Page 9 of Quasim III: King Inferno

I had tears in my eyes as I looked at my brother. “Pri, come on… you don’t need to thank me. Neither of you do.”

“We do, though. Even before you knew I was your nephew, you took me under your wing and looked out for me. I was able to help my aunt with bills and provide for my family. You built this bitch brick by brick, and you need to pop yo shit more.”

Cappadonna looked down at his hands. “I know you feel like a weaker man because you couldn’t slide with us… your disease gets in the way and that shit fucks with you. Capo, you know we riding for you like you would ride for any of us. We sitting in our own private fucking hospital because you always thinking aheadto make sure we remain protected… always putting shit in place for us.”

Havoc leaned forward and squeezed his hands together. “He has to make it… this shit got me sick.”

Syn took his hand into hers as she rubbed them while he was in his head. I closed my eyes and wished I was anywhere but here. As nice and comforting as Capone had made this place, it was triggering because this was the third man that I had been with that had gotten shot.

Meer was my husband, but the trauma and pain from witnessing Naheim and Kincaid be shot was still fresh. The smell of hospital seeped into my nose, and my mouth became moist while my vision blurred.

“Baby Doll, are you alright?”

“I haven’t thought about Naheim in forever, but being here waiting reminds me of being in that hospital twice… it’s triggering the fuck out of me. I need my baby to wake up and be alright.”

Blair hugged me tighter. “We’re Infernos, we walk through the fire and come out unscathed.”

I hugged her tightly. “I love you so much, B.”

“Love you more, Pri… Quasim has a baby on the way, so he better get it together. He has no choice… he married me. He wouldn’t leave me, right?”

“Babe, he would move hell and high water before he ever left you.”

“Queen Michae?—”

“Cappadonna, please,” Blair looked at him and laughed through the tears. “Can I please have one of your big brother hugs?”

Cappadonna had a way of making everything feel like it would be alright, even when you didn’t feel like it would.

He stood up, and she walked over, and he hugged her. “Queen Inferno, everything is going to be alright… we gonna make sure those niggas are dealt with.”

She hugged him tighter, knowing she needed that hug. I never had a problem sharing my parents and brothers with Blair because she didn’t have family. Now, she had a whole family that was coming behind her differently.

She was our queen.

Havoc’s phone chimed and he looked at the message and put his phone to his head. “Fuck!”

“What happened?” Cappadonna asked.

“Ellis is gone… Sin just texted me. He didn’t fucking pull through.”

I looked down at my hands, feeling my chest burning. The triplets were always together, you never saw one without the others. Quasim took them under his wing, and he was making sure they were better than the bums they used to hang out with.

I could only imagine what was going through Ezra and Evan’s minds as they heard that their brother was taken from them. “I think…” I jumped up and ran toward the kitchen, emptying my stomach out into the trash can.

Each time I tried to stop, more continued to come. I heaved over the trash and felt my hair being lifted and someone rubbing my back. When I finally removed my face from the trash, I saw Capone standing there.

I crashed into his arms as he held me and rubbed my back while I sobbed. Everything was happening so fast, and I couldn’t process it because my other half was downstairs in surgery. I couldn’t think without Meer being right here. I’ve never been in love or knew love like the one I had with that man.

If I ever lost him, I wouldn’t know what to do. The guilt ate me up that Peach didn’t know what was going on with her father. It was for the best because she would worry like I was right now.With all that had been going on, she didn’t need to think about her father like this.

“Breathe, Pri.”

“Capone, they fucked up… they fucked up so bad.” I said into his chest while I controlled my tears.

I was numb on the inside, as I removed myself from his chest. Just like that, my emotions were gone. “I’m already knowing… I know you’re Lady Inferno and protecting the Infernos is expected, but I need you to remember that you have daughters and a family that love you and need you here.”

“Capone, I don?—”

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