Chapter 25
“What do you think about hitting up Chicago for the fall festival this weekend?” Caden asked as they pulled up in front of Tina’s house. “I know I’ve been a little busier than usual, so I want us to have some quality time.”
“I love the sound of that. And yes, you’ve been extra busy lately. How are you feeling?”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“I know. I just don’t want you to overdo it. You haven’t even been eating, bae. I want you to rest.”
“I will this weekend. I promise.”
Dru took his word, determined to make sure their trip was fun but also restful that weekend.
She was already excited about the trip, and they hadn’t even started planning it yet.
After Caden opened the door for her, they walked up the sidewalk, and Dru’s heart started to palpitate.
Just being in the same room as Tina after being away from her had that anxious dread puddling in the pit of Dru’s stomach.
She hadn’t had any panic attacks, anxiety spells, or heart palpitations since she’d moved out, and already, her heart was starting to misbehave.
Rubbing circles across her chest, she pulled in a deep breath.
Caden looked down at her, already catching on to what was happening. “You wanna wait in the car?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I want to see her face when I get this money.”
Caden chuckled before knocking on the door. If she was honest, Dru wanted to thank her mother too. The first and only good thing she’d ever done for her daughter was offer her to Caden.
The lock unlatched, and Dru’s eyes rolled as her teeth gritted. Her spine went rigid, body already bracing for the impact of Tina’s presence and words.
When Tina opened the door, she looked from Dru to Caden to their interlocked fingers. With a chuckle, she stepped to the side and let them enter.
“Had I known you’d bag one of the wealthiest men in The Syndicate, I would’ve let you stay home,” Tina said, closing the door behind them.
Caden gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and it was the reminder Dru needed to not even entertain her mother’s foolishness.
“Where is my money, Tina?” Caden demanded.
“In the recliner. Y’all can’t stay and visit? I haven’t seen my daughter in two months. Feels like longer.”
“I don’t know why you’re trying to act like you give a fuck about me,” Dru said. “Get the money so we can go.”
“Fine.” Tina walked over to the chair and grabbed the large duffel bag. Instead of putting it in Dru’s outstretched hand, she dropped it at Caden’s feet. “Did Lorenzo tell you I need to take a break?”
“Yeah, and I told him to tell you this is the end of our business together.”
“You were serious about that?”
Caden’s head slowly swiveled upward as he looked up at her. His fingers continued to unzip the bag. A bark of laughter escaped him as his head shook.
“Fucking delusional,” he muttered, not even bothering to respond. “I’m going to trust that I don’t have to count this. I’m going to trust it’s all here.”
“It is,” Tina confirmed.
“Good. Here, sweetheart.” Caden stood and handed the bag to Dru as she did the same.
Tina’s brows wrinkled as she looked from one to the other. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t need this,” Caden said, grabbing Dru’s free hand and leading her to the door. “It was about the principle.”
“Then why can’t I keep it?” Tina asked, stomping her foot and crossing her arms over her chest like a child. “Why are you giving it to her?”
“Because you owe your daughters, and though this is nowhere near enough, it’s a start.”
The moment Caden opened the door, time slowed down before it froze completely.
There Galloway stood, grinning as if he knew he’d won.
Gun lifted, he sent two bullets into Caden. His body fell back and crumbled as his hand went to his waist. Galloway’s attempt to run away was unsuccessful. The bullets Caden sent into the back of his head stopped Galloway dead in his tracks.
“Caden!” Dru yelled as he fell on top of her.
“Shit,” Tina grumbled. “I should’ve got my money first.”
“You did this?” Dru yelled, covering the bleeding holes on Caden’s stomach and chest.
“Galloway reached out and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He said the day you or Caden reached out to me to let him know, and he’d give me a hundred K. Now I can’t get my money because he’s dead.”
“You are too,” Caden choked out, arm lifted weakly.
Dru’s eyes snapped shut and body jerked as he filled her mother’s chest with bullets. The sound of the gun hitting the floor was the only thing that made her return to that moment. At that point, Caden was so weak he couldn’t even keep his eyes open as blood poured from his mouth.
“No, no, no, no, no,” she whined, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Please don’t leave me, K. I-I just got you.”
Dru yanked a throw blanket from the couch and pressed it into his wounds to try and stop the bleeding while the 9-1-1 operator asked for the location of her emergency.
She rattled off the address before repeatedly calling Caden’s name.
Her eyes shifted from Galloway to her mother as tears fell from her eyes and landed on Caden’s face.
This couldn’t be the end of them.
It just . . . couldn’t.
It didn’t matter that the threat had been handled, Niko and Lorenzo wanted blood.
Galloway had gotten to the guard they had sitting on Tina’s house.
When Galloway pulled up, Harold received a large bag of money, then he drove away.
That was the second time someone on their team had betrayed Caden, and unfortunately, it ended with his attempted murder.
Niko and Lorenzo had already found and killed Harold, who’d made the mistake of going home to pack instead of immediately leaving town.
Even with him, Galloway, and Tina all being dead, Niko still wasn’t satisfied.
As far as he was concerned, the city needed to bleed and feel his wrath as long as his brother was lying in that hospital bed.
Caden had lost a lot of blood, and his body had shut down. It needed to rest. He’d been going like crazy, and his doctor couldn’t tell them when he’d wake up. The prognosis was good, though, and Dr. Norfleet assured them he’d make a speedy recovery when his body had gotten enough rest.
Dru was exhausted as she sat in the chair next to Caden’s bed and held his hand. It didn’t matter how many people had come and gone, she wasn’t going to leave his side.
“Baby, I want you to eat and get some rest,” Candace said, trying to get her to leave for a third time. “I promise if he wakes up, I’ll let him know you were here until I put you out.”
Dru smiled but shook her head. “I can’t leave him, Mama Spencer.”
“You can leave him, because you trust God enough to know he’s not going to leave you.
His body is building itself back up, but you can’t let yours shut down.
” Candace gripped Dru’s cheeks and forced her to look up at her.
“Go home, eat, shower, rest. If you want to come back in the morning, I promise I won’t give you a hard time about it.
Go rest, daughter. Nikolai and I will stay here with him tonight. ”
A shaky breath escaped Dru as she looked at Caden. “Okay. I’ll go home for tonight.” She stood and gave Caden a kiss before whispering she loved him and resting her forehead against his. “Please keep me posted, and call me if he wakes up,” Dru requested.
“Of course, baby.”
They hugged, then Nikolai walked her outside, where Niko and Lorenzo were taking a smoke break.
“One of y’all take my daughter home,” Nikolai said. “Make sure she eats.”
“Got you, OG,” Lorenzo said, already knowing Niko wouldn’t leave.
“Take it easy, sis,” Niko said, pulling Dru close for a hug. “We got ’im.”
All Dru could do was nod. Of course she trusted Caden with his family, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be there.
By the time Dru got comfortable in Lorenzo’s car, her body made her aware of just how exhausted she was. She yawned, feeling her eyes drift close.
“Rest, little one. I’ll carry you inside if I have to. Dre and Marilyn are already at the house. Everyone is safe and good. Rest.”
“O-okay,” she stuttered, . . . whispered. Even if she wanted to try and stay up and talk, her body demanded she sleep.
Dru didn’t know what time she got home, or how long she’d been asleep, but the feel of her phone vibrating pulled her awake. Clearing her throat, she sat up, noticing it was dark outside. With a groan, she grabbed her phone, jumping out of bed onto unsteady feet at the sight of Nikolai’s name.
“Daddy Spencer?” she answered, heart racing as she waited for the news.
“He’s okay, Dru. And he’s awake.”