"Is he awake yet mommy?" Lilly asked
"Not yet baby."
Knowledge could hear the conversation between what sounded like Amber and a nurse.
His body was as stiff as a brick and his eye sight was blurry.
"Mommy I think Uncle Kai is awake!"
Turning her focus to the bed, Amber was overjoyed to see Knowledge looking around.
She ran over to hug him.
"Im so glad you're alive!" said Amber
"W-why am I here?" he mumbled
"You were bleeding out Kai, I didn't know what else to do."
"Im glad you're ok too uncle Kai."
Lilly hugged him.
"Told you I would never leave you." He smiled at her. Then he turned to Amber
"I need to get out of here now."
"Kai if you don't let the doctors help you, you might-"
"I said now!"
"And I'm saying no! You're not a fucking robot ok! You need a doctor whether you like it or not."
"Amber, after the shit that just happened you don't think the cops are on their way?"
"I made sure to tell the nurses not to alert authorities. Look, can you just at least let them take a look at you? Your wound can reopen if you're not careful." She hugged him again. "Me and Lilly are going to go find you some water."
Knowledge turned his head away from Amber. The moment she stepped out of the room, he tore out all the cords connected to his body. He snatched the IV from his arm as he stumbled over to his clothes.
With staggered legs, he gathered his bearings and prepared his body to move. Slowly making his way down the hall, he could feel his body getting weaker the longer he walked but he wasn't about to give up! Soon he found a bathroom where he changed his clothes to blend in with visitors and within minutes he found himself on the elevator going down to the first floor.
Once he reached the parking lot he swayed left and right trying to keep his balance as he made his way to his car. But the effects of his injuries were catching up to him fast.
Back inside the hospital Amber was furious to see that Knowledge had left. But that didn't stop the cops from coming. The nurses had failed to honor her favor and not alert them and as a result she had to entertain the "21 questions" game.
"Are you sure you don't know where he went?" The officer asked Amber.
"No I don't! He was supposed to be here getting help."
"One last question, do you know anything about the incident involving multiple car crashes and the death of a civilian at the intersection of Bland and Loftin St?"
"I don't know anything about that." It was clear now why Knowledge didn't want the cops around. She had forgotten all about that incident. "C'mon Lilly lets go." She took Lilly by the hand and made her way to the exit.
~
Meanwhile...
"What are we gonna do with him? said Ricardo. "You know he's the enemy."
"I say who the enemy is brother, not you." Reina responded. "Just go get me a glass of water. Ill handle him."
Ricardo did as told and left to retrieve the water.
Reina circled the bed where a badly wounded Knowledge lay motionless. She smiled to herself remembering all the times they shared. He was still fine as ever in her eyes.
Ricardo came back with the glass of water and sat it on the nightstand.
"Don't let this pendejo fuck you over Chica." he told her
"Si' mi hermano."
Reina dipped her fingertips in the water and sprinkled it on his face repeatedly until he opened his eyes.
"What the hell!" Knowledge sat up wiping away the water that dripped from his forehead. "Reina?"
"The one and only."
He took a moment to look around. "Where am I?"
"My place of business." She smiled.
"You have a bed where you work?"
"Don't you have a bed at your trap? Why cant I?"
"Trap? What you mean trap? This is yours?"
"C'mon mi amor don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about now. Or did you go soft after your daddy died?" she laughed at him.
"Fuck you." he rested his back against the headboard and examined his wound while trying to keep his coughing under control.
"Don't cough too hard we don't need a crime scene in here with your blood everywhere." she joked again
"What are you doing in LA? Last thing I heard you were in Memphis hiding from Boogie." he fired back
"Oh, you must be referring to the last time we fucked. Cause' that was the last time you so called "heard" from me. I killed Boogie the night after you left me."
"I didn't leave you. We agreed to go our separate ways."
"No, you wanted to go your own separate way. I still loved you."
"You still loved me but you stole from me and my family, then lied about it and almost got us all killed."
Reina dropped her head. Ashamed to admit what she did.
"I didn't mean for it to go down like that. Shit got hard for me and my mom and I didn't know where else to turn."
Knowledge placed his feet on the floor and sat next to her on the bed.
"You had me Rei. You knew you could've came to me if you needed money. I knew what the fuck you were going through but you didn't keep it real with me. That's why we didn't work out."
"Well what about now?" she touched his chest. "Lets rekindle what we had."
He got up from the bed and went to the window.
"I cant give you what you're looking for Rei. I got me a shawty and she been holding me down."
"But we both know she cant put that pussy on you like I can." she followed him to the window
"Why did you bring me here?" he kept his distance stepping over to the bed.
Disappointed by his rejection, she folded her arms and stared out the window.
"When I found out your father died I had to come see about you. Luckily for me you were already in range."
"My father died months ago and you're just now getting down here?"
"I'm not the frail little punk you left in Memphis Kai." she turned to him. "I'm in charge of my own cartel now. We may not be large in numbers but its enough."
"And what about Ricardo?"
"He's my right hand of course. Second in command and my best shooter."
At that moment, Knowledge got a brilliant idea.
"I need you to hear me out on this before you reject it aight?"
"I'm listening." she sat on the bed with her legs crossed flirtatiously
"Cyrus is going around killing all the cartel leaders and taking over the workers. He's holding my mother and Tahj hostage and,"
"And you want me to help you? Ha! You cant be serious. I didn't move my gang to LA to help your pathetic ass. I moved us for a better opportunity to bring in more cash."
"I'm dead ass serious. Cyrus wont stop until his greedy ego has been filled. And once I'm dead who do you think he'll come after next?"
Reina paused. Knowledge had a point. Cyrus was becoming a huge threat to anyone who wasn't on his side and she didn't have the man power to fight him alone.
"What's in it for me?" she asked
"You get to keep your cartel and live in peace with the King Cartel as your ally."
"I can do that. But I had something else in mind too."
She went to the bathroom where she stripped down to her bra and panties. When she appeared in the doorway, Knowledge couldn't keep his eyes off her body. She definitely wasn't the petite Dominican he left in Memphis. She had fully developed in all areas of her body and was still just as feisty as he remembered.
"You cant be serious." he said
"You were serious weren't you? Or do you not need my help?"
he shook his head in disappointment. "You cant just help me out of the kindness of your heart?"
"Oh trust me I am. The fact that I'm agreeing is enough from my heart as it is." she walked over to him and pushed him back on the bed. "Plus I know you haven't had any real punany since you left Memphis." she began to undress him, making sure she was gentle around his wound. Seeing him already hard and ready to go turned her on even more.
"So if I do this, you give me your word that you'll help me kill Cyrus?"
"You have my word mi amor. I only have one more request,"
"And that is?"
"You have to break things off with that little girlfriend of yours."
"What does she have to do with this?"
"We both know you should be mine. And this is the perfect way to let her know that you moved on with a real bitch." she climbed on top of him and carefully slid down his shaft until he was completely inside her. "Don't worry baby, all I need you to do is keep it hard for me. I'll do the rest."