Sex Empire II

24. Family Drama

"Death is always around." Roberto Stone

His brother was shot, what the fuck was going on in this world?

"Let me go to the hospital with you?" Kesha said when he got the call about Lix.

"No, I'm sure only family can go see him now." He finished getting dressed as it was Sunday morning and they were naked and fucking all night and into the morning. Jae calling him frantic made him stop mid-climax and step into action.

"Am I not family?"

Shit! He shouldn't have said that to her. She was family. They were engaged. They were getting married, and he planned on having lots of babies with her. But how could he tell her that this was family business, something he did not want her to be involved in? Someone was after his family, killing them, and he needed her safe.

"Yes, you are family." He had to think quickly. "But there are a lot of us as is and I'm sure they will only allow so many of us in to see him. You stay here and I will call you as soon as I know more. Love you, baby."

He kissed Kesha before he grabbed his to-go bag stocked with two laptops, two burner phones, two tablets, and a few chips. Also, his private cell phone only family had the number too. He needed to do work and figure out what was going on with his family.

Jae could barely speak on the phone. Something about not knowing where her mother was and then getting a call from the police that her father was shot. Jae immediately called him and the rest of his sisters and brother. He was sure they were all flinging into action.

Well, maybe some of them.

Once he made it into his car, he punched in Nasiree's number.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" he heard his niece say.

"Alixander is in the hospital. He's been shot. I think-"

"What?" she screamed out.

This was tragic. Telling another family member that another family member was injured, possibly something worse. No, he would think positive thoughts. His brother would be okay. They did not need another death in the family.

"Nas, I don't know much. Jae called me. She's a little out of her mind right now, but she was at the hospital. I'm on my way. You can call the rest of your sisters and brothers if you want." There sure were a lot of them. The hospital better be ready for the Stone family.

He got off the phone with Nasiree and called Brandon.

"Bro, I'm strapping up and bustin' caps," his brother roared as soon as he answered the phone.

"Bran, you just got out. You can't be near guns or even thinking of committing a crime again."

"Bro, someone is out here trying to get us! I don't give a fuck about going back. It's on!" Brandon hung up on him.

He hurried and made his way to the hospital in Belleville. Not as good as the care his brother could get at Barnes in St. Louis, but it was the closest, better hospital near East St. Louis. It was a drive from his place, so by the time he made it there, most of the family was already there.

They were in a waiting room all talking or on their phones. Jae was still crying, with her boyfriend Axton holding her. Erica and Kendra were comforting each other. Brandon was on his phone pacing back and forth, whoever he was on the phone with was getting an earful. Keily was sitting in a chair, her husband beside her, both sitting silently. Risé was curled up on the floor, rocking back and forth, possibly high. Nasiree and her siblings were not there yet.

"Everybody good?" he asked.

They barely even noticed him there. Brandon was on a warpath.

"Get the crew together. Get as much heat as you can. Get the army! I don't fucking care! Somebody is going to die tonight."

He cut his eyes at his big brother. He must like jail. As for him, there were other ways to deal with this.

He walked to Jae and pried her away from Axton.

"I got this." He held his niece in a hug. "Jae, I need you to be the strong one here, for your sisters. No word on where your mom is yet?"

"No!" She pulled away from his arms. He could see the perfect combination of Alixander and Rosaline on her face. A spitfire.

"Your dad? Is he good? What did they tell you?"

"Dad's in surgery now. Unc, he almost killed my daddy!" Jae wiped tears from her face. "I hate him."

"Who? You know who did this?"

She nodded and looked around as if she did not want to say anything in front of the rest of the family. He took that as a cue to pull her away.

"Come on, let's get a drink or something. Tell me what you know."

They left the waiting area and walked down the hall. He hated hospitals. The smell of them. The feel of them. Sick people and medical staff that could care less. Some of these hospitals were the most crooked businesses, running scams on medical charges to make money. He should know, he worked with some to hide insurance fees.

Once he had Jae away from everyone, he asked her again. "What do you know? What happened Jae?"

"Daddy was at Sextacy looking for Mom. Neechie told Daddy she saw her at the club last night, but I was there and didn't see her. But they found Twist dead, like Auntie...and Mystical, with her throat slashed. This could all be the same person."

He knew that was not true. He slashed Ms. Mystical's throat. He did not do the same to his sister, although he had thought of it. But he for sure never touched this Twist. None of the ladies at the club enticed him like Kesha, so he never paid them must attention.

"What do you mean it could all be the same person? I thought it was assumed Frederick killed Mystical, and now he's dead."

"Exactly! He's not!"

His eyes widened a bit at this news.

"ToTo, daddy told me before they pulled him into surgery that it was Uncle Freddy...I mean, Frederick that asshole. He shot Dad while he held Prince in his arms."

"Where's Prince?"

"They took him to examine him, he's with grandma. I thought Gran would be a mess...but I guess she has been through enough it's almost nothing to her."

He did not think it was nothing to his mother. Having lost children already, had some shipped away to jail, dealing with the loss of her parents and that whole drama, maybe she was better at closing her emotions down. How he felt sometimes.

"So Frederick is not dead?"

Jae wiped at a tear, her eyes bloodshot red, her face tired and red as well. Her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, he was shocked to see his typically perfectly made-up niece dressed in dirty sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that looked as if it was her boyfriend's. This did not look like the boss she had become.

"Freddy did this to daddy. I want him dead, unc." She said it with a straight face so he knew she meant it. "We have to find him."

He looked up and down the hall, to see if anyone was in earshot. He dug into his to-go bag and pulled out a laptop.

"Jae, don't tell Brandon any of this. I got this. I'll find him."

A/N: I mean...Lix is going to be okay right? And where's Rosaline? Is she safe? Brandon better not get tossed back in jail! I love his character.

But y'all know I have no idea where this story is going so 🤷🏾‍♀️