"Ahhh, it hurts!!" Princess groans, her blood covering my white, tiled bathroom floor.

Squatting down, I try to lift up Princess's blood soaked shirt, but she flinches. Somebody must have been hitting her, I'll make sure to ask her about that later.

"I'm not gone hurt you, Princess."

"Y-you already d-did. Multiple t-times before this one." She says, out of breath.

Ignoring her words, I slowly lift up her shirt and see the bullet peeking out of the hole in her side. Blinking my eyes repeatedly, I blow out a breath and try to figure out what to do; coming up with nothing.

"Aghhhh. Shit!" Princess groans again, the color starting to leave her face. "Do something! NOW! I'm gonna die."

Running back into the living room, I grab my phone and find Brandon's name; pacing the floor until he answers.

"Man, if you on that BS, get off my phone." Brandon says as soon as he answers, not giving me time to speak.

"It ain't no BS. I need help! If you help me, we'll have a clean slate. I'll forget all about that shit with Milani. Just keep your fucking lips to yourself next time and don't be thinking bout my woman."

Brandon remains quiet for a minute then sighs loudly before speaking. "Drummer, since you like a brother to me and I don't wanna lose that, I'll help you. Man, honestly, I'll do anything to go back to how shit used to be between us, forreal."

"Bet. So I accidentally shot Princess and she's bleeding out on my bathroom floor! What do I do?? Hurry up, I think she's damn near dying! I can't let her die! I've done enough terrible shit to her and now this!"

"PRINCESS?? Like PRINCESS PRINCESS? Niyah mama PRINCESS?? Drug addict PRINCESS?"

"Yes nigga!!" I yell loudly, running back into the bathroom and grabbing a towel. I place it onto Princess's wound and apply pressure. "Now like I said, what the fuck do I need to do? The bullet is stuck inside her."

"Aite I got a plan, D. You remember my cousin who stay over there in Gate Trust apartments? You still know how to get there?"

Looking down, I notice that Princess is falling asleep so I quickly wake her up and put a cold, wet towel on her forehead. "Stay up with me, Princess! Don't go to sleep!"

"Yeah, I know how to get there. Get to the point, Brandon." I say as I get impatient.

"Meet me there. My cousin is a nurse. She'll know what to do."

"Bet."

Hanging up the phone, I figure out how I'm gonna lift Princess without hurting her and pick her up into my arms bridal style. I carry her out to my car and unlock the doors then lay her onto the backseat.

"You gone be okay, Princess. Ian gone let you down this time." I tell her as I crank up and turn on my emergency lights, flying to the apartment complex that isn't far from me.

Making it there in less than 10 minutes, I immediately spot Brandon and let him help me carry Princess up to the door. I slam my knuckles onto the door repeatedly until they're bruised, but finally the door opens.

"What the fuck?" Angela groans as she rubs her eyes, realizing who we are. "Drummer, Brandon? What y'all doing here? It's almost 2 in the morning."

Ignoring her, we barge into the house and lay Princess down on the kitchen table, letting Angela follow us, clearly confused about the whole situation.

"I accidentally shot her, the bullet is stuck inside her, get it out." I say as I hold Princess's cold hand, rubbing her forehead.

"I hope y'all ain't got me involved in no illegal shit. Let me look at her."

Angela walks up to Princess and shakes her head side to side, folding her arms across her chest. "HELL NAW! I ain't helping no bitch that fucked my husband for drug money!!! Let that crackheaded ass bitch die! Why the fuck y'all got Princess in my motherfucking house!?"

Brandon and I look at each other with confused looks on our faces, only looking away when Princess starts loudly groaning and wheezing.

"HELP HER NOW!!!" I scream, my voice cracking in the process. I can't help but to panic as Princess struggles to keep her eyes open. Knowing I caused this pain is hard enough so if she dies, that's another body on my conscious.

"D, we cool?" Brandon asks me, looking suspicious.

"It's not the time for that, B! That shit don't matter, man!!! Make yo cousin help her!"

"ANSWER ME, DRUMMER! Are we cool?"

Not realizing the point, I sigh loudly, "YEAH NIGGA! We cool!"

As soon as the last word comes out of my mouth, Brandon pulls out his gun and cocks it at his cousin then grabs her by her hair, slamming her face into the counter. Moments later, her husband comes into the living room and I pull my gun out; aiming it at him.

"Woah, woah, woah! What's going on?" He asks, looking around, his eyes widening when he sees Princess's blood dripping onto the floor. "Damn Princess, what happened to you?"

"So you care about that bitch more than your own wife?" Angela yells and Brandon holds her down tighter. "Shut the fuck up, Ang! You gone patch Princess up and we gone be on our way! Ain't nobody else gotta get hurt tonight! If you understand, nod yo head."

Angela slowly nods her head so Brandon follows her into the bathroom to get medical supplies that she has been collecting from work. Walking over to Angela's husband, I motion for him to sit down on the couch then I sit next to him; keeping my gun aimed at his temple.

Angela and Brandon run into the kitchen with the supplies. A few minutes later, all I hear is Princess's painful cries, Angela complaining that she can't work with a gun in her back, and Brandon telling her to shut up.

"You think she gone be okay?" The husband asks me.

"She better be for your wife's sake. Why the hell you care about Princess so much? Wasn't you just taking advantage of her? You knew she was an addict and what she wanted the money for and you still fucked her!"

"I knew Princess before the drugs. We had been fucking since she was a younging. I know that sound real crazy, but she was mature for her age. We were on and off though because I was engaged to Angela and Princess was dating sum kid her age. We still used to sneak around back then though and I fell in love with her. So when she got addicted to drugs, I still fucked with her because I knew that funding her addiction was the only way to keep her around. I thought shit would change when I made her realize that she couldn't be a good mother while being on drugs. I didn't want that shit around our child."

Bucking my eyes, I try to keep cool. The kid she was dating was me. I never knew anything about this nigga. Princess was cheating on me the whole damn time and I never would've known if I hadn't shot her tonight.

"That explains why Angela was so pissed at Princess. It had nothing to do with her fucking you for drug money. It was because of the baby."

The man nods his head. "Yeah, I fucked up. Angela ain't trusted me since then, but I do love her and we've been going to counseling."

"So where y'all's bastard baby at?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders. I can't believe Princess had two kids. I wonder what she did with this nigga's baby.

Before I receive an answer, Brandon is calling me into the kitchen where I find Princess all patched up and sleeping peacefully. Angela hands me a bottle of pain killers and tells us to get out. While Brandon takes Princess back to my car, Angela's husband sees me out.

"You didn't answer my question. Where's the baby?"

"Niyah passed away." He says and shuts the door.

I walk back to my car with my nostrils flared and my hands shaking. My entire body feels like it's been drenched in gasoline and lit with a match.

"You good, Drummer?" Brandon asks me.

"Hell naw. That nigga in there told me sum shit I never would've known. He said him and Princess used to fuck off and they had a kid. I asked him where the baby was and he said " Niyah passed away"...Nigga, you know what that means?"

Brandon's mouth makes an 'O' shape and his eyes grow wide. "Aww hell, Drummer. Niyah wasn't yours?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe. I was in the streets so much I wasn't around as much as I should've been so ain't no telling what Princess was doing while I was gone. When she wake up, she got some fucking explaining to do."

"I hope you get to the bottom of that shit. If she let you raise Niyah knowing she wasn't yours, she deserved that bullet! I'll follow you back to your crib and help you get her inside."

Nodding my head, I get into my car and look in my rearview mirror at Princess. As bad as I wanna wake her up and choke her out then repeat, I ignore those thoughts and pull out of the parking spot; driving us back to my house. During the whole drive all I can think about is the possibility of Niyah not being mine. Once we make it back, Brandon helps me carry Princess inside and get her comfortable in Tae's old room.

"N-Niyah! Stop r-running! You're gonna fall, baby!!" Princess mumbles in her sleep, making me and Brandon look at her.

After covering her up, I follow Brandon into the living room and back to the front door.

"B, I appreciate what you did. I know you don't like to betray yo family." I admit, giving him a hug.

"You my family." He says and starts to walk out until I stop him.

"Before you go, I need one more favor, Brandon. It ain't nun too crazy. I just need you to stay here and watch Princess while I'm gone to Vegas. Since the blackmailing is over as long as I do right by Princess, I'm ready to get Milani back. You can even let Chanel stay here with you if that'll make this easier for you."

Nodding his head, Brandon says, "I gotcha, boy. Me and Chanel ain't on good terms since you told her bout me and Lani. I'll be back with some clothes."

While Brandon leaves, I walk into the kitchen and heat up a microwave dinner then eat it in silence; not wanting to hear a sound. My thoughts are enough noise. Once I'm finished, I walk upstairs and take a long, hot shower before packing my bags for Vegas. I don't know how long I'm staying, but I'll stay however long it takes to get Milani back. Even if I don't get her, Ima make sure that other nigga don't neither.

By the time, I'm packed and ready for bed, Brandon is back outside my door so I let him inside then give him the spare house key that used to be Ariyah's.

"I'm gone turn in. I got an early flight in the morning. If Princess wakes up, make sure she don't sneak out and try to get high or sum shit." I say before walking upstairs and going to sleep.

******

My alarm wakes me up at 6:30am and I slowly get out of bed, wiping my eyes before stretching. I didn't get much sleep last night so I drag myself into the bathroom to do my morning hygiene then get dressed and grab my bags.

"You need a ride?" Brandon asks, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Nah, we can't leave Princess here by herself..remember?"

"Shit, D. I forgot about her. Her ass been sleep so long. You sure she ain't dead?"

Walking into the room where she's sleeping, I watch closely as her chest moves up and down.

"She good." I say before getting an Uber.

As I wait for the driver to make it here, I fix myself a bowl of cereal and join Brandon on the couch.

"Brandon, make sure you take good care of her. If anything goes wrong, call me. The blackmailer said they'll go public with all my secrets which includes the shit with Tony and his crew if I don't make sure that Princess is good."

"I got this." He says and continues eating.

Once I'm finished eating, I put my dishes into the sink and go outside, putting my bags into the Uber then getting inside.

"Don't fuck this up or that's all our asses!!!" I yell outta the window as the driver takes me to the airport.

20 minutes later, we pull up and I go through the long check in process then board my flight. The flight is pretty smooth besides the crying baby that wouldn't shut up. After getting off my flight and getting my bags, I make my way outside the airport where the hot Vegas sun shines onto my skin. Getting another Uber, I make sure I am being taken to the location I screenshotted when Milani was still sharing her location with me.

While I enjoy the ride, I stare out of the window and wonder how things will be between us. I don't know if she still loves me or if she'll wanna see me. All I know is I miss her and I've missed too much of her pregnancy.

"Okay sir, we're here." The driver tells me and I thank him with a hundred dollars.

Picking up my bags, I start walking up to the big ass house in front of me. I know Milani is probably doing well for herself, but ain't no way she been doing good enough to get this house. Just as I drop my bags in front of the door to knock, my phone rings and I answer it.

"Wassup?"

"Drummer, I fucked up! Princess is gone!" Brandon sighs loudly.

Moments later the door swings open and Milani is staring back at me with her big ass stomach. Her smooth skin is glowing softly and her facial features have widen due to the baby weight. Her yellow sun dress hugs all her curves snd she looks beautiful.

"Figure it out and FAST! I gotta go." I tell Brandon and hang up the phone.