Page 33 of Entranced With the Hellhound

I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect Brick, of all people, to be waiting down the block from Mama’s house with Aunt Delores. I’m so confused by the sight that it takes my brain a minute to process what my eyes are seeing.

“Aunt Delores? What’s goin’ on?” I question, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Oh, baby girl, Carol Anne has gotten into some real shit this time. Excuse my French.”

My eyes balloon because my Auntie is an old school Christian woman. Everything is a sin, especially “the devil’s language”. For her to cuss means there’s absolutely something to worry about.

“Carol Anne called me, and I got outta my bed to come see what was goin’ on. She never calls this time of night. When I got to the house, I heard a ruckus coming from inside. Before I could get inside to see what was happenin’, this young man stopped me.” Aunt Delores shakes her head, looking at Brick. “I was tryin’ to call you, but the call wouldn’t go through.”

“That’s my fault. I didn’t have reception. Mama called me, but the line dropped before I could see what was going on.” I look to Brick for an explanation since he seems to know what the hell is happening.

“I was following Chauncey cause he owes us… a favor,” Brick replies cryptically, looking over at Bishop.

“I’m assuming by us you mean the…” I look at my Aunt before choosing my words carefully. “Umm, your employer,” I finish.

Brick nods and my anger rises. Even after all I did to get the money to pay back the cartel, Chauncey’s bitch ass went right back to them. I swear he’s the most toxic, gutter piece of shit I’ve ever encountered in my life.

“So, why are y’all standing down here in the dark? Is Mama okay?” I ask after my brain finally catches up to the situation.

Aunt Delores looks away, and Brick gives me a look so filled with pity that my heart squeezes painfully in my chest. I don’t want to admit what I heard on the other end of that phone, but that loud sound wasn’t ordinary. It was a gunshot. Just like the ones I heard at the clubhouse.

“Auntie Delores? Is Mama okay?” I grab her by the hands, making her look at me.

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. The tears that stream down her soft brown cheeks from beneath her lids are my undoing. I want to fall apart right where I stand, but I can’t. I have to find out what happened.

“I-is my mama dead?” I choke out, praying that I’m reading the situation wrong.

“I don’t know, baby. I heard a gunshot, and Carol Anne fell to the floor, screaming. Chauncey and some strange lookin’ men are still in there. I wanted to call the police, but this young man said not to. You know nobody else in this neighborhood is gonna call either.”

I do know that nobody will call the police because the police don’t protect the people who live in this neighborhood. Most people here mind their business and keep to themselves. It’s not a horrible place to live, but it isn’t the safest either.

I try to slow my breathing to think rationally. I put my ER training to work as I begin calculating the situation.

It’s been less than thirty minutes since Mama called. Depending on where she was shot, we probably have plenty of time to save her if we move now. There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen, and my real supplies are in the bathroom under the sink.

“We need to move now,” I say, looking at Bishop. “I have medical supplies, and I can triage Mama until we can get her to the hospital.

Bishop’s face is full of concern. When his eyes flash above my head, I turn to look at what he’s staring at. Brick, who has been extremely quiet, is shaking his head no.

“I can save her,” I whisper brokenly.

“No, baby. You can’t.” Bishop pulls me into his big body, sheltering me from the pain as best he can.

I let out a heart-wrenching sob. I lost both of my parents to gun violence, and I couldn’t save either one of them. I tried so hard to help my mother, but in the end I still wasn’t able to keep her with me.

Bishop stands with his arms wrapped around me as I continue to cry into his chest. The leather smell of his cut and the spicy scent of his cologne are giving me the comfort I need. It takes me a minute to pull myself together, but once I do, there’s only one conclusion.

“Chauncey is a dead motherfucker. What do we need to do?” I ask, wiping away my tears.

CHAPTER 19

THE DEAL

BISHOP

The sound of Blue’s sobs is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. The pain in her voice and her tears broke my heart. Losing a loved one will never be easy. But when my baby declared that Chauncey was dead, well, that’s the simplest conclusion she could’ve ever come to.

Brick and I had a little chat while deciding how to approach Carol Anne’s house. He told me that the cartel had no plans to hit our clubhouse, and he was positive that they didn’t. The Hellhounds weren’t on the cartel’s radar at all. That statement raised questions, but now wasn’t the time to ask them.