Killian stirred and his eyes popped open, they had taken the tube out so now he was talking better, but it still hurt for him to talk.
“Where’s Leigh?”
Honesty tried her best to hold back her tears, she had not heard an update on whether they had finally pulled the plug on Leigh yet.
“Let me go and get Pop-Pop, he knows everything.”
When she walked out of the door, her sister Loyalty was standing there with tears in her eyes holding her cell phone. She looked so pathetic, she had dark circles around her eyes, her ponytail was messy and she had on sweats. Loyalty was the diva of the sisters; you could never catch her with a hair out of place. She was going through a lot with her dude and then the accident was taking its toll on her because her and Killian were the closest. They were like twins from different mothers; they shared the same face and the same age.
“Is everything alright with Killian? It is killing me looking at him like that.” Loyalty wiped the tears from her face.
“He woke up and he is talking. He just asked for Leigh. I think Pop-Pop needs to go ahead and break the truth to him, because every time he wakes up, she is the first and last thing that he asks for. Call Real and tell her to get over here right now, Killa is awake and talking. We need to be here for him as a unit when he gets the news.” Honesty left Loyalty standing there in the hall as she rushed to go and find her father.
Khalil was getting so impatient, he wanted to leave the hospital and see Jazmeir. Just to check on her and see if she needed anything. He couldn’t get her off of his mind. It was something about her that made him feel as if he needed to protect her. But his first priority was his children and he vowed that he was not leaving until Killian woke up and he spoke to him. He knew that the doctors knew what they were doing but he needed to hear his son say that he was alright.
Honesty rushed into the waiting room, he was the only one there and had pulled a chair in front of him to put his feet up. He was looking at CNN on the television that was mounted on the wall. He looked up at his oldest daughter and tried to crack a smile.
“Hey baby girl, what’s up?”
“Killian just woke up and he is talking. He wants Leigh and I don’t know what to say. Have you talked to her mother? Have they taken her off of life support yet? We should have been checking on her and her mother, but we have been so wrapped up in everything. What are we gonna tell him?” Honesty was panicking.
“Breathe, calm down, and do not get yourself worked up. I swear you need to go on you a vacation before you give yourself a heart attack girl. We are going to help him get through this. Where is Gorgeous? I need to talk to her. Get your sister over here pronto.”
Khalil was happy that his son was awake and talking but he was sure that after he got the news about Leigh that he was going to shut down. That is just what Killian does. He was prepared to tell him that she was gone, but there was no way to prepare for what he was going to do once he found out.
“I will get in contact with Toe-Toe too; he is like a big brother to him. I think we need to show him that we will be here every step of the way and that he can recover from this.”
“Gigi is still downstairs if I’m not mistaken and Loyalty just called Reality and she is on her way. I’m so tired of all this mess Pop-Pop. I don’t even feel like myself. I’m going on me a vacation really soon. Don’t be surprised if you call my phone and I pick up and tell you that I’m gone. I just need to get a way for a while.”
Honesty leaned on the wall and exhaled. She was truly tired and she needed a break before she had a break down.
Chapter 36: Can’t we all just get along?
Ponchees grabbed Sam’s hand to prevent her from following Gorgeous out of the glass doors. “No, leave her alone and let her be. She will be alright eventually. She just needs to get used to you.”
“See that is how a man thinks. But I’m a woman and I know how we think. I’m not going to be rude or harsh. I just need to straighten a few things out. Because believe it or not I’m with you for the long haul, so she may never like me, but she is gonna damn well respect me.” Sam pulled away and rushed to follow Gigi out of the door. Gigi had rushed across the small emergency room parking lot and headed into the adjacent building that held all the restaurants. Sam’s 6 inch Louboutins were preventing her from running after Gigi, so she walked at a fast pace. Hoping not to break her neck in the raggedy parking lot, she walked with her head down making sure that she missed all the cracks.
Gigi stood in the line as her stomach growled. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she ate. Her godfather had fallen victim to a pretty face and a fat ass. That girl had to be at least thirty years younger than Ponchees. As if she didn’t have enough already going on she now had to watch this new snake that had slithered on her land without her knowing. Gigi ordered enough food for her and Honesty, she was going to sit here in the food court and gather her thoughts for a minute before she went back into the hospital. She moved to the side and waited for her chicken sandwiches and waffle fries to be prepared.
The girl who was with Ponchees in the waiting room walked up and placed an order. Gigi stood there to the side patting her feet impatiently waiting for her food. They put her order on a tray on the counter; she grabbed it and headed over toward the corner of the food court to sit down.
Sam paid for her food and waited for her order, she didn’t know what she was going to say to Gorgeous, but she was going to speak from the heart, because just like she had told Ponchees, she had no plans on going anywhere, anytime soon. Her food was placed on the counter and she picked up her tray and walked toward where Gorgeous was sitting at.
“Do you mind if I sit right here?”
Gorgeous looked up at her and then she glanced around the empty food court and shook her head.
“Yeah go ahead and sit down. Just be quiet until I’m finished eating cause I’m sure whatever you are going to tell me might just spoil my appetite.”
Sam sat down at the table opposite Gorgeous and she started to eat her chicken nuggets. She dipped her fries into her ice cream cup and sipped her lemonade. Sam kept her head down. She wanted to come all the way right with Gorgeous, so she decided that she would just shoot straight from the hip. They both ate in silence; the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a butter knife. Gorgeous finished first and got up to go dispose of the trash. Sam reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Let me get that for you.” Sam got up and went and emptied the remnants; she stopped and headed back over. She always ate when she was nervous. Sam approached the table filled with apprehension.
“Go ahead and say what you got to say I got to take some food back to someone in the hospital.” Gigi said as she rolled her eyes at Sam as she pulled her chair out to sit back down.
“Yeah, you got to make sure that your girlfriend Honesty eats. Don’t worry, I won’t be long. You guys make a cute couple. The fact that the both of you are feminine is what makes it even better. Then she works for you. That is a real good look.” Sam smirked at the shocked look on Gorgeous’ face.
“Y’all have been fucking, making love, being intimate, or whatever you want to call it. I could have been told Ponchees, but he knows that you like pussy, you always have. What about the girl Sunshine at the club that you been fucking? I bet your baby Honesty doesn’t know about that, or the girl from Spelman who came in and auditioned and didn’t get the job as a dancer but she is your part time girlfriend. You pay her car note on her little Mercedes truck and she goes shopping once a week. Shit you can’t do that with a school refund check. Do Ponchees know that you are flooding the city with the Lean? He might have a slight problem with it because he isn’t making a profit off of your endeavor. See, not only do I keep your secrets, I also keep the goons off of your ass. You think the only reason why you haven’t got touched is because everybody is scared of your godfather. No, it’s because I get to them before they get to you. I’m his eyes and ears in this city. I have
had to drop a few bodies because they were lying on your warehouse where you keep your entire stock of product. So don’t think that you are untouchable lil’ momma. I just make sure you don’t get touched.”
Gigi was in shock. Damn Sam knew everything. That explained why Ponchees would call right after something that happened.
“So what do you want me to do? Throw some cash your way for keeping my secrets, or do you need a pat on the back. You want to be my friend? Tell me what’s the price cause you are not about to hold this shit over my head. I’m not going to be extorted. Shit! God father knows I am nothing but a nigga with a pussy so this shit is to be expected. He don’t let the dress and high heels fool him and neither should you. That is the reason why I am the boss.”
Sam looked at Gigi with the smug look on her face. She was shockingly beautiful, and she was cut throat, definitely a deadly combination.
“I got enough money, trust me. Ponchees pats me on the back and the ass so you can keep that shit too. Be your friend, hell nawl. Your twin sister is trying to kill you and everybody you are affiliated with, so I know if you can’t be a sister, you can’t be a friend. I’m good lil’ buddy.”
Sam got up from the table and walked away, her Loubs making an echoing tap sound throughout the empty food court as she exited and headed back toward the hospital.
Gigi heard her mention her sister and she got up and ran after her. Her long legs helped her to catch up with Sam in the parking lot that separated the two buildings.
“My sister? What do you know about Beautiful?”
“See if you would get your head out of the clouds where you think that your shit don’t stink, then you would see that it has been your sister all along. She is the reason Concrete is laying up in a hospital bed unconscious, she is the reason Poke is dead and more than likely she is the reason that Killian only has one leg. So you either ready to fight the one that is really hurting you and your loved ones or you are going to sit right here and pick a fight with someone who can be your best asset.”
Sam stood her ground and let Gigi know that she wasn’t backing down and that she would help her.
They stood outside settling their differences. Ponchees kept getting up to peek trying to make sure that they hadn’t come to blows. The two ladies walked back into the waiting room area with their heads held high, high heels clicking and deep in conversation. You would have sworn that they had known each other for years. Gigi laughed at something that Sam said and Sam threw her arm over Gigi’s shoulder. Ponchees shook his head and laughed to himself. Sam should be a damn politician because that girl damn sure knew how to bring people around to seeing things her way.
Just as they sat down and were beginning to talk, Reality, D.J. and Toe-Toe rushed in. Reality spoke first.
“Where is Pop-Pop, we were all called and told to rush over here. Is Killa okay?”
Ponchees stood up and Khalil walked into the waiting room.
“Killian is fully awake now and he is asking for Leigh. I wanted everyone to be here for support when I tell him that she didn’t survive the accident. Let’s go upstairs.”
Everyone got up and went to the elevator and headed upstairs. Sam stayed downstairs with her phone in her hand. She had put out word to her connect to locate Beautiful’s last known address and place of work. Someone needed to be watching her every move and all of her interactions. There is no way in hell that she was wreaking all of this havoc by herself.
Chapter 37: Bout to go H.A.M
Killian knew something wasn’t right as he looked at all the faces of the people surrounding his hospital bed. Everyone was there except for Leigh. The somber mood swallowed up the air in the room and it seemed as if his chest was getting tight. He pulled his oxygen mask up over his face and took in a few breaths before releasing it again.
“I lost a leg. I’m a young nigga getting money; I can buy another one of those. I can buy all y’all an extra leg. Y’all are acting like someone died or something.” He was hurt that he lost his leg but he was trying to lighten the mood a little bit.
Tears flowed down Toe-Toe’s face. He turned and faced the wall as he wiped them away. One of the things that had drawn him to Killa was the fact that he had a big heart and he was a soldier. But right now, he was about to become the world’s worst enemy. A soldier with a chip on his shoulder and no heart at all was a killing machine and the streets of Atlanta will never be ready for what is about to transpire.
Khalil had found Leigh’s mom just as she was coming to check on Killian before she left the hospital. She had informed him that all of Leigh’s viable organs were being harvested for donation. This lady was so calm to have just lost her daughter, her only child in a car accident. He was amazed by her strength. Khalil told her that Killian was awake and responding and that he had been asking for Leigh repeatedly so he thought it was time for him to know what had happened to her. He didn’t even know what to say to his son and he didn’t know how to make it better. Right now all Khalil was seeing was red and it was the blood of Beautiful Diamond.
Leigh’s mom cleared her throat.
“Can we all join hands in prayer for all these children? They are going through so much right now.”
“Heavenly Father, it’s me again. I know you recognize my voice. I come to you thanking you for all the miracles that you have done and all the battles that you have won. This is not our fight dear lord, we need you front and center on the battlefield. Fight for your children lord and keep them safe from this devil with a cunning smile and a pretty face. I can feel it in my spirit lord that this is just the tip of the iceberg in this battle so I beg for strength and understanding. Arm us your soldiers with peace of mind and clear thoughts because we are going to need them. This battle has been brewing below the surface so you already know what we are up against. Prepare us heavenly father. Shield us, be our rock, our sword, our shield because an almighty battle of good and evil is brewing and I can feel the steam. Let our hearts and minds say amen.”
She grabbed Killian’s head and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you son. You are strong with a good heart. This is just to slow you down a little bit. You are still a whole man and don’t think otherwise.”
“Mama, where is Leigh? Why hasn’t she come to see me yet? Is she worse off than I am?” Killian looked into her face and he saw how his love would look when she was in her late forties.
“Baby, Leigh is with you right now. She is sitting on high with our heavenly father making sure that all of our prayers get answered.” She squeezed his hand tightly.
The room was so silent you could hear an ant piss on cotton. Suddenly, a guttural growl erupted from a place deep inside of Killian as he thrashed about in the hospital bed trying to get up. He pulled the oxygen mask off of his face and he pulled the I.V.s out of his arm in one tug. Tears streamed down his face and he begged for Leigh over and over again. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room; even Ponchees’ face was filled with tears. The pain of losing the only one you love is an unbearable pain that bought even the strongest to their knees.
Khalil had listened to the words that Leigh’s mom prayed and he could tell that she was anointed because the things that she spoke of in her prayer were true. He wanted Allah to fight the battle for him, but he couldn’t wait on Allah. After seeing the pain that his son was going through right now he knew that he wasn’t going to rest until he killed everyone that had anything to do with what happened.
He moved closer to his son’s bed, leaned over and whispered.
“I will paint this whole muthafucking town red so that you can rest easy at night. Whatever it takes for you to be able to sleep at night it is done! No ifs, ands or buts about it.”
He kissed him on his forehead and walked out of the room with tears flowing nonstop down his face. Ponchees followed him.
“I have to leave in a few minutes do you all mind if I have a few minutes alone with lil’ bro before I go?” Toe-Toe said to everyone else as he looked around the room.
The room cleared out quickly. Toe-Toe shut the door and pulled up a chair. He was hurting for Killa, he felt his pain. He sat down and grabbed Killa’s hand.
“Nigga, you better not give up. You hear me! I know your ol’ lady gone. But you still got to live for y’all lil’ shawty. You the only daddy he knows. He can’t lose both of his parents’ man. Take all that anger, bitterness and hostility that you feeling and use that shit to get better. They got fake legs out here that work even better than the real ones. Just because you lost a leg don’t mean shit. You are about to graduate from college and then you doing your thang in the streets. Man I’m telling you don’t let this shit stop you. Just like your mom in law was saying this shit probably happened to slow your ass down. You smart as a muthafucka but you chose to use your gat to do your talking. Your body count is in the double digits. Nigga you know that if you do dirt you get dirt. It’s just a part of the game. Ain’t no way around it. Use this down time to come up with you a master plan man. Don’t fuck up like I did shawty. I’m telling you, it aint no turning back for me. This is all I know and all I want to do. Don’t let that be the same for you. I love you man.”
What Da Lick Read? The Triple Cross Page 23