37| red

NADIA

"Are you going to tell me who that was?" my brother, Zeke, asked as we approached our house.

I rolled my eyes. "Jeez, are you being for real right now?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

Zeke's eyes narrowed. "Is he the boy you're seeing?"

I looked at him wide-eyed, feigning disgust. "What? No!"

Zeke's gaze flickered to my hands, his eyes fixed on the bruises. I silently cursed myself for not wearing long sleeves.

"Who did it?" Zeke asked, his voice firm.

I attempted to play dumb. "Did what?"

Zeke's expression turned skeptical. "Nadia, I'm not an idiot. I know what that is. Who the hell did it?"

Luckily, we had pulled up to our house, and I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt. "It's nothing. I was at dance practice and—"

Zeke cut me off. "Nonsense. Do you honestly think I'm a fool?"

I tried to deflect. "I don't have time for this right now. I'm going inside."

Zeke persisted. "Was it him? The guy who was watching you?"

"Oh my gosh, can you please stop acting like I'm some little girl? You're acting like—" I stopped myself from mentioning Elijah's name.

Zeke's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

I hastily covered. "Dad."

"So, what are we doing home this early?" I asked Zeke, attempting to shift the conversation.

"Nadia—"

I cut him off, my tone firm. "I swear, if you ask me again, I'll leave, and this time you won't even know where I'm at. You'll never find out what really happened."

Zeke's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with frustration.

"So?" I pressed, glancing over at him.

He merely gestured for me to enter the house. I shot him a curious look before complying.

As I stepped inside, my eyes landed on a familiar figure seated on the couch – my mom. A warm smile spread across my face as our eyes met. She rose from the couch, opening her arms wide, and I eagerly embraced her. Her rich, dark brown skin and bright, warm smile were a comforting sight. Her tightly coiled black hair was pulled back into a neat bun, revealing her gentle features.

We hugged for a long time, holding each other tightly. I felt a sense of peace wash over me, but it was short-lived.

"Oh my gosh ma, you're here." I said in utter disbelief. "Ma, where's Dad?" I asked, pulling back to look at her.

Her smile faltered, and my heart sank.

My mom's expression turned somber, and she gently guided me to sit beside her on the couch. Zeke hovered in the background, his eyes fixed on us with a mix of concern and curiosity.

My mom took a deep breath before speaking. "Nadia, I need to show you something." She pulled out her phone and scrolled through it, her fingers trembling slightly.

I felt a sense of trepidation as she handed me the phone. On the screen was a grainy image of my dad, lying on the ground, surrounded by people in suits. A chill ran down my spine as I realized what I was looking at.

"What...what is this?" I stuttered.

My mom's voice was barely above a whisper. "It's your father. He was...shot."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "Who did this?" I demanded, my eyes scanning the image for any clues.

My mom's expression turned grave. "Enemies, Nadia. People who want to hurt us."

I shook my head, confusion and fear swirling inside me. "What enemies? What are you talking about?"

My mom took a deep breath, her eyes locked on mine. "Nadia, you need to understand. Your father and I...we're not who you think we are. We're part of a...a world that's not always safe. A world where loyalty is tested, and enemies are always lurking."

I felt like I was living in a nightmare. "What are you talking about?" I repeated, my voice shaking.

My mom's voice was firm but gentle. "We're part of a lifestyle, Nadia. A lifestyle that comes with risks and dangers. And once you're born into it, you can never truly escape."

I shook my head, horror and denial warring inside me. "I don't want any part of this life," I said, my voice firm.

My mom's expression turned sad, but resolute. "I know, baby. But we can't change who we are. And right now, we need to stick together more than ever."

I felt trapped, like my whole world was crumbling around me. But my mom's words echoed in my mind: we're in this together, now more than ever.

□□□

That evening we were driving to where dad was at. Fortunately for him we had a family doctor since admitting him to a hospital would raise suspicions and that's the last thing we needed.

"Dr. Malik, thank you so much for coming." My mom said, and Malik shook hands with all of us. He was dressed in a simple shirt and suit pants with a briefcase in hand. "Sorry I had to see you under these circumstances," he responded, looking over at my dad who was lying in bed all bloody, injured and bruised.

At first I could barely recognize him and I was shaking like crazy but my mom reassured me that it wasn't his first rodeo and that he'd be okay. "He has more lives than a cat," she told me

We watched Dr Malik examine him. His nurse on the side, connecting his tubes and the machine went on, creating the beep sound I hated with my life.

"So is he going to be okay?" I asked, my voice laced with concern but Dr Malik went quiet. I blinked, my heart racing.

"Malik?" And this time it was my mom. Dr Malik finally turned around, a look of sorrow in his face. I shook my head. "No,"

"Mrs Evens, your husband..." Dr Malik trailed off, his gaze meeting my mother's. "isn't responding at the moment. He suffered a bit of brain damage and clearly the people who did this wanted him dead. I'm sorry to tell you that your husband has entered a coma. Right now, I suggest you pray like you've never prayed before because he'll need a miracle to get up from there, "