Because I fucked up, Mitch! I slept with the sister of someone I'm supposed to kill. She's pregnant! Brandon's voice rings through my ears.
I watch as Kristen cheers in excitement, hearing of another grand child being brought into her life. I unconsciously rock my baby, my eyes stuck on Brandon's. He stares back at me as he knows I'm connecting the dots. His face is red and strained. Elias and Mateo assume he looks like that because of Makaela's relation to Mateo.
I feel them glance back at me, but I'm unable to look away from my brother.
Because I fucked up, Mitch! I slept with the sister of someone I'm supposed to kill. She's pregnant!
He didn't hear of my wedding through another individual in the drug community. He heard it from Mateo's sister as she pillow talked away all of her brother's information. I believe if it wasn't me he was going to marry, he would've shot him dead in front of the entire guests that was there.
"Mitch?" I hear Kinsley talking to me as she grabs my hand to grab my attention.
However, my heart race increases. Wild thoughts running through my head. Brandon is on a contract to kill my husband.
My lips twitch a bit, shaking myself out of my stuck state.
"Michelle?" Makaela asks softly, knowing now that she's pregnant by my brother.
"Huh? Oh. Congratulations. Hopefully he's a better father than he is a brother." I send her a short smile as I stand to my feet. I walk to Kaleb as I grab Myles, quick to get both of them out of the eye sight of Brandon.
"Michelle, Michelle dammit!" I hear Brandon try and follow me.
"Take one more step, please do," I hear Mateo's voice as I walk into my twins room. I go to shut the door but Kinsley's arm stops it.
"Ow! Damn, bitch." She rubs her arm as she shuts the door with her leg. "I know you don't like him and he's a piece of shit. Now you're stuck around him for life." She slumps down on the floor as I sit in the rocker.
I stare down at their sleeping faces, my mind wandering.
Because I fucked up, Mitch! I slept with the sister of someone I'm supposed to kill. She's pregnant!
His intentions were to kill my husband. Were or is? I question myself, gnawing at my bottom lip. Do I tell Mateo and Elias? Or do I talk to Brandon first?
I know if I tell my husbands that Mateo is more than likely going to kill Brandon first. He doesn't take threats lightly. He'll see him as an immediate threat to not only himself but our little family we have going on. His sister will hate him for killing the father of her child. It would be a shit show.
What if I don't tell him and Brandon takes a moment of weakness as the opportunity to kill my husband? I know he wasn't a good man before we met, but he's changed substantially since I've been in his life. At least around me. Since his incident I don't think he's participated in anything other than drug deals.
"Mitch! Talk to me." Kinsley's voice snaps my head to hers as I realize I've zoned out. Malanni stirs in my arms before throwing her arm on my breast and falling back asleep.
"What?" I ask her, not even trying to mask my worried features.
"There's something I'm missing here. I understand you being upset that he'll have a connection to your family, but there's something more to it. Spill!" She rambles, running her fingers through her hair.
Arguments are heard daintily coming from the living room, but I don't let them much attention.
"Brandon wants to kill Mateo." I state, gauging her reaction.
"I mean, that was established at the wedding, don't you think?" Her face scrunches in confusion. "Your brother has always been a little bitch, he doesn't have the balls."
I scoff at her statement. Two weeks ago I would've said the same thing. When he left he was a scrawny eighteen years old boy. Getting beat up by school bullies because he was too afraid to stick up for himself.
Look at him now, accepting high paid contracts to be the grim reaper.
"What the fuck am I missing?" Kinsley begins to get irritated.
"He needs to kill Mateo." I emphasize, tears pulling at my eyes at my dilemma. "He's a contract killer, Kins. He left the drug game to literally spend his life killing people that even worse people want dead. Someone has a hit out on Mateo."
"How do you know that? And how do you know he's been hired to kill Mateo?" She looks dumbfounded. "He wouldn't outright tell you that he wants to murder your husband." She throws her hands up.
"He did tho! Well, okay he didn't. But when I asked him why he chose to come back in my life now he told me he got a girl pregnant. 'I slept with the sister of someone I'm supposed to kill. She's pregnant!'. Those were his words! I didn't think shit of it until Makaela announced that she is the one that is pregnant." My breath quickens a bit.
I don't know who my brother is anymore, I'm not sure what he's capable of. If he takes high end contracts he obviously has some talent in what he does. If someone really wanted to kill Mateo, they would hire the best.
"Okay," she sighs, pulling her legs to her chest. "He obviously can't still want him to follow through with it, seeing as Mateo is your husband and also the uncle to his child. Ain't no way."
"I wouldn't be so sure. I don't know who he is anymore, how his mind works." My arms begin to get tired and I walk over to their cribs. "I don't trust him."
"Then we need to tell Mateo." She claps her hands together at her suggestion.
"So he can kill Brandon first?"
"Who would you rather see dead, Mitch? I mean, honestly. The father to your children or your brother who left you without as much as a text." She shrugs.
I run my hands over my face, wishing I was still in Europe without a worry in the world.
"Neither," I decide. I walk out of the room quietly, trying not to disturb my beautiful babies. I walk into the living room, seeing Elias and Brandon face to face in a yelling match.
I ignore everything going on, and I roughly grab my brother by his shirt. "Let's go." I command, dragging him out the front door.
"What the hell, Mitch?" He grunts once I let go. Not responding, I lead him further up the drive way. Out of ear range.
"What the hell, Mitch." I mock, anger coursing through my veins. "You came to my wedding to kill Mateo, didn't you? Not to be this loving brother bullshit you keep seeming out to be. You were going to kill him but saw me at the alter and then what? Heart got stuck?" I scream.
He winces. "Yes." He doesn't even try and lie. "She told me she was pregnant two days prior, and told me she felt too bloated for the dress she picked for her brothers wedding. I asked if she had to travel and she gave me all the information I needed. When she saw me there she just thought I was trying to surprise her."
"You should've told her you had a mine millimeter in tucked into your waistband to kill her brother." I push him.
"So what now, Brandon?" My question is thick.
His head hangs low, not wanting to speak. "How much?" I ask.
He look baffled. "How much what?"
"How much are they paying you? I'll pay it instead so you can get the fuck out of here and pay child support for the rest of your life."
"Don't try that shit with me! Regardless I will be there for my child, I don't give two shits what anyone has to say about it!" He gets in my face, now seeing red.
"How much, Brandon!" I stomp my foot like a child.
"It isn't that easy, Michelle. God Fuck! It's a contract, I kill him and receive my sum of three quarters of a million dollars or I'm killed. If I go back to to California without proof of Mateo's dead body I am a dead man." He reasons, confirming my suspicions that he still plans to attempt to murder my husband.
"Why wait till then?" I shrug, stepping back from him. "When you can die right now. Mateo!" I yell, but my mouth is quickly covered by Brandon's rough hand.
"Cut the shit, Mitch." He growls out, looking at the front door in terror. I bite his hand, watching him pull back quickly.
"You must be one dumb fuck if you think Mateo, Elias, and his men won't end you. You're even dumber to believe I'll allow you to try and hurt him." I get into his face once more. "They picked up all of my broken pieces and put them back together. Forget about them, and their men, for just a moment." I pull his shirt down so we're face to face. "I will gut you, Brandon. I'll take your last breath and get Kaleb to clean up the fucking mess." I whisper.
Okay, maybe I'm bluffing a bit but I want to believe I'll really kill my own blood for the sake of my family.
"If we can't figure out a way to solve this without Mateo being in danger, you're shit out of luck. Whoever the fuck hired you needs to try and come do this his damn self."
"I am your brother, those are just two men you fuck!" He reaches out to grab my hand.
I snap my skin out of his reach. "Are you delusional, Brandon?"
I've made my mind up. I turn to walk back toward the house when I hear a gun cock back. Slowly, I turn to face Brandon. His hand trembles very slightly as he aims it at my chest.
"I've got a kid on the way, Mitch. I have to live to see them born." His face is pained.
"And I have two babies in that house that needs their fathers. Pull the trigger, Brandon. Prove to me how big of a piece of shit you truly are." I shrug. Deep down I don't think he'll really kill me. But as I turn to walk back my hands get clammy. I really don't know him anymore, maybe he would kill me.
My moments are slow as I walk towards the house, eventually setting my hand on the door handle. I turn around to spare him one last glance, but he's gone.