Page 14 of Quasim III: King Inferno

Both Blaze and Capri looked at me. “Resting.”

She took a deep breath and dropped her head to say a silent thank you to the man upstairs. I thanked him, too, because I didn’t know what I would have done if my boys didn’t make it. Everything was depending on when Pop woke up, but I knew he was going to wake up and show ‘em why his name was King Inferno.

Blair

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I slowly walkedinto the room and stood to the side, watching all the tubes in his mouth and nose. His body remained in the middle of the bed. I would give anything to see his arms resting behind his head. Listening to his soft snores, or his slight chuckles in his sleep that he swore he never did. I’d give up every and anything if that meant that my baby was alive and listening to me. I wanted him more than I wanted to breathe, and because I knew he would give his life for mine, I would give mine for his.

His foot poked out from the thermal linen hospital blanket, so I held it in my hand. He had perfectly shaped toenails on his big ass feet that he loved to shove underneath me when they were cold. There was a beauty mark right on his middle toe that I loved, so I rubbed my finger over it.

“I’m here, Simmy… never going anywhere, but you already know that… me and this baby need you.” I kissed the top of his foot and then covered it up.

My heart felt like it had been pulled out of my chest, and there was nothing that I could do. All we could do was wait, and that was the hardest part of it all. “Can I come in?”

I turned toward the door and saw Papa standing there. “He’s your son… of course you can come in.”

I remained by his side. “He’s your husband, though.”

Instead of going on the opposite side, he came next to me, roping his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. “You’re carrying my grandbaby, B. My concern is for you, too… he can’t wake up and hear bad news.”

“I just need him to wake up and stare me in the eyes… tell me he’s alright. I…I don’t like him like this, and hearing Havoc put the word out that he was dead doesn’t sit right with me.”

He nodded his head. “Trust me?”

“I trust you all with my life… why?”

“Then know that there’s a reason that he has to be dead. They won’t stop until he is gone, and I ain’t letting that shit happen. Soon as he’s awake and cleared to travel, you both are going to get away from here so you can have a healthy pregnancy with my grandbaby, and he can heal.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded his head. “Yeah. You and Capri are the daughters I never had… would give my life for you girls… women, my bad. I want to make sure you and my boy are safe so he can heal. You know what comes after he’s healed.”

“Hell.” I smiled up at him.

Papa pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. “My girl. I know you have never had a family to protect you, but trust and believe that God gave me and Mina two sons, so you and Capri could become me and Mina’s daughters. I can promise that our family will always remain safe… hear me?”

I exhaled so loud and deep that I trembled slightly. “I just want everything to be good with him… with our family. At theend of this, I want to have a healthy pregnancy and a husband by my side.”

“You will, B. I thought the same thing when I was pregnant, and I had one.”

I pulled my head up quickly and looked at my sister like she was crazy. It was the early hours of the morning, and I knew we were all delirious, but she was tripping. Even Papa was staring at her like she had lost her mind. It was funny how I could see both Meer and Sim in him, and as he stared at his daughter-in-law, I saw the same expression that Meer had when Capri said something crazy.

“Freaky ass Morgan never happened?”

She let out an exhausted laugh. “Did you forget the end of my pregnancy?”

As chaotic as everything was when Capri became pregnant, the ending of her pregnancy was peaceful. She did yoga every morning in their living room, ate whatever she wanted, and was able to shop for her baby girl. All the things one would hope to do when they were pregnant, Meer made it happen.

Capri didn’t have to lift a finger because he made sure she enjoyed the end of her pregnancy. Well, his pregnancy if you asked him. I just wanted the same for me and my baby. Us enjoying bringing new life into our little family with Elijah.

The knock at the door forced us to look up. Meer was sitting in a wheelchair while the nurse pushed him into the room. Capri’s face dropped, as she rushed over toward him.

“He’s supposed to be in bed with his leg elevated… why is he in a wheelchair?” Capri was about to rip the nurse’s head off.

She looked down at Meer, who paid no attention to either of them. He was staring straight ahead at his brother. I watched as a tear fell down his cheek, and he looked at his wife.

“Sug, you said that he was good,” his voice was hoarse, as he continued to stare straight at Sim.

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