck because I needed her to sleep.

Both Blair and this baby were important to this family. “Is he awake… Hassan, is he alive? Please don’t tell me.” She jumped right into action the minute she remembered where she was.

Hassan rubbed her shoulders. “His lung collapsed.”

I could feel Blair trembling in my arms as she held onto Hassan’s every word. “I got it, Hassan.” Ramos stepped in when he noticed Hassan becoming emotional.

His voice cracked as he was about to tell us what was going on. “What are you not saying?”

Dr. Ramos leaned forward. “We were able to remove three bullets that didn’t do any major damage.

There was one particular bullet that broke his rib and pierced his lung, and that caused his lung to collapse.

We were able to insert a tube in, and we’re hoping the lung inflates.

As of right now, he is stable, however, it’s touch and go.

He’s on a ventilator because his oxygen is very low.

” He looked over at Hassan. “That man… though a resident, saved his friend’s life without a question. ”

Hassan swiped his tears away as I stood up and pulled him into my arms. Pop told me how much Hassan meant to him, and how he was going to look out for him. My boy had always been good like that. Always looking out for others and never worried about him.

“He saved my life, Papa… I had to do the same.”

I squeezed him. “You did all that you could and when he wake up, I know he gonna give you shit and fuck with you… you mean a lot to him, Has… don’t forget that.” I assured him.

“With my assistance, he made me proud to be a doctor. He’s in recovery and then we’ll move him to a room. Just give them a second to make sure he’s cleaned up and set up in his room.”

Blair slid down onto the floor and clasped her hands together, staring up at the ceiling while praying. I watched as she prayed with tears sliding down her face. She prayed hard, and thanked God for seeing my boys out of it.

“Papa, go and see Meer… he’ll be ready for you to see him when you’re done.” Ramos said.

I looked at Blair who remained on the floor praying. “I got her.”

I made it downstairs to the recovery room where Blaze was. When I entered, Capri was kissing his face and hugging him as tight as she could without hurting him.

He was staring at her with this goofy look on his face. “Pops, you met this fine shit that I married?”

I could tell he was still coming down from the drugs. “Yeah, heard she a beast, too… you pick them well.”

“Not that water head bitch… head so big like the sun… hope you got a mile for a di?—”

“Meer, stop it right now,” Capri laughed, as he remixed the words to a Trina song.

Capri stopped laughing as she held his hand. “Where’s my brother, Suga?”

Both Blaze and Capri looked at me. “Resting.”

She took a deep breath and dropped her head to say a silent thank you to the man upstairs.

I thanked him, too, because I didn’t know what I would have done if my boys didn’t make it.

Everything was depending on when Pop woke up, but I knew he was going to wake up and show ‘em why his name was King Inferno.