Celeste POV
I walk into David's apartment and I see him sitting looking pissed.
“What's wrong with you?" He looks at me and sighs rubbing his head. I walk over and I sit down.
"D-mac little ass shot Seamus. We was trying to get him to be our insider but it went slightly off and dmac shot him."I close my eyes as I shake my head. That fucking kid! Every day I see more and more how he's related to Tommy.
"Ain't nobody know he was coming to meet yall did they?" He shrugs. Damn it to hell.
"Let's hope not. I scared off his boss, so now let's worry about them finding his body." He nods and I sigh thinking over how we'll get out of this if he's ever recovered.
"He has a sister Celeste, how is she gonna live now that he's gone?" I look at him and I shrug.
"He should've thought about that when coming up to you how he did D, I know it's fucked up but it's how this stuff goes. He was a rotten man. He just used his sister as his reason." He sighs with a nod and I look at him. He looks down. I scoot closer and he looks at me and I grab his wrist.
" What's wrong Diamond? Seriously?" He looks at me for a while before leaning back and I look at him as he continues have that pensive look on his face.
"Yesterday, I was at Slick Eddie's... It got shot up... It was Jenard ole crew... Had to of flipped on the RD's on 71st and Tallman." I smack his arm and he frowns at me as I blink at him.
"And you just now telling me? What the fuck David! Are you hurt?" I start to look over him lifting his shirt but he grabs my hands and shakes his head.
"I'm fine, a woman got shot but that's all... But what's really got me messed up is everyone trying to get me to go see Sid."I frown in confusion.
" Sid as in your father? Why?" Sidney Sampson was a mean man. Never really liked his kids, damn sure didn't like Diamond. That's one of the main reasons why me and David are so close now, he was always kicked out of the house and he always came to his grandmother's. They'd fight and argue. His dad would disappear, come back drunk. A cycle. I kept out of Big Sid's way cause he hated me too, I think he hated everyone who wasn't him or maybe he just hated kids in relation to him.
"He's in hospice... Guess it's serious this time 'round. I don't care."I nod.
" I get it...but you deserve—"I move back as he shoots up going off about that entire situation. I sit back and I let him as he huffs and rages until he finally shuts up.
"All that yelling wasn't gone make me shut up and you know that. Look you know that I know more than anyone how your dad was. I'm not saying that you should go for his benefit but for your own. See why that fucker hated you so you can be at peace with his decisions. Don't grow old wondering, letting him haunt you. Even if he doesn't tell you, that's enough of an answer to know that he was just an evil man. I'm not saying give him peace in his last moments, I'm saying give yourself peace by seeing his final moments." He stares at me his eyes bouncing off my face before he nods.
"I'll think about it." I nod as I grab his hand pulling him back onto the couch. He sits down and sighs and I look at him.
"So, about CBI, any news?" He nods as he rubs his hands on his pants.
"We gonna try to build a coalition between CBI and King Kilo and a few others. Get this shit on lock."I nod slightly impressed.
"Oh yeah? How do you guys plan on doing that? Half of those bastards are slime balls. Especially King Kilo group." He nods before patting my thigh heavily.
"Trust me. Just know that we're going to be made." I look at him and I sigh.
"David—" He gives me that look and I cross my arms sighing.
"Fine, Fine! Just let me in this time alright?" He nods and just as I go to tell him about the Flynns Vic calls me. I pick up and walk towards the back.
"What's up Vic?" I hear a car door slam and he exhales.
"Hey, Um I need a favor it's serious" I glance at Diamond before I step out to the back yard.
"I'm listening... Are you okay?" He says a yes before he speaks up.
"Can we meet up? It's a lot." I check the time and I say yeah.
"Let's meet up at Wishbone." He says an okay before he hangs up and I walk back to David and I look at.
"I gotta go, some other business popped up I'll tell you about it later." I lean down and kiss his cheek before I head out getting into my car and pulling off to the restaurant.
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I see Vic get out of his car and I tell the host that my second person is here and once he's inside we hug and it's a harder hug than usual before we get seated in the back. I look at him and I see him damn near ghostly white, whiter than usual.
"The police got me on a murder... I think they're tryna get me to rat on my family—" I smile at the waitress as she comes up to us and we say our drinks before she leaves and I shake my head.
"That's not good Vic, you gotta get a lawyer, don't think you can trick them."He shakes his head.
" That's actually the least of my problems—"I feel my own temper spike as the waitress comes back with our drinks and we both quickly order before she leaves again. Vic inhales before looking at me. “I'm going to kill my father tonight. I need you to be my alibi."I can't help but flinch at his words and I shake my head as I drink my apple juice.
" Okay, I wasn't expecting that for real. Who's helping you? What happened to you playing the long game?"He shakes his head as he puts his hands on the table as he leans in a little more.
" Dublin is helping, Walter has burned all his bridges with everyone. I need you to be at Finn McGhee's across the street okay? I need you there around 9:20-9:30, okay?" I nod I know his sister is a snake but man for him to not want her to be with him during this is so fucked.
" I'll be there. I promise, but Vic are you sure that's what you want to do this? You can't come back from that kind of trip."He looks at me for a second before nodding.
" I got to Celeste... He just won't stop. He's gonna ruin everyone." I look at him and I sigh leaning back nodding.
" Alright. 9:10 I'll be there and then we'll talk about the cop thing."He nods and that's when the food comes around. We eat as I try to calm his nerves and get him to think about other things. I get a text and I see it's Diamond saying that he's over at Garfield Hospice Center and if I can, come by. I send an okay before I continue to eat as Vic tells me about the guy who's gonna do the job tonight. God it's so much shit happening so suddenly.
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I walk up to the receptionist desk and I ask them about Sidney Sampson and they write my pass before telling me the correct room and directions. I walk towards the door and I see David standing there and I knock softly as I peak my head in. David is quick to turn around and he grabs my hand softly pulling me inside and once Sid sees me he scoffs.
"Yo lil shadow still ain't find her light yet huh?" I roll my eyes and I cross my arms old bastard.
"Hi, Sid. I would say you're looking good but that'd be a obvious lie." He chuckles but that shit turns to into a cough. Good shut the fuck up. Once he's good he speaks up.
"Why you here?"Because his crazy ass wants to see you die. He's like you in that twisted ass way.
"You're my father that's why." You lying. Sid chuckles and I look at David as I move towards the window.
"You know, I never wanted to be a father." I bite down the scoff as I look over at Diamond who catches my eyes.
"Yeah, that makes sense 'cause you never really were." I listen in as they have their needed conversation as I look outside the window.
"It's your mother... Your mother always wanted kids." I smile a little bit as I think about our conversation we had a little while ago, he's caring like her in so many weird ways.
"You know, they say if you can't father the children, you shouldn't fuck the woman." I tilt my head, that goes for my raggedy father too, bastard. They were the start of the absent father epidemic.
"You know, you always got something to say. Thinking you better than everybody else. You a low down corner boy. Always have been always will be. Always looking out for yourself." I fight the urge to turn around. I know David doesn't want me here to play referee but just to be here for him.
"That's because I had to, because my bitch made daddy ran off." Oh God, please don't have these men in here fighting. We don't need this old man croaking in the middle of trying to throw a punch. I hear Sid start to laugh before he speaks in a little too uncaring of ways.
" Oh, if you think I'm gonna say sorry for all the shit I did, you come to the wrong place. I'm not that man." At least he's honoring that even on his death bed.
"Look, man. I don't need your apology." I know there is a saying about a tiger not changing its strips and a leopard not changing its spots but damn can they at least acknowledge them?
"The only good you ever done is take care of your brother and not get girl pregnant. And hell for fifteen years you couldn't even do that. It's yo fault that Jenard is in the game..."I hear skin connect but not in a violent way.
" Boy, you just like me. You no good. Never have been, never was, never will be. And as soon as you recognize that, better off you'll be." I turn around about to open my mouth but David looks at me, and I stop crossing my arms.
"You know the only way that ima be better off... Is when we put your punk ass in the fucking grave. I just came to make sure you was really on your way out and see it with my own two eyes and realize... That dreams do come true. You're dying." As he says those words Sid's machines start to beep and go off. He tries to talk but David is still talking.
" And I don't have a goddamn feeling about it." They run inside and tell us to clear the room and I stand next to David as he stares at his father as they try to calm him down. I look at David and I grip his hand. He looks at me and I tug his hand down and he leans down and I press my lips to his softly. He grips my waist with his other hand and I hold his head to mine before I pull away from him.
"I love you, you know that right? As David, as Diamond or as inmate whatever ip address. You're a rich man who came from poor circumstances." He stares into my eyes as he licks his lips before he pulls me into a tight hug. I hug him tightly. And soon the monitors stop beeping and the nurses pile out and one stops in front of us and tells us he's stable and we can enter again and I nod thanking her as David walks inside and the woman steps closer to me.
"Ma'am, I'm so sorry to say but I don't think he'll make it through the night."I sigh as I nod scratching the side of my neck. I smile sadly as I nod my head thanking her for the warning. She walks away and I walk inside seeing him sitting on the chair and I slip into his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist keeping me to him as we look at his father who's eyes are closed. I hear his phone ding and he pulls it out and I peep at it seeing a woman's name and they've been obviously flirting but David cuts his phone off before I can read more and he tucks his phone back into his pocket.
"Was that Tommy?" He shakes his head and I nod before laying my head on his head as I look at his father.
After another two hours my timer goes off and I turn it off.
"I gotta go, I'll see you later okay?" He nods and I kiss his cheek twice before I leave out. I want to text Vic but I don't want him to be distracted. I get into my truck and I put the bars directions in the GPS before I pull off heading there.
I pull up to the pub and I start to bite on my nail as I suddenly feel my heart palpatate. Which one of my idiots are doing some reckless shit? Maybe it's just the situation with Vic, I hope it is and not David suffocating his damn daddy.
I check the time and see it's nine on the dot. I turn on some music to help with the wait. Just as I turn it on I see Vic's car speed by and I see him sit there and I unlock my door and soon I get a text and he tells me to meet at my house and I send an K before I pull off and he peels the fuck off and I speed up a little bit to keep up. Just then he splits off and something tells me to not follow him so I just continue towards my house.
I kick my shoes off and take off my jacket undoing my tight ass pants that aren't the most comfortable before I walk into the kitchen looking for my wine and something to eat. As I reheat my grilled chicken and dirty rice I see him busting into the house red and raging. He yells my name and I call from the kitchen seeing him storm in.
"What happened? You pulled tf off suddenly," He starts to pace and mutter under his breath before finally speaking up.
"Gloria didn't tell me that they pushed up the time. She tried to get me killed with Da! That backstabbing bitch!" I move around the counter and to him and I try to reason with him.
"Maybe there was a mix up—" He cuts me off shaking his head.
"No, no no that's not what happened, she killed Doyle when he asked her why she didn't tell me. That bitch I knew she was only looking out for herself! I need something to drink."He swerves around me and goes for the liquor but I quickly follow and we have a arm wrestling match that I'm basically losing until he gets pissed and cuts his eyes at me.
"Don't do that Victor. Tell me what happened—"
"Fucking Dublin couldn't even kill him, I had to kill him. Me, Celeste the bastard just wouldn't shut up." I look into his eyes as he continues to breathe heavy.
"It's okay to cry Vic. No one is gonna judge you or use it against you." He shakes his head as he chuckles.
"I'm angry Celeste. I've lost everything, everything to them Paulie was killed because of his blinded loyalty. I don't even have a sister because she tried to kill me. So no I'm far from crying I'm fucking livid." I nod as I try to think of another way to calm him down.
"You have me. I'm not gonna turn my back on you, I promise. We can make a orphan club together." He stares at me for a second before shaking his head.
"No, because the second Diamond or Tommy tells you I'm on the black list I'm dead to you." I pull his face back to me as I glare at him. Slightly offended that he thinks so low of me.
"Don't insult my integrity like that, trust me, I've been here haven't I? David ain't my daddy and Tommy ain't my master. At this point I trust your judgment more than theirs at this point. I trust you, please trust me."He searches my eyes for more than a minute before I feel his lips press hard against mine as he pulls me tightly to his body. I try to pull away but he towers over me leaning me over the counter and I manage to grip his side and pinch and he grunts looking at me as he grips my face softly between his hands as I stare at him.
"What the fuck Vic?! You're tweaking your emotions are all over the place, tonight was crazy—"He shakes his head pulling my head back to in front of his as he tries to pull me back to him as he presses me back into the counter with his body.
"I know what I'm doing and I need this Celeste please, I need something—someone stable right now. I need this. Just one night." I shake my head.
"Vic, we can't do that to Gloria she was my sister I can't fuck her boyfriend—"
“Gloria is dead, just like my Da, just like Simon, just like my mom, just like every dead person. I got justice for her, her soul is at peace that was my biggest goal. Celeste please. Either you help me or I'm probably going to drink myself into the ER." I glare at him.
"Don't try to manipulate me Victor. That's fucked up."He stares at me not saying anything and I start to think about David but he's talking to someone obviously. I point into his chest.
"One night only, like the fucking dream girls." He can't help the chuckle that comes out as he smashes his lips to mine as he yanks at my jeans and I kick them off before he hooks his hands into the back of my knees before pulling me up onto his body and I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks to my couch.
_____
The next morning I wake up to Vic getting dressed and I check the time and see David done calls me twice and texted me three more.
"I gotta go, I'll see you in a couple hours." I nod and as I go to lay back down he leans over and kisses me deeply. Once he pulls away and I'm staring in complete star-struck-ness he grins.
"Had to see that face one more time for the last time. See you later?" I nod and he's gone out of the house.
I fucked up. I know that's gonna bite me in the ass. I just know it.