The Warrior (6 page)

The days go by like a breeze. It just lifts
up and floats away. I'm kind of glad the time is flying the way it
is since its Saturday and I plan on meeting my nephew.

“You ready?” Bradon says as I hop in the
truck with him.

“Hell yea man I can’t fucking wait.” I say
with a smile on my face. I'm excited to get there and see him. “Hey
can you stop me by the gym first I think I left my jacket over
there.” I say as Bradon nods.

“Sure. I want to grab something at the store
anyway.” He says as we take off driving. We pull up in front of the
gym and we both hop out.

“I’ll be right back.” Bradon says as he walks
over towards the store. I nod as I walk towards the door and see
Reggie coming out flaming mad.

“You ok?” I say as I walk up to him.

“Yea just some bullshit you know how that
is.” He says as I nod and walk around him. Something seems off
about him but I don’t pay any attention as I walk into the gym. I
don’t see too many guys around which is unusual for a Saturday.
Once I'm in the back I see Dean one of the other guys.

“Where the hell is everyone?” I say as I walk
over to where he’s sitting.

“Shit they all ran when they seen Reggie
coming in here like a fucking bat out of hell.” He says with a
chuckle.

“What the hell is wrong with him?” I ask as I
grab a towel and throw it to him.

“Thanks. He found out his girl had been
cheating on him. Fucked her ass up pretty good. I tried to break
that shit up but he went the hell off so we all backed up.” Dean
says and I feel my heart beat pick up. The only fucking person he
was with that I knew of was Nina. I nod over towards Dean as he
gets back to his workout and I head straight towards the locker
room. The door is closed which is unusual too. I open it and go in
closing it behind me. I look around and the back is a fucking mess.
I walk around a little and find my jacket which I stop and pick up.
I turn around to head back out when I hear sniffles. I turn and
walk back over to the corner and sitting there curled up in the
floor is Nina. Damn it!

“What the hell happened?” I say but she
doesn’t move. I walk over and kneel in front of her lifting her
head up so I can see her face. The ugly bruises on her perfect skin
shine like a spotlight. Damn him!

“Get up.” I snap as I grab her arm and she
tries to pull back. “I said get the fuck up.” I snap one more time.
She still doesn’t move.

“You are just like him. You are one of them.”
She cries as I reach down and lift her up kicking and screaming. I
walk out of the back room and Dean chuckles at the sight of me
fighting this girl. She is screaming like I'm going to murder her.
This girl is going all crazy on my ass.

“Shut the hell up your attracting attention.”
I say as I open the back truck door and drop her in. I safety lock
the back doors so she can’t get out as I climb in the front. Bradon
comes out and gets in and looks back at Nina and over at me.

“We taking an extra?” He says looking a
little worried. I look back at Nina who is crying again and then
back to Bradon.

“Looks like we are.” I say as he nods and
starts the truck. We drive for over an hour until I ask Bra to stop
at a gas station. I hop out and extend my hand to Nina which she
takes as I lead her into the bathroom.

“You want to tell me what happened?” I say in
as soft of voice as I can.

“He said he knew I was cheating on him and I
wouldn’t tell him with who.” She says as I wet paper towels and
wipe her face. She flinches when I wipe certain spots.

“Why didn’t you just tell him?” I say as she
looks up at me with her swollen eye.

“Why would I? It’s not like me and him were
anything. I was just trying to find my sister.” She says as I keep
wiping.

“Is that all I was too?” I ask as she pulls
back.

“I don’t know what you are. I have never felt
like I do when I'm with you but you are still one of them.” She
says looking down. I reach over and grab her face making her look
at me.

“That’s all I know Nina. I feel things with
you too that I didn’t think I was capable of. You think I want to
fucking live like this? I don’t fucking want this!” I snap at her
as I let go and turn and put my hands against the wall. I don’t
know what the fuck to do. I lean my head against the wall when I
feel hands on my back. I flinch a little but I let her.

“You’re the only person I have let touch me.”
I say without moving. I feel Nina’s hands run around my waist as
she slides herself under my arms. Her face is just a few inches
from mine.

“I'm glad.” She says as I lean in the rest of
the way and kiss her.

“I'm nothing Nina.” I say against her
mouth.

“You are everything.” She says back to me as
I look in her eyes.

“I'm not. I'm a warrior and that’s all I know
how to be. I can’t be anything else. I don’t know how.” I say as
she runs lips over mine. I grab her around the waist and pull her
closer to me.

“You’re my warrior.” She says and I kiss her
again. I hold her there for a few minutes until I hear Bradon
knocking.

“I don’t share Nina. It’s not something I
do.” I say as I hug her to me.

“You won’t have to.” She says as I grab her
and pull her along with me as we head back to the truck.

***

“This it?” I ask as we pull up to a small
apartment building.

“Yea. This is it man.” Bradon says as we get
out. I grab Nina and pull her up next to me.

“Why do you look so nervous?” I ask him
smiling. “You scared to let me meet my nephew?” I say as I laugh.
Bradon’s eyes lock onto mine and he looks mad.

“Don’t you ever say that Cadence. You are the
only family I have besides them.” Bradon snaps and until now I
didn’t realize just how much he hated our dad.

“Bra. it’s ok man. I know.” I say as I let go
of Nina and pull my little brother into a hug.

“Let’s go meet my nephew.” I say with a huge
smile as I follow a smiling Bradon up towards the door.

Bradon knocks on the door and a pretty little
girl opens it holding a little boy that looks just like my brother.
Josie’s eyes look me over and then to Bradon as he nods and smiles.
She knows who I am. We grew up playing together. Well fighting
together.

“Cadence. I never thought I’d see you again.”
She says in a soft voice as she passes the little boy to my
brother.

“Never thought I’d be around to be seen
again.” I say as she smiles over at me.

“This is a friend of mine, Nina.” I say as
she extends her hand. The girls talk a little as Bradon walks away
from the door and I follow.

“This is your nephew Josh. Josh can you say
hi to your uncle Cad.” He says to the smiling little boy. The
little guy smiles up at me and I swear my heart fucking beats. I
mean like I really fucking feel it. I reach over and take the
little guy from my brother and walk around talking to him.

“Hey man. I'm your uncle.” I say as I walk
around playing with him. God I can’t believe my brother did this.
He made this.

“Bradon he is fucking perfect man. I'm proud
of you.” I say as I look over at him. I can see the tears in his
eyes. I know no one has ever told him they were proud of him before
and I'm glad I was the first.

“Let’s go in man.” He says as I turn to
follow him.

“Hey Bra?” I say as he turns to face me.

“Yea?”

“I really am proud of you.” I say as he
smiles and nods. I follow him inside to where the girls are
waiting.

“Josie I don’t know how you made such a good
looking baby with my brother.” I say laughing as she smiles.

“Thank you Cadence. I'm glad you got to meet
him. I want him to know his family.” She says smiling.

“Can I hold him?” Nina says to Josie as she
nods. I pass Josh over to Nina and sit back and watch my brother
and his little family. This is what he needs. He needs to be a man
and a father. He needs to be with his family.

“You look pretty good with that baby.” I lean
over and say to Nina as she smiles. She looks perfect right
now.

“So Bradon we need to talk. We need to make a
plan to get this shit rolling man.” I say as everyone turns to look
at me.

“I will take the ass of this man. I will take
whatever he fucking throws at me as long as I can make you happy.
You need to be with your family Bra.” I say as everyone watches
me.

“Damn it Cadence. You are my fucking family
too. If I'm doing this shit I'm doing it with you too.” He says as
he stands and paces around.

“You know damn good and well that he isn’t
letting me go Bradon. I'm the fucking backbone of his operation. I
can deal with what he throws at me for you being gone.” I snap as I
watch him move.

“He will fucking kill you Cadence!” Bradon
snaps and I can see the fear and pain in his eyes.

“For you to be happy and be here with them. I
would gladly fucking die. You don’t know the shit I have lived
through since I have been gone Bra. I want nothing more in this
life than for you to be safe and here.” I say as he sits down
across from me. I see the tears fall from his eyes and I know what
his family means to him.

“I can’t let you.” He says softly.

“I'm not giving you the choice Bra.” I say
softly as he gets up and leaves the room. Josie looks over at me as
I nod and she stands and follows him into another room. I sit there
with my head in my hands trying to figure out what to do. I feel
Nina place her hand on my back as I sit back and look at her still
holding Josh.

“Did you mean that?” She asks as I see her
eyes tear up.

“Of course I did. Nina we lived through hell
growing up with that man. You have no idea what them people are
like. I know I'm one of them but I will fucking die before I let my
brother turn into me. To what I am.” I say as a tear falls from her
eye. I reach over and wipe it as I look down at my now sleeping
nephew in her arms.

“Let me take him and then we will go get
something to eat.” I say as I pick Josh up and walk towards the
room. I knock on the door and Bradon opens it.

“Your boy fell asleep.” I say smiling at him.
Bradon looks down at me holding Josh and shakes his head.

“I want him to have his uncle Cad.” He says
as he takes him from me.

“Bra.I will do the best I can to be around
for him but if I can’t you have to be and you have to tell him his
uncle Cad loved him.” I say as he walks over to a small crib and
lays his son down. I never thought I’d see the day my brother had a
son and now I can’t imagine not being here to watch him grow
up.

“We are going to head out and let you guys
spend your time together. I will be back in the morning ok?” I say
as Bradon hugs me tight.

“It will work out Bra. I promise.” I say as I
slap his back.

***

“I think it’s great what you want to do for
your brother.” Nina says as we sit on the bed of the hotel.

“It isn’t nothing special. He has a family. I
don’t. It makes sense.” I say as I take a drink of my beer. We eat
our food and drink a little while we watch some movies. When Nina
looks lost in her own little world I turn the TV off and turn to
face her.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head
of yours?” I say as she shoots her eyes to mine.

“I was just thinking about my sister. I miss
her.” She says as I reach for her and pull her towards me. Family
is a strange thing. I know I missed my brother but I wouldn’t miss
my dad at all. Makes you wonder what really makes a family what it
is?

“I will look into it. I can’t promise you
anything but I will see what I can find out for you.” I say as I
hug her to me.

“Cadence why can’t you get out too?” She says
as I take a deep breath. I knew this question would come I just
didn’t want to answer it.

“I'm a killer Nina. The things I do to people
are something you couldn’t ever dream of. I hurt people. I take
away everything they are. I don’t know how to be anything else.
When I was sent away to the Marines I thought about what it would
be like to not come back home to just leave and see what was out
there for me. In the end I know what I am.” I say as she looks up
at me. I look into those sweet eyes and I could picture myself with
her holding a baby of ours. Nina is everything anyone would ever
want.

“You can change who you are Cad. I can see it
in you.” She says as I lean in and kiss her softly.

“I used to think so too but then I realized I
am what I am. I may have lost the other part of me along the way to
becoming this but I know I could never get it back anyways. What
good would I be to anyone being what I am?” I say against her mouth
as she shivers. I smile at that. Knowing I can make her feel like
this. I never thought I could do that.

“You can be so much more Cadence. I know you
can. You have a heart in there. It may be lost but it’s there. You
helped me.” She says as she kisses me back. I lay her down gently
and make love to her as slowly as I can. I want to feel every
fucking moment I have with her. I lay there rubbing her hair as her
breathes even out and I know she’s asleep. Only then do I doze
off.

***

“Cadence!!! PLEASE!!” I hear someone crying
over the sound of helicopter blades. I'm franticly looking around
and I don’t see anything but dirt and debris. There is blood
blurring my vision. I can’t see anything. I'm in a panic as I look
around some more. The helicopter blades are making so much noise.
My ears are starting to ring. I claw at the ground trying to figure
out what to do and which way to go. I feel a sharp pain radiate
through my arm as I roll over and see someone on top of me now.
They trying to choke me and I'm fighting back. I roll over on top
of them and start to choke them when my vision comes back too. All
I see is Nina’s face looking at me. I look down at my hands and I
have them around her neck. I snap out of it and jump back off the
bed as she sits up holding her neck. Oh my god I could have killed
her.