Keditha's Destiny

Chapter Twenty

I stumble in my apartment, falling to the ground once I cross the threshold. "Julian!" Kenny gasps, darting to my side. "What happened?" He asks.

"Hollister... He-he told me something ab-about my parents." Tears start flooding from my eyes. They were alive? What does this mean? And why didn't they contact me?

"Donnie!" Kenny yells. "Donnie get in here!" Kenny helps me to my feet and moves me over to the couch. "Did Johnny ambush you? I'll kill him." He says mostly to himself.

Donnie enters the room with Ralph and Athena. "No, he didn't ambush me, I went to talk with him."

"Who? Hollister?" Donnie questions. He shoves Kenny out of the way so he could look at my gunshot wound. "Why would you met up with Hollister?" He asks.

I glance up at Athena. She was watching me with a small smile and concerned eyes. "I did something." I mutter.

Kenny raises an eyebrow. I could tell by his face he knew it wasn't going to be good. "What exactly did you do?"

"I made a deal with him to assure you and Louis's safety. But we know how well that turned out." Donnie peels off my shirt, my right sleeve completely soaked in blood. I groan in pain as he presses a towel against my wound.

"Ralph, go get a wet towel and my sewing kit." Donnie says, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Should you take the bullet out before  you sew him up?" Ralph questions.

Donnie quietly sighs, rolling his eyes. "No, the bullet went cleanly through, now go before he bleeds to death."

Kenny watches Ralph leave before glancing back at me. "What did you offer Hollister in return Julian?"

I frown, my face slowly turning red. Kenny was going to be ticked, not to mention what Athena would feel like. I kissed her and now she's going to know I was going to trade her to Hollister. "Athena." I mutter quietly.

Kenny sighs, sitting on the loveseat. "Julian, what the heck is wrong with you?"

I glance up up at Athena. She was looking at her feet, lost in thought. Guilt floods through me. "That's why I was meeting with Hollister."

"You were actually going to go through with it?" Kenny asks me.

Ralph returns with the things Donnie asked for. He nods his thanks and starts cleaning my wound with the wet towel.

"What? Are you crazy? I- Ow what the heck!" I gasp when Donnie starts stitching my wound.

"Sorry, I would've warned you but you guys wouldn't shut up."

"I think I'm going to my room." Athena mumbles, backing up.

"Athi wait, I  didn't-" I cut myself off when she moves into the hallway and out of my view. I glance at Kenny.

He shrugs. "That's on you."

I sit on the couch with clenched teeth, waiting for Donnie to get down. Should I go talk with Athena when I'm stitched up?

"Alright, you're done!" Donnie says cheerfully.

I nod at him, smiling. "Thanks Donnie."

Kenny frowns. "Julian, I think I need to talk with Donnie alone."

I raise an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

Kenny looks at Donnie who shakes his head. "Julian, I feel weird about this. You working with Hollister that is."

I resist a laugh. "You think I'm actually working with Hollister?" I ask him.

"You just admitted to it. I don't feel right about you being on the same side of the man who killed Louis." Kenny shrugs casually as if it really didn't bother him.

"Hollister didn't kill Louis." I tell him. 

"Really? And who did?" Kenny crosses his arms, glaring at me.

I shake my head, looking down at the ground. "I don't know, it's hard to explain." I say.

"Julian, you worry me. I don't know if you're the right fit as leader."

I jerk my head up, staring at Kenny. "Excuse me? You want to say that again?" I ask, standing up.

"I don't think you should be leading anymore." He says, slowly and sternly.

"You think you could lead this gang better than me?" I question him.

He almost smirks. "I know I can. I wouldn't sell out one of our own for some information."

I bite my lip, trying to hold my tongue. "That information saved your life." Kenny doesn't answer. He just looks at Donnie and Ralph. "Fine, if that's how you feel, then I'll leave." I grab my car keys and jacket. "Don't try looking for me when you realize the mistake you made." I say before leaving the apartment.

When I climb into my car, I stare at the steering wheel debating my options. I could wait here for someone to come get me and apologize. Or I could head somewhere else.

I hesitate, before putting the keys in the ignition and turning the car on. I needed to talk with Hollister.

I head in the direction of the warehouse where Hollister and I talked earlier. He was still there when I left him, hopefully he's still there now.

It took me twenty minutes to get back there and fortunately I saw Hollister's car was still parked outside. I climb out of my car and enter the warehouse, hand on my gun just in case. "Hollister?" I call.

I casually enter the room we were talking in. I gasp when I see the pool of blood forming around Hollister's body. He had multiple stab wounds to the chest and it looked like he was badly beaten.

"Hollister!" I rush to his side. There was no reason to check his pulse, he was dead. I inhale sharply. When did this happen? After I left or just a couple minutes ago? How could Donnie decipher this stuff?

"Julian?" A soft voice questions.

I stiffen, slowly turning around. My mother stood a few feet away. She looked almost the same, even after all these years. "Mom?"

She smiles, tears falling her face. "Look at you! You've grown so much!" She says laughing from joy.

I couldn't resist a smile. "Mom I-" She grabs me, wrapping me into a tight hug. I hug her back. "I missed you so much." I tell her.

"I know honey. I hope you understand that we only left for your own good, we didn't want to leave you."

I nod slowly, pausing to think. Wait, what about Louis? Hollister? I then shove her back. "You killed Louis." I snap.

My mom raises an eyebrow. "Louis? I don't...I don't remember."

"Hollister told me, and then you killed him too." I look back at Hollister's body. Poor jerk got what was coming to him.

She laughs. "You're going to believe him?" She asks, pointing to his body.

"More than you! You left me!"

My mom narrows her eyes, sighing. "I didn't want it to go like this. I'm sorry dear."

"What?" I asks. A sharp burning sensation goes through my neck. I slap my hand over my neck, spinning around. "Dad?" I gasp. My father stands in front of me, holding a small needle.

"I'm sorry Julian." He mutters before everything goes black.