Page 42 of Make Me Your Hitta

Silence fell like a heavy blanket. My ears rang in the sudden quiet, peaceful enough to hear a pin drop. Adonis and his father traded glances before turning their attention to me.

“Xenobia, are you sure?” Adonis inquired softly, his voice filled with emotion.

“It’s true.” My father’s voice boomed behind us. “And it’s time we call a truce.”

We turned to see him flanked by a set of men I’d never seen before. Each was strapped with bullets and had their weapons drawn, ready to fire on my father’s command. The way they moved alongside him was militant, calculated even. Could this have been the business deal he was working on all along?

Adonis stood frozen, eyes wide in shock, while his father’s expression took on a more frustrated look.

My father inched forward, men still at his side. “Cecil, we’ve been at each other’s throats for years. Blood has been shed on both sides, but now, things are different. My daughter and your son have fallen in love with each other, and soon, there will be a new life—a grandchild that’s half your blood and half mine.”

Adonis’s father narrowed his eyes. “A grandchild is one thing, but a baby won’t erase my son’s betrayal.”

“Please, Mr. Toussaint, our families have already suffered too much,” I pleaded while stepping from behind Adonis. “Adonis is the father of my baby, and I love him. I won’t let you take him from me.”

My father moved closer. “I understand your doubts. I have mine as well, but think about it, Cecil. Their child will represent a new chapter, a chance for peace between our families. We can end this war today and walk away knowing we called a truce for the sake of the future of our bloodlines.”

“And what fucking assurances do I have that this isn’t some ploy? That you won’t betray me and shoot me where I stand the moment I order my men to lower their weapons?”

“My word, as a man of my honor. You know the code I live by, even if you weren’t the man to instill it in me.” Adonis interjected. “I’ve proven time and time again that my love is reckless behind this woman, and now that she’s carrying my child, I won’t hesitate to rip you apart, blood or not.”

“Is that a fuckin’ threat, boy?” Toussaint growled.

My father cut in. “It’s time we put an end to this senseless violence. Adonis and Xenobia deserve a true shot at happiness, and their child deserves to grow up without knowing the carnage of our war.”

After a drawn-out pause, Toussaint nodded slowly. “The baby can live, but Adonis still has to pay for his betrayal. There will be no mercy,” he proclaimed.

The air exploded with gunfire with the wave of his hand. I ducked behind an overturned table, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. Adonis was a blur of motion, his shots precise and deadly. Bodies dropped, but more goons kept coming.

“Fuck,” I muttered, popping up to squeeze off a few rounds. The sharp smell of gunpowder burned my nostrils.

My father’s militia wasted no time popping off. Toussaint was outnumbered and outgunned. Adonis was holding his own, but I could see the strain on his face. I scrambled to a better position, taking out a thug who’d edged Adonis. He flashed me a quick nod of thanks before diving back into the fight.

Toussaint’s cold voice rang out amid the gunfire. “You can’t win this, Adonis! Traitors of the Toussaint family are shown no mercy.”

Adonis’s reply was lost in another burst of gunfire. I saw him stumble, his left shoulder jerking back. Blood bloomed across his white shirt.

“No!” I screamed as fear and rage tangled in my gut.

But then he stood, motioning for Titus to watch his back while he sprayed bullets into the line of men pushing forward. He dropped several as Titus came from behind. They were brilliant as a unit, following each other’s lead.

Between them and my father’s army, most of Toussaint’s men had fallen, and he was losing ground. He must’ve seen it too.

“That’s enough!” he barked, seemingly satisfied that his son had been hit, even though he was still breathing.

As quickly as it started, the gunfire tapered off. The Toussaint forces melted away, leaving destruction in their wake. Broken furniture, bullet holes, and blood, so much blood, painted a grim picture of the battle we’d barely survived.

I scrambled to my feet, rushing to Adonis’s side. “Say it’s over!” I screamed at Toussaint’s back. “For our child and our future, say it’s over!”

Toussaint turned back to me, assessing my shaky hands as I tried to see how bad Adonis’s wounds were. “I will agree to this truce. But know this: Any sign of disloyalty, and I won’t fuckin’ hesitate to return,” he warned before disappearing with what was left of his men in tow.

“Shit, shit, shit,” my father muttered as he made his way over to us. “Shit, how bad is it? Is he going to be okay?”

Adonis grimaced, cracking his usual stoic mask. “I’ve had worse,” he grunted, but I could see the uncomfortableness in his eyes. “The bulletproof vest helped.”

My father and Titus helped Adonis to his feet, supporting his weight as they stumbled to a nearby bedroom. My heart raced, fear and adrenaline making my hands shake as they eased him onto the bed before leaving the two of us alone.

“Let’s get that shirt off,” I muttered, fumbling with the buttons. “Fuck, there’s so much blood.”

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