Page 2 of So I Know it's Real

“Where the hell is my baby?” I snapped at the last doctor in the room.

My voice cast Kehlani’s puffy eyes to the door. Her lips turned down on the ends, and she reached for me like a baby in need of affection. The flowers in my hand plummeted to the floor, and in rapid steps, I hustled over and drew her face into my stomach.

“Kehlani, baby, talk to me,” I pleaded, smoothing away the hair stuck to her forehead. “Tell me what’s going on?”

“They took her away!”

“Her?” I muttered between curved lips. “We had a girl. Where is she?”

The pale-faced woman in the white coat opened her mouth to speak, but Kehlani lazily lifted her arm.

“No. I’ll tell him. Go check on my daughter.”

I didn’t have the chance to ask more questions before the doctor disappeared, and a big fool dripping in diamonds invaded our space.

“Wrong room.” I snarled.

“Nah, I don’t think so, blood.”

“Blood? Yeah, you really in the wrong place, slob.”

“You’re funny.” He grinned. “My name is Cowboy.”

I rose from the bed and yanked my pants up on my waist.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean to me?”

The moment of silence gave me the chance to glance over my shoulder. Kehlani’s body trembled when she pressed her back against a stack of pillows and retrieved the remote attached to the bed. Her tears continued to flow, but the expression of sorrow had switched to fear.

“That’s right, baby. Call security on this loser,” I gloated, examining the room. “I would hate to kill someone in the place my daughter was born.”

“Your daughter?”

Kehlani positioned a hand over her heart. “Cowboy. No!”

“Hol’ up. You know him?”

“Of course, she does.” Cowboy chuckled. “Me and KK have history.”

“Who the fuck is KK?” I asked, though the answer was clear.

KK was the bitch who just had a baby and now stared at us like she didn’t know who to acknowledge first. I made it easy for her when I stepped away from the bed and drew my pistol.

“Nah, don’t get quiet now,Cowboy. Tell me what’s so funny. I want to laugh too.”

“Durk, please don’t do this.” Kehlani winced as she tried to get out of bed.

“You don’t need to stand to speak. As a matter of fact, tell me where my daughter is.”

“Okay. Okay.” She patted the air. “The baby is in the NICU. I had her two hours ago, and there were...complications. The doctor said she may need a blood transfusion.”

The devastating news loosened my limbs, yet when Cowboy started toward me, I aimed at him.

“Keep talking, Kehlani. You still haven’t told me how you knowthisclown.”

“Destin,” she cried out, calling me by my government name. A long drag of air poured through her stubby nose when she shut her eyes. “I love you.”

“I didn’t ask you that!”

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