Page 1 of Quasim: King Inferno

Prologue

Blair

I remember when I first found out that I had cancer and how scared I was. How everything was unknown, and I didn’t know if I would live. Most people who receive their cancer diagnosis either have a friend or family member with them, and I had no one. There was no one there to wipe my tears and tell me that everything would be alright.

When I sat in my doctor’s office with tears flowing down my face, trying hard to hold onto his encouraging words, I couldn’t see the end of the tunnel. All I saw was the darkness and that was all I had felt I deserved.

My life had never been easy. Since my mother passed away leaving me behind, I had no one in my corner. The people I considered family hurt me, and I allowed them to hurt me continuously. I put my faith and love into the wrong people, and it constantly burned me. I wanted to be loved so bad that I accepted such treatment because I felt like that was what I deserved. Being moved from foster home to foster home, neverfeeling love, you learn to settle for whatever pieces someone tosses at you.

When I dropped out of college, I never thought I would see Capri Delgato again. God had a way of moving people into our lives that we needed, because he put Alaia in my studio. He placed her there while we were both going through absolute hell, but we both continued to put a smile on.

Both hiding the pain and trauma we had been going through from each other – too scared of the judgment that we might receive from one another. Alaia was the first person I talked to about my cancer, and she had been there for me since day one.

I never thought Alaia would lead me back to Capri, or that our friendship would transform into a sisterhood. The Delgatos and Infernos took me in and gave me the family I’ve always wanted. The women nurtured and loved me like no other, and the men protected me like one of their own.

Quasim Inferno.

He protected me like I’ve always wanted to be protected. Although he acted scared of me most of the time, those small moments when he allowed himself to feel and live, I could see our life together.

“Ring that shit off the wall, Michael Myers!” Cappadonna clapped his hands as he held one of his twins, while Alaia held the other.

Capri and Quameer stood there with Peach, while I held my beautiful God daughter. Capone and Erin, along with Aimee and Capella stood there, all of them waiting for me to ring the bell. I appreciated and loved them for being here, but the one person I was looking forward to being here wasn’t.

Me and Quasim hadn’t spoken in a few months. Other than the usual check-in text messages, we hadn’t been around each other. I choked back the tears of ringing that bell that I walked past every week, never thinking I would be able to ring it.

All the nights of being too sick to sleep in my bed, so I slept beside my toilet. Watching my hair fall out right before my eyes. I would never forget brushing my hair while clumps fell out with each stroke. Losing weight and never being able to keep my food down. I felt like I was a shell of who I used to be.

Walking into every chemo appointment never knowing how to feel. That bell watched me every time, and at times I felt like it was a joke. Something put there to make us feel a little bit of hope in a time when we lost it all.

“I’m here… I’m here,” Zoya rushed in.

I handed the baby back to Capri as I hugged Zoya. “Thank you, Zoy.”

“Fuck you meannn, I’m here, too… what up, Ms. Lawyer?” Goon’s voice came from Meer’s phone.

“You family, Blair… we wouldn’t miss this shit for nothing,” Meer told me, and I hugged him before slowly walking toward the bell.

My team of doctors and nurses stood near the bell, waiting to cheer me on. They knew how much I went through and saw things that I never shared with my friends – the part that wasn’t always good.

Tears poured down my face as I grabbed the rope of the bell; the ringing was proof that I’d won the battle I’d been fighting. Everyone clapped their hands and cheered for me while I closed my eyes and thanked the lord. He saw me through all of this, and I would continue praising him.

When I opened my eyes, Quasim was standing there with my favorite flowers in his hands, sunflowers. He smirked as a tear fell down one side of his face and more fell down mine.

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t come, my love? Come on now.” He held his arms out, and I rushed into his embrace, as he hugged me tight. “I wouldn’t fucking miss this for the world. Youfought hard for this, baby… no more. I prayed for this, and God is finally hearing me.”

Tookie

The loveof my life stared at me like I was a monster. She didn’t look at me the way she used to stare into my eyes. I used to be the love of her life, and now as she stared at me from across the room, I could tell that love had been replaced with hate. She wanted me away from her and out of her life.

Many times before, she had told me this and then she always back peddled, allowed me back. Allowed me to make her feel good and make her promises that I swore I would keep that time. I wanted to keep every promise that I made to Blair, but my anger often got the best of me and then I flew off the handle.

She was often the one on the receiving end of me flying off the handle. A broken rib, busted lip, blackened eyes. Even when she stared up into my eyes with fear in her own, a bloodied lip or blackened eye, she was still the most beautiful thing to me. Blair needed me, so she accepted my apologies. She knew I was sorry and that my mind went somewhere else when I was angry.

She used to need me.

Since she reconnected with Capri’s ‘ol independent ass, she had been on some new shit. No longer needing me, no longer wanting me around. When I had her and her friend kidnapped, I didn’t want her hurt.

She forced my hand.

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