Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
The word on the curb was that Mayhem had over £100,000 stashed somewhere and the team planned to relieve him of some of that cash, this was their way of informing him that it was a mistake for him to make threats upon their families.
Beneath the shield of the night, Ryan met up with Cory before they planned to meet the rest of the team. The news that Priscilla had dumped on him was weighing heavily on him and he knew he had to tell Cory immediately. Ryan honestly didn't know how he would take it.
Cory's stomach rumbled as he sat in his front room in darkness as always. He'd been packed and prepared hours ago and had since been sitting in the same spot, playing games on his iPad. The battery finally died and he couldn't be bothered to charge it so instead sat staring at the blank screen. Cory then leaned back, exhaling and closing his eyes. A shiver ran though him. The devil's nail trailed along his skin.
How did everything fall apart so quickly?
Why did it feel as though he was losing everything? Everyone?
He couldn't bring himself to think about his mum, he winced in pain. The memory of recent events haunted him. He swirled Leonie's bracelet round and round his wrist aggressively till his skin reddened, he stopped himself before he broken it. Cory pictured her face in his head, her head full of dark hair, and his smile on her smile. Their same smile. Tears fell as he saw himself smile and he knew it couldn't be reality.
He thought of all the crazy violent things he'd done and he hoped she hadn't been watching him. That made him feel utter shame. Cory's head hung low and he clasped his hands together, calling Leonie and whispering a thousand apologies. And then the devil returned again, asking him why he hadn't avenged his sister's death and telling him if he didn't her soul would never rest. But some selfish part of Cory refused to let her soul rest; he always wanted to feel him near him, beside him, among them all. Especially now that he had no one else.
He didn't feel loved so he would he learn to love?
His phone vibrated on the table, it was Ryan.
'Ry?'
'I'm downstairs.'
'Cool.' Cory finally stood up and put his front door on the latch and then put the lights on. His eyes instinctively squinted at the brightness.
As soon as Ryan stepped into his home and greeted him, he could tell he was feeling uneasy about something and Cory knew exactly what it was. He knew Ryan was thinking of how to tell him and it somewhat amused Cory. He did wonder also how long she planned to keep it from him.
'I'm hungry.' Cory broke the silence.
'Same, let's go get something to eat.'
'Cool.'
Being at home was too awkward for Rio; Rafiah was still very upset with him. This, in all honesty was the biggest argument they'd had, and they'd had their fair share. He could tell because he'd never seen his girlfriend like this, part of him was terrified that he'd really messed up this time. He didn't want to lose the best thing that had happened to him but his male pride held him back.
Only God knew the joy he felt when he walked into his bedroom and saw Rafiah on the bed with his son sleeping on her front with his butt in the air. It made him laugh how Keanu always feel asleep in that position, with his knees beneath his chest, it was too adorable. They both of him made Rio feel so happy and complete. He just wished Rafiah understood he strived for them, he was doing the best he could and thus wasn't forever, one day very soon he would stop it all.
