Baton Rouge.

$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Lying beside Melissa on the walkway, Jionni gazed at her lifeless eyes. Lying sideways, blood seeped from her body and onto the sides of his cheeks. Looking in his doorway, Jionni knew that he was outnumbered. He couldn't grab his weapon and kill 9 men. Having to play dead, Jionni quickly swiped his finger in Melissa's blood and trailed it from the corner of his mouth to act as if he was wounded. Lying his cheek in the puddle of blood, Jionni lied in the sprawled position he fell in and frantically waited.

In what he thought were his last moments of life, he had flashbacks of Mook, dead from a bullet wound in his car.

Having to stare at Melissa without reaction, tears trailed rapidly from the corner of his eyes. She wasn't moving. Giving in, Jionni begged for her to speak.

"Lissa." He whispered.

Nothing.

"Melissa."

Nothing. Jionni clenched his eyelids shut, reopening his frantic and bloody watery eyes of fear.

"Melissa!" He growled fearfully through his teeth.

"Y'all got 'em all?" One of the robber asked.

"Yeah." Another robber asked, standing over the two.

Quickly examining the two, he determined that both Jionni and Melissa was dead.

"Nigga come on!" The getaway driver ordered.

"Here I come! I had to make sure they asses was gone!" The second robber said, getting into the car.

Speeding away, Jionni heard the sounds of screeching, then silence. Waiting a few more seconds, he sprang up to see if they were gone.

"Melissa! MELISSA." Jionni yelled, voice raspy from fear.

Her body was limp. Next, Jionni's next door neighbor stepped out with her home phone.

"I've already called the police Jionni but what fucking happened!???!?" The woman yelled.

"T bring a towel! Goddamn it!" Jionni wept, still clutching Melissa. "Melissa Rodriguez please!"

It was as if his world stopped. Everything went silent. Jionni no longer heard anything around him or saw. His world was a blur. His whirlwind of happiness had done a 180°.

And it was his fault.

Arriving in the middle of the night, Maria frantically barged through Melissa's room. By her bedside, was Jionni. Jionni's face bowed on top of Melissa's hand, leg viciously shaking rocking. Also there, was Trina.

"My God, what happened to her!?" Maria wept, rushing and giving Melissa a kiss. "Who would want to kill my baby??"

"The doctors said she's fine. The drugs that she's under has her in a deep sleep." Trina sniffed, speaking with dried mascara on her face.

"Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez?" The doctor repeated, stepping inside.

"Yes?" Both said, eyeing him.

"She's fine." The doctor repeated. "Suffered just a gunshot wound in her side. Blood loss and shock is what had her unresponsive. Any longer could've been fatal."

"Jionni, who wanted to hurt her?" Rosa asked, also crying.

"Nobody. Somebody randomly targeted us." Jionni mumbled, not raising his head.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Rosa asked.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Rodrigo asked.

"Rodrigo, the boy was just shot and robbed. You want him to go back to his place?" Rosa said. "Let the boy stay in the large basement that you never use!"