Page 7 of Karrington

He might not have been in the crew for long, but he was a solid dude. Him and his brother Dejvi. Aspen seemed to care about me and my art, and I appreciated his hope in something I’d let die. He’d even gone as far as to set up a meeting with Neko for me, and while I attended and it went well, I couldn’t risk anyone finding out his art firm had a mafia boss as a client.

“I will. I appreciate y’all. For real.”

I shook both of their hands and they left, leaving Asylum, Merc, and Beethoven behind. It didn’t matter how much I told them I wanted to be alone today—they were there. They didn’t talk to me, but they didn’t let anyone else either. I appreciated that. The only person that had been able to get close to me was Ma, and I needed that barrier. Even with me being in the headspace I was in, I was present enough to appreciate my brothers and what they were doing for me.

I felt like a zombie as I walked to the bar in my parents’ home. It was a fully stocked bar with a bartender and all. Pops didn’t have a lot of people he was close to, so he’d made his mansion a space he could fully entertain and enjoy the company of his brothers and small crew.

Drinking had never been an escape for me. I used to indulge for special occasions or when the crew got together. Since Pops died, it was what I’d been doing to numb myself. Last night was proof of that. Attacking that man, so ferociously, was something I would not have done if I wasn’t drinking. I could blame it on the grief and anger, but the truth was, that moment was a glimpse of the version of myself I’d been too afraid to release.

In my two decades of training to become the most lethal enforcer, hitman, and protector, my father kept a leash on me. He’d instilled certain principles in me that kept me focused on being sure I never used excessive force, that I didn’t initiate fights or shootouts, and that I never handled business publicly unless absolutely necessary. All of that went out the window last night, and I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would going against everything he and his men had taught me. Last night I wasn’t a protector; I was a hurting fighter looking for a target. As good as the release felt, I couldn’t let it happen again.

Asylum made his way over to me about an hour after Bully and Aspen left. He sat down and looked at his open palms. If anyone understood the loss of a parent, it was him, but at least I’d been blessed to have my father for thirty-five years.

“Shiloh’s getting a little restless and tired of his mama and sister.” That made me smile. Shiloh had become his father’s shadow. They were always together. He was spoiling the little man, and after waiting over twelve years to be reunited with the woman of his dreams, I didn’t blame Asylum. Shiloh was literally his and Dauterive’s love in human form. He was a physical reminder of what could happen if you took a second chance.

“I would bring him in here but—”

“Nah…” My head shook before I took another sip. Weed and cigar smoke clung in the air of the bar. It was certainly no place for a baby. “Go ahead and take the family home, brother. I appreciate you.”

“You sure you gon’ be good? I can take them home and put him down then come back.”

I patted his shoulder. “Nah, I’ll be good.”

I didn’t want to remind him, any of them, that there was nothing they could do for me. Men took pride in being useful. I wouldn’t take that from them.

“Aight, brother. Call me if you need me.”

Merc and Beethoven weren’t going to be as easy to get rid of. Beethoven’s wife and son had already headed back to Rose Valley Hills, but he was on some where you go, I go, type shit. Regardless of if I spent the night here or at home, Toe was going to be there. Merc was the same way.

Neo had already left with the kids, and he was posted up staring at me as if he was waiting for me to want to go and get into some shit. All I could do was chuckle as I finished the last of my whisky. Merc, Aspen, and Blaze, Aspen’s best friend, were the ones that had been on nothing but rah-rah shit with me since Pops died. It might not have been the healthiest way to grieve, but they didn’t judge me for it, and I appreciated that.

“You got a minute?” Loki asked. He was my right hand man and a close friend. He was the one I spent the most time with because of our places in the business. The one I could talk to about this lifestyle. Loki got the highs and lows of the mafia.

“Wassup?” I stood, and we slowly began to walk out of the bar.

“The guy in MM from last night… He’s not doing good, Boss. The police have been swarming his hospital room.”

“Is he talking?”

“He can’t. He’s still unconscious. You did damage, brother.” Our feet stopped moving and we turned to the side to face each other. “He had a brain bleed. They put him in a coma to see if the swelling would go down. If it doesn’t, he might be brain dead. If so, and they find out who was responsible, you’ll be looking at attempted murder. Murder if and when his people pull that plug.”

That’s what I loved about Loki. He was the kind of man who looked at all possibilities to help me prepare. I was thinking about making him my consigliere, but I hadn’t made up my mind yet. There was only one other person I would give thathonor to, and that was Asylum, but with his family, I didn’t want to bring him into the fold.

“Pay someone on the staff, preferably his doctor or nurse to ensure we are the first to know when he wakes up. Sweep the bar if it hasn’t been done already. Whatever it costs to make this go away—”

“That’s already been taken care of. Your boys looked out for you last night. Bully paid for the security footage. They made sure no one there last night saw what happened, even if they did see what happened.” I nodded as we began to walk again. “I’ll reach out to the men I have sitting on the hospital and keep you updated on that.”

“Aight. ’Preciate you.”

We shook hands before going our separate ways. Since I was up, I decided to check on Ma. It surprised me to find her in the sitting room whispering with Luna Ray. The family that was here on her behalf were scattered all across the house, leaving me to believe what she was talking to Luna Ray about was something she didn’t want anyone else to know about.

I was surprised to see Luna Ray here. Even with her going to the funeral, I wasn’t expecting her to come back to the house. She’d made it clear that she didn’t want anything to do with me or my family, and after what happened, I finally believed she’d made the right choice.

“…I’m worried,” I heard Ma say. “He’s not processing it. I need to know he’s going to be okay when I leave tomorrow. I need to know he’s going to have someone looking out for him.”

“Mrs. Lowe, I—”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I said, causing them both to jump and turn toward me.

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