Page 131 of Lau Ahi
“What Liam is trying to say is that your wife is worried about you. I know you want to see her, but give us a minute to talk about who wants you dead first. Since we know it ain’t her.” Mir leaned forward looking like he was ready to play with rocket launchers again and just needed a target. I felt the same way he did. Not because someone tried to kill me, I was used to shit like that. It came with the territory in every line of work I engaged in. But somebody had come for her. I didn’t know which one of us was the intended target but they’d fucked up when they came for my wife.
Still calling her your wife?
“Vanya looks like the Black Pippi Longstockings as Jada likes to say and that didn’t stop her from putting a bullet in a bitch’s head who came at your mama wrong.”
Xerx’s smiled, his approval the pride and love for his wife clear in his eyes, “She does love my mama.”
“You also seem to forget that Cou’s mama is a lil nerd and she ain’t one to mess with either.”
Xerxes nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Zhis is true. Maybe she shouldn’t be pulled from zhe list.”
“In all seriousness, I don’t know if it’s this last case or someone is just fucking with us, but I’m going to find out.” My head was hurting again and I wasn’t about to argue with these big muthafuckas. I wanted my fiancée so I could finally go to sleep peacefully. I’d grown used to her body in the bed and I wasn’t going to get restful sleep without her.
“You both need protection.”
I frowned at the suggestion despite it being the first thing I would suggest to someone else in the same position. “That nigga Smoke is your shadow, Mir. I don’t need Angels or Archangels around me like that.”
Yacouba took another pull from his blunt and I wished he had another to help with this damn headache. “You don’t have any additional family to watch your back. Hell, we might need to check and make sure that they’re not the ones who did this shit.”
My brothers all exchanged glances between one another as though they’d realized that they needed to get on it. Without a question, Mir picked up his phone and started to send out a message I was sure was going to Smoke.
“If you’re going to check on someone, check on James Jr. and them. I doubt that anyone else is guilty.”
“You don’t zhink zhis could be work related?” Xerxes was playing with the ring that he proudly sported on his left hand and it hit me I’d have the same adornment soon. Hearing how Asha was worried about me made the idea of that ring feel like less of a burden and more of a testament of something I couldn’t name.
“That’s always a possibility but I doubt it. If it’s a hit it’s coming from the government, not some killer trying to get a lick back.”
“What you want us to do?” Yacouba stood probably ready to shoot someone and get this business handled so that he could get back to his wife and son.
“We were already going to meet up in a few days. Go home for now.”
Every face frowned at me like I wasn’t thinking clearly.
“Ori—”
“I’m not just saying it I’m for real. Tonight was a fluke. One that will be corrected soon enough. If you’re worried meet up with Vega and grill his ass about it. My fucking head hurts and I’m about to go to sleep. But y’all not about to have your wives pissed at me cause y’all been gone off and on for the next week. I’m good, we’ll get up about this later. I’m taking my big ass to sleep.”
The knock on the door was cautious but it crept open before I could say anything. Faith’s head peeked around the corner and I attempted to adjust myself in the bed. I was ready to go, Asha was out there unprotected without me and it had me on edge. I didn’t care that her father and all of my brothers were here in town; it was still too much distance given what happened. She’d gone home to take a shower and I had to force her to do that. ButI could admit that I missed her now that she was gone. The stress that I could see on her face bothered me but it felt good to watch her focus on caring about me. It was strange to have that level of care coming from her but she gave it to me almost without being conscious of her actions. I’d heard how she’d cried out for me when I was in and out of consciousness; the fear that laced her voice and then the way her voice hardened when she needed to take command of the situation. I’d battled to get back to her, to protect her but she handled everything with an ease that I wasn’t used to. Having someone who would go to bat for me when I was weakest.
Of course, I’m sure the woman in front of me wanted me to believe the same was true about her.
“Are you okay with me being here?”
I cleared my throat because it was still dry despite the IV in my arm and the water next to the bed. It, of course, couldn’t be due to any emotional fluctuations I was feeling.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
Her nod was one of relief, the joy at not being refused entry brought a calm to her previously tense features. “I didn’t realize you were still in town.” I pointed to a chair near the bed as a place she could sit down.
Faith smiled, which only made me feel worse because the woman who gave me life was this overjoyed by my giving her simple courtesy.
Tighten up, Ori.
“I heard about your accident. So I came to check on you.”
“You didn’t have to—”
Her laughed stirred a mirror that had been buried deep. One that was often directed at my father when he gave her some flimsy excuse. It was the type that saidDon’t insult my fucking intelligence.I’d offended her and I actually felt bad about it.
