58. Corinthians #2
The car slowed down, and I turned around to see us turn down a long road.
Hood and Legacy's engagement party was being held at a private venue.
Kansas City had a lot of hidden gems. Mansions turned into businesses, some as simple as Airbnbs, others into venues for parties hosted by people with money to spend.
Hood was in the latter. Legit money made by his profession and street money from before he had letters before and after his name.
Uri parked in the driveway, turned off the car, and got out.
He rounded the car, opened Judah's door to help him out, then mine.
By the time I was out, Judah was running up the steps and heading towards Deuce, who was waiting for him.
We'd already talked about what he could and couldn't do tonight, as well as his plans.
Hood had planned for children to be at the party and set up a playroom equipped with everything their hearts could desire.
I wasn't worried about my child behaving; I knew he would.
"Hey," Uri said, stepping into my space. I looked up to see him watching me. His eyes searched mine like they always did, and like every other time, I wondered what he saw. His hand went to my jaw, and he cupped it, then kissed me. "You know I love you, right?"
"I do," I answered with a nod.
"We need to talk after the party," he said, and I nodded. "I need to show you something too."
"It's serious." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes."
"Let's talk now," I told him. The thought of him not saying something bothered me. We didn't keep secrets; even if we thought the truth would hurt the other person, we still said it.
"I'm not trying to ruin the party before it starts," he said, shaking his head.
"Oh, then it's real bad," I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. He looked away and sighed. I cupped his chin and turned his face to me. "Baby, just tell me."
"It's about my brother," he said, and I let go of his face.
My left hand tapped against my thigh. We hadn't discussed Kenbral in months.
From our last conversation, Uri said he was keeping his distance.
The fact that Kenbral had a daughter changed everything for him.
Uri couldn't make himself kill his brother, knowing he would leave his niece without a father.
"What about him?"
Uri nervously licked his lips. "He's back," he said.
"Why?"
"I called him."
I stared at him, waiting for him to say he was joking. What he said had to be a joke, a bad one but still a joke. But nothing came—no nervous laugh, no grunt, no rapid eye blinking.
"Say that again." My voice was low. I didn't yell even though I wanted to. My only response was to step back. My body got hot, ears started to ring, and I could feel my heart flutter. Ironically, Uri's bracelet started to beep. My phone vibrated in the pocket of my skirt.
"I-I-I-I ca-ca-ca-ca-called Trey," he said.
There it was: the stutter. He was nervous. This wasn't a joke. He'd called his brother. One of the men in the room when Robert assaulted me. The same brother who had been watching me for years.
I stepped back, and he reached for me. "No," I said, shaking my head. "I need a minute."
"Cori-"
"Four, I need a minute." My tone broke no argument.
His face twisted in annoyance, and the vein in the middle of his forehead bulged. "Uri, my name for you has always and will always be Uri. Never Four."
"Right now, in this moment, you're Four," I told him, stepping back.
"Cori..."
"Mama!" Judah called, and I looked towards the venue. "Cross said come on. They are about to start!"
"Okay," I said, nodding. "Here I come."
I looked back at Uri one last time before sighing and heading towards the building.
I could hear him following behind me. His heavy steps echoed through the quietness of the night.
My mind reeled with thoughts. I wasn't upset; the uneasiness I'd felt in the car had returned tenfold.
I was waiting on the other shoe to drop, and I guess it had.
Was it too bad? I could handle Kenbral and my feelings about everything. Uri calling his brother wasn't a big deal. There had to be a reason. A good one, right?
Right?
Two hours later, after Hood's emotional proposal with the help of a video from his mom that passed away earlier this year, Uri and I were back standing next to his car.
He wanted to talk. His nervous energy almost came off angry.
The keyword in that was almost. To anyone else, he looked angry; his body was tense, words short.
To someone who didn't know him, he was on edge.
For me, it was different. I knew the signs, and the man standing in front of me wasn't angry.
He was scared.
"There's a reason you called him," I finally said. Uri looked down at me and nodded. "Do I want to know why?"
A black truck drove down the long driveway and parked near us.
Uri stepped in front of me, his shoulders still tense, and I touched his back.
When the driver's door opened and Gift Blackmon stepped out, he chuckled and shook his head.
We watched as Gift rounded the car and opened the door for his sister, Purpose Blackmon.
She was friends with my cousins and held a million secrets close to her chest.
Purpose gave us a small wave, then walked over to talk with Xoey, Mercy, the newly engaged Legacy, while Gift stopped to speak to Uri.
"I got the information you asked for," Gift said to Uri. "I called in a favor. One I didn't want to make."
"How much is it going to cost me?" Uri asked him. His hands went to his pockets.
Gift looked back to where his sister had gone. Something in his eyes sparkled when they landed on one of the women she was with.
"Our deal is still the same," Gift said, shaking his head. He licked his lips, then smirked before shaking his head. "She's involved now, though, so I'm moving on my timeline."
"Gift..."
"You protect yours how you see fit, and I'll do the same," Gift replied.
Xoey said something to Purpose that made her nervous, then laughed and approached us. Well, not us. Gift, she approached Gift. Her shoes in one hand and her free hand extended to shake his.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another black car coming down the driveway. The back window rolled down, and a gun was extended from it.
I felt Uri pull me to his side, and then we went to the ground just as the first shot blasted through the air. Everyone moved; I could hear yelling, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Uri lay on top of me. I could feel his breath against my ear.
"Uri get up!" I ground as I tried to catch my breath.
He was heavy; his full weight rested on me.
"Baby, get up!" I strained to push him off me.
"Uri! Get up!" He didn't move or make a sound, which kicked my heart into overdrive.
I didn't panic as I started to move, and finally I was able to get some leverage and push Uri off me.
I pushed him to the side, and the sight of blood on my hands kicked my panic into overdrive.
"Uri!" I got on my knees and ripped his shirt open.
Blood poured from three bullet wounds. "Uri wake up!
" I applied pressure to the wounds as best as I could. "Uri! Wake the fuck up right now!"
Someone pulled me back, and Hood dropped down on the ground next to him.
"No!" I yelled as I fought against whoever was holding me back.
He was losing too much blood. His skin was already pale, and he wasn't moving.
I'd never seen him not move, not fight; this wasn't the man I love. This wasn't right. "Move, let me go!"
"I can't, sis," Gift's deep voice rumbled in my ear. That's who was holding me back. Gift. I was going to kill him later. After all this was over, after Uri got up. I was going to kill him after I killed Uri for scaring me. "Corinthians, come on, sis."
"Uri!" I yelled, knowing he hated to be yelled at. If pissing him off got him up, that was fine. He could be mad as long as he got up. "Uri, get your fucking ass up! Get up!"
"Gift, get her out of here!" Hood yelled as he tried to stop the bleeding. There wasn’t too much he could do out here with no supplies. "She doesn't need to see this!"
Gift started to pull me back more, and something in me snapped.
I wasn't leaving him. We'd been through too much.
He never left me. There was no way I was letting him out of my sight.
My hand went to the opening of my dress, and I pulled the knife I kept strapped to my thigh.
I grabbed it and, at the same time, kicked Gift in the leg, making him let me go and fall to the ground.
Quickly, I moved around him and put the knife to his throat.
"I'm going to ask you nicely because I know how much your friendship means to Uri, but dont put your damn hands on me. No one, and I mean no one, touches me." It wasn't a question; I know that, but my brain was moving faster than my mouth.
Gift nodded but didn't move any other part of his body. I wasn't sure what he knew of my past, but I knew he had a small glimpse into Uri's.
"Corinthians?" Psalms called my name. I looked up to see my sister approaching me. Her hands were up, moving slowly. She wasn't scared. More so cautious of the fact that I was on edge. "Big sis, look at me. Not at them."