He sighs and tightens his hold on me as if he thinks I’m about to go berserk.
He starts the story, “Marcus broke into our family home when I was fifteen. He tried to get into my dad’s office to steal something. Dad heard someone in the house. Dad shot Marcus and he died later that night. ”
I gasp and grip him tight. I’m not sure how I feel about this.
Nik continues, “When the police arrived to take statements and asked who took the first shot, I said it was me. Omarr thinks I shot his brother dead. I was just a kid and protecting my dad, babe. I got a suspended sentence and a few months later my dad was dead. So it didn’t make any difference anyway. Omarr is a part of the Sixes. Uncle Jerm leads them and he knows I didn’t do it. That’s all that matters. ”
I stay silent while I process this. It explains a lot of the tension between Omarr and Nik. Maybe Omarr just wanted to use me to get back at Nik.
“I’m sorry baby, this is all my fault,” he whispers on a shoulder squeeze.
I whisper back, “No, it’s not. Your dad was protecting your family and you were protecting your dad. I would do the same for my dad, Nik. Really, I would. ”
We don’t speak again. Just find solace in each other’s embrace.
A few minutes pass and I yelp as my cell phone blasts ‘Little Talks’ by Of Monsters and Men from my pocket.
I jump up, fish it out of my pocket and answer. “Hello Miss Molly, everything okay?”
I’m shocked when I hear her sniffle. “Oh child. I tried to get him down but I can’t reach him. And the blood…so much blood. He’s tangled up. I can’t get to him. I’m so sorry, child. ” She says this all in a rush and it’s hard to decipher.
My heart races. I’m so confused. She sounds shaken and distraught.
I coo, “Molly, tell me what happened. There’s blood. Someone’s hurt?”
Nik jumps up and is by my side in a flash. He turns me to face him. His face questioning. I shrug. Molly isn’t making any sense.
Molly splutters, “Bear, child. Bear is dead. ”
No.
***
I watch Tina’s body go rigid and her face drains of color.
She whispers, “Okay, Molly. I’ll be home soon. ” Her face is blank, void of emotion and her eyes lose focus.
Tina has turned into a droid.
I wrap a hand around her waist, squeeze and ask softly, “Sweetheart, what happened?”
She pulls my arms off of her slowly and stands there a moment looking like she’s close to losing her mind.
Her eyes are empty. My Tina isn’t here right now.
I watch helplessly as her face shifts into a grimace, crumples, and she bursts into tears.
I don’t do tears well but the first thing that comes to mind is ‘whoever made my girl cry is going to pay in a big way’. I pull her into my arms and rock her while she cries.
She repeats softly, “He’s all I had left of her…” like a mantra.
Tina cries for a while. I hold her tight and let her.
She stops crying after a few minutes and I ask her what happened but Tina is vacant. The lights are on but she’s long left the building. And I’m worried.
I call Nat, who closes down Safira and within minutes she’s in my office. She asks if she can use the ‘chill out’ room for a while. I approve. She asks for some alone time with Tina. I nod and return to pace in my office.
Half hour passes and Nat comes into my office. Her eyes are puffy and she whispers, “Bear’s dead. ”