“I don’t know, but we need to get you out of here. Come on.” He tucks me into his side and we step around Joel’s body, and before we clear the room, I take one look back, the last time I will ever look back at my past. I defeated the enemy. Dead or not, I defeated the biggest villain in my life, the demon who possessed me all these years.
Grabbing Princeton from his bed, I cradle him in my arms and we make our way downstairs. I never once let my firm grip on him loosen. He’s safe and alive. I protected him and fought for him. He’s here, I remind myself over and over again.
The next few minutes pass in a blur. Cops come barreling through the door. Hilary is being pulled from the ground, where I’m assuming she was knocked out from a brisk encounter with Trey. And then like a flicker of hope, my mama stirs to life, being taken out on a gurney shortly after.
They try to take my son from me to check on my injuries, but I don’t let them. I need him. I need my boy. I cry as I rock him in my arms. He innocently watches all the lights from the police cruisers and ambulances as my father and Kingston come speeding up to the house. I feel my heart pitter-pattering desperately in my chest, and the two big men I love come running toward me, Shayla just behind them seconds later.
Trey hasn’t left my side, and I thank him before my father and Kings get to me.
“Baby! Fuck, baby!” Kingston cries, dropping to his knees in front of me, his body shaking alongside his cries. He touches everywhere, checking I’m really here, and I don’t say a word, too concentrated on soaking him in. His smell, his face, his touch, all of him.
“I’m here,” I sob as he stands and captures Prince and me up in the strongest shield of protection and love. My father spends a second checking me over before he hurries to the ambulance that’s taking my mother. He knows I’m safe with my king, and I know I am too. I don’t leave him. I stay in his safe haven, trying to pretend this never happened, trying to convince myself this was all a nightmare, but that time never comes. It only becomes more real when a body bag carrying Joel leaves our home and the detective comes walking up to us.
He asks me what happened, and with what little strength I have, I tell him. My words are stuttered out, my tears are genuine and never ending, but my nightmare is now over. Joel is no more, and I don’t know if I really believe it yet. Trey as my witness, the cameras in my house bearing as a third witness, and violation of Joel’s restraining order sends the detectives on a trail to close the case.
When they arrested Hilary, she admitted Joel had been using her as a way to send me letters and more outside of prison, and when I found out later that night in the hospital bed that Joel was the man who crashed into me in that hit and run, I felt a little less guilty. I had to defend myself, and I knew if I didn’t it would have been me, my son, and our unborn child who would have lost our lives, possibly even my mama’s and Trey’s.
I fall into slumber after they stitch up my hand and the medicine kicks in. My adrenaline crash takes me away, and in my dreams, I see nothing.
I lived a thousand hellish lives in less than an hour tonight. I called the police first then Trey and Jeffery, needing someone to get there faster than I could have. I’m sure I broke a hundred and one laws, speeding home, running lights, and making my own fucking lanes, just trying to get home.
And the moment I finally pulled up, I was sure I was too late and had lost my world. I prepared to walk into hell, and believe me, I did, but at least my woman and our son were alive. I let her down. I wasn’t there when I promised I would be. For years, I made her out to be someone who was afraid for no reason, when really what she was afraid of was everything I was unable to stop.
I tried to protect her, and in some ways I did. But Lana did this all on her own. She finally saved herself and protected our family far better than I ever could. I’m so proud of her for ending the man who nearly ended her more than once. She’s beyond strong, but I won’t lie and say I may never be the same. I will never be able to let Lana out of my sight. I will never regret the years we fought to have each other, and I will never lose her.
She saved my family, and tonight solidified that trust and love and pride I have for her.
“Hey, how’s our girl?” Jeffery steps into the room, where I’m laid out next to Lana on this tiny-ass bed that doesn’t fit us both. But I’ll take the discomfort just to have her in my arms.
“She fell asleep, poor baby.”
“This might be worse than before.” He releases a deep sigh, sitting in the chair across from me.
“I hope not. I hope she knows she had to do this.”
Nodding, he grabs her hand gently, making sure to not hurt her wounded and bandaged hand. Another scar Joel left her with. Another physical reminder of his rein of torture on her. And if I have to spend the next lifetime kissing it better and putting my name on that mark, I will. I will do this all over again if I have to, because I fucking owe her that much.
“How’s Becky?”
“She’s doing good, just a minor concussion. They said they are going to let her leave tomorrow.”
“That’s good. I’m sorry she was hurt,” I admit through my guilt.
“This isn’t your fault.”
I think this is the first time we’ve had a conversation where he isn’t blaming me for the bad shit happening in our lives.
“Thanks.” I don’t argue, knowing it’s moot.
It’s silent for a while, both of us watching Lana breathe in and out. She has the blanket up around her waist, and I lift her gown to under her breasts and run my hand over her stomach, where our baby is still healthy. We even got to hear their heartbeat. She stirs a little, and her small hand moves instinctively to mine. Before I can stop myself, I drop my head in the crease of her shoulder, letting my tears catch on her skin. I find myself worried and already thinking about the next time we will be here because of Joel. Even though he’s gone, I still fear it.
Jeffery sniffs next to me.
“Sorry to interrupt, but how is she?” Shayla and Trey fill the doorway.
I hurry and wipe away my tears, not much of a crier in front of others. “She’s finally asleep, but she and the baby are fine.”
“Baby?”