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Beethoven chuckled as his head shook. He took a step in his father’s direction. The slight distraction allowed Carlos to pull me behind him. I closed my eyes and pulled in a deep breath, taking Mahogany’s hand into mine. It made me proud to see my brother standing by my man, but Lord knows I hated it had to even come to this.
“Where we at with it… is that’s my wife and my brother. You gave them to me, and I will protect them and my chance at a new life and freedom at all costs.” He took another step in his father’s direction. “Don’t make me choose between you and her, Pops.” A slow smile spread his lips as his head tilted. “You’re going to lose.”
As I continued to pray, it seemed like time froze. One second, I was sure Tim and Omari were about to stand down. Their guns lowered and they turned to leave. The next, Tim was looking back at us with an evil glare that shook me to my core. His arm lifted, but the bullet meant for me went into my brother as he fired.
I wasn’t sure whose bullets hit Tim and Omari as he and Beethoven unloaded their clips. All I knew was, my brother’s body leaked as he lay on top of me… and if I lost him… God may as well take me tonight too.
“You’re so stubborn it’s ridiculous,” I nagged, angry that Carlos refused to stay in the hospital overnight for observation. Thankfully, the bullet went straight through his side. No major damage was done, and he hadn’t lost a significant amount of blood.
Both Tim and Omari were killed, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I was glad they hadn’t been able to hurt anyone else, but I was hurt over Beethoven’s father and cousin being dead. I didn’t know how he was handling the losses because he hadn’t been at the hospital. He wanted to be, but there were too many loose ends for him to tie up at his mom’s place to babysit me.
“They wrapped me up and gave me some prescriptions, so I’m good,” Carlos said, arm tossed over my shoulder as I helped him get into bed.
“Still, you should have stayed in the hospital like they advised, Carlos.”
Sucking his teeth, he grimaced as he tried to get comfortable in bed. “This won’t be the first time you’ve had to change the dressing over a gunshot wound. I’ll be good.”
There was no point in me going back and forth with him, so I put his phone within his reach and told him I’d be in the room next door if he needed me. I was in the process of returning calls and replying to text messages when Beethoven called and told me he was outside. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. There was no point in avoiding him or this conversation. If he felt some type of way about his family being gone, it was better we handle the situation now instead of later. I would understand if he no longer wanted to be with me, but I hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
It felt like it took me forever to get to the front door, but when I did, Beethoven wasted no time pulling me into his arms. For a moment, I was so in shock I couldn’t hug him back. When I realized he was happy to see me, I hugged him back. We stood there for a while in a much-needed embrace before going into the sitting room.
“I won’t ask if you’re okay,” I said, “Is there… anything I can do?”
His head shook as he squeezed my thigh and stared into the distance. “Nah.”
“I know this has to be a lot for you. Omari betraying you and your dad…”
Beethoven’s head hung. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
“My pops was going to kill you.” Scoffing, Beethoven shook his head. “I don’t know if it was my bullets or your brother’s but…”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Scooting closer, I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m sorry it had to come to this. I would have never asked you to choose.”
“You wouldn’t have had to.” His eyes found mine. “When it comes to you, it’s never a choice. Do I wish he and my cousin were alive? Hell fuckin’ yeah. But when them guns start firing, nothing matters but staying alive. He chose to shoot, and he suffered the consequence. It’s as simple as that.”
“It’s not as simple as that, Bay. That was your father. Regardless of how his actions had you questioning his character lately, that was your father. I know what it feels like to lose one. You can play tough with everyone else, but you don’t have to do that with me.”
His leg started to shake, and I prepared for what I knew was about to come. It took a while, but eventually his head shook as tears started to flow.
“Why would he do that shit, Whiskee?” he asked, and the sight of his tears made my own threaten to fall. “He knew I would kill him. Why would he try me like that?”
I had no answer for him, and as his sobs grew louder, it didn’t seem to matter. I did the only thing I knew to do—hold him and allow him to release everything he’d been holding inside while I prayed.
Epilogue
Beethoven
Fifteen Months Later
Life was good.
It took a hell of a lot of prayer, therapy, love, and healing to get here… but life was good.
After the shooting, I shut down. I didn’t regret protecting Whiskee and Carlos, but I hated that my father and cousin had to die because of it. It didn’t matter how much my family or therapist told me it was their choice to betray me and shoot first, that didn’t fully remove the guilt, pain, and anger that consumed me. Even now, I had my days where I couldn’t get over that emotional hill, but I’d learned to take it one day at a time.
Me and Whiskee made the move to Rose Valley Hills, and so did Mahogany and Carlos. Carlos was, in fact, damn good at creating strains and distribution. Together, we’d created a dispensary here in Rose Valley Hills that had been open for three months and was doing exceptionally well. We had plans of opening dispensaries all over the country, but for now, we were content with the success of our first store.
Whiskee had opened her own salon suites business. She did hair and makeup as well, but with the suites, the bulk of her profit came from other stylists that were renting space.
