Gambling With Life

16

"how are you holding up jaylah?" "I'm fine" "your legs sore?" "Tender but they are alright. It's expected with the amount of walking I have been doing" "so you rest" jaylah internally grinned "I have been" "more than you have been" "well I don't plan to move this evening" "good. If you hurt yourself.." "I wouldn't mention it" "have you?" "No" Bronx kept his face straight. "Not at all?" "No" jaylah is not telling anyone about her fall. "Okay. Have you ate?" "Not yet" "then stay put. I will go make something" "thanks" Bronx grinned as he turned. He has a feeling she did but he knows she won't say anything. 'im sure her legs are quite sore. She has walked a lot when she should've been resting'.
"Making dinner Bronx?" "Yeah cal. Have you ate?" "Sure have. Everything good?" "Yep business is going well. When are you out?" "Tomorrow morning" "two days right?" "Yeah while you get to rest as much as you want, sit around doing nothing all day.." Bronx smirked "that's what you think I do?" "That's what a boss does" "not likely. If only it was that easy. It will be a lot easier when jaylah takes her job back" "and when will that be?" "When she's ready too. She is already pushing herself too much" "stubborn" "very. Have you been to the prison?" "No it's not my area" Bronx nodded "something troubling you?" "No. I will be going there tomorrow" "it has something to do with jaylah" "it's been three days without water for Casey. I want to see how she is holding up" "you can't survive three days without water" Bronx grinned "but jaylah did. Two months" Calvin smirked "you think one of the men helped her don't you?" "If they did. as much as they went against my order, I'm thankful" "have you asked her?" "Jaylahs not stupid Calvin. She would never give it up" "so you explain why you want to know" "I don't even know why I want to know. Curiosity on how she survived yes but I doubt anything else will come out of it". Calvin internally grinned "if she didn't survive?" "Rayal would've come in here with his men slaughtering all of us" "how did we get out of it?" "Jaylah turned it around" "what?" "She asked him if it was her that was killed, would he act or think first" Calvin grinned "she saved your fucking ugly ass" "piss off Calvin" Calvin laughed "hey I'm just saying, she did. Why is she still in your room?" "So no one can touch her" Calvin has a feeling Bronx likes her but he won't question him on it. "None of us will touch her" "after today I don't trust him to be around her" Calvin nodded "he got a shot to the arm for it" "I can't believe she said what she did" "he pissed her off. He's lucky it was only a shot to the arm" "do you think she knew her uncle was coming?" Bronx nodded yes but spoke "no" Calvin grinned "was definitely perfect timing. The men were ready to jump the fucking table" "not just them".
"Oh hi Calvin, Bronx" "Sally, here to eat?" "Yes I'm starving" "I will be out of your way in a minute" "is that for jaylah?" "Yes. Tender legs" "argh, that woman is so darn stubborn" "she has a goal" "what goal?" "To be running within two weeks so Christophe quits" Calvin and Sally laughed "they shouldn't have taken it back up" "stress" "yep" "did you know they had kept jaylahs jewelry?" "What?" Bronx nodded "yep. In hopes she would come back. Christophe said if she didnt, kalem and Christophe would've given it to rayal" "those two have always been close with her" Sally stayed silent as her mind drifted to the image Sawyer had drawn. "I want to show you something bronx" "okay.." "I will be back in a minute" "alright".
Sally walked to the office and went through the cupboard. She doesn't know if it's still there but that's where jaylah had put it. Finding the picture, Sally grinned as she walked out. "What are you doing in bosses office?" "Bronx knows" Paolo shook his head "fine".
Sally entered the kitchen and handed the piece of paper to Bronx "what is.." "that's Sawyers drawing" Bronx looked at the drawing as his eyes watered "where was this?" "In the white cupboard in the office. That's where jaylah always put his drawings. I thought you'd want to see it" 'a picture of jaylah and Sawyer both standing next to a table' when Calvin moved around he looked at the drawing "he was always in there with her" Bronx nodded as he kept his head down "I will show her, when I take in her food" Sally internally grinned. "How many drawings are in there?" "Quite a few. If Sawyer was happy with them, he'd put them in there" "Sawyer would?" "Yes. Jaylah told him that it's his shelf" Bronx grinned "alright. I will have a look at them" Bronx finished making the food then left the kitchen. As he entered the room, jaylah was sitting up. "Jaylah" jaylah turned to look at Bronx. Noticing a piece of paper, she was curious. "Here jaylah" "thanks".
"Sally brought me this" Bronx handed the piece of paper to jaylah. He watched as her thumb moved slowly down the side of the paper "he used to draw a lot" "Sally said there's a few pictures in the cupboard" "I gave him his own shelf. He asked if he could have his own drawing spot. So I cleared it and that's where he would put his favorite pictures" Bronx sat down "I'm surprised it's not completely full" "no we had a deal. At the end of the day, he needed to choose two max and put them away. Can I keep this?" "Yes" jaylah showed a slight nod then put it against the lamp "not bad for a seven year old" "he's six" "no he would've had his birthday three weeks ago. He wanted a spiderman cake" Bronx put his head down "you even know his birthday?" "Yes. He was so excited. In the office, a calendar sat on his shelf. He was crossing off the days. He would change his mind every week but the last thing he chose was a spider man cake. He said with out real webs, that would be yuck" Bronx chuckled "yeah I can't imagine they would taste good" "I wouldn't think so. He idolized you, you know" Bronx looked at jaylah as she picked at her food "he always said, he wanted to be strong like uncle Bronx" "this is not the life I would pick for him" "it would've been a decision he needed to make. How is your brother and sister in-law?" "Struggling to come to terms with their loss. I do need to call them or go see them" jaylah showed a slight nod. "can I suggest something?" "Yes" "go through those drawings. There's one in there of the three of them and buy a spiderman cake. Take it to them and tell them what you know" "how will that help?" "It won't help, nothing can help that situation, but it can bring happy tears. It can show them that even though he isn't here in person, he is still with them always" bronx stared at jaylah as she ate her food in silence. 'How can one person be so caring and sweet when she is surrounded by all us men, who not only kill but live the life we live' "I'm sorry if I crossed the line, I just thought it would be a good idea" "no. What you suggested is perfect. I will do that tomorrow" "okay".
Bronx moved from the room and entered his office. Closing the door, Bronx looked at the white cupboard and walked towards it. As he opened the cupboard, he looked at all the shelves. 'she gave him the third' Bronx pulled out all the drawings and the calendar. Tears brimming, he moved to his desk and sat down. Every picture, making him tear up more. Jackson trusted Bronx to have Sawyer and he didn't protect him. He never thought one of his own would do this to his nephew, to his family. As he flipped to the last, he choked. 'uncle Bronx is a superhero' a picture of Bronx dressed as batman. Bronx placed the picture on his desk, staring at the picture as he let his emotions out. 'A kid with a heart of gold and my nephew. Now lays in his forever home' Bronx can't be anymore thankful to jaylah for giving him that shelf. He may not have ever seen these pictures. 'i need to go see Jackson tomorrow. To take these pictures to them but not the one of me. That stays' Bronx slowly traced the edge of the paper just staring at it not sure what to do.