Deceitful | Book 3

| T W E N T Y - E I G H T |

BRUCE

"And when was the last time you heard from her?"

My father had asked me. I was sitting against the window, staring out at the scenery, hoping to see Tereny walking through the parking lot or something. I'd scanned every bit of the parking lot for her just to make sure she wasn't out there. She's gone. Again.

I feel like a fucking punk. I feel weak. How could I send my wife down there to take up for this nigga like that? He had just threatened me and I sent my wife down there to save him from being arrested all because I was worried about what would happen to me.

Ain't no telling what he's doing to Tereny if he has her. I just shake my head and look towards my parents. I felt like a wimp for calling them here because I may have or may have not lost my wife.

"When I sent her down to protect him." I mumbled.

"Bruce..." my mother mumbled. The look of disappointment was then written all over her face. I fucked up. Again.

Tereny and I had just went on to wanting to make things work. I begged for her forgiveness and wanted her to come back to me so bad. Why the fuck did I push her into the devil's arms? It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Paci had my wife. I know he did.

"Okay. I got some friends down here that I can get in touch with. I'm about to go down to the first floor and call 'em right now. We're going to get her. I'm gonna find out who this Paci mothafucka is and put a bullet in his head." My father threatened.

"Bernard, we don't need you getting into trouble here." My mom objected as she held Angel in her arms. "There's always another way to solve things other than a bullet."

"He messed with family, baby. What if it were you he had? You'd want me to kill that mothafucka." He argued. My mom looked down in defeat because she knew that he was telling nothing but the truth.

"Dad, I don't know why I did it. All I know was, I was worried about my life and then my kids. If anything happened to their mother, how am I to explain it in the future? Just tell them that me, their father, got their mother kidnapped because I was too full of punk to go down there myself?

I should've just let his ass get arrested. Real talk.

"I'll be back." My father said as he walked out of the room, leaving me, my mom, and my baby sister, Angel in the room alone.

My mom walked over to me, slowly, and put her hand on my face. Her touch may have soothed a lot of pain in the past, but today, it just wasn't working for me. I hung my head and just wanted to cry all over again.

"I lost her."

"Do not talk like that, Bruce. You didn't lose her. Your father is going to find her and he's going to bring her back, safely. He always finds a way." She said before leaning in and kissing my cheek.

"Yea, ma, but how did I not see this coming? I mean—the nigga was up here threatening me and telling me not to get him trouble with the police. Then, I let her go down there and try to get security off of him because of what? Because I'm afraid to lose my life behind something I never created?" She shook her head.

"I understand, baby. And that Gabby, she wasn't right for what she did. Getting you involved in her mess. She's wrong. She's not a friend. She's deceitful." I shook my head, not wanting all of the blame to be on Gabby.

"Ma, it's not really all Gabby's fault." I mention.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just not all of her fault." I paused for a brief moment. "Paci was beating on her and she showed up to Chris's house all bruised up. Seeing her bruised up like that just set something off inside of me. I wanted to find him and I wanted to hurt him just how he hurt Gabby." She shook her head.