Page 21 of Quasim II: King Inferno

“Anjo, I’m not upset with you. I just need to process this and when I need to process shit, I have to run.”

“Okay.”

I walked over to her and held her face while placing kisses on her lips. “Get some sleep, you’re tired.”

“I’m going to clean up outside and then I’ll get in the bed.”

Kissing her lips. “No… I’ll handle it when I come back.”

She looked into my eyes and then kissed me. “Okay.”

Recommendation: The Best Man I Can Be by Ginuwine, RL, Tyrese, and Case

Soon as I left out the front door, I took off running through the community. My head was swarming with so many things. Children were fucking innocent, and didn’t deserve the shit that happened to them. Elijah was a fucking pure soul who deserved to be a happy child. He shouldn’t have trauma. His life should have been carefree and happy like Ryder and CJ.

After running around the community for an hour, I found myself in front of Capone’s house. I leaned against the truck in his driveway and texted him. The lights to the front of his house turned on, the door opening shortly after, and he strolled out with a robe on.

“Sim, you straight?” he was concerned as I leaned on the truck, about to lose my shit. Tears clouded my vision as I watched Capone come closer. “Yo, what the fuck happened?”

I slid down the car and finally broke down. While I was running, I had the distraction of just keeping my pace and pushing forward with my run. The minute I walked ontoCapone’s driveway and slowed down, everything crashed into me. Everything was hitting me at one time, and this shit was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “You called that shit, Capo.”

He kneeled down as I sobbed like a bitch. “What you mean?” I watched as he pulled his phone out. “Yo, come outside right quick.”

I knew he was calling his twin because this was rare. I never showed my emotions and had been taught not to. You couldn’t have emotions and be the leader of one of the most ruthless biker gangs.

My emotions had always taken the backseat.

I pulled my legs up and broke down further. “Someone hurt Elijah… in that way.” Admitting it out loud further crushed my heart.

Capone hung his head and came beside me and pulled me into his arms. “Fuck, Sim.”

“He didn’t fucking deserve that shit… he’s a good ass fucking kid. I didn’t protect him.” I continued to cry, my voice becoming hoarse because I had been holding this emotion in since Anjo showed me that iPad.

Cappadonna came out his house and ran over toward where we were. “Fuck happened?”

Capone continued to hold me while his twin kneeled down on the other side of me. “Somebody hurt Eli.”

Cappadonna mirrored the same actions his brother did and then clasped his hands together tightly while holding onto his words. “I fucking failed him… he’s been hurting this whole time around me, and I didn’t fucking know. I felt like some shit was off but thought that he was good.” I hadn’t cried like this since I lost my daughter and Cherie.

My chest was tight, eyes blurry, and I felt like I was going to pass out. “Quasim, you gotta stop taking on everything. This shit isn’t your fault, and you’ve done everything for that little boy.His fucking parents failed him… you saved him… fuck,” Capone sniffled, and wiped away his own tears.

“I couldn’t save my own daughter, Cherie, and now Elijah… I damn near fucking lost Blair in the process. My fucking house… burned to the ground.” Everything that I had been holding in was finally coming out and I couldn’t stop.

It was like word vomit. Every time I tried to be quiet, more words continued to fall out of my mouth.

Capone continued to hold me. It was something about the Delgato brothers that I admired. The way they loved each other, or anybody in their circle. These men handled their business like me, but at the same time, I would see Cappadonna kiss his twin on the head or hug him if he needed it.

The shit was beautiful.

Cappadonna hadn’t said anything and still was squeezing his hands while kneeling beside me. “You did everything that you could for Harley and Cherie, Sim. I love you, nigga, but you take on everything and let that shit settle into you. Elijah came to you broken, and you took that boy in and protected him. Michael is your entire heart, and you would do anything to protect her. Stop taking on everything because that shit gonna make you break.”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Get him therapy. Not some shit that he should continue to sit with… while you healing him with therapy and love… we gonna take care of whoever fucking did that foul shit.” Capp stood up.

“Blair said that he told her that Thea not even his mother… the fuck does that even mean?” I sniffled.

I watched as he paced the driveway. “Let him cool off… shit is sensitive to him because of what happened to Alaia.” Capone told me.

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