Chapter Thirteen- Buddha
As I drove toward the hospital, I took my phone out and dialed my mother’s number. She picked up on the first ring.
“Oh, thank goodness. Are you back home?” She began asking questions before I could say anything.
“Yeah, I’m back. What’s going on? Is Dior alright? I got back to the main house, and Tomasso said you all had to take her to the hospital.” I clenched the steering wheel as I waited for my mother to answer my question.
“She’s fine; she’s actually getting discharged in a few hours. You can come get her when she does.” My mother clearing up that Dior was okay made me let out a heavy sigh of relief. I relaxed my grip on the wheel.
“What happened?” I asked, waiting for clarification even though she said Dior was alright.
“Umm, she had some stomach pains, maybe something she ate. She’ll explain better when you get here.
” My mother’s tone was dismissive, as if she didn’t really want to say much.
I decided to leave alone. When I got to the hospital, Dior would tell me the real reason she had ended up there.
I promise if it had something to do with her altercation with Lewis… I couldn’t even complete my thought.
“Well, I’ll see you guys when I get there. Oh, is Sofia still with you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice in the same tone, not wanting to give anything away.
“She is, but she’s leaving just now so she can get back to Rocki.”
“Mmm,” I hummed, hoping my sister would have been there when I pulled up. There was something I needed to look her in the face and ask.
“Alright, well, I’ll see you when I get there.” I ended the call with my mother as I drummed my fingertips on the steering wheel. There was a lot going on in this family, and I was about to get to the bottom of it. I was lost in my thoughts when my phone began to ring.
I looked at the strange number, not knowing who it was.
“Speak,” I said, answering the call after the second ring.
“Mr. Phillipe, this is Yusef.”
“The chef?” I asked with an incredulous tone, wondering how the fuck he got my number and why he was calling in the first place.
“Yes, the chef,” he replied, and he laughed under his breath. “I try not to get involved in family and their business, but I think you should know. Your brother left.”
Those words were enough to send my blood pressure skyrocketing.
“Mothafucka,” I muttered under my breath, already slowing my car. “Did he say where he was going?” I honestly didn’t even need to ask. I already knew Snow was hardheaded as fuck.
“He and his girl went back to her home. I overheard them talking. I just thought you should know.” Yusef said. I knew I didn’t have much time.
“Thanks for the info, Yusef,” I said, hanging up the phone.
I had no choice but to change directions.
I knew Dior was alright, so I could check on her after.
As of right now, I need to be my brother’s keeper.
I immediately called Snow’s number, but he didn’t pick up.
I called again, but it was the same thing…
no answer. I dialed the only person I knew would back me up.
“I hope it’s the news that everyone who had anything to do with my Ivan being shot is dead,” Yelena answered. I rubbed the middle of my forehead as I listened to her thick Russian accent.
“No, but I need your help one last time,” I told her, praying she wasn’t going to threaten to kill me instead. I heard Yelena take a deep breath.
“You know, Phillipe, when Ivan worked alongside Tomasso, he never asked for a favor not once. I’m afraid you’ve exhausted all of your favors.” I made a face at Yelena’s response because that’s not the answer I needed to hear.
“Look, just loan me those men. I need them right now. I’m about to go to Edwardo’s house, and I just know I’ll need backup. I got the black diamonds back; I’ll split them with you,” I pleaded and made her an offer, hoping that she’d accept.
“You’re a very needy man. I feel sorry for your wife. Tell me what you need.” I pulled the phone from my ear, trying my best not to curse Yelena, because I knew she hadn't just called me needy. Taking a calming breath, I put the phone against my face.
“This is what I’ll need,” I said, pushing past the bull-shit.
I pulled on my cigarette impatiently as I stood waiting for Yelena’s men to show up. I looked at Edwardo’s house a few feet away and thought about running up in there myself, but I knew that would be a suicide mission.
Finally, I saw a black SUV approaching, slowing down as it got closer to me. The driver’s window rolled down, and a familiar face looked at me.
“Let’s go. Today is my daughter’s birthday, and I had to come here to help you.” The Russian who helped us back in Italy said, looking me up and down, annoyed.
“Happy birthday to your daughter,” I said sarcastically before I got back in my vehicle and led the way.
The fact that there was no longer a front gate, even though we left one the last time we were here, said enough for me.
So tell me why my brother still rolled up toward Edwaro’s house with such a big red flag, like there being no front gate.
“Fucking Vincent,” I muttered to myself when I saw his Rolls-Royce parked in front of the house. I parked directly behind his vehicle, got out of my car, and looked at the Russians. Taking my gun from my waist, I headed toward the door with the four men right behind me.
Walking with light footsteps, we approached the living room, and I heard a very familiar voice. Ain't no mothafucking way that was Catalina that was talking?
“Uggh, it seems as though my son has a soft spot for pregnant women.”
“It’s a good thing I’m nothing like my son.”
Hearing my brother beg Catalina to let Angel and his baby live was enough I needed to hear. Turning to the Russians, I gave out an order.
“Kill everyone except the woman and her teenage son,” I told them, taking a step back, giving them room to enter the room. Even though my gun was in my hand, not a single shot was fired from my chamber.
I waited, allowing the Russians to do what I had asked before I entered the room. Catalina and Enzo looked in my direction as I casually strolled in. I smiled at Catalina, and she smirked back at me, lifting her hands in the air.
The Russians still had their weapons pointed at her, so I knew it was safe to turn my back so I could assist my brother. I looked down at his hardheaded ass before, stretching my hand out to help him up.
“You don’t ever fucking listen.” I scolded him as I pulled him to his feet.
How did you know we came here?” Snow asked, helping his girl off the floor.
“Yusef called me as I drove to the hospital.”
“The chef?” Snow asked, giving the same reaction I did.
“I know, right,” I answered because it was weird. The next thing I knew, Snow walked over to his girl and began screaming his head off at Angel.
“Do you know what I’d do to you if you weren’t pregnant right now?
” He hollered, grabbing Angel by her upper arm, pulling her closer to him.
“You willingly brought me here for some fucking money and a few pieces of jewelry in a fucking suitcase! You knew she’d be here!
” I listened, amazed that Angel would do something so reckless.
“You think I was about to let this pissy pussy bitch take my father’s money?
Nah, fuck all that. Plus, I wasn’t sure she’d be here or not.
I just wanted what was rightfully mine. I knew she knew all about that money.
She told me when they had me locked up back in Italy that she would come here and take my father’s shit.
All she’s about is money; that’s how all of this got started in the first place!
” Angel was shouting so hard she became breathless, just huffing and puffing.
“Damn, you get on everyone's nerves, Catalina,” I said, pointing my gun at her. She smiled as if she were proud of having disrupted so many people’s lives.
“All you know is being a whiny bitch baby, Angel. You had everything growing up, and what did my son and I get? Nothing, while you had everything. I begged Edwardo to be in his son’s life.
Even after he chased me away from here, I still acknowledged that I was wrong for cheating.
Edwardo cheated on my ass too, yet I’m the bad guy.
Enzo deserved the same life Angel had, but instead, he was treated like a fucking outcast!
” Catalina yelled at Angel, and all I could do was shake my head because this was crazy.
Enzo walked over to his mother and hugged her, speaking to her in Italian, telling her he didn’t care about money because he had her.
“You blame everyone but yourself. Who the fuck told you to start fucking with your husband's friend's teenage son? That was all on you bitch! You did all of this, all of this for money. You had people shot; my father got killed, my baby’s father got shot and could have died. Catalina, you did all of this for money; you didn’t even work for!” Angel screamed right back at her, trying to get to her, but Snow held her back.
“Aye, abbastanza (enough). Snow, get her out of here, take her ass outside.” I told my brother to remove Angel from the room.
She was way too emotional; all that shit couldn’t be good for the baby.
Snatching her hand away from Snow, Angel cut her eyes at Catalina before marching toward the front door with Snow following behind her.
The Russians were still standing, with their guns drawn, waiting patiently for what I knew had to happen.
“You must think you real slick? You probably thought you were about to get away with everything. Just lie and steal, steal and lie your way to a happier life. Had me wondering if Enzo was my son, when you knew he was Edwardo’s.
Plotting behind everyone’s back to steal the black diamonds, then hoping I’d turn around and kill Francesco and Luca myself.
I’m curious. How was I supposed to kill Francesco if you planned to have everyone shot the day we did the diamond deal? ” I asked, just out of curiosity.