Into The Unknown

28

Raegan's POV

"WHAT!?" I hollered.

"I-I had something to do with him getting shot..." he voiced again. I stood up from the chair and ran my hands in my hair. My anger was building up and I didn't know what to do. It didn't make any sense to me. Malcolm was after me that night, not Chris. And Henry got shot himself. It didn't make any sense.

"How? Why? What? Henry, what!?" I said pacing the room.

"He paid me for Dad's gun...he said if I helped him get Chris away, he'd pay for my tuition and your hospital bills. So I took it. It didn't work so he's been hitting me up trying to make sure that Chris wasn't near you. That's why I gave Michael half to have sex with you that night. I needed the money for something, that I'm not ready to disclose right now but I did it."

"Henry what the fuck could you need money that bad for!? We had money from Mom and Dad's estate, Henry. We got their life insurance; all you had to do was ask me for some money! What are you in that made you get yourself shot dumb ass!?" I hollered from across the room.

"I've been passing drugs for June..." he slightly whispered.

"Speak the fuck up, Henry. You've been doing what for who?"

He cleared his throat, "I've been passing drugs for June and one night I got jumped for the bag of money I had. I lost the money and I had to find a way to pay him back for it. And Malcolm came to me."

My eyes were swelling with tears and I was panting. It was making sense.

"Henry, he killed our parents! You took money from him to come after me!? That's why you left that night, isn't it? You left to go get the money from him and came back to tell me because you knew Chris would be here to protect me. But you took a bullet yourself!??"

"I had to take a shot...so it wouldn't look suspicious..." he talked nervously, which he should have been because I was on the verge of killing him.

"I'm sorry, Raegan. I had to, or you were going to die."

"I was going to die either way, Henry! If Chris hadn't been here, Malcolm would have killed me!!"

I could see the tears in Henry's eyes and it wasn't until now when I saw his hands behind his back. My heartbeat sped up and I stared at him.

"Henry, what is that?" I asked calmly.

He began to sob, "June is coming after me and I don't have the money to pay him back." He pulled the gun from behind his back and I stepped towards him.

"Stay back, Raegan...I don't want you to get dirty," he said in response to my movements, "Take the insurance money to him and he won't bother you."

He placed the gun under his chin and I ran towards him.

"POW!" the gun went off...

Chris's POV

Marlie-Rae sat on my lap as I fed her the baby food. She was almost a year old now, and I could really see Carmen when I looked at her. I smiled at her and she smiled back causing me to kiss her forehead. She asked for more food and I kindly gave it to her.

Carmen walked into the kitchen in boyshorts and a tank top. "Good morning, Chris. Good morning, baby girl." She leaned down and kissed Marlie-Rae's head before she kissed my own. I rubbed Marlie-Rae's back after she finished her food. Standing her up on my lap, I sang simple children songs to her and she smiled and clapped her small hands slightly off beat.

"D-Da" she voiced. I sat in shock and tilted my head at her. She threw herself against my chest and touched my face.

"Dadd!" She hollered. I chuckled a little and looked over at Carmen.

"Did she just–did she just talk!?" Carmen turned around from the refrigerator. I nodded and spoke quietly, "I think she thinks I'm her dad."

Carmen walked over to Marlie-Rae and spoke gently, "Marlie-Rae?" Her child looked up at her and Carmen began to cry. "Can you say mama?"

Marlie-Rae looked over at me and played with my cheeks before she spoke again, "M-Mammma." Carmen cried and laughed at the same time. I held Carmen's hand and chuckled.

"Water-head," I teased.

"Oh shut up, Chris." Carmen walked back into the kitchen and I stood up from the table.

"I have to go somewhere so I'll be back." I put Marlie-Rae down and left in a hurry.

I met up with Mijo a few hours later and we chatted about life and other things before he spoke up.

"I've seen investigators at your house."

I squinted at him and looked back down before speaking.

"For what? That fire happened a long time ago, why would they be there now?"

"They've connected your dad and the guy that was going around setting people's houses on fire together. I went and asked and they told me that it may have been a murder."

I sat back in the chair and rubbed my face. I could feel my eyes changing over before I heard Mijo, "Come back, Chris. Don't let him take you over." I looked up at him and he touched my shoulder. I gently nodded, calming myself down.

I need to go back to the house. I need to go back and find answers.