“Send me the location.”
Meco walked away, mumbling under his breath. Lo excused his frustration since he’d probably act the same way. They were twins who rarely did anything without the other. Lo was certain Meco was scared. The possibility of him not covering Lo more than likely propelled him to think that he would get taken out.
“Aye, come back, Lo. Don't let them niggas take you away from us. You hear me?” Devyn said.
Lo nodded. “I got you.”
Before he made his exit, he went on a hunt for Bria. Finding her outside on the patio, she sat with Kaylona and Tori. Poor Bria was riddled with anxiety. Her legs bounced while she chewed on her fingernails. The distant look on her face showcased how unsettled she was.
“Bria, come here.”
Immediately, she jumped up and hurried over to him. He grabbed her hand, and they walked around the house so he could gain some privacy.
“Did you find her?” she asked.
He tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is she okay?”
“I don't know yet. I’m about to go get her… I just wanted to make sure you're good before I go.”
She gulped and expelled a deep breath. “I’m trying to be.”
“Look.” He held her chin. “You know I love you, right?”
“Yes, but why are you saying this to me right now?”
“Because you need to know that I love you and that if something happens to me, you gotta keep pushing.”
“Lo, please.” Her eyes instantly released tears. “Don't say that.”
“It’s real life, baby. You know what I’m apart of and you know shit can go left real quick.”
Bria’s head hung as she sobbed. It tore Lo up seeing her so broken at the moment, but he needed to be honest. He could’ve walked away and never returned to her.
“But what about us? What about the baby? I can’t raise this child without you.”
Lo kissed her cheek and held her close. He allowed her to cry for a while in his arms. Bria needed this memory just in case he didn’t make it back to her.
Lo pulled back a bit and lifted her face. Her beauty always made his heart skip a beat. He prayed that their child would inherit most of her features. She deserved to have a carbon copy of her breathtaking face.
“You know you're the best thing that’s happened to me? You got me to open up and face demons I had been cool living with. When we first got married, I stayed away from you because I knew you would challenge me. I wasn’t ready for it, but you didn’t care.” He smirked, making her chuckle. “I needed that. I needed you, and I love the shit outta you.”
“I love you, too,” she mumbled, eyes swollen from crying most of the day.
Lo enveloped her lips, taking note of the softness so he could dwell on it just in case he didn’t make it back. Their tongues reunited, evoking his yearning for her to become uncharted. He hoped this wasn’t the end of them. They were just getting started. Lo had so much more love to give her and his child that he couldn’t fathom not coming home to her.
“I gotta go, baby,” he whispered.
Bria gripped his shirt, gazing into his eyes. “Tell me you're coming back.”
Lo didn’t lie, and he wouldn’t start now. The odds were against him. Luco wanted blood, his specifically. Selling her a dream was something he couldn’t do.
“Just lie to me and tell me you're coming back to me. Please, Lo.”
Lo’s reality wrestled against her fantasy. He didn’t know which one would win. Honesty had been his favorite character trait, but Bria wanted a falsehood. A lie that would’ve soothed the possibility of him not returning.
“Okay.” He went against his nature and told her, “I’m coming back. I promise.”
