Burning Sage

Chapter Thirty Two

Sage turned over in bed, relieving the side she had slept on throughout the night.

Kicks invaded her stomach and a small smile played on her mouth as she cradled it, "I'm just turning over babies," she whispered.

She couldn't wait to meet her three boys in a few months. She'd been through a lot with them.

After she settled, her bladder needed a release. With a groan she slowly sat up. She'd been to the toilet twice already, and she knew this wasn't her last.

"Need help Mami?" Junior's voice frightened her.

"My God babe, you want me to pee on the bed?" She switched on the lamp by her side then stood up.

Junior chuckled, "My bad," he sat up and switched his lamp on as well, "The toilet?" He raised an eyebrow.

Sage waded towards the bathroom, "Your kids don't want me to sleep," she complained disappearing into the bathroom.

Junior rubbed his one eye whilst yawning, "You sure you're good?" He mumbled, sleep still weighing heavy on his eyelids.

There was no response and he laid back down.

Sage walked into the bedroom and kissed her teeth, "So much for caring," she said and returned to bed.

She watched Junior sleep peacefully and envied him.

The second trimester had her fat with swollen feet. Her face was round with a double chin she hated. Stretch marks painted her sides and insecurities were high.

Junior always complimented her and swatted away the harsh remarks she'd tell herself, they'd go as far as argue due to the negative comments Sage gave herself each morning.

She grabbed her phone from the side and noted the time to being a little after four in the morning.

She had to wake up in three hours for school and she dreaded that.

Her father spoke to the principal to allow Sage to proceed with her last year, on the conditions she'd sit for her examinations and catch up on missed work, she was to start that week.

She had spent the previous one in hospital after being rescued from Sean's capture and fortunately her and her children were not injured, which she counted as a huge blessing.

She hadn't asked Junior about Ashley or anybody else that made it out alive, she was still in recovery.

Letoya and Trisha had visited whilst in hospital, along with Chelsea and Zoe. Pearl couldn't make it but a few video calls made up for her absence.

She put her phone down and cuddled into Junior. She had hoped for sleep to consume her as she had a long day ahead.

...

Eli woke up to the sun shining through from the curtains in the hospital room he occupied for the second week and he yawned whilst looking around.

He then peered at his arm that was bandaged.

He still wondered as to how he made it out alive after the torture they were inflicted to by Sean and his colleagues. He had lost two fingers and his ribs were recovering from the baseball bat that hit him more times than he could count.

Sniper had died from loss of blood beside Eli when Sean had left the room, and Eli remembered how he watched his only friend take his last breath.

With the last strength left, Eli stood off of the floor and limped towards the house, and that's where he was met with Sean's sob story.

Silently taking a gun from the dead bodies of his colleagues, he aimed for the back of Sean's head and fired.

Darkness was all he saw after that.

He shook his head and looked up, "Thank you big man," he silently said.

"You're up," a pretty nurse walked in pushing a tray of food, "In time for your check up and breakfast."

Her smile was contagious, causing Eli to return one.

"Hello Mya," he greeted and sat up carefully.

"Good morning Eli," she approached him, "How are you feeling today?"

"Better, now that you're here," he grinned.

"Such a flirt," she blushed and jotted something down on her clipboard.

Eli was attracted to his nurse, just as she was to him. Her daily visits grew their relationship beyond patient and caretaker. He was hoping they'd be more than friends.

"Do you have anywhere to go once you're discharged?" Mya asked from the IV bag she was checking that was attached to Eli's hand.

She was aware of what he'd been through, and where he was headed with his life and admiration was all she had for him.

"No," he admitted. He had no family members left and he had sworn to never return to the game. He had no idea what was going to happen to the Carter empire, and quiet frankly, he didn't care.

Mya gave a short nod and squeezed her lips together as though withholding from saying anything.

Eli studied her petite face, and tried to find her light green eyes that were focused on what she was doing, "Whats up? You know you can talk to me," he said.

"No, nothing," she lied then put her board down, "All done, I'll return once you've eaten breakfast," she smiled and exited his room.

He sat there watching her leave then looked straight ahead. He still had money from what he and Sniper had taken before going on the run. He could start a new life, one that would make him content.

A simple life.

...

"So you and Sage are siblings?" JP asked as he drove with Junior and Marcus to Wes' club.

"Shit, you're on some incest shit," Marcus added laughing from the backseat.

Junior smacked his lips, "My father was married to her mother, ain't no blood there," he said, disliking the topic.

"What did Sage say?" JP peered at Junior in the passenger seat.

"We haven't spoken about it," he shrugged.

"Females be deep about such topics, hopefully she won't leave your ass cause of this," JP said, turning into the club's parking.

"She carrying my kids, she ain't going anywhere," Junior commented.

"My nigga," Marcus patted his back and busted out laughing.

JP parked and the three guys exited the car. They walked into the empty club and approached the table Aiden and Wes occupied.

"Gents," Wes greeted and they all exchanged handshakes and fist bumps.

After they settled and received glasses with a bottle of whiskey, they started conversing.

"Wes, I wanted to thank you for-" Junior started.

"No need, I know you would've done the same," he waved his hand in the air dismissing the thanks, "We should be glad we all made it out alive," he leaned back after grabbing his short glass.

"Word," Marcus said as everyone else nodded.

"Except for that white nigga," JP commented.

"Nobody gives a fuck," Marcus gave JP a bewildered look.

The boys laughed.

"Well with all that behind us," Junior placed his glass down and licked his lips, "It's time to get club Young running," he said.

"Yeah, time to start this new life," JP added.

"That we can do," Wes said.

The gents spent the afternoon going over the business plan, drinking, smoking and sharing laughs.

For the first time in a long while, they all had no worries or enemies to keep off. They looked forward to what was to come.