Page 157 of Steel

Silence.

“We can walk out of here right now and go get you some help.”

She stared at me blankly, not saying a word. I wasn’t sure if she was thinking about it, or if she was hallucinating again.To show her that I didn’t want to hurt her, I backed toward the door, giving her room to climb to her feet.

“Promise me something,” she said, lowly.

“What is it?”

“You’ll always take good care of KJ. Let him know I love him, and I wished that I could be around for him.”

“Ms. Anita?—”

She moved to the side of the bed and reached down. When she stood, she had the gun in her hand.

“Ms. Anita, please,” I begged. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do. I can’t go to jail. I can’t live the rest of my life in a mental institution either. You aren’t gonna let me see KJ, and I don’t want him to see me locked away. What else is there for me? I just wanna be with my husband and daughter.”

She put the gun to her temple.

“Ms. Anita, no!”

“I love you, Kerrion. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t!”

Before I could get to her, the gun went off, and she slumped to the floor. I stood there for a moment, shock filling my core. I could hear my father’s footsteps pounding the floor behind me. When he stepped into the room, he stopped and muttered a curse.

“Shit . . .”

“I . . . I tried, Pop. I tried.”

He wrapped his arms around me. “I know, Son.”

“I tried.”

Out of all the lives I’d taken, none had ever shaken me up like this. I’d never witnessed someone I cared about kill themselves.

“Kerrion!” my mother screamed from a distance.

“He’s fine, Tay!” Pops called. He grabbed me by the shoulders and steered me toward the door. “I’ll handle this.”

I allowed him to lead me out of the room. My mother stood in the doorway, clutching my son, tears streaming down her face. The moment she saw me, she ran to me, hugging me tightly and kissing my face.

“You’re okay,” she whispered. “You’re okay.”

She pulled back and handed me KJ.

“DaDa!” he squealed, teary eyed.

“Daddy’s got you, Fat Man,” I said, scooping him up. “God, I missed you so much.”

I couldn’t help but hold him tightly and kiss his face. I had to check every part of him to make sure there wasn’t a hair out of place.

“I’m so sorry, man,” I said, cradling him against my chest.

His little fingers rubbed my ears, something he did to soothe himself. My mother kissed and hugged both of us.