9. Alisha “Kitty” Quinn #2
“Trust me, Bǎo bǎo. If anything was going to happen between those two, it would have happened a long time ago.” Mama Tan looked back at the growing number of ingredients on the counter. “Come, help me make some baozi for Exodus. He loves the red bean ones and Yang and Sam are into the pork ones.”
“I don’t—” I glanced behind her to the counter. “Don’t know how to?—”
“Our Yin loves his red bean buns. It’s one of the ways to his heart.”
Mama Tan wiggled her brows.
I giggled.
“Shì de, Māmā.” I tried, slowly.
Mama Tan giggled, flushed then laughed out loud.
“You’re going to be okay.” She grinned then patted my shoulder. “You’ll see.”
We worked side by side, Mama Tan instructing me how to make Exodus’ favourites.
Baozi and Tanghulu.
“He only has a small window to eat all the good stuff until he has to start training for another fight.” Mama Tan explained. “So, I try making him all the things he shouldn’t be eating until that time comes.”
“Oh? When is his next fight?”
“Not until next year.” Mama Tan replied. “Even though he’s careful now, he tends to indulge a little.”
My brain immediately went back to treating him.
I knew from reading that fighters were careful with their diets when they were gearing up for another fight. Even though what he was out doing was running rampant in my mind, I was also thinking about what meals I could make for him when the time came for him to prepare for his fight.
The thought of him walking into that octagon where another man wanted to take him out, worried me.
But that was his life—that was what he was interested in.
I sighed.
“It won’t be easy.” Mama Tan pointed out.
“It never is.” I told her.
After we were finished, I helped her with cleaning up then sat to eye the clock. Though I wanted to call to see how they were doing, I knew better. They couldn’t be distracted.
Mama Tan tried keeping my mind off it but eventually, she gave up for a nap while I paced the living room.
“This is taking too long.” I looked at the clock, five seconds since I’d last checked. “They were only going to talk to this guy.”
I checked the driveway.
Nothing.
It was about one in the afternoon when Bambam called telling Mama Tan and I that we needed to get to St. Paul’s hospital.
Though we tried finding out what was happening, she wouldn’t tell us anything.
While Mama Tan parked, I barged into the hospital, demanding to know where Exodus was and what was happening.
“And you are?” The nurse questioned, seemingly unphased by my hysteria.
“She’s his girlfriend.” Mama Tan’s voice was sharp behind me. “I am his mother. Any further questions?”
The nurse blinked and guided us to where the others were in different emotional states in a waiting room.
“He’s fine.” Tha’lab held my shoulders.
“What happened?” Mama Tan and I chorused.
“We had a little trouble and he was stabbed.” Tha’lab explained.
“Stabbed?” I whirled on Squirrel. “You were supposed to protect him! What the fuck happened to that? Where were you?”
I shoved his chest hard as tears blurred my vision.
“Huh?” I demanded, shoving him again. “You were supposed to make sure he was safe. How did he wind up with a stab wound?”
“Kitty.” Mama Tan tried pulling me back. “Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” I sobbed. “Don’t you understand that—where is he?”
“I’ll take you to him.” Tha’lab told me, reaching for my hand.
“Don’t touch me!” I barked. “Just tell me where he is!”
Tha’lab stepped back and pointed to the room. I ran off before they could say anything else. When I walked in, he wasn’t hooked up to many machines. The one he was on seemed to be monitoring his heart and he was hooked up to an IV bag.
Rushing to his side, I wiped my tears away and sat by his side to hold his hand.
“You promised me you’d be careful.” I chastised him. “What happened to that, huh? How dare you break your promise.”
The steady beep of his machine was the only sound was it cut through the fog of silence that terrified me.
Lifting his hand, I kissed it then rose to kiss his forehead then his lips.
When I sat again, his forehead creased, he muttered something and twisted away from me. Panicking, I framed his cheeks, caressing his cheeks with my fingers.
“Shhh.” I hushed him then using my finger to smooth the spot between his eyes. “It’s okay. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you. Shh.”
The air shifted behind me, and I looked up to see it was Mama Tan.
Quickly, I rose from the chair, set Exodus’ hand back on the bed and stood to give her the space to be with her son. Though I didn’t want to, I shifted out of the room and stood at the door watching through the small window.
“You can breathe, Kitty.” Yang told me from behind.
I wasn’t sure when he’d gotten then.
“You’re his brother…”
Yang took my shoulder and led me to a seating area. After he’d gotten me a drink, he sat beside me, groaning as the seat squeaked under his muscular frame.
“You’re right. I am his brother—his twin brother.” Yang spoke. “And because of that, it’s like we share a brain, you know? Maybe it’s because we came from the same egg, I don’t know, but no one knows that fool better than I do.”
I grunted a reply.
“They told me you took off Squirrel’s head earlier.” Yang spoke. “Blamed him for what happened to Yin.”
“It’s his fault.” I insisted angrily. “If he’d done what he was supposed to this wouldn’t be happening.”
“If that’s how you think, this is not your tribe.” Yang explained. “Squirrel can’t be in two places at once. And life is going to life with or without him.”
“Why are you taking his side? This isn’t life. Exodus could have died.”
“Didn’t we just finish talking about how well I know Yin?” Yang asked.