Coming For What's Mine pt 2: The Politician (Law Boy's Series)

by Edwina Fort

  When was the last time I took my birth control pills? My hand slowed.

  Oh God!

  I couldn’t even remember the last time I took those pills!

  This knowledge instantly caused my body to tense with stress, drawing more attention to the fact that something was definitely going on with it.

  I told myself not to panic, but I couldn’t help but think that if I was pregnant, Jo was going to kill me. I mean, preventing pregnancy must have been something that was important to him or he wouldn’t have added it in the contract.

  “You’re not pregnant; it’s just your period. Stop tripping.”

  Yeah, I know what my lips said, but my body was telling me something different.

  Now of course I couldn’t relax, because I had to know for sure. So, after I finished feeding Ayana, I called Albert and told him I needed a lift to the drug store to pick up a few things and then to the cottage so that I could check on my babies.

  The whole way to the store Albert gushed over how proud he was of Jo for finally getting his ring on my finger. I smiled and nodded, but my mind was a hundred miles away. If I was pregnant, would Jo be so angry that he’ll change his mind about wanting to marry me?

  If he did get that angry, would I still want to marry him? Children are beautiful and a blessing from the Most High. If he didn’t want this baby, then he didn’t want me. I buried my hands in my face.

  I can’t believe how quickly my ultimate happiness shifted, not to say that if I’m pregnant I wouldn’t be happy. It’s the anxiety of worrying about what Jo will think that was eating me up.

  Damn it, Journey, calm down, you don’t even know if you’re pregnant yet!

  “Everything alright, little lady?” Albert asked looking back at me through the rearview mirror as he pulled into the drug store parking lot.

  I nodded smiling at him, although I didn’t feel like it. “Yeah, just a little tired, we had a long night.”

  He chuckled, “I bet you did.”

  As he took Ayana’s car seat out the car and sat it in a cart, I bit my lip trying to think of the best way to tell him I needed to go into the store alone. But right then his phone rang.

  “Did you tell your mom about the engagement?” He asked smiling down at his phone.

  I shook my head. “Not yet.”

  “Okay, I won’t tell her, I’ll save it for you. Go ‘head in, I’ll talk to her out here.”

  I exhaled with relief as I took the cart from his hand. “Okay, we’ll be right back out.” He nodded already lost in his conversation with my mom.

  Perfect timing, Abby-Cat…

  I made quick work in the store, putting unnecessary things in the cart to mask what I’d truly come to buy. I told the store clerk to double bag the pregnancy test. After she did, I still folded it up in the bags and stuffed it down the side of another to make sure it was good and hidden.

  She lifted her eyebrow at me, but didn’t say anything about my strange behavior. I was so far gone in my worry I didn’t even care, I just took my receipt and thanked her. Instead of pushing the cart out the store I unclipped Ayana’s car seat and grabbed my two bags.

  Albert looked up from where he was leaning against his car talking to my mom and began to approach me when he saw us coming out of the store. However, he hadn’t taken but a few steps towards us before a black Tahoe came to a screeching stop between us.

  It was the look on Albert’s face that alerted me to the fact that something was terribly wrong. The next few seconds would feel like a life time.

  My hearing magnified. I could hear my breath flowing threw my lungs, and the blinking of my eyes that too seemed to slow down.

  This is the moment I learned that Albert was not who I thought he was. In the blink of an eye, he tossed his phone through his car window and in the same motion, pulled a gun from somewhere in back of him.

  When I blinked again, the windows of the truck had let down and a scream froze in my throat when I saw the barrel of a gun pointed at me. I could remember thinking before the first shot was fired that the eyes of the man holding the gun did not match the way he was dressed.

  He dressed like one of the brothas from the hood, but his eyes were missing the hunger. They were missing all evidence of coming from the gutta. It’s strange how observant one gets in the moment they are faced with death.

  The blast from the gun brought my thoughts to a halt. I jerked when I felt the impact in my chest. Looking down, my eyes widened with shock as blood began to soak through my shirt just above my breast.

  Ayana’s wails filled my ears.

  I blinked and looked up just in time to see Albert slide across the hood of the truck and fire two shots, both shots finding their mark in the head of the driver and in the head of the man who had just shot me.

  Damn! Albert is bad a**!

  He reached me just as my knees gave out, picking me up in one arm and grabbing the car seat with the other.

  “Hold on, little lady, I’m going to get you to the hospital. It’s okay, baby girl!” He told Ayana, who was now screaming her lungs out.

  “Pa-pa Al is here and I’m going to keep you safe.”

  I smiled. Was he actually trying to comfort the baby in the midst of all this?

  As he quickly carried us to the car, I fought the blackness that tried to claim me. I had been shot in my chest, but I didn’t feel any pain. I wondered if this is one last mercy God grants the dying.

  Painlessness…

  Another Tahoe pulled into the lot just as Albert got Ayana and I in the backseat. I screamed when they began to shoot at us too. Albert fired back as he ran around the car and jumped in the driver seat. He threw the car in reverse and stepped on the gas, ramming the vehicle that was shooting at us.

  “Stay down!” He yelled at me before slamming the car in drive flooring it out of the lot.

  I covered Ayana’s car seat with my body just as the back window exploded in on us from the bullets that were coming through it.

  “F*** this!” Pa-pa Al yelled slamming on the brakes.

  I opened my mouth and screamed as once again time slowed down. Albert cut the wheel hard to the right, causing the car to spin in a way that I was positive was going to lead to all of our immediate demise. He pointed his gun out his window and as the car whipped back past the Tahoe, fired at the truck’s wheels causing it to spiral into a death roll that sent it crashing into several parked cars, eliminating the threat.

  And as smoothly as if he was turning into an intersection, Albert straightened the wheel, joining regular traffic like it was just another day. I stared at him with shocked eyes.

  What the hell kind of Bourne Identity?!

  However, the sight of blood gushing out of a wound in his neck caused me to reach for him.

  I opened my mouth to tell him that he had been shot, but no words came out…only grunts. It was then I realized I was more hurt than I thought.

  Albert reached back and grabbed my hand that was shaking very badly. “Don’t try to talk, sweetheart, we’re almost there.”

  Letting my hand go, he picked up his phone and pushed a button.

  “Meet us at St. Lutheran. Journey’s been shot!”

  I blacked out…

  ********

  When I came through again, I was in a hospital bed surrounded by nurses and doctors; the light was so bright it was blinding me. I reached up and tried to stop them from cutting away my shirt.

  “Stop! What are you doing?”

  “Relax, ma’am, you’ve been shot, we have to get you out of this shirt.” A nurse said taking my hand. But her worried gaze shot to the corner of the room. There was a commotion over there.

  Although it hurt like hell, I turned my head to see what was happening. Albert sat in a chair in the corner of my room holding some kind of bandage to his neck while clutching Ayana’s car seat in his lap. He didn’t look too good. There were several nurses and doctors telling him that they needed to see about his neck.

 
“No, don’t worry about me, just help her. Do you hear me, dammit? Help her!” His eyes looked delirious.

  “Sir, you’re going to pass out if you don’t let us stop the blood loss!” Another doctor told him as he tried to take Ayana’s car seat from him. Albert reached into the back of his pants and pulled out his gun pointing it at him.

  “Nobody touches this baby.” His voice was calm and deadly. “Now help her before I blow your damn head off.”

  Chills went down my spine. My goodness, Albert is a beast. That was the last thing I thought before the beckoning blackness claimed me once again.

  Joseph

  “He’s sleeping it off.” My father’s psychiatrist said as he joined Tim, my mother and me in the study.

  My mother stood and hurried to him. “How is he?”

  “He’s fine, just had one too many last night, that’s all.”

  I lifted my scotch to my lips and took a sip. “Thank you for coming over on such short notice.” I told the doctor from where I stood by the window.

  “I don’t have to tell you to keep this confidential.”

  The doctor nodded his head empathetically before assuring me I’ll never have to worry about him leaking anything to the press. I didn’t respond, just turned back to gaze out the window watching as people headed out to work.

  I was sick and tired of this life. This was not my father’s first time pulling a stunt like this. In fact, it was becoming his norm. I don’t do what he wants me to and he goes and does something drastic to get me back in line.

  Well, not this time. There was nothing he could do to get me to change my mind about making Journey my wife. She was a part of me and my parents had to get used to the idea.

  “Joseph, you can at least pretend to give a damn about your father!” My mother cried after the doctor left.

  I drained my glass, placing it down on the windowsill before heading towards the door. That was just it, I was tired of pretending. I wanted to go home to what was real. Being here made my skin crawl.

  She grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

  “Home.” My gaze went to Tim. “Call me if anything changes.”

  It was as I was turning the key in the ignition that I got Albert’s call. He said three words that stole the breath from my body.

  JOURNEY’S BEEN SHOT!

  Whipping my truck around, I raced towards St. Lutheran. I didn’t call him back; it sounded as if he was driving fast and needed to focus on what he was doing.

  Something stirred in me.

  No!

  Not yet!

  I began to take deep calming breaths. It was critical that I keep my head until I found out what was going on. I knew from experience that if I got too emotional, the other part of me would take over, but I needed to see what was going on before that happened.

  My other half was not the type that reasoned. It didn’t barter, negotiate, or compromise. It didn’t value anything, let alone human life. It is a destructive force that once released, will not stop until all it perceived as a threat was eliminated.

  Although it was true that I’ve learned to depend on The Politician to help me escape the pain that comes from making certain choices, for Journey’s sake, I had to keep my head.

  Ten minutes later I pulled my car behind Albert’s at the emergency room. There were two police officers searching it.

  “What the f***?!” I growled when I got out and saw that all the windows had been shot out.

  Rage!

  Pure uncut rage shot through me. “What the f***?!”

  Somebody was going to die for this. My woman was in that car, my child. I balled up my fists as I walked through the emergency room doors. I could feel the killer waking up inside of me. My rage was almost blinding.

  “Where is she?” I asked the nurse who was rushing towards the front door. She looked as if she was heading for the police officers.

  Her eyes came to me with real fear before she realized who I was.

  “Oh my God! It’s you—” She began, but I was in no mood.

  “Where is Journey?!” I yelled.

  She jumped. “Who?”

  “My wife and child, they came here in that car!” I pointed out towards Albert’s car.

  The killer in me was awake, and he was coming to the surface whether I wanted him to or not.

  Instantly, relief washed over her face. “Come quickly, you’re just in time. I came up here to get the police. The man that brought them just pulled a gun on Dr. Yung. They’re in the operating room.”

  “Don’t worry about the police, just take me to him.” She nodded and pushed a button that caused two doors to open. I followed her down a very long hall before we went through another set of doors. When they opened I could hear Albert telling them not to worry about him, just help Journey.

  “No one is allowed in the operating room.” The nurse told me as we hurried towards the commotion. “But this man refused to leave.”

  As soon as I stepped in the room, Albert exhaled in relief lowering his gun.

  “Thank God you’re here, kid.” Was the only thing he muttered before his limbs went lax.

  “He’s fainted!” The nurse who’d led me to the room cried.

  “Help him!” I yelled to the doctors as I took Ayana’s car seat off his lap and the gun out of his hand.

  My gaze went over to the operating table; it was hard for me to see what was happening because Journey was surrounded by doctors and nurses. I tried to go to her, but two nurses jumped in front of me pushing me away. One of the doctors lifted his hand and it was covered in blood.

  “F***!” I was losing it!

  “Please, Mr. Warren, wait outside, so that the doctors can do their job.” One of the nurses said.

  “How is she?” I asked, needing something to grasp on to.

  The nurse shook her head. “We don’t know yet, please, just wait outside.”

  “No!” I growled.

  Please God! Help me! I was losing it…

  The nurse backed up from me afraid.

  “Mr. Warren, I don’t know what to tell you.” Big tears came to her eyes. “Just let the doctors work and pray for the best.”

  I understood they had a job to do, but I needed… “Just give me something.” I begged her.

  She must have taken sympathy on me then. She smiled. “Dr. Yung and Dr. Phillip are two of the best doctors in the city. Just let them work, you’ll see.” I nodded and let her close the door in my face.

  They had taken Albert to the operating room across the hall. With Ayana’s car seat in my hand, I paced back and forward between the rooms, using all my focus to keep the killer inside of me quiet. I wanted to let him loose to get relief from the pain inside me.

  But I couldn’t always control The Politician. The last thing I needed was for him to sense some kind of threat and start killing people here at the hospital.

  About forty-five minutes later, the doctor who had been working on Albert came out to give me an update.

  “Mr. Warren, it is so nice to meet you.” He said reaching for my hand.

  I could see in his eyes that he was star struck. I wanted to yell at him to just get to it, but knew I could get better results with honey than I could vinegar.

  I shook his hand. “Nice meeting you too, so about Al—”

  He nodded. “Oh yes, luckily for him it was just a flesh wound, the bullet just grazed his neck. However, he did lose a lot of blood and needed quite a few stitches—”

  I tuned him out after that. I was relieved to hear that Albert was going to be okay, but it was bittersweet. I haven’t heard anything from the room across the hall. The nurses ran to and from it, but had no information for me.

  I had taken Ayana out of her car seat when she began to fuss and held her in my arms, promising her that her mommy was going to be okay. Thankfully my constant pacing lulled her to sleep.

  “Mr. Warren, about the gun incident. I’m going to have to—”

  “Don’t worry
about the gun incident. I’m going to have someone from my office contact you to discuss compensation for all of your troubles. Albert is the head of my security. He was simply doing his job. Maybe he was a little delirious from all the blood loss.”

  Just like I knew it would, at hearing compensation, the doctor’s whole disposition changed.

  “Oh yes, that is quite understandable, thank you for clearing that up for us. We are going to be moving him to a recovery room really soon.” I nodded as I paced away from him, my eyes going back to Journey’s door.

  I was going to go crazy if I didn’t hear something soon. I couldn’t take the waiting. I didn’t know if she was fighting to take her last breath right now or what.

  Please God… please, if you just bring her back to me. I promise to…

  To what? I am ashamed to say that prayer wasn’t my strong suit. If the roles were reversed and it was me in there and my Journey out here, she would know what to say to God.

  What should I promise?

  To be a better man, maybe?

  Do your will?

  I nodded…yes, all that. I promise to do all that. Just bring her back to me.

  About thirty minutes later, one of the doctors who was working on Journey finally stepped out of the room.

  “How is she, doc?” I didn’t give him a chance to procrastinate.

  “Stable.” He took off his glasses and massaged the red spot they left on his nose. “We removed the bullet from just underneath her clavicle; it was embedded inside the muscle tissue there.” As he spoke he pointed to the left side of his chest just underneath his shoulder.

  “The good thing is it just missed her lungs.” He paused for a moment. “It’s a miracle actually.”

  “So, she’s going to be alright?” I asked, needing to know. I began thanking God for this blessing.

  He exhaled shaking his head slightly. “She’s going to be just fine, however—" He paused as he tried to figure out the best way to give me bad news.

  I felt the chill come over me as I realized God had let me down.

  “Mr. Warren, she’s eight weeks pregnant.”