Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
MYTHIC
“You good?” Epic asked.
“I’m a lil nervous. I ain’t been to Nome since Asad’s wedding.
I just want to see Maui and make sure she’s good, especially since Ali said Seven don’t want them looking out for him.
Ashanni told me that he’s the one that’s taking her to her appointment.
He’s already shot me. His ass should be cool now.
I’m not taking no more shit from him. I will fuck him up on sight. ”
“I’m surprised you took that shit in the first place.”
“I wanted Maui to see how much I loved her. I wanted to apologize to her. I didn’t give a fuck about anything else at the moment. She was leaving me.”
He nodded. I didn’t dare tell Epic that I felt like some shit was gonna go down today.
While I wanted to go to her appointment, I would have stayed home when I found out he was taking her.
Although the clinic was only a couple of miles from their house, anything could happen.
The highway they lived on wasn’t traveled as much as Highway 90.
It could be open season for that nigga. I called PJ and let him know what was up, but he was in Houston with Chad and Jericho on another job.
Ashanni had called and told me how much Maui still loved me.
She wasn’t pursuing anything with that dude.
I was grateful. However, I could clearly tell he wanted to pursue something with her.
I didn’t know how long she would be able to hold him off if she couldn’t be with me.
I didn’t expect her to be single for the rest of her life, but at the same time, I did.
I wanted her to only be mine . . . my sweet angel.
My heart chose her, and it refused to accept anyone else into it.
When we got into Nome’s city limits, I shifted in my seat, feeling my gun shift as well.
There was no way I was coming into these parts without being strapped.
My blade was in my mouth as well. If these niggas tried something, I would be ready.
They had to realize that I didn’t give a fuck about having a team.
I was used to being alone. I could handle my own.
If I got handled, it was typically because I allowed that shit.
Seven had to know that I allowed him to do that shit, even with the small army that was with him. I would have gone out shooting niggas.
Once the clinic was in sight, I pulled my weapon from my waistband. Epic looked over at me. “What the fuck you doing?”
“I don’t have a good feeling, man. I feel like some shit finna go down.”
“You sure you just ain’t being paranoid? Rondo is going to meet us there.”
“Rondo don’t know what those niggas in Liberty look like.”
He frowned. “You think they gon’ be there?”
“I don’t know, but I ain’t tryna waist time by not being ready.”
He slowly shook his head, probably thinking I was crazy.
I was a lil bit. A nigga like me didn’t live as long as I did without being crazy.
A nigga with an attitude and personality like mine would have been dead.
When Epic parked, I saw Seven getting out of his SUV.
He looked around, checking his surroundings, then went to his passenger side.
As soon as he opened her door to help her out, I got out of Epic’s truck with my gun in hand.
Neither of them saw me. Maui looked so beautiful.
Damn. She wore a yellow sundress that blew in the wind.
I could see that it was one of those dresses like she had on in the grocery store that day.
So I knew damn well she didn’t have on a bra.
My dick was starting to stand as I stared at her.
Seven grabbed her hand and as they made their way to the entrance, my heart rate increased.
I gripped my weapon and fired, hitting that nigga right in his fucking forehead.
He was still able to get a shot off, but thankfully, it didn’t seem to hit anyone.
Seven shielded Maui as Epic ran to them and scooped Maui up.
I ran to Adrian and stood over his body as Seven stared at me.
Just like I felt in my soul, some shit was finna go down.
My gut never steered me wrong when I listened to it.
Adrian was going to take Seven out himself.
Rondo ran to us from the other side of the building.
As I was about to tuck my gun in my waistband, he took it from me and wiped it clean.
“You got any other bodies on this shit?”
“Naw. That’s new.”
He nodded and went to Adrian’s lifeless body.
I quickly turned away when I heard Maui scream.
Running to the entrance, I saw her in Epic’s arms as the twins ran to them.
He was wet. My heart was racing. Why was he wet?
I ran to them. I wanted to take her from him, but this fucking arm wouldn’t allow me to.
When I saw the blood staining her dress, I knew exactly what was happening.
“Mythiiiic!” she screamed as Epic ran behind the twins with her.
I was right behind them, along with Seven.
I could hear commotion at the entrance, so I was sure more Hendersons had arrived.
One of the twins cut their eyes at me and as they entered the room, the other one pushed me out.
Once Epic laid her on the bed, they pushed him out, too, and closed the door.
Within seconds, they reopened the door and called me inside.
I ran to Maui’s side and repeatedly kissed her head as she cried.
A nurse was on the other side getting her IV set up. It was way too soon. She looked up at me as another pain shot through her. She screamed as a twin gently pushed me to a corner. When I saw the tears in her eyes, I knew for sure what was happening. “Stay right here for a little bit, okay?”
I nodded as she went over to Maui and started getting her set up in the stirrups. “Noooooo!” Maui screamed.
I bit my bottom lip, desperately trying to hold the tears in. I failed miserably as I stared at her. Her face was red, and tears were cascading down her cheeks. “Maui, I need you to breath. I can’t have you stroking out on me. Please, sis.”
The twin I now realized was Noni, put an oxygen mask over her face as the nurse pushed meds into her IV.
As Bali washed up, she shouted orders to the people in the room.
Noni came and got me and led me back to Maui’s side.
I grabbed her hand, knowing this was hurting her so badly.
I kissed her forehead, then her hand repeatedly as she cried and did her best to breathe, like her sister advised.
When Bali came back, I could see the tears falling down her cheeks as she sat between Maui’s legs.
“When another contraction hits, push, Maui.”
I held her hand tightly, knowing I would never forget this day.
In the midst of saving her brother’s life, and possibly hers, we lost our baby, who would have been our pride and joy.
Maui screamed and pushed as the tears fell from her cheeks.
She squeezed my hand tightly. When I saw the baby slide into Bali’s hands, I nearly lost it.
Bali pulled the baby to her chest and cried hard.
She quickly stood and a nurse came to me with scissors as she placed the baby on Maui.
I didn’t cut the cord right away. I watched Maui kiss the baby repeatedly.
Bali and Noni were both shedding tears. At first, I thought they could possibly save the baby.
They didn’t have the equipment to even handle this type of trauma, but Maui was so far gone, she wouldn’t have made it to Beaumont anyway.
“Mythic,” Maui said, taking my attention away from the baby.
I stepped closer to her as I watched the baby’s mouth open slightly. This was it. Despite all the blood and stuff on the baby’s body, I kissed the forehead anyway.
“What did we have?” she barely got out.
I looked down at the baby’s genitalia to see it was a little princess. “A little girl.”
“Shani was right,” she said, then began crying again.
I looked over at Bali, and she nodded at me. I took a deep breath, then wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. I cut the umbilical cord. This wasn’t the moment I had dreamed about. When Bali tried to take the baby, Maui held her tighter. “Noooo. Bali, noooo.”
Her whimpers and cries weren’t loud, but they were still hard to listen to. I could feel every emotion she was feeling, simply because my heart was connected to hers.
“Baby, you have to let go. Okay?”
I slid my hand over her head as she released her grip on the baby. When she did, she passed completely out.
I sat in the waiting area as they cleaned Maui up and tended to what was going on with her.
I was so worried about her. They’d cleaned the baby and allowed me to hold her again in a different room.
Maui had named her Indigo Joan Semien. The name Joan was her grandmother’s. Ashanni had provided those details.
The waiting area was full of Hendersons until Epic walked back in with my mama and Treasure.
They both ran to me and hugged me. I couldn’t help but cry more.
I slid my hand down my face and saw Ashanni approaching me.
The tears on her face had her makeup fucked up.
I could tell this was a rare moment that she didn’t even care.
I stood from my seat, and she extended her arms. I nodded slightly, and she hugged me around my waist tightly, apparently prompting all the other Hendersons to offer their condolences.
“Where my baby at?”
We all turned toward the entrance to see Mr. Storm and Mrs. Aspen coming through it. She was practically running to keep up with him. Ashanni went to him and said, “They are getting her cleaned up. She blacked out as well. We have to wait out here, Uncle Mayor.”