“Baby, I honestly could care less if she lives or dies, but we already have this covered,” Angel tried again. Confusion clouded my head as I looked from Angel to his brothers, then briefly down at my mother. “Trust me, Korrie. Put the gun down, and let’s go see our son.”
Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and pushed the gun into my mother’s head harder. Her sharp inhale echoed through the room. “No. They’ll think it’s suicide,” I tried to argue as my nerves began to fray.
Angel sighed. “Maybe,” he conceded. “But trust me when I tell you this isn’t something you want to live with. Right now, emotion is driving you. Later, you can’t take it back. It won’t ever go away. Taking a life, no matter how vile that life may be, is something that will haunt you forever. It will steal a part of your soul—part of who you are. Let us handle this.”
He took another step closer and raised a hand, palm up. “Give me the gun, Korrie.”
My eyes closed in defeat as the tears streamed freely. The gun was carefully pried from my hand, and I lifted my lids to see Angel handing it to Ghost. He gathered me close as sobs wracked my frame.
“You made a very poor choice. All of you,” my mother whispered angrily.
I declined to answer her as Angel bustled me out of the room and to a service elevator at the other end of the hall. Before the doors slid shut, Phoenix, Raptor, and Ghost slipped on with us, and we descended in silence.
“She’s not going to let this rest,” I choked out through my tears.
“She’s not going to have a choice,” Angel said quietly into my hair, then kissed the top of my head as I clenched his shirt tightly.
“CallingAllAngels”—Train
Korrie had fallen into a restless sleep as Raptor drove back to the clubhouse. As I stared out the window into the darkness, my vision glazed over for a moment. My chest ached for her and how close she’d come to making an irrevocable decision. A mother’s love and the lengths she’d go to in order to protect her children knew no bounds, but I was eternally grateful that we’d made it in time to prevent her intended actions.
Too bad her own mother had no maternal instinct.
Sifting my fingers through her silky hair where her head rested in my lap, I wished I had the power to heal mental pain. Then my sister and my woman wouldn’t be suffering. Even Venom’s and Hawk’s abilities were temporary—calming someone’s emotions was a far cry from erasing the memories that caused them.
“She’s going to be okay. Once she sees that we’ve taken care of her bitch of a mother, she’ll be able to breathe easier,” Facet said as he looked over his shoulder to me.
“I hope so,” I murmured.
“It’s all set. By Friday, Saturday morning at the latest,” he assured me.
Dropping my gaze, I watched her sleep as the miles slipped away toward home.
“She’s fierce,” Raptor said with his eyes on the road. “You’re a lucky man.”
I huffed an abbreviated laugh. “You’re absolutely right there.”
“On a different subject. We’re all fully aware she’s your ol’ lady, but is she going to wear your brand soon?” questioned Ghost with a slight curl to his lips that I caught from his profile.
Despite the fucked-up events we’d left behind, a grin snuck up on me as I beamed down at her. “Fuck, yeah.”
“Good shit.”
The rest of the ride was quiet. Korrie barely roused when I carried her in, stripped her clothes off, and settled her in bed.
Unable to sleep, I went in to check on my son, who was sleeping soundly. Brushing the dark hair from his brow, I smiled at the purple frog he slept with. Memories of the day I gave it to Korrie sent a ridiculous flutter through my stomach.
Hell, we’d been kids, but even at sixteen years old, my heart had known she was the one. She’d fallen in love with that thing when we’d gone to Target once with Ogun and Jasmine tagging along. I’d gone back with Ogun later to get it for her. You’d have thought I bought her a fucking Tiffany bracelet.
I was surprised she still had it after all these years.
Unable to stop myself, I kissed my son’s head. He smiled softly in his sleep, and my heart swelled with a love I’d never imagined.
Next, I checked on my sister. She was tangled in her sheets and covered in sweat, but she was also sleeping soundly. Pain lanced through me. It sucked not being able to do more for her. Shoulders tense, I quietly left the room.
When I stepped out into the hall, the door across the way opened.
Chains looked at me, and I looked at him. Both of us clenched our teeth, and my eyes narrowed on him. “Going somewhere?” I asked.