Crew
I made Timberly and Nova turn around before I finished off the two men in her room. And then I checked Barry’s pulse but just like I thought he was gone. I pulled them behind me as we moved out into the hall. Black was there, dragging a body aside, his shotgun smoking.
“Cleared this side. Our men are clearing up the stragglers.” He grumbled.
Blue appeared from the dark, eyes gleaming like a predator.
“North hall clear. They’re falling back.” He said, holding his gun at the ready.
I handed Timberly to him and looked at her.
“You have to go with Blue. He’ll get you to the safe room.”
“No! Daddy!” Timberly cried, trying to reach for me.
“Go Blue.” I roared, heart breaking.
Blue just nodded, clamping Timberly against his chest and disappearing down the hall, Black watching his back as he followed close behind.
Nova stayed clutched to me breathing hard, tears running down her cheeks.
“You good?” he growled.
“Yeah,” she lied.
We moved down to the first floor clearing each room as we went. But when we got to the back of the house, I heard movement in the kitchen. Then Kyle’s voice, manic and cracked.
“Nova! You think you fucking won. I’m here for what’s mine!”
Pure rage rolled off me in waves as I pulled Nova behind me, placing her between me the wall and the marble island.
“Stay back.”
“Like hell,” she hissed.
We moved together, guns up. Kyle stumbled into view, bloody, wild-eyed, gun low.
“You thought I couldn’t get to you. You’re mine, I'll find you anywhere.” He raged. “Now where is my daughter?”
I watched as Nova’s face twisted with rage.
“Fuck you, Kyle. You’re not taking anything from me.”
Done with arguing I didn’t hesitate. I fired a shot that barely missed Kyle’s head.
He jerked but kept coming, screaming, and spraying bullets wildly as he returned fire.
Nova dropped behind the kitchen island, firing back, hitting him in the leg, making me proud.
He fell to his knees, howling but not out of commission.
He aimed for us, hitting the island, making small chunks of the marble, and dust rain down on our heads.
The size of the island made it hard for him to target us so when he went to get a better angle I let off a shot catching him in the neck and he went down with a scream gun flying from his hand.
I stalked forward, bare feet thundering across the floors.
In a weak attempt to defend himself Kyle tried to raise another gun but kicked it away.
“Pleas…” Kyle sobbed, blood bubbling from his lips.
“No.” I gritted, as I aimed down at him.
I fired once, right between his eyes, killing him instantly. Kyle’s head fell back, dead eyes staring at the ceiling. I heard Nova as she exhaled shakily. I turned to her, chest heaving.
“Come out Princess, it's over.” I said.
She ran to me and dropped her gun and let me pull her into my arms.
“It’s over,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” I rasped into her hair.
We held each other as Black and Blue appeared, Timberly clinging to Blue’s neck, sobbing.
“We saw it on the monitors in the safe room. All check-points are cleared.” Black rumbled.
I turned, with a deep sigh.
“Yeah. He’s dead.”
Blue lowered Timberly carefully and ran to Nova, burying her face in her belly.
“Mommy, we did it!”
Nova sank to her knees with her, kissing her hair.
“Yeah baby. We did.”
I crouched beside them, pulling them both in. “Ain’t nobody ever gonna take you. I swear to God.” I promised.
Nova buried her face in his shoulder, crying. Outside, chaos was coming to an end. Inside, we held on to each other like we would never let go. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Kyle Harris would never threaten us again. But there were others waiting in the wind.
The house smelled of smoke and blood, and glass and plaster littered every room.
I sat at the kitchen table; head bowed, hands wrapped around a chipped coffee mug that Timberly had gotten me that said, best day in the world.
Outside, dawn was just breaking, pale light creeping in through the shattered windows, revealing bloodstains on the floorboards that hadn’t been scrubbed away yet.
Nova was on the couch with Timberly curled against her, both wrapped in a blanket.
Timberly had her unicorn stuff securely under her arm as she watched Bluey .
Nova’s hand stroked her hair over and over, voice raw from whispering, how proud of her we were.
Black stood by the door, arms crossed, eyes scanning the yard for any new threats.
He hadn’t sat down all night. Blue was in the corner with his laptop perched on an overturned chair.
He hadn’t said much either. His eyes moved over the screen, his jaw tight.
August, Mecca and Kema had come and gone, taking some of the bodies with him to “dispose” of them somewhere no cop would ever find.
We’d all gotten their hands dirty last night.
But Kyle Harris was dead. And yet it didn’t feel like a victory. They said you don’t know real rage until somebody threatens your blood.
They lied.
You don’t know real rage until somebody touches your child while your woman’s carrying another one in her belly, while your family’s under your roof, and while you’re supposed to be the one keeping all that safe.
This was something different that I was feeling inside me.
The feeling should have subsided when I put that bullet through Kyle’s skull, but it just grew stronger.
Even with Kyle six feet under, the rage ain’t left me.
If anything, it’s settled deeper in my bones, like killing him wasn’t enough.
Like the scars he left on Nova and Timberly still echo in every room of this house.
I took his life, but I ain’t take back what he stole from us.
And maybe that’s what eats at me, the fact that even dead, his shadow still lingers, and the people who sent him are still out there breathing like they are untouchable.
I ain’t satisfied. Not ‘til every last one of them pays in blood.
Three days. That’s how long it’s been since I took Kyle’s last breath from his lungs and watched the life drain outta his eyes.
I didn’t flinch and I couldn’t celebrate.
I just stood over him like I was supposed to.
A man don’t celebrate takin’ out trash, he just does it.
And now here we are three days deep into peace.
If you can call it that. The house been quiet, too quiet.
The kind of still that made a man like me twitch.
Nova’s been doing her best to bring life back into this place.
She’s been nesting again, lighting candles that smell like cake batter and soft linen, throwing blankets and decorative pillows in every damn room, laughing with Timberly like she ain’t survived a battle of her own.
I loved her more for each day watching her take back out peace one scented candle at a time.
Loved her for pretending like the world ain’t still watching us through sniper scopes.
She scheduled her doctor’s appointment this morning, saying she wanted to hear the heartbeat again.
I ain’t say much, just nodded and slid my palm over her stomach like I always do, hoping to one day soon feel a little flutter under her skin.
Timberly had been asking to go to Tati’s to spend the night every damn day since the shooting stopped.
She told me that she would make sure to bring her unicorn if I let her and of course either Black or Blue would be there with them.
Said she wanted waffles, the “good kind” with strawberries, chocolate chips, whipped cream, that Ms. Patricia made for her and Tati last time.
Now how could I say no to that?
Nova told her we’d drop her off Sunday when she went to brunch with the girls “Sunday Funday,” like everything was back to normal.
I let ’em believe that. Hell, I even believed it a little.
I hadn’t let my guard down. But I did relax just enough to smile when Timberly got syrup on her shirt.
I let Nova drag me to the couch after dinner and lay across my chest while reruns of Bluey played in the background.
She was humming under her breath, running her fingers over my abs as Timberly giggled at the TV.
I would let them have some freedom for now, but I would still be on alert until all our enemies were taken down.
I still got eyes on the Valdez family; still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I don’t trust that silence. Not from people like them.
They were the type to clap at your wedding and slide a bullet in your back at the reception.
But… something’s different. Blue ain’t found shit since Kyle’s death.
No hits on the system, no chatter, or movements.
Sabrina’s trail had gone cold too. Three days and no sighting or threat.
It was like she vanished again. That’s what got me spinning.
Because I know Sabrina. She don’t vanish unless she wanted to.
If she left town, it’s because she was running from something or plotting something worse.
Part of me hoped it was the first. The other part of me was already loading rounds.
Black said I should enjoy the peace while it lasted.
But I wasn't built like that. I enjoyed my family, but right now peace felt like a setup. I would still try to embrace it though. I helped Nova pick out names for the baby. We had narrowed it down to two each for a boy or girl. I listened to Timberly retold the same Bluey episode like it’s classified intel.
And was letting Pops win at dominoes on the back patio and drank bourbon with August while the sun set over this big-ass estate.
This was life. Not the one I planned but the one I’d kill to protect.
Nova caught me staring off in space, jaw tight, hand twitching near my waist where my gun usually sits now. I never thought I would go back to the day when a gun was necessary.