Chapter 13

 

The guys filter in and my heart slams in my chest. I will do this solo if I need to. I just hope that I don’t have to. Dragon settles everyone down before taking his seat. “Alright, shut the fuck up. We all know Melanie came and left again. The shit you didn’t know, Ghost is about to fill you in.”

“Like Dragon said, Mel came and left. What she said to me shocked the fuck out of me,”  I say. I glance around at my family. At the end of the day, they are my family.

“I have a son. Melanie’s dad took him away from her. He needed an heir to his fucked-up empire. When he found out Mel was havin’ a boy, he knew what he had. Mel’s as good as dead from what she said. I was initially gonna ask you to help protect her, until she bolted this mornin’.” My head bows, I can hear the gasps around the table.

Devil’s on his feet when I look up. “We get your boy back. That’s not even up for vote, brother. Fuck that shit, he’s yours. We go in, we get him out.” Devil drags me into a hug when the guys all start hollering.

“I didn’t want to ask you guys to do this. We all know the chances we take goin’ out on even the simplest of runs. This is far more than that.” The guys shove out of their chairs, looking me in the eye.

“We find a way to move in on them. That boy is family. We protect family. I know a few guys. I can get in easier than the others. Let me infiltrate their organization.” Roc speaks his peace, coming to stand next to us.

Shaking my head, that was not the plan. No way am I letting him go in there.

“Fuck that, Roc. No fuckin’ way in hell. That’s too fuckin’ dangerous.” Roc huffs. He walks past me before grabbing his beer.

“No, it’s not. I know some of the guys over there. I had no fuckin’ clue they were in the same shit until recently. I made a few calls when Aria told me about Mel.”

“I won’t let you get hurt, brother.” I say in a low tone. Roc throws his beer at the wall, completely pissed off.

“You don’t tell me shit, Ghost! You’re my fuckin’ family. That boy of yours—he’s family. I’ll be damned if one motherfucker puts claim to that.” His eyes are on fire. I can see the rage deep inside of him wanting to explode.

“We do this, Ghost. Roc’s right. We’re family. He’s family.” Dragon pulls my attention back to him. I nod.

“Ok. We go to get him.”  

  It’s not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. I knew getting in with them was going to take time. Roc’s been using his connections to see what we can find out, but things have shifted within that organization.

“There’s another crew tryin’ to take Vernon down. They want his share of the drug trade. I always knew they ran coke, but recently they have started dabblin’ in meth.” Dragon says.  I watch Dragon’s eyes as he looks at his hands.

“Meanin’ what, Dragon?” He swallows hard before pulling his eyes back to me.

“Meanin’ they are workin’ with Columbians. You know they get heated. You know they don’t fight fair. We need to plan this shit out to the final seconds, Ghost. One false move—” He doesn’t finish. He shakes his head.

“We’re all fucked. One false move, and we’re all fucked.” I say the words that he doesn’t want to. I knew shit was going to be difficult but this is going way beyond that.

I run my hand through my hair, wondering. Wondering if my kid is even any better being here with me. Maybe, he’s safer there.

Shaking that thought away quickly, I know it’s a bullshit move. He’s mine, and I am the one that needs to protect him.

“Do we have any pull with the Columbians?” Asking him the next obvious question, Dragon tilts his head back.

“There might be a few I can get with. I don’t know how helpful they will be. Fuck, it’s worth a try.” Dragon shoves out of his chair and leaves the room. He leaves me to my own demons. My own regret. My own hatred. My head drops forward, my hands clenching in my lap. I ruined a lot of things. I ruined Melanie. The thought that she hid a child from me though, that eats away at everything inside of me.  How could she do that? How could she take something as precious as a life away from me?

“You know everything’s going to be ok, Ghost.” I feel the warmth of her hands on my shoulders.

“Is it? How many more lives can I fuck up, Nessa?” She throws her leg over mine, slowly straddling me.

“You haven’t fucked up anyone’s life, Ghost. You’ve made lives’. Two of them. Three, including me. You need to stay positive now.” 

 

***

Could she be right? Have I not fucked up anyone’s life? I know I did Mel’s. There is no denying that.

She’s as good as dead because of me.

“She’s gonna die, Nessa,” I say, as the reality slams into me. Nessa’s hands come up to my cheeks. She caresses them softly while looking in my eyes.

“She made her choices, Ghost. You did the best you could for her. She chose to leave and not let you protect her.” How can she act like this is ok? How can she sit here, and not even be the least bit pissed that Melanie was here?

“Tell me somethin’, Nessa. You’re so calm right now. She was here. You could have doubted me.” Her smile is sincere.

“You’re right, I could have. I could have gone on a rant and been a bitch but you know what? You mean more to me than that. I don’t want to push you away.” She says softly. How can one person be so caring?

“What about Jordan? If we get him back. What do I do with that? I have you and this.” I say as my fingers splay over her stomach.

“It’s not an if we get him, it’s when. And when we get him, we take care of him. We love him.” My eyes jerk to hers. There’s a tear in the corner of her eyes when she looks at me.

“We?” My stomach trembles at the sound of that.

“Yes, we. Until you say you don’t want me, I’m here, Ghost. I’m not going anywhere. If we can get Melanie back, she can be the mother he deserves.”  So, optimistic. Look at her, so perfect.

“And if we can’t get her back? If what she said was true?” I ask, needing to know. Nessa wipes the tears that have slowly fallen down her cheeks.

“Then I will help you. I will love him like my own. We can handle this, Ghost.” Her words gut me for more than one reason.  The thought of Melanie not being there to help raise her own child hurts. It hurts deeply, but the realization of what I have sitting in front of me, I’m in awe. Nessa is willing to take on the role of mother for a child that isn’t even hers, while she’s pregnant with her own.

“Why, Nessa? Why would you do that?” My own tears choke me. The sobs clog my throat.

“Because he’s yours, Ghost. He’s a little tiny being that you made. He’s a part of you, and I want as much of you as I can get. Don’t you see that?” Pressing her lips to mine, I’m lost. This selfless person cares enough about me, that she would take on another women’s child for me.

How the hell did I get this lucky?